Why Are You Still Waiting to Market Your Offers?
Mar 28
2
min read
Marketing Blind Spot: Stop Ignoring What Your DMS Already Knows
The Impact & Lack of Multilingual Marketing on the Auto Industry
The Impact & Lack of Multilingual Marketing on the Auto Industry
Spanish-speaking customers represent nearly 1 in 4 new car buyers in the U.S.—yet only 8% of dealerships offer any Spanish-language content. This article explores why many dealerships overlook this growing audience (usually due to time and bandwidth), and how even small, intentional steps can create lasting loyalty, better customer experiences, and increased sales. Featuring real dealer case studies and clear ROI, it offers practical ways to bridge the gap between what your DMS knows—and what your marketing shows.
Is Your Dealership Ignoring Millions of Customers?
We get it–most dealerships don’t ignore Spanish-speaking customers on purpose. It’s often just a matter of time and resources, plus not knowing where to start. But the reality is that communicating with customers in their native language isn’t just courteous; it’s also a proven way to dramatically improve marketing effectiveness. Research has consistently found that people prefer to receive information in a language they understand best. In other words, they’re more likely to engage, trust, and buy, when they’re spoken to in their first language. For example, over 82% of U.S. Latino adults speak Spanish, and 95% say it’s important that future generations continue to speak Spanish. This is both a cultural preference and a marketing opportunity that’s too big to ignore.
Look at it this way:
Imagine trying to make a major purchase—like a car—when the website, ad, or salesperson doesn't speak your language. It’s frustrating, alienating, and easy to walk away. That’s exactly what happens to millions of Spanish-speaking customers every day. 72% of global consumers are more likely to purchase a product when information is presented in their native language, and 60% report rarely or never buying from English-only websites. They simply won’t buy what they can’t fully understand–that makes sense, right? Language is the bridge to trust, comfort, and connection, as well as engagement in commerce. That’s worth the effort.
Key impacts of native-language communication on consumers:
Improved Conversion Rates
Websites offering content in multiple languages see significantly better results – conversion rates were 55% higher on multilingual sites compared to English-only sites. In other words, translating marketing materials can directly boost the number of leads or sales generated.
Greater Customer Satisfaction & Loyalty
Customers feel more comfortable and valued when served in their own language. Around 74% of consumers are more likely to repurchase from brands that provide post-sales support in their language, and similarly, providing native-language customer service increases overall satisfaction.
When you remove language barriers, something powerful happens—customers feel seen. They engage more deeply, move from curious to committed faster, and stick around longer. This is about the combined impact of building real relationships and improving metrics. And nowhere is this more evident than with Spanish-speaking customers in the U.S. auto market—a group ready to buy, but often overlooked simply because no one’s speaking their language.
Spanish-Speaking Customers in the U.S. Auto Market
You already know that Spanish speakers are a vital and growing segment of U.S. car buyers. Hispanics/Latinos currently make up about 18–20% of the U.S. population (over 60 million people) and their share is rising. Importantly, they represent a disproportionately large share of auto sales: Hispanic consumers account for roughly 24% of all new car sales in the U.S.–significantly higher than their population percentage. This reflects both the community’s growing economic power and a strong demand for vehicles. In fact, Hispanic buyers tend to purchase cars more often—and at younger ages—than just about any other group.
While it may feel like a stretch in both time and energy for many busy dealerships, communicating in a customer’s preferred language is a meaningful way to build trust and show respect. Some automakers and dealerships are beginning to adopt the mindset that serving Spanish-speaking customers isn’t just good business—it’s the right thing to do.
While many Hispanic Americans are bilingual, a significant number prefer Spanish in certain situations, especially when making big decisions like buying a car. Studies show that Spanish-language advertising is more effective when it's also culturally relevant, creating a sense of connection and inclusion.
Tailoring communication in this way improves clarity and honors the customer’s identity. As one industry publication put it, Hispanic buyers are “a driving force” in auto sales, and they tend to stay loyal to brands and dealerships that make the effort to speak their language and understand their values.
Effectiveness of Spanish-Language Marketing: Engagement & Satisfaction
Multiple surveys and case studies in the auto industry show that marketing in Spanish yields higher customer engagement, willingness to visit dealerships, and overall satisfaction among Hispanic consumers, cementing the fact that this impacts your dealership directly. Key findings from a nationwide survey of Hispanic car buyers on their attitudes toward Spanish-language ads and services include:
- Increased Dealership Visits: When asked how likely they were to visit a car dealer who advertises in Spanish, 63.4% responded “Very” or “Extremely Likely”. (Notably, this was even more pronounced among women–100% of women in the survey said they were very/extremely likely to visit Spanish-advertising dealers.
- Willingness to Travel Further: Language can even overcome distance barriers. About 74% of respondents said “yes” they would travel further to shop at a dealership that markets to them in Spanish. This suggests Spanish-language outreach draws customers from outside a dealer’s immediate locale if competitors closer by aren’t advertising in Spanish.
- Word-of-Mouth & Referrals: Providing Spanish-speaking staff or communications greatly boosts customer willingness to refer friends and family. In the same survey, 100% of Hispanic women and 48% of men said they are Very or Extremely Likely to refer someone to a dealer who speaks Spanish. Such referral intent indicates high customer satisfaction and trust–happy customers are eager to send others your way when you serve them in their language.
These stats highlight a pattern: Spanish-language marketing and services create a better customer experience for Spanish-speaking buyers, which in turn drives behaviors that benefit dealerships (more showroom traffic, greater loyalty, positive word-of-mouth).
Additional research from prior years backs this up. For instance, an earlier study found 66% of Hispanic car shoppers consider it helpful when a dealership advertises in Spanish, and 43% said they would travel further to a dealer that does so.
All of these figures reinforce the same conclusion–engaging customers in Spanish meets a clear need and is rewarded with higher engagement and satisfaction.
Impact on Sales and Business Outcomes
Beyond attitudes and engagement, there is tangible evidence that native-language communication leads to increased sales and revenue in the auto retail context. Hispanic consumers’ growing influence on car sales is well documented – as noted, nearly one in four new cars in the U.S. is sold to a Hispanic buyer.
For dealerships that find the time and tools to engage this segment—whether through bilingual marketing or a few key hires—the returns are often well worth the effort. Some notable examples and statistics include:
Boosted Sales Conversion
Industry anecdotes indicate that multilingual campaigns convert shoppers into buyers at a higher rate. For example, one dealership reported that after implementing a dedicated Spanish-language outreach and advertising program, fully 20% of its sales now come from Spanish-speaking buyers.
This uptick was achieved by committing to Spanish marketing and iterating on what messages worked best, demonstrating a clear ROI for the effort.
Doubled Sales to Hispanic Customers
A high-performing Nissan dealership in Los Angeles (Downey Nissan) provides a case study on the impact of culturally aware service. By hiring bilingual staff and marketing directly to the local Hispanic community, Downey Nissan doubled its vehicle sales to Hispanic customers in 2017 and became the #1 Nissan dealer in its region for Hispanic sales. Leadership at the dealership credits this success in large part to having an ethnically diverse, 90% bilingual (English-Spanish) sales team that can communicate with ease to Spanish-speaking shoppers
The conclusion was clear: investing in personnel and advertising to serve Spanish speakers translated into a major sales surge.
Brand Market Share Growth
Automakers that prioritize Spanish-language marketing have seen long-term gains in market share among Hispanic consumers. (For instance, Toyota’s sustained Spanish-language ad campaigns and culturally tailored messaging have been linked to doubling the Hispanic share of Toyota’s U.S. sales – from 12% in 2010 to roughly 24% in recent years).
Such growth underscores that speaking the customer’s language directly drives business outcomes like higher sales volumes and customer loyalty to the brand.
It’s clear that multilingual communication can yield measurable sales benefits. By reducing language frictions in the buying process, dealerships capture business that might otherwise go elsewhere.
They also build loyalty: a customer who feels genuinely welcomed (because a salesperson or ad spoke Spanish to them) is more likely to buy again or service their vehicle at that dealership. In an industry where lifetime customer value is important (cars require maintenance, trade-ins, repeat purchases, etc.), this loyalty is invaluable.
So, what’s holding dealers back?
There is an insurmountable amount of evidence that multilingual marketing incentives benefit both your dealership and your community. Despite the clear benefits—higher engagement, better conversions, long-term loyalty—many dealerships still hesitate to embrace Spanish-language marketing. But it’s not because they don’t see the value.
More often, it comes down to time, bandwidth, and perceived complexity.
Building bilingual content, hiring the right staff, or launching Spanish-language campaigns can feel like one more task on an already overloaded plate. Unfortunately, overlooking this effort is a missed opportunity and a competitive disadvantage.
Adoption of Multilingual Services in U.S. Dealerships Both On and Offline
Many dealerships still rely on English-only communication, missing an opportunity to engage a large segment of their market. A recent analysis illustrates how wide this gap is:
Figure: Pie chart illustrating the incidence of Spanish-language content on U.S. car dealer websites. Out of ~28,000 dealership websites analyzed in 2024, only about 8% (green slice) had any readily identifiable Spanish-language content, while the vast majority (92%, blue slice) had no Spanish content at all.
Source: dealermarketing.com
This is a clear visual that, incredibly, even in areas with large Hispanic populations, most dealerships do not offer Spanish on their websites. When researchers looked specifically at dealers located in markets with over 50,000 Hispanics living within 50 miles, 89% of those dealer sites still showed no obvious Spanish-language content (only ~11% had any). In other words, fewer than 1 in 9 dealerships in high-Hispanic areas were doing even the bare minimum of providing website information in Spanish. This is a striking disconnect given that Hispanics often make up a huge portion of the customer base in such regions. The low adoption isn’t limited to websites. Advertising budgets tell a similar story. Industry-wide, only about 4% of U.S. advertising spend is directed toward Hispanic marketing, barely inching up from levels 20 years ago.
Many dealers also lack bilingual sales or service staff, though some have started to recognize the need to hire Spanish-speaking employees.
The overall picture is that multilingual communication in auto retail is the exception rather than the norm in 2025–which suggests many dealers are leaving potential business on the table. However, it also means those who do invest early in Spanish-language capabilities can differentiate themselves and capture an underserved market.
Practical Steps Your Dealership Can Take Today
5 Practical Ways to Begin Serving Spanish-Speaking Customers
These small steps can help your dealership build trust, increase conversions, and stand out locally—without overhauling your entire operation.
1. Add a “Se Habla Español” Tagline
- Add this to your website header, homepage, and front-door signage.
- Make it clear that Spanish-speaking customers are welcome and will be helped.
2. Translate One Key Page
- Start with your current lease specials or service offers.
- Use a reputable translator (or trusted bilingual team member) to ensure it sounds natural and professional.
3. Identify (or Hire) a Bilingual Point Person
- Designate a Spanish-speaking staff member to handle inbound leads and in-store walk-ins.
- Add their name/photo to the Spanish version of your webpage or in ads.
4. Test a Spanish-Language Ad or Post
- Run a simple Facebook ad or radio spot targeting Spanish-speaking audiences within your local zip codes.
- Track results over 30–60 days to gauge interest and engagement.
5. Update Your CRM/DMS Tags
- Segment or tag Spanish-preferred customers in your CRM.
- Start by sending follow-up texts or emails in Spanish for key service reminders or thank-yous.
Concerned About Cost?
For ROI-minded dealers, the math is simple. Translating a key webpage—like your lease offers or homepage—can cost as little as $300–$500. If it helps close even one additional sale per month, the return easily covers the cost many times over. It’s a low-risk, high-reward move that makes financial sense—and sets the stage for longer-term growth with a loyal customer base.
Dealers Who Are Leading By Example
While industry adoption is lagging overall, there are standout examples of dealerships that proactively implement Spanish-language services and reap the rewards. These stores offer a blueprint for how to connect with Spanish-speaking customers:
Inver Grove Honda (Minnesota): Online Incentives
This dealership recognized the importance of making information accessible to Spanish speakers. Inver Grove Honda launched a dedicated Spanish-language section on its website for special offers – an “Ofertas de Arrendamiento” page listing Honda lease deals in Spanish. Spanish-speaking customers in the Minneapolis–St. Paul area can now easily find promotions in their own language, which improves engagement and comfort. (The dealership also prominently advertises “Hablamos Español” – “We speak Spanish” – signaling that Spanish-speaking staff are available on-site). By localizing its marketing content, Inver Grove Honda is actively welcoming a wider audience.
Downey Nissan (California): In-House & Online Incentives
As mentioned earlier, Downey Nissan invested heavily in bilingual staffing and community outreach. About 90% of its sales team is fluent in Spanish, allowing the dealership to converse with customers in either language without a hitch. They also have a Hispanic marketing director coordinating advertising and events for the Latino community. This comprehensive approach (Spanish ads, Spanish-speaking personnel, and a culturally aware sales strategy) has made Downey Nissan one of the top dealerships for Hispanic car buyers in Southern California, resulting in record sales growth. It’s a prime example of how committing to the customer’s language can drive success.
Other Implementations
Across the country, more dealerships are taking similar steps. Many dealerships in states like Texas, California, Florida, and New York have added “Se habla Español” signs and online indicators, ensuring Spanish-speaking visitors know services are available in their language.
Some dealer groups run Spanish-language social media pages or YouTube channels demonstrating vehicles with Spanish commentary. And a number of stores have begun advertising on Spanish-language media (such as local Spanish radio stations and Univision/Telemundo TV affiliates). For example Northside Honda of San Antonio, TX, frequently runs promotions on local Spanish-language radio stations like Qué Buena 104.3 FM and Univision Radio.
The common thread is clear: dealers who meet customers where they are–linguistically and culturally–gain trusted client relationships and a competitive edge. The best part is that it doesn’t have to be complicated.
Conclusion and Outlook
Conducting marketing and customer service in the customer’s native language isn’t just about translation–it’s about respect, trust, and building a connection. For Spanish-speaking car buyers, a bit of language effort on the dealership’s part can be the difference between feeling like an afterthought versus a valued client.
The evidence is overwhelming that marketing and communicating in a customer’s native language (in this case, Spanish) substantially improves outcomes in the U.S. auto dealership industry. Engagement metrics rise–Spanish-speaking shoppers are more likely to notice your ads, visit your showroom, and recommend you to others if you speak their language.
Customer experience and satisfaction improve – buyers feel understood and comfortable, leading to loyalty and repeat business. And ultimately, sales increase – whether through higher conversion rates online or greater market share in the community.
Spanish-speaking Americans constitute a large and growing market segment with immense buying power, and they are actively seeking businesses that will communicate with them in Spanish. Yet, most auto dealers have been slow to adapt: only a small minority offer multilingual content or staff, especially outside of predominantly Hispanic regions. Building a consistent multilingual strategy takes time, planning, and resources that many teams are already stretched to manage. In short, many dealerships simply need better direction.
Multilingual customers are shaping the future of automotive retail. The dealerships that carve out time, build the right team, and take small, strategic steps today will be the ones earning trust—and thriving—in the years to come.
Sources: Major industry surveys and reports; Dealer Marketing Magazine analyses
; Pew Research Center
; CSA Research “Can’t Read, Won’t Buy” study
; Automotive news releases and case studies
; Inver Grove Honda website (Spanish offers page)
; and other automotive marketing research as cited above.
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