Some moments make an entire team stop, look around and smile. This was one of them.
Palabra Media, a digital marketing agency in Phoenix built around the Latino community, is featured in DATOS 2026, the report Arizona’s business and community leaders have trusted for 30 years. Our President & CMO, Joshua Molina, wrote a four-page feature for the 30th edition. And during the keynote, one of his lines got a shout-out from former Los Angeles Mayor and U.S. Ambassador Eric Garcetti.
We’re still grinning. But this story is bigger than a proud team moment. It’s about what the data says, and why every business that wants to grow in Arizona should be paying attention.
So let’s break it down: what DATOS is, why it matters, and why its numbers make one of the strongest business cases out there for investing in Hispanic marketing.
What Is DATOS?
Think of DATOS as Arizona’s market intelligence report for the Latino community. For 30 years, the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce has published DATOS: The State of Arizona’s Hispanic Market to help business and community leaders understand the people, businesses and trends shaping our state. It brings together research on Latino demographics, consumer spending, education, entrepreneurship and other forces influencing Arizona’s economy.
It’s also a powerful record of the Hispanic community’s economic influence. When the annual report is released, business owners, public officials and community partners gather to ask what the research means for Arizona’s future. Research, leadership and conversation: that combination is what has kept DATOS relevant for three decades.
Behind the pages is the DATOS Institute at the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation, which gathers and shares independent market data about Arizona’s fast-growing Hispanic market. Each edition is shaped by an editorial team of more than three dozen subject matter experts. The result is simple: less guessing, more evidence.
Why DATOS Matters to Our Clients and the Community
For our clients, it’s a roadmap. If you want to reach Arizona families, grow a local brand or hire skilled talent, you need to know who lives here, how they spend, what they study and where they’re building businesses. DATOS puts all of that in one trusted place, and we lean on it when we build strategy for the businesses, nonprofits and institutions we work with.
For the community, it’s proof. Latino workers, families and entrepreneurs aren’t a niche audience on the sidelines of Arizona’s economy. They’re at the center of it. DATOS makes that impossible to ignore, and that visibility shapes how companies invest and how leaders set priorities.
For everyone, it’s a conversation starter. Numbers on a page don’t change anything until people act on them. DATOS gets decision-makers into the same room and asks the question that matters: ¿given what we know, what do we do next?
The Business Case for Hispanic Marketing in Arizona
Want the short version of why companies should invest in Hispanic marketing? Look at the numbers:
$72 billion. That’s the annual purchasing power of Arizona’s Latino residents, based on recent DATOS figures. Retailers, lenders, builders, healthcare providers and service companies compete for that spending every single day.
30%, 40% and 50%. Latinos make up about 30% of Arizona’s population, roughly 40% of the Phoenix metro area and around half of K–12 students. Today’s students are tomorrow’s customers, employees and homeowners.
276,000 new workers. According to DATOS figures reported by KJZZ, Latinos accounted for 276,000 of the roughly 400,000 workers added to Arizona’s workforce in recent years. If you’re hiring, this is the talent pipeline.
$4.4 trillion. The U.S. Latino GDP is about $4.4 trillion, which would top the GDP of the United Kingdom or France if measured on its own, according to the UCLA Latino GDP Initiative cited in DATOS 2026. Latinos now make up 20% of the U.S. population.
44% growth. Latino-owned businesses grew 44% nationwide between 2018 and 2023, while non-Hispanic white-owned businesses declined 3%, according to coverage of the previous DATOS report. That’s a lot of new customers, suppliers and partners.
Here’s the bottom line: a company that overlooks Latino consumers is leaving revenue, talent and community goodwill on the table. And no, the answer isn’t translating one ad and calling it done. Great Hispanic marketing starts with culture, language, family decision-making and trusted relationships. Brands that get this right earn attention and loyalty that generic campaigns never will.
From Data to Results: Hispanic Digital Marketing Services in Phoenix
Data is only half the story. The other half is what you do with it. That’s where a Hispanic digital marketing agency comes in. At Palabra Media, our Hispanic digital marketing services turn research into campaigns that meet Latino audiences where they already are: online, on their phones, on social and in their communities.
As a full-service digital marketing company, here’s how we help:
Website design and SEO that gets you found in Spanish and English searches.
Social media and digital advertising with culturally grounded messages that feel relevant, not recycled.
Multicultural marketing strategy built on real audience insight, not assumptions.
Video and digital content that tells your story with authenticity.
Community engagement and media strategy that connects your brand with the organizations people already trust.
Whether you’re searching for a digital marketing agency in Phoenix to launch your first bilingual campaign, or a digital marketing company to strengthen the outreach you already have, DATOS brings the evidence and our team brings the execution.
DATOS 2026: Environmental Quality and the Latino Workforce
The 2026 edition continues the tradition with a timely focus: environmental quality. The report looks at how sustainability connects with economic growth, public health, workforce development and long-term community impact, from water and urban systems to climate resilience. These are decisions that will shape Arizona for generations.
As a multicultural digital marketing agency in Phoenix, we see real value in bringing this research into conversations about how organizations reach and serve our communities. So when the Chamber featured Palabra Media in the report, it meant a lot to all of us.
