Speaking the lingo

If you look at the packaging of any consumer good, it is not uncommon two find two or more languages.

Companies do this is to avoid the cost of having to design a package for each country in specific.

• Belgium: Packaging with two of the three official languages. (Dutch and French for those wondering. Designed for a market of 10 million people.
• Brazil: Packaging in two languages, Spanish and Portuguese. Good for whole South-America, a market of 355 million people.

The example above is about cost savings. But providing an extra language on a package can have other functions too.

In the US some marketeers are using Spanish on packaging and in communication to cater to the needs of the huge Hispanic population. (Image above is a campaign from Coca-Cola for Dasani water)

The main reason is not because most of them don't understand English, but to give them the feeling that they are not being ignored by the manufacturers.

This offers an opportunity for brands to get closer to this ethnic group. And with a huge expected population growth being close to them might have a big impact.