Is dual language marketing socially responsible?

This article helps close two voids in the literature dealing with dual language (bilingual) marketing. First, it adds to the discussion about whether dual language (specifically English/Spanish) marketing that targets Hispanic consumers living in the U.S. is socially responsible. Second, it discusses how U.S. Hispanics feel about learning English and why some react negatively to bilingual marketing efforts. To determine whether dual language marketing is socially responsible, the corporate governance theories of Milton Friedman and R. Edward Freeman are used. The first conclusion is that, from Friedman’s shareholder perspective, bilingual marketing may be much less profitable than expected, if at all. From Freeman’s stakeholder perspective, dual language marketing is socially responsible if the focus is on perceived short-term needs of Hispanic consumers; however, from a broader, long-term societal approach, it is not. The second conclusion is that non-Hispanic Americans do not favor bilingual marketing. Recommendations for socially responsible ways of targeting this group are discussed.