The Night We Won’t Forget
The September 28th DATOS event was a milestone for Arizona and for our team. We loved seeing so many friends, business partners and community leaders in one room: the people we work alongside, learn from and count on.
Then came the moment we’ll be talking about for a long time. During his keynote, Eric Garcetti, former Los Angeles Mayor and former U.S. Ambassador, highlighted a line from Joshua’s feature, “Arizona’s Environmental Future Runs Through Its Latino Workforce,” and called it one of the best quotes in the report:
“The people sweating through the problem are often the same people we call to fix it.”
Hearing those words recognized from the stage was an honor. More importantly, it put the spotlight on the workers whose experiences inspired them.
The Workers Living the Problem—and Building the Solutions
In Phoenix, extreme heat shapes everyday life. We feel it crossing a parking lot, opening a car door or grabbing a steering wheel in the afternoon. Most of us can duck into air conditioning.
For thousands of workers, the heat is part of the job.
They repair roofs, maintain landscapes, install electrical systems and keep the AC running. Their labor makes it possible for the rest of us to live and work here, and many of them are Latino.
Here’s the part we love most: these same workers have the skills Arizona needs to prepare for a hotter future. Electricians, HVAC technicians, roofers, landscapers and construction workers help make homes more efficient, buildings safer and neighborhoods more resilient.
That’s what the quote is really about. The people most exposed to the problem are often already doing the work that helps us respond. Their experience should guide what we do next.
A Voice in the Plans, Access to the Opportunities
In his article, Joshua makes a straightforward argument: these workers deserve a voice in shaping Arizona’s heat solutions, plus access to the jobs and training those solutions create.
Think about it. A worker who spends the summer on a roof understands conditions that are easy to miss in a planning meeting. An HVAC technician sees exactly what happens when cooling systems fail. A landscaper knows how shade, materials and maintenance change the spaces people use every day. Those perspectives belong in the conversation.
And as employers, educators and community leaders launch new programs, we need to ask a few practical questions. Can workers get the information in their preferred language? Can training fit around their schedules? Are opportunities reaching people through the organizations and relationships they trust?
Those questions can decide whether a great program actually reaches the people it was built for. Workers helping Arizona adapt to extreme heat should also have the chance to grow their careers and strengthen their families’ economic security.
How a Hispanic Digital Marketing Agency in Phoenix Connects Research With Community
Communication is the bridge between research and real life. Research identifies a need. A program offers a solution. Communication helps people understand what that solution means for them, how to take part and why it deserves their attention.
That takes knowing your audience, speaking their language and understanding their daily lives. It also takes working side by side with trusted community partners who can bring people into the conversation.
That’s exactly what we do. As a Hispanic digital marketing agency in Phoenix, we help businesses, nonprofits and institutions connect with Latino audiences through bilingual strategy, creative campaigns and community outreach. We start by understanding the people you want to reach: their priorities, their culture and the relationships that shape their decisions.
Whether the goal is reaching families, supporting local businesses or launching a workforce opportunity, that understanding is what makes communication relevant and useful. Being part of DATOS gave us the chance to share that perspective in a report with a long history of informing Arizona’s business and civic leadership.
A Proud Moment for Palabra Media
Seeing our story in the report made our whole team proud. Hearing Eric Garcetti highlight Joshua’s words made it unforgettable.
But what meant the most was seeing the message land: Arizona’s Latino workforce has the experience and skills to be at the center of conversations about our environmental and economic future.
Thank you to the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce for including Palabra Media, to Eric Garcetti for recognizing the message, and to the friends and partners who made this year’s event such a meaningful night.
Arizona’s future depends on the people doing the work today. Let’s listen to them, invest in them and make sure they share in the opportunities ahead.
Frequently Asked Questions About DATOS and Hispanic Marketing
What is the DATOS report?
DATOS: The State of Arizona’s Hispanic Market is the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s flagship annual research publication on the economic impact of Latinos in Arizona. It has been published for 30 years and covers topics like demographics, consumer spending, education, technology and entrepreneurship.
Why should businesses invest in Hispanic marketing?
Latino consumers, workers and entrepreneurs make up a large and growing share of Arizona’s economy. Bilingual, culturally relevant communication helps brands reach customers that generic campaigns miss, build trust and attract talent.
What does a Hispanic digital marketing agency do?
A Hispanic digital marketing agency plans and runs online and community-based campaigns designed for Latino audiences. That can include bilingual websites and SEO, social media, paid advertising, video, content and outreach, all guided by cultural insight and research.
How do I choose a digital marketing agency in Phoenix?
Look for a team with experience serving Arizona’s Latino community, bilingual strategy and content skills, strong relationships with trusted local organizations and a clear process for turning research into measurable campaigns.
Where can I download DATOS 2026?
The report is available through the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s publications page, linked below.
Download the DATOS 2026 Report
Read Palabra Media’s four-page feature, including “Arizona’s Environmental Future Runs Through Its Latino Workforce,” and explore the research shaping conversations about Arizona’s Hispanic market and environmental future.
Ready to put the data to work? Contact Palabra Media, your Hispanic digital marketing agency in Phoenix, and let’s build a bilingual strategy that connects your business with Arizona’s Latino community.
