Latina Magazine: The Bicultural Hispanic Woman.

Latina Media Ventures LLC, publishers of Latina Magazine and Roper ASW, have released the results of a new first-of-its-kind study on a new mainstream consumer, the Bicultural Hispanic woman.

“This study is long overdue for two reasons,” said Beth Press, Publisher of Latina magazine. “First, marketers need to know how to segment the Hispanic marketplace in order to get the correct branding message across. Secondly, according to the 2000 U.S. Census, the largest growing segment of the Hispanic marketplace is the U.S. born or Bicultural Hispanic. Marketers need to know how to proportionally allocate their dollars to reach each segment.”

The revolutionary survey, conducted by Roper ASW, was intended to profile the Bicultural woman espousing both American and “Hispanic” cultural values in the context of her two worlds. The Latitudes study serves as a guide to advertisers and media seeking to better understand the largest growing market segment in the United States.

Highlights of the Latitudes Study

* The Hispanic female population age 16-49 currently totals at about 9 million and represents nearly one quarter of the total U.S. Hispanic population.

* More than half (55%) of the U.S. Hispanic Female Population age 16-49 is “Bicultural”—espousing both American and “Hispanic” cultural values

* Bicultural Hispanic women are living the American dream. They are young, educated, affluent and independent—and more so than their Non-Bicultural counterparts.

* Bicultural women are the “go-to girls” for the other Hispanic women in their lives. They are more likely to have often been asked for advice about various product categories, making them valued gatekeepers for others.

* When it comes to beauty and fashion, Bicultural women expect the best and won’t settle for less. They are more likely to be brand conscious than Non-Bicultural women, