Growth hacking in Spanish and technical jargon

You don’t need a PhD in anthropology to screw up in Latin America—just post the wrong emoji. Or launch a video ad where a character waves their hand a bit too freely. Boom: brand cancelled, comments on fire, and a crisis call with your agency on a Sunday.

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Welcome to the world of gestures. A subtle, powerful, and often-overlooked layer of communication that can either boost your cultural relevance or make your brand go viral for all the wrong reasons. And no, not the good kind of viral.

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Let’s be clear: Latin America is not one country. It’s twenty. And each has its own codes.

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But there are patterns—gesture behaviors, meanings, and taboos that your marketing team should master. If your brand wants to survive in the Latin market (and maybe even be loved), here’s the unsugarcoated guide to the semiotics of the hands, eyes, and facial micro-movements that can kill—or convert—your campaigns.

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The Raised Eyebrow: Yes, we’re judging you 🤨

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In countries like Peru, Chile, or Venezuela, a raised eyebrow can mean “I’m listening”, “You serious?”, or “Try again”. Use this in a character's animation or in a gif and you might land your brand in a sarcastic tone you didn’t mean. Especially in customer service interactions, emojis that emulate this (think 🤨) can read as passive-aggressive.

“Not all expressions translate—some accuse.”

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The “Finger Purse”: Italian? Yes. But also Caribbean. 🤌

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The pinched-fingers-together gesture 🤌 (tips all touching and facing upward), often associated with Italians saying “What do you want from me?”, is common in Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico—but it doesn’t mean the same thing. In DR, it can mean “Let me explain” or “Hold up.” It’s assertive. Use it wrong, and it becomes condescending. Use it right, and it can express passion or urgency.

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The Chin Flick: Silence, or worse 🤷‍♂️

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In Brazil or Argentina, flicking the back of your fingers from under the chin (sometimes confused with a shrug 🤷‍♂️) is not a charming “meh.” It means “I don’t care”, and sometimes “F** you.”* Including a character doing this—even subtly—in a meme or video can completely change your message.

“Gestures are louder than captions.”

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The Hand Clap: Applause? Maybe. A Threat? Definitely. 👏

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If you’re in Colombia or El Salvador and someone claps their hands at you once, hard and loud 👏, it’s not praise. It’s a challenge. A way to say “You better listen” or “You’re testing me.” Brands that show people clapping in scenes of celebration should keep it warm, soft, and multiple claps—not a single, sudden hit. Otherwise, the street tone leaks in.

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The Thumb Between Fingers: That’s not cute. That’s old-school vulgar. 🤏

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In places like Mexico or Peru, putting your thumb between your index and middle fingers (not a standard emoji yet, but imagine 🤏 with the thumb inside) has historically meant “I’m insulting you” or “Here’s your disrespect.” Some brands use this as a quirky logo element or sticker. Don’t. It's not ironic. It's just dated and offensive.

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The “Come Here” Finger Wiggle: In the U.S.? Innocent. In Latin America? Borderline creepy. ☝️👉

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Using the upward, single finger curl ☝️ or beckoning motion 👉 to signal someone over is extremely common in the U.S. But in many Latin countries—especially conservative areas like Guatemala or Paraguay—it feels intimate, even inappropriate. Think twice before your mascot does it. You’re not summoning a toddler—you’re triggering discomfort.

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The “Peace” Sign: Not always so peaceful ✌️

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In Chile, Colombia or Uruguay, turning the palm inward while flashing the “peace” sign ✌️ can be read as mocking or offensive. It’s about angle, intention and local context. If your brand relies on visual metaphors like this in reels or story ads, angle it right or don’t use it at all. “A rotated hand can rotate your brand perception.”

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Hands Together Like Praying: Not always gratitude 🙏

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Many brands (especially beauty or wellness) use the praying hands gesture 🙏 to express thankfulness. But in some regions of Mexico and Bolivia, this is tied to death rituals or mourning. It’s not offensive per se, but it may communicate something you didn’t mean. That “thank you for your support” post might accidentally read like a memorial.

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So, why should your brand care?

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Because Latin audiences don’t just see your content—they feel it. They grew up with mothers reading body language better than FBI profilers. They know what every eyebrow, hand twist, and head tilt means. So when a brand gets it wrong, it’s not forgiven as an innocent cultural slip. It’s judged as lazy.

