The Hispanic Millennial Cool List: Gender Differences [INSIGHT]

In last week’s blog post, we looked at the “Cool List” – the top 10 coolest things right now — among Hispanic Adult Millennials. This week, we’re going to dive in a little closer and show how Hispanic males and females differ in their perceptions of what’s cool. Based on data from Tr3s’s soon-to-be-released 2014 study of Hispanic Adult Millennials ages 19 to 34, here are key findings on the “Cool List” and gender:

A mix of tech, “IRL” experiences, cheap and convenient food, and shopping were on the Cool Lists among both male and female Hispanic Adult Millennials. Smartphones, Amazon, Netflix, romance, in-person socializing, diners, and Subway were on both genders’ Cool Lists. Smartphones were #1 among females and #2 among males. The presence of Amazon and Netflix speaks to the growing interest in alternative content sources, as well as the appeal of online shopping. Romance, in-person socializing, and diners indicate the popularity of connecting with others without the intrusion of technology. And Subway continues as a fast food favorite because it’s perceived a healthy and merges the Millennial-friendly qualities of low cost and convenience.

When it comes to games, Hispanic males prefer the virtual to the real. Among male Hispanic Adult Millennials, video games were #1 on the cool list – and sports were #5. Neither video games nor sports were top-10 cool items among Hispanic females. However for them, sports (#15) outrank video games (#24).

In retail, brick-and-mortar stores beat online shopping among Hispanic females. Victoria’s Secret (#3) and Target (#4) are not only the top retail stores among female Hispanic Adult Millennials, they are cooler than all other things but smartphones and romance. The popularity of Victoria’s Secret may be tied to the renewed coolness of romance. Reasonable prices, smart styles, and the convenience of one-stop shopping may be the source of Target’s appeal. Amazon was #5 among Hispanic females, but it was the top retail destination among Hispanic males – suggesting a possible preference for online shopping among the guys.

Top coffee shops may indicate gender differences in coffee-drinking habits. Coffee shops are important to Hispanic Adult Millennials because they offer budget-friendly treats as well as a place to hang out with friends (almost half still live with their parents). While both Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts were in the top 25 “cool” things among both genders, Starbucks was #10 among Hispanic females and Dunkin Donuts was #10 among Hispanic males. Because Starbucks tends to encourage lingering and Dunkin Donuts is more of a “to-go” enterprise, coffee-drinking might be more of a social experience for Hispanic females.

Some forms of conspicuous consumption are more uncool among Hispanic females. Ostentatious wealth is out among Millennials – and this was particularly apparent on the list of what’s uncool among Hispanic females. Expensive restaurants were the #7 most uncool thing among Hispanic females (compared with #18 among Hispanic males), wearing visible brand logos on fashion items was #8 (#19 among males), and limited edition sneakers were #16 (#21 among males).  

Source: Tr3s Hispanic Adult Millennial Study (2014)