The Essence of “Latinicity”

Latin America is witnessing rapid wealth; at least that’s what the numbers say from a recent article in Business Insider. At a rate of 38 per cent in the past year, the region has the world’s fastest growing number of billionaires. This means that the super rich have a lot more money to buy high-end brands, making them an attractive consumer base in the global market. No wonder then, that Cannes Lions Festival of International Creativity has opened the stage to conversations that focus on the ripening region.

In a session today, “Latin: The Hottest New Brand?,” speakers Sergio Alcocer, Andrezza Valentin and Alex Pallete discussed the Latin identity that brands around the world want to know more about.

So what is the essence of “Latinicity”? Here is a quick list of five key traits Alcocer, Valentin and Pallete identified as distinct elements of Latin voice, tone and personality.

1. Passion: Latinos have a strong passion for life itself. Their lively personalities are inherently persuasive, which helps to add value and perspective to their work.
2. Dualistic Spirit: Latinos live in a world where realism and idealism are not separate entities; rather their ideology brings the two dynamics together to create change.
3. Spontaneity: Latinos live in the moment and let things flow without a rigid structure. “Over-planning kills the magic inside”; they believe in a more fluid state of ideas.
4. Ambiguity: Latinos are very comfortable with the idea of uncertainty because sometimes, the “unexpected [can] be a source of creative magic.”
5. Hackers: Latin Americans figure it out no matter what. They are driven, resourceful and ingenious – traits that help to rearrange the system.