America Reimagined

In a presentation held during Advertising Week in New York, executives from television, retail and advertising came together to discuss key findings of America Reimagined, a comprehensive media consumption study, conducted by EthniFacts and Horowitz Associates, and commissioned by NBCUniversal. Focusing on the media habits of the Latino consumer, the study was developed to facilitate an intimate and ongoing dialogue with one of the fastest growing and most influential demographics in America today, Hispanics.

America Reimagined spotlighted that in order to win in today’s America, marketers and media companies need to resonate with the “New Mainstream” which is 53% of the U.S. population.  The “New Mainstream” is defined by combining multiculturals and Whites married to or living in heavily multicultural DMAs. Leading this population growth is the Hispanic market.  The study focused on the Hispanic opportunity, surveying more than 3,000 consumers, creating an online Hispanic insight community, and capturing nearly 100 hours of focus group video.

Key findings:

• Ambicultural Identity:  The study showed how Hispanics are engaged in an aspirational shift toward an “ambicultural” center where traditional cultural values and identity coexist alongside “American” values. The study found that 90% of ambiculturals speak both English and Spanish at home to some degree. This insight informed the creation of a unique custom segmentation model designed to provide our industry with a better understanding of the Hispanic media consumption across the full spectrum of language and cultural identity.
• “Buzz, Binge, Live” phenomenon that reflects that changing way consumers engage with content across multiple devices.  “Buzz, Binge, Live”, which has been trademarked by NBCUniversal, details how Hispanics are today’s Social TV Influencers, with a high tendency to learn about shows via social media “Buzz”, then “Binge” on watching shows repeatedly, followed by a return to “Live” TV viewing after watching via the Internet. One-third of Hispanics surveyed report that first watching a show on the Internet or video on demand leads them back to watching live TV more than half the time. More than 7 out of 10 Hispanics report that they frequently watch “what they want, when they want,” further emphasizing the importance of digital content to compliment live TV. Hispanics are +9% more likely to do so than Non-Hispanics.
• Social TV Influencers:  Hispanics are +71% more likely to share video clips, pictures or links of shows, movies or events on social media, compared to Non-Hispanics. Hispanics are also live social viewers, being +68% more likely than Non-Hispanics to watch a show, movie or event while simultaneously talking with friends on social media.

“We developed America Reimagined, a dynamic, multi-phase study to help us and our advertising partners understand Hispanics’ relationship to media, content and advertising across all platforms and in both languages,” said Jacqueline Hernández, CMO, Hispanic Enterprises and Content, NBCUniversal. “The key findings from this study will influence how NBCUniversal as a whole continues to provide compelling content for Hispanics, leveraging our full portfolio of media assets.”

Moderated by CNBC’s Carl Quintanilla, the panel, which took place at Advertising Week, included Jacqueline Hernández, CMO, NBCUniversal Hispanic Enterprises and Content; Liz Dinnsen, Executive Director of Media, AT&T; Daniel Villarroel, Assistant Vice President, Integrated Marketing, Maybelline New York-Garnier-essie; and Katie Larkin, Executive Vice President, Advertising Sales Research & Strategy, NBCUniversal.