Hispanic Digital Media Behavior and How it Impacts Allocation. [INSIGHT & REPORT]

A new analysis from the recently updated Hispanic InsightCenter by BIGinsight identifies key digital media behavioral differences between Hispanics 18+ and Non-Hispanics 18+. Hispanics tend to be more digital-savvy than their Non-Hispanic counterparts. In addition to face-to-face communication, they are using social media and mobile technology to give and seek advice about products and services, which affects how media should be allocated when marketing to this consumer group.

Connecting with an exploding U.S. Hispanic 18+ population continues to plague marketers. Whether it is networks that are off the mark with poor TV programming choices or advertisers unable to hook up with this demographic online, a better understanding of this segment is critical for companies who want to be relevant within this market.

A new analysis of information from the Hispanic InsightCenter™ by BIGinsight™ identifies some key digital media behavioral differences between Hispanics and Non-Hispanics. In general, Hispanic consumers tend to be early adopters and are more likely to own smartphones and tablets than Non-Hispanics. In fact, iPad ownership specifically is up among Hispanics from 4.2% in June 2010 to 21.3% in 2012. (14.6% of Non-Hispanics report having an iPad in 2012.)

Hispanics are more likely to use their mobile devices to view email (41.8%), news (26.6%), sports (15.2%) and video/TV (15.5%) online than Non-Hispanics at 29.2%, 17.5%, 10.2% and 9.6%, respectively. Hispanics’ regular usage of social media also largely outpaces that of their Non-Hispanic counterparts. Usage among Hispanics indexes higher across all sites tracked in the InsightCenter.

Regular Use of Social Media/Online Communities – Index

(Hispanics 18+ vs. Non-Hispanics 18+)

Facebook — 109
Foursquare — 166
Google+ — 133
Hulu — 144
LinkedIn — 127
MySpace — 155
Pinterest — 109
Twitter –141
YouTube — 133

Source: BIGinsight.com

As marketers struggle with what constitutes Word of Mouth in the digital age, it seems that WOM is no longer neighbors talking over the fence. Not surprisingly, Hispanics appear to be embracing digital means. While face-to-face remains the #1 way for them to give or seek advice about products and services, things like email, text and mobile are making their way on the list. Generally more than 1 in 5 Hispanics say they use each of these methods for spreading the word.

Top 10 Ways to Seek Advice about Products and Services

Hispanics 18+

Face-to-Face — 75.1%
Read Product Reviews — 34.6%
Email — 24.8%
Text Messaging — 23.7%
Mobile Device — 23.3%
Ask Facebook Friends — 20.1%
Read Blogs — 16.2%
Telephone (Landline) — 15.1%
Instant Messaging –11.3%
Visit Facebook Retailer/Brand Pages — 8.4%

Top 10 Ways to Give Advice about Products and Services

Hispanics 18+

Face-to-Face — 83.2%
Email — 35.4%
Text Messaging — 28.6%
Mobile Device — 24.3%
Telephone (Landline) — 19.6%
Post to Friends on Facebook — 16.2%
Instant Messaging — 13.5%
Post on Facebook Retailer/Brand Pages — 10.6%
Write Product Reviews — 8.7%
Write Blogs — 4.2%

Source: BIGinsight.com

It’s noteworthy that there are differences among advice seekers and givers within this group. One big distinction is product reviews; 34.6% of Hispanics who seek advice read them, while only 8.7% who give advice write them. So, less than 1 in 10 are providing information in product reviews to more than three times as many people who are taking that information in to make product decisions.

Considering that digital technology is aiding in the evolution of traditional word of mouth, it’s interesting to look at media allocations that consider social media, mobile, instant messaging and blogging in the WOM equation, especially among digital-savvy Hispanic consumers. This “new” Word of Mouth dwarfs traditional medias in comparison when weighted by influence and consumption.

Prosper MediaPlanIQ™* Allocation Model for ELECTRONICS Purchases

WOM includes: Face-to-Face, Social Media, Mobile, Text, Instant Messaging and Blogging

Hispanics 18+

WOM — 30.6%
Trade Promotion — 19.0%
Direct Marketing — 11.7%
TV — 11.0%
Radio — 10.6%
Internet Advertising — 6.6%
Magazines — 5.9%
Newspaper — 4.7%

*Media influence is weighted by consumption

Source: Prosper MediaPlanIQ™, JUN-2012

To download report CLICK on link below;
http://www.biginsight.com/news/Reports/pmiq-digitalhispanics.pdf>