Beyond Heritage Months: How Hispanic CPG Brands Are Rewriting Their Marketing Playbook

Every year, heritage months (like Black History Month in February and AAPI Heritage Month in May) recognize the contributions and influence of minority communities in the US. But—like any recognition effort—these months are only as powerful as the conversation surrounding them. And in the past few years, Latinx-led brands watched as the buzz backing Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 - October 15) softened to a whisper.

The once-prevalent shopping roundups and affiliate link-driven content that boosted brand visibility saw a notable decline. In response, innovative brands like Cafe Aroma and SOMOS took matters into their own hands—moving away from reliance on third-party content and towards brand-owned initiatives. Let’s dig into it →

The Changing Media Landscape

Recently, publishers have begun to move towards affiliate strategies to drive revenue—earning a commission when readers purchase products through links in their content. For CPG brands, this has traditionally meant inclusion in shopping roundups and product recommendation articles, with publishers earning a percentage of each sale—usually between 5-15% for food and beverage products.

However, publishers have increasingly been decoupling heritage and affiliate links—focusing their affiliate content on broader consumer categories like "best hot sauces" or "top shelf-stable meals" rather than heritage-specific roundups. This shift reflects both changing SEO strategies and evolving consumer shopping behavior.

Miguel Leal, Co-Founder and CEO of SOMOS, also sees this shift as a reflection of evolving consumer behavior: “Ultimately, I believe the trend of decreasing affiliate links [during heritage months] is just pointing us toward how people actually search for and purchase our products,” he shares. Consumers are increasingly searching for the best products in a category, looking for great-tasting global food products year-round rather than during specific cultural moments.

Making Their Own Noise

This insight has led both SOMOS and Cafe Aroma to pivot their marketing strategies toward building authentic connections through direct consumer engagement and strategic partnerships.

• Cafe Aroma exemplified this approach by hosting a Hispanic Heritage Month kick-off event in Miami's Domino Park, a historic gathering place for the Cuban community. "We served up espressos, and gave away product and merch. Connecting with our community (over 100 people came by to sip cafecitos and connect) in person was wonderful," Bernadette Gerrity, VP of Marketing at Cafe Aroma, explains.

• SOMOS, meanwhile, has leveraged its growing social media presence to build meaningful partnerships with other Hispanic-owned and -led brands. Their collaborations span established brands like Jarritos and Avocados from Mexico and Loisa, Tia Lupita, and Toast It Foods, expanding their reach and creating engaging content that celebrates their shared heritage—the real root of Hispanic Heritage Month.

Whether through in-person gatherings or digital collaborations, they're showing how their products fit naturally into people's daily lives, from quick weeknight dinners to weekend gatherings—all while keeping their heritage at the core of their brand identity.

Heritage as Business Strategy

For these brands, heritage isn't just a monthly marketing moment—it's fundamental to their year-round business strategy. "Being dynamic is important year round, especially for a heritage brand like Cafe Aroma," Gerrity emphasizes. "We celebrate our legacy and focus on new opportunities. We use our social channels to share family photos, recipes, and traditions around holidays, like Father's Day and Christmas coming up."

SOMOS takes a similarly comprehensive approach. "For SOMOS, we keep heritage at the forefront of our marketing," Leal explains. "That translates to our social channels, where you'll find fun content like our recent 'Mexican Moms Try Mexican Chili Crisp' video, spotlights on our Mexico-based team members, and recipes inspired by the meals my co-founders and I grew up eating in Mexico." He emphasizes the importance of infusing heritage into every aspect of business operations: "There is an opportunity to infuse your heritage into every aspect of your business, from sourcing to storytelling, and I believe a multi-layered approach is what will ultimately captivate consumers."

A New Era of Authentic Storytelling

As the CPG media landscape continues to evolve, these brands are leading the way in redefining how cultural heritage is represented in the industry. "I envision that one day, there will be much more fluidity in the way that brands lean into their heritage and story," Leal shares. "I hope that we'll see heritage amplified more loudly across all marketing channels, not only during 'Heritage Months' but instead with consistency, year-round.

This shift represents more than just a change in marketing strategy—it's a fundamental reimagining of how heritage-led brands can authentically connect with consumers while staying true to their roots. As Gerrity advises, "stay true to your north star and create what your core customer is looking for—other curious consumers will find you along the way."

Through community events, strategic partnerships, and authentic storytelling, brands like SOMOS and Cafe Aroma are creating a blueprint for how heritage-led CPG companies can thrive in today's market while maintaining their cultural authenticity. Their success suggests that the future of cultural heritage marketing lies not in isolated campaigns or media moments, but in consistent, authentic engagement that celebrates heritage as an integral part of brand identity.

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