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Christmas without snow: Connecting with the Latin Spirit
Every year, brands roll out their Christmas campaigns. But while the Northern Hemisphere celebrates snow, fireplaces and hot drinks, in most of
LATAM, December means summer, music and family gatherings.
The result: many so-called universal creative codes end up feeling out of sync with Latin American reality — and out of context.
So why not tell the stories that really happen here? Long family tables, secret-Santa exchanges, or the big Christmas dinner. When the story starts
there, it feels genuine and unmistakably Latin.
Global campaigns don’t always translate well.
Many brands thrive in their home markets, but when the same idea lands in LATAM, something gets lost.
The ad looks festive, but it doesn’t connect.
What usually goes wrong?
- Winter codes: snow, sweaters and hot chocolate, right in the middle of summer.
- Neutral casts and accents that don’t sound like the people from the region.
- Slow-paced music, when here the celebration is loud, joyful and shared.
- Moments that don’t fit. Christmas is celebrated on the night of the 24th, not the morning of the 25th.
- Imported decorations that cover up local flavors, colors and traditions.
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So, what does Christmas in LATAM really look like?
From the moment December begins, offices, schools and groups of friends play “amigo secreto”, where small gifts are exchanged until the final reveal. In Mexico, “Posadas” kick off with piñatas and ponche, while in Colombia, the “Novena de Aguinaldos” brings together families and neighbors.
Cities light up with decorations and Christmas fairs. There are last-minute shopping sprees and carols all month long, especially in Peru, where Los Toribianitos and their classic “Cholito Jesús” fill the air.
On Christmas Eve, Latin Americans dress up in their best clothes, Christmas in pajamas isn’t really a thing here. Families gather to enjoy the big Christmas dinner, filled with turkey, pork, tamales, hallacas, salads, desserts and, of course, the beloved panetón.
At midnight, baby Jesus is placed in the nativity scene, people raise a toast, fireworks light up the sky and gifts are opened. The celebration doesn’t end there, the music keeps playing, and families stay up late talking, laughing and sharing one more drink.
Christmas in LATAM is a celebration that’s lived and shared together.
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What can global brands learn?
Map local traditions: Choose a real moment like amigo secreto or Christmas Eve and tell that story in full.
Local voices and faces: Use words, accents and people that reflect each country and city’s diversity.
A clear product role: Show how your brand makes that moment better—by helping prepare dinner, arrive on time or set up the perfect playlist.
Global and local symbols: Christmas trees and lights, yes—but mix them with long family tables, local carols, traditional dishes and subtle regional details.
Useful content: Quick recipes, country-specific playlists, gift guides or toast ideas.
And the numbers back it up: in LATAM, 62% of brand choices are local or regional, according to The Brand Footprint 2024 report.
In such a diverse region, real connection with consumers starts by recognizing their identity, their environment and their way of celebrating.
Cases and learnings
Panetón D’Onofrio (Peru)
Every year, the brand returns to the same idea: Christmas in Peru feels like home — surrounded by people and a panetón at the center of the table. Simple stories, local cast and real traditions.D’Onofrio shows that when a scene feels familiar, you don’t need big plot twists — it’s enough to tell it as it really happens.
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Claro (Colombia)
The telecom brand created a digital version of “La Novena de Aguinaldos” for people to download and share, bringing one of December’s most beloved rituals online and making it accessible to everyone.
Claro shows that you can take an existing tradition and turn it into something useful for your audience. This way, the brand stays present right where people already are, in their customs and in their everyday lives.
Harina P.A.N. (Venezuela)
The brand celebrates hallacas, a centerpiece of the season, by launching a special holiday packaging that reflects the spirit of Venezuelan festivities. It also joins the celebration by including the product in “combos hallaqueros” and sponsoring the “Festival de la Hallaca”.
Harina P.A.N. shows the power of embracing a cultural ritual that drives purchase behavior, like making hallacas, to earn a place at the table.
Pollo Campero (Guatemala)
The brand hosts a massive year-end event featuring fireworks and drone shows that bring families together and mark the start of the Christmas season.
Pollo Campero shows that by connecting with a tradition that brings people together, a brand can become the true host of the celebration.
