Are Mobile Marketers missing most of their Hispanic Audience?
July 4, 2010
At first glance, Hispanics appear highly engaged with mobile activities. A November 2009 Federal Communications Commission study found both Hispanic and black adults to be more active in a wide variety of mobile activities than their white counterparts.
A May 2010 Pew Internet & American Life Project survey similarly found English-speaking Hispanic mobile phone owners more active in every content area studied than white or black mobile users.
But a closer examination of Pew data released in July 2010 calls the extent of that activity into question.
To begin with, Hispanics were less likely than non-Hispanics to own a cellphone in every age group surveyed during September 2009.
Much of the reason for this is because of a digital divide within the Hispanic population itself, between native- and foreign-born Hispanics. Pew found that 80% of native-born Hispanics ages 16 and older owned a mobile phone, while 72% of foreign-born Hispanics said the same. However, 86% of non-Hispanics 18 and older said they owned a cellphone (a slightly different age group, but still more than even native Hispanics).
In general, mobile usage is inversely correlated with age. Even among 16- and 17-year-olds, one of the most active groups, a split in usage was found between Hispanics and non-Hispanics (contradicting much of the FCC study mentioned above), but this is also hardly surprising given native or foreign divisions among Hispanics just mentioned.
The mobile activities of native-born Hispanics ages 16 to 25 are roughly on par with those of the non-Hispanic teens studied. Direct comparisons are difficult because of varying age ranges, but usage rates are similar.
Foreign-born Hispanics, including those born in Puerto Rico, constitute the majority of Hispanics in America—56% of those 16 and older according to Pew. Since that subgroup has the lowest participation within a group that is less mobile than average, marketers should note that the vibrant Hispanic mobile population is only a small slice of the total, and mobile marketing may not effectively reach the majority of US Hispanics.
For more information at http://www.emarketer.com
