Generated by AI, prompted and edited by Maxwell Chalkin, EVP, Managing Director and Chief Digital Officer

Each year, Hispanic Heritage Month invites us to celebrate the cultures, contributions and resilience of Hispanic and Latine communities across the U.S. For financial institutions, it’s also a moment to reflect on how well they’re serving these communities — not just in marketing campaigns, but in everyday customer experiences.

At our agency, we’re often tasked with translating financial communications into Spanish. It’s meaningful work — helping customers access information in the language they best understand. But we’ve learned that language access is just the beginning. True inclusion requires cultural fluency, empathy and a commitment to designing experiences that reflect the realities of Hispanic customers.

The Economic Power — and the Persistent Gap

Hispanic Americans represent nearly 20% of the U.S. population and contribute $3.2 trillion to the economy annually — a figure that would make them the fifth-largest economy in the world if measured independently (McKinsey & Company). Yet, many still face barriers to financial inclusion, including limited access to credit and a lack of culturally relevant financial education.

According to the American Bankers Association, banks can better support Hispanic and Latine communities by:

• Offering bilingual services and materials
• Building trust through community partnerships
• Investing in financial literacy programs tailored to cultural contexts

These aren’t just nice-to-haves; they’re strategic imperatives.

Translation Is Not Enough

We’ve seen firsthand how literal translation can fall short. Financial terminology, tone and even imagery must be adapted with cultural nuance. A well-intentioned campaign can miss the mark if it doesn’t reflect the values, concerns and lived experiences of Hispanic customers.

That’s why our agency goes beyond translation. We help financial institutions design customer journeys that resonate, using insights from Hispanic communities to inform everything from UX copy to call center scripts. It’s about creating experiences that feel familiar, respectful and trustworthy.

What Banks Can Do — Starting Now

This Hispanic Heritage Month, we challenge financial marketers and CX leaders to go deeper:

• Audit your customer touchpoints: Are they truly inclusive, or just translated?
• Invest in bilingual and bicultural talent: Not just in marketing, but across customer service and product teams.
• Conduct inclusive research: Go beyond general market surveys to understand the financial behaviors and needs of Hispanic customers.
• Partner with culturally fluent agencies: Collaborators who understand both the language and the lived experience.

A Call to Action

Hispanic Heritage Month is more than a moment — it’s a reminder. A reminder that financial inclusion starts with understanding, and that understanding starts with listening. Let’s move beyond symbolic gestures and build systems, services and stories that reflect the full diversity of our communities.

At our agency, we’re proud to play a role in that journey — helping banks connect with Hispanic customers in ways that are not only linguistically accurate, but culturally meaningful.

MKP communications inc. is a New York-based marketing communications agency specializing in merger/change communications for the financial services industry.