Conclusion: Understanding the region is the best strategy
Winning Christmas in LATAM isn’t about changing the decorations, it’s about reading December’s emotional calendar, choosing the moments that truly represent the region, and offering simple solutions that make what already happens at home even easier.
In a region where 62% of brand choices are local or regional, the campaigns that truly resonate are the ones that understand the tone, timing and symbols of each country.
When a brand adapts to the local context, it earns a place in group chats, at the dinner table and in people’s memories, leaving them with the feeling that the brand speaks their language.
If your brand wants to speak that language with a local accent, Positive Agency is here to help.
We adapt global messages to the LATAM context and turn them into stories that connect and get shared.
Want your campaigns to sound more local and perform better? Get in touch. We’re the partner that speaks LATAM’s cultural language.
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Myths and truths about viral content
Let’s be honest: “going viral” is the sugar high of digital marketing. It’s flashy. It spikes. It makes everyone on your team refresh the analytics dashboard every 15 minutes like addicts. But like all sugar highs, it crashes. Hard.
We’ve been sold the myth that virality is the apex of content success—the golden goose of reach, impressions, and “exposure.” But here’s the twist no one talks about at conferences: virality is a terrible long-term strategy.
Let’s unpack this myth, and more importantly, let’s talk about what really moves the needle—sustainable contagion.
Act I: The Cult of the Spike
The term “viral content” sounds sexy. It’s associated with meteoric growth, fame, and that irresistible dopamine hit when your brand trends for 36 hours on X (formerly Twitter) before disappearing into digital oblivion.
But think about the last viral piece you saw. What brand was behind it? Can you recall the message? The product? Or just the gimmick?
Exactly.
Most viral content is a one-hit wonder in a content landfill. The kind of thing marketers show in pitch decks, not because it sold anything, but because it made them look clever.
In reality, viral spikes rarely align with actual KPIs. No retention. No loyalty. No revenue growth. Just a fleeting moment of attention that too often serves vanity more than value.
“Virality is not a content strategy. It’s a lottery ticket disguised as a marketing plan.”
Act II: Contagion with a Purpose
Now let’s talk about what actually builds brands in the long run: sustainable contagion.
This is the idea that content can be designed to spread, not explode. That the value embedded in your message compels people to share it not because it's shocking or gimmicky—but because it’s useful, relatable, or makes them look smart.
It’s the slow burn that warms entire rooms. Not the firecracker that flashes and vanishes.
Sustainable contagion is about:
- Repetition with relevance.
- Shareability without sensationalism.
- Distribution strategies that respect the psychology of your audience.
We’re talking about creating content ecosystems, not content stunts.
And here’s where agencies that understand the Latin American mindset have a superpower. Our cultures don’t reward short-term flash as much as they reward stories that evolve, connect, and stay. That’s idiosyncratic loyalty—and it’s the perfect soil for sustainable contagion.
“Content isn’t meant to be shouted. It’s meant to be whispered in the right ear, by the right person, at the right time.”
Act III: How Sustainable Contagion Wins
Let’s play it out.
You’re a marketer trying to win over a fragmented, bilingual audience in the U.S. Hispanic market. You could hire an agency to make a TikTok that might (maybe) go viral. Or you could work with an agency that understands how content moves through trust networks.
Like comadres on WhatsApp.
Like uncles who share Facebook videos with their family group every morning.
Like Gen Zs who DM your memes because “this is so you.”
That’s sustainable contagion in action. Built through:
- Ongoing Social Media storytelling
- Culturally-aware Paid Media
- Precision Analytics that learn what spreads (and what doesn’t)
- Relatable Creative Campaigns that feel like inside jokes, not brand slogans
Because when you earn a share instead of chasing a share, you create real community.
And let’s face it—community is the new currency in marketing.
Closing the Loop: Let Virality Die
Look, we’re not saying viral moments don’t have value. If it happens, great. Use the spotlight. Just don’t build your marketing house on a viral foundation—because it will collapse under its own weight.
Instead, design your content like you’re building a movement, not a moment.
And if you want help doing that, work with people who actually get the nuance of culture, language, and relevance. Agencies like ours, who don’t sell vanity. We engineer value that spreads. “Don’t chase the explosion. Build the echo.”
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UGC, CGC, IGC or What You See?
It All Started as Gossip and Turned into a Trend.
In Latin America, we always say gossip isn’t really our thing... but come on! We can’t help but smile when someone starts with the classic, “Did you hear?” or when a friend leans in quietly to say: “I’ve got chismecito.”
The same thing happens in the digital world. One day, you find yourself debating, laughing, and sharing memes about someone who appeared in a viral video... someone you probably barely know.
And that’s how this whole mess began: a video posted by content creator @_suplinna set off a snowball of comments about “doing UGC in Latin America.”
What is UGC?
UGC stands for User Generated Content: content created by regular, everyday users—not paid or pressured by brands—born from a genuine experience.
Think of it this way: when a customer uploads a photo or writes a comment without any payment involved, that’s authentic UGC.
According to Wikipedia, this type of content has allowed consumers to move from being passive participants to becoming active contributors on digital platforms.
And here’s a key stat: 79% of millennials and 70% of Gen Z make purchasing decisions basedon UGC.
Furthermore, “user-generated content influences the purchases of 79% of consumers, and 92% trust peer recommendations more than branded content.”
This proves that without a clear understanding of UGC, we risk losing the authentic touch that truly drives people to act.
What’s the State of UGC in Latam?
While in the U.S. and Europe many brands already include it as a key part of their business strategy, in Latin America the idea still lingers that a proper UGC execution is simply “I’ll send you one of my products so you can post something,” overlooking one of the most important promotional vehicles for generating awareness on digital channels.
Whether due to a lack of knowledge from the brands themselves or a lack of guidance from their agencies, the creative process for developing a UGC campaign often lacks clear KPIs, variety in entry hooks, proper editing by the agency, optimization of formats for media placement, or even the basic understanding that a UGC creator should know if their content will be boosted or not, and for how long.
As @mila_posada points out in this video:
In Latin America, only 37.7% trust sponsored posts, a figure that aligns closely with Europe andthe U.S., where the average is around 35%–39%, according to this data from Single Rain.
In contrast, well-executed UGC —the kind that feels like it came from an everyday person— has far greater power to connect than an influencer with all the production resources at their disposal.
On the other hand, according to a global report, the UGC marketing market is expected to grow from USD 6.7 billionin 2024 to USD 132.7 billion in 2034, with a CAGR of 34.8%.
This is a clear sign that our region is still not in sync with what’s coming.
The Confusion: Everything’s Called UGC
Here’s the big problem: many people call anything “UGC” if it’s a video with good editing, nice lighting, and camera flair, when in reality it’s paid branded content or disguised influencer work. It’s not that these productions are bad or less effective, but they lead to some serious misunderstandings:
- Brands don’t know if they’re paying for authenticity or for production.
- Creators don’t know how to position themselves: does authenticity have less value than a well-scripted, well-edited video?
- The audience grows distrustful: if everything looks paid, who’s really saying, “this is dope”?
This video of @yuyo.says can actually help us understand the communication differences between one and the other.
Clear Differences to Avoid Confusion
These acronyms are everywhere, but it’s important to keep them straight:
- UGC (User Generated Content): spontaneous, authentic content created by regular users.
- IGC (Influencer Generated Content): content from people with an audience, who usually charge for it —this production is no longer anonymous.
- CGC (Creator Generated Content or Company Generated Content): content created either by the brand or by hired creators, with an editorial focus and controlled quality.
According to Territory Influence: "UGC thrives on authenticity and community, while IGCl everages the influence and creativity of people with an established online presence."
So, how should these differences be addressed in a campaign led by a marketing agency? This video by @theinexpert explains it:
Where Should We Go Next?
These acronyms are everywhere, but it’s important to keep them straight:
- Market Education: Brands and agencies must know how to distinguish between UGC, IGC, and CGC, and use each one in its proper role.
- Creator Professionalization: Creators should know how to quote, deliver, and sell their proposals without disguising themselves as UGC when they are actually IGC or CGC.
- Building an Authentic Culture: Users should feel good about sharing, without thinking that everything is a hidden transaction.
At Positive, we not only understand the differences between UGC, IGC, and CGC, but we also apply them in a structured way within every campaign. This allows us to design strategies where each type of content fulfills its exact function, boosting authenticity and maximizing results. This way, we help international brands land organically in the Latin market, connecting with audiences through the language, codes, and culture that truly move them.
