54 • September | October 2026 • abasto.com Hispanic Heritage Month Campaigns Are Getting Noticed, but Authenticity Is the Test BY DIANA LEZA SHEEHAN I n annual planning meetings, brands and retailers consider whether and how to engage with moments like Hispanic Heritage Month (HHM). How will it be recei- ved? Is it worth the investment? Does it drive value? Our June 2026 wave of the US Diverse Consumer Pulse Study offers direct answers. How will it be received? Consu- mers strongly indicate curiosity and openness. Half of Latino consumers say brands and retailers should run HHM campaigns because it is an im- portant cultural moment. Another quarter say yes, provided it is done authentically. That is three in four con- sumers inviting brands and retailers to engage. Among the broader General Population, roughly 60% say the same. Latinos want their culture embraced and celebrated, and other consumers want to experience that celebration. The foundation is solid. Nine- ty-two percent of Latino consumers know what HHM is or have at least heard of it. About seven in ten Gene- ral Population consumers voice simi- lar awareness. This is not a niche ob- servance that requires introduction. Is it worth the investment? The activations are getting noticed. Se- venty-three percent of Latino consu- mers report awareness of brands or retailers promoting HHM, as do 57% of General Population shoppers. La- tino consumers are not only seeing these campaigns; many are actively looking for them. Latino consumers are willing to give brands the benefit of the doubt, but not a free pass. Seventy-four per- cent say HHM activations are at least sometimes authentic, yet the largest share, 39%, say they are only some- times authentic, depending on the brand. Consumers are open to HHM campaigns, but authenticity is jud- ged brand by brand. Does it drive value? That depends on what you build. Product comes first: 56% of Latino consumers say products or flavors rooted in actual Latino culinary traditions would make a campaign feel most authen- tic. Thirty-eight percent point to part- nerships with Latino-owned busines- ses. Thirty-four percent cite bilingual or Spanish-language content, more than double the 15% among General Population consumers. Thirty per- cent want commitment year-round, not just one month a year. For brands, distributors, and inde- pendent grocers, this is encouraging news. The strongest authenticity sig- nals are things this industry already controls: what is on the shelf, and who supplied it. A regional Mexican line, a Dominican brand given strong placement, or a co-branded end cap with a local manufacturer will re- gister in a way a themed social post never will. The reward is not narrow: 45% of General Population consu- mers name culinary authenticity as well. So, the planning-meeting question is not whether to show up in Septem- ber. It is what you will have on the shelf and whether it is still there in January. Embracing Hispanic heri- tage needs to be a year-round com- mitment if brands want HHM activa- tions to drive real value. • FOOD INDUSTRY