And the worst part? You won’t always hear the backlash. It won’t be an email. It’ll be disengagement, mistrust, or mockery in private WhatsApp groups.

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What can you do?

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Work with local experts who get the nuances.

At Positive Agency, we’ve seen it all—brands trying to “connect” using globally approved emoji packs, generic memes, or hand signs that go viral only because they were awkward. Our creative campaigns go through culture filters, local translators, and emotional sniff tests before hitting “publish.”

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We don’t guess. We know—because we grew up in it.

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If you want content that doesn’t just survive in LATAM but thrives, talk to an agency that speaks the language—body and all.

Peru is key! You see it in every post, every viral meme, and every achievement making noise around the world—from gastronomy to video games. What started as a TikTok joke has become a shout of national pride, and the visit of U.S. streamer IShowSpeed to Lima proved it: he not only hung out with local influencers, he was even named “mayor for two hours” and pulled off an acrobatic jump from the municipal balcony that went viral. From that moment on, media outlets and online communities echoed the phrase with force:

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saying “Peru is key” is no longer just a meme—it’s the way to shout “Long live Perú!” to the world.

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It’s not a trend, it’s love for chicharrón.

Have you voted for the pan con chicharrón yet? Hurry up, the final is almost here!

It’s the shout echoing everywhere: on social media, in the news, and even in the streets—no matter the brand or industry.

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Peru ’s digital boom has been fueled by viral moments like the “Peru is key” meme, IShowSpeed’s visit, and above all, Ibai Llanos’ Breakfast World Cup. In this online tournament, Perú crushed it with over 8.1 million votes for its pan con chicharrón and tamal, beating Ecuador and going global. The hype was so big that politicians, media, and local brands jumped in, while Gamarra—the country’s biggest clothing hub—even launched custom T-shirts about the contest. This event didn’t just spark citizen excitement, it also cemented Peruvian gastronomy as a true nation-brand icon online, showing its massive pulling power and international reach.

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Because Peru doesn’t just have the world’s best restaurant... it probably has the best too!

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Once you’re on the bus, there’s no getting off.

Your child settles onto your lap, you light the fireplace, your eyes grow misty, and you begin to tell the story. If Peru once was key to the world, now it’s key to the entire digital universe. The gamer boom also carries a Peruvian face: in August 2025, the team Perú Unite made history by becoming champions of the Pokémon UNITE World Championships in California—making them the first Latin American team to ever lift the world trophy after defeating the Japanese favorites, Zeta Division, 3-1. “I mean, we beat the creators of the game.

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The achievement of these five young Peruvians was celebrated as a source of national pride and recognized by international outlets like Infobae and Yahoo News, which highlighted how they “conquered the World Championship... securing the franchise’s most important trophy for the South American nation.

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The phrase “Peru is key” went viral once again, as the tournament brought together more than 25,000 live attendees in Anaheim and reached nearly 1.1 million unique online viewers, with peaks of 185,000 simultaneous streams, cementing Peru’s presence before the eyes of the world.

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The team itself thanked the support from home, reinforcing the idea that Peruvian talent transcends borders and that Spanish-speaking audiences deeply value their local champions. And beyond the sport, this victory ignited marketing as well: brands tied to gaming—hardware, telecommunications, energy drinks, and more—found in Peru a passionate and growing niche. Combined with other milestones like gaming tournaments, massive streams, and viral phenomena, this triumph positions Peru firmly on the global digital map, proving that its online culture is not just fleeting virality, but the consolidation of communities—gamers, foodies, streamer fans—driven by a uniquely Latin American passion.

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The Peruvian Formula: Creativity, Community, and Digital Speed

What makes Peru’s digital ecosystem unique isn’t just virality, but the combination of three forces: creativity, community, and speed. Peruvian creativity shows up in memes, trends, and narratives that stand out in an ocean of global content. Community amplifies those ideas with overwhelming energy—from young people spontaneously launching digital campaigns to local brands cleverly joining the conversation. And then there’s speed: within hours, a meme born on TikTok can trend on X, Facebook, and even reach traditional media. This trio explains why phenomena like “Peru is key”, the Breakfast World Cup, or the Pokémon UNITE championship win are not isolated events but symptoms of a larger pattern: Perú has become a cultural accelerator for the region. For global brands, this means that any action in this market doesn’t just make waves locally—it has the potential to scale across all of Latin America.

“Dad, who was Peru Unite?”