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Growth hacking in Spanish and technical jargon
Let’s start in Miami. A startup founder—let’s call him Chad—is pitching his edtech app to a room full of Colombian parents. His deck is filled with words like “CAC,” “LTV optimization,” “scaling loops,” and “viral coefficient.” He ends his speech with: “And that’s how we hacked our way to 100K users!”
The room stares back at him like he just recited the periodic table in Klingon. One of the parents timidly raises a hand and asks: “¿Pero qué significa hackear usuarios?”
Spoiler: the pitch tanked.
Spoiler #2: this happens more than you think.
Jargon doesn’t travel well. Especially when you’re crossing cultural borders, not just linguistic ones.
“We’re not translating. We’re transplanting.”
That’s a phrase we use often in Latin American marketing strategy. Because when a U.S. brand thinks all it takes to scale in Spanish-speaking markets is to hire a translator or copy-paste their tactics into a Canva template with salsa music… things go wrong. Fast.
Growth hacking isn’t just about A/B tests and onboarding funnels. It’s about contextual velocity.
And if the context isn’t right—your growth will rot before it ripens.
Let’s break this down with an example you’ll love (or hate, depending on where your budget went):
A DTC brand selling smart fitness gear tried running Facebook ads in Mexico with copy like:
“Reach your KPIs. Bio-optimize your day. Hack your routine.”
And here’s what the audience read:
“Suena bonito, pero ¿qué mier... están diciendo?”
Engagement was dead. Comments were mostly emoji laughs and confused reactions. The campaign tanked.
Why? Because nobody in Guadalajara, Bogotá or Lima is thinking about 'bio-optimization' when doing sit-ups. They’re thinking about not getting yelled at by their trainer or about how they’ll explain to mamá that they bought another gadget instead of paying off their credit card.
Growth needs cultural nuance. Not cultural negligence.
Let’s make one thing clear: the Latino market doesn’t need you to “dumb down” your brand.
They just need you to understand what they value.
If your growth strategy assumes that everyone thinks like a Bay Area product manager… you’ll miss the point (and the profit).
Here’s what actually drives conversion in Latin America:
- Trust, not just tech.
- Social proof from people like me, not influencers from Silicon Valley.
- Relatability over automation.
- Emotion-first, data-second. (Yes, we love dashboards—but we cry at commercials too.)
You can be the most technical, optimized, AI-powered startup in the world, but if you say “retargeting funnel” to someone whose idea of marketing is still tied to la feria del barrio, you’re not landing. You’re floating.
From Growth Hack to Culture Crack
So, what’s the fix? Should we erase every metric-driven tactic from the playbook?
No. But we do need to reframe.
Growth hacking in Spanish isn't just translation. It's reinvention.
It’s asking:
- Would this campaign go viral in Cartagena without paid media?
- Would a Cuban abuela understand the value prop?
- Would a Mexican Gen Z repost this if it didn’t have a celebrity?
You start winning when your brand stops acting like a tourist and starts acting like a local disruptor.
The Latin American Growth Formula (aka: what your agency should actually be doing)
Want growth? Start here:
1. Local slang isn’t optional.
If your CTA says “optimize your flow,” you're out. If it says “pon tu rutina en modo bestia,” you're in. (Yes, even for SaaS.)
2. Humor beats data—until trust is built.
Remember: many Latin American consumers have been burned by shiny foreign tech. They won’t be impressed by charts until they like you.
3. Your metrics need a human face.
We don’t just want to hear “+78% user retention.” We want to meet Lucía, a 37-year-old mom in Quito who’s using your app to help her kids study. Tell us about her.
4. Let the emotion lead the funnel.
Start with storytelling. Then plug in the tracking pixels. Not the other way around.
So… should you go it alone?
You could.
You could keep running Google Ads in Spanish that sound like Google Translate and crossing your fingers for CAC to drop.
Or…
You could partner with an agency that’s been in the trenches—testing, launching, and scaling brands that actually stick in Latin America.
Because when you treat the Latino market like a “segment,” you lose. When you treat it like a culture, you win.
And here’s the thing: we don’t just get the language. We get the rhythm. The timing. The emotion. That’s what drives sustainable growth south of the border. So next time you're thinking of hacking growth in Spanish, maybe start by unlearning English.