‘Generation Sí’ Study.

A study released by Sí TV and FGI Research found that Generation Sí, 18 to 34 year-old male and female Latinos who consume media in English, are today’s affluent, active, and tech-savvy consumer.

Generation Sí, which makes up the bulk of Sí TV’s target audience, lives in two worlds. While they are clearly the English-dominant segment of the Latino market, they are far more likely to describe themselves as “Latino” than American. This duality presents opportunities for advertisers to reach young Latinos with messages that resonate culturally but are best conveyed in English.

“These online survey findings validate our understanding of Generation Sí and what makes them tick,” says Sí TV Co-founder and Chairman Jeff Valdez. “From a financial perspective, these findings also corroborate HispanIntelligence’s study results (Hispanic Business, 12/2004) that notes 59% of all Hispanic spending power is centered in the English-language Latino segment. The Sí TV study further details the buying power that English-dominant Latinos harness across several product categories. And Sí TV leads all media in tapping into this important market.”

“Results from this ‘Generation Sí’ survey are truly impressive,” says Peter Roslow, President, Roslow Research Group. “The extent to which young Latinos are leading trends and influencing others, and the extent to which they value the ad message, I think not only has far-reaching implications for advertisers but also suggest that Sí TV can be a potent resource for targeting this young adult Latino segment.”

The study surveyed over 1000 people, including 705 Latinos (male and female between the ages of 18-34) and 303 non-Latinos (male and female between the ages of 18-34). The research found that Generation Sí is an overwhelmingly enthusiastic and savvy consumer segment that values the importance and quality of name brands. The study also found that members of Generation Sí are trend-setters and early adopters of technologies such as iPod’s and Digital Video Recorder’s (DVR’s).

Study Highlights:

Information seekers who value advertising – Generation Sí is significantly more receptive toward advertising. The study reports that Generation Sí is 230% more likely to cite TV or radio advertising as “very influential” compared to Anglo young adults, indicating that Generation Sí values the advertising message and feels that advertisements help make them smarter shoppers.

Aspirational trendsetters – Generation Sí is also significantly more likely to want to stay abreast of the latest trends. They are 69% more likely than non-Latinos to feel the need to keep up with the latest trends in movies and music, and are twice as likely as non-Latino 18-34 year-olds to attend movies opening weekend.

Early adopters of technology – Generation Sí is significantly more likely than young Anglo adults to characterize themselves as new product “early adopters”. According to the FGI Product Adoption Index, 33% of Generation Sí vs. 19% of young Anglo adults are classified as early adopters. Additionally, members of Generation Sí are 34% more likely to have handheld devices such as iPod’s, Blackberry’s and PDA’s; 26% more likely to own a home theatre system; 80% more likely to have an in-car DVD/video; and 66% more likely to own a plasma, or large screen TV than their non-Latino counterparts.

Among other product categories surveyed, the study also found that Generation Sí places a high value on entertainment: this market segment is 26% more likely to attend professional sporting events, 17% more likely to have attended a concert, and 50% more likely than Anglos to have gone dancing in the past year.