Your child settles onto your lap, you light the fireplace, your eyes grow misty, and you begin to tell the story. If Peru once was key to the world, now it’s key to the entire digital universe. The gamer boom also carries a Peruvian face: in August 2025, the team Perú Unite made history by becoming champions of the Pokémon UNITE World Championships in California—making them the first Latin American team to ever lift the world trophy after defeating the Japanese favorites, Zeta Division, 3-1. “I mean, we beat the creators of the game.

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The achievement of these five young Peruvians was celebrated as a source of national pride and recognized by international outlets like Infobae and Yahoo News, which highlighted how they “conquered the World Championship... securing the franchise’s most important trophy for the South American nation.

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The phrase “Peru is key” went viral once again, as the tournament brought together more than 25,000 live attendees in Anaheim and reached nearly 1.1 million unique online viewers, with peaks of 185,000 simultaneous streams, cementing Peru’s presence before the eyes of the world.

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The team itself thanked the support from home, reinforcing the idea that Peruvian talent transcends borders and that Spanish-speaking audiences deeply value their local champions. And beyond the sport, this victory ignited marketing as well: brands tied to gaming—hardware, telecommunications, energy drinks, and more—found in Peru a passionate and growing niche. Combined with other milestones like gaming tournaments, massive streams, and viral phenomena, this triumph positions Perú firmly on the global digital map, proving that its online culture is not just fleeting virality, but the consolidation of communities—gamers, foodies, streamer fans—driven by a uniquely Latin American passion.

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Why is investing in Latin America key for global brands?

Latin America is no longer just an “emerging market.” Today, it’s a cultural and digital laboratory setting global trends. This entire movement has direct consequences for marketing: it shows that Latin America —and Peru in particular— has become a strategic and vibrant market for any global brand seeking relevance, where trends born from memes, gaming tournaments, or viral phenomena quickly spread and spark national pride.

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The achievement of these five young Peruvians was celebrated as a source of national pride and recognized by international outlets like Infobae and Yahoo News, which highlighted how they “conquered the World Championship... securing the franchise’s most important trophy for the South American nation.

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Joining these movements in real time (as KFC, Bembos, or BCP did with #PeruEsClave and the World Breakfast Cup) allows brands to connect emotionally with young, digital first consumers, who already surpass 70% internet penetration and 90% mobile access in the region.

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Moreover, campaigns that reinforce local identities (such as pan con chicharrón or Peru Unite) enhance brand-country perception and open opportunities in booming sectors such as e-commerce, fintech, gaming, and entertainment. Sponsorship of events and collaborations with influencers or creators multiply organic reach in an ecosystem where culture —gastronomy, music, sports, memes— acts as an exportable form of soft power, and where authentic engagement can outperform million-dollar campaigns.

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In conclusion, Latin America is now a global cultural laboratory, with Peru as its best example, showing that digital not only amplifies narratives but also strengthens passionate communities, turning the region into an unmissable destination for brand innovation and growth.

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Positive leads the way in the new digital map.

At Positive, we understand that it’s not enough to simply “be on social media”—you need to understand the culture that drives it. Perú and Latin America are fertile ground for brands looking to grow, but they require strategy to avoid going unnoticed. That’s why we identify local insights that become global—such as gastronomic pride or gaming passion—and translate them into campaigns with regional impact and international resonance. Our approach blends creativity with data, combining qualitative analysis of trends, communities, and narratives with quantitative tracking of mentions, engagement, and hashtag growth to design strategies that are both measurable and effective.We know how to authentically place brands within viral phenomena, as many did by joining #PeruEsClave. We act as a bridge between the local and the global, helping brands from the U.S. or Europe connect with Latin American audiences through trust and real engagement. And we do it with close, memorable communication—crafting narratives that move people, spark laughter, invite participation, and turn consumers into fans. In short: Positive helps you ride the digital cultural wave of Latin America so your brand is not just a witness to what’s happening, but a protagonist in the conversations that matter.

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.

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Act I: The Cult of the Spike

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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.

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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.”

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Act II: Contagion with a Purpose

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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:

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• Repetition with relevance.
  

• Shareability without sensationalism.
  

• Distribution strategies that respect the psychology of your audience.

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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.”

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Act III: How Sustainable Contagion Wins

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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.

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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:

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• 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

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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.

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Closing the Loop: Let Virality Die

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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.

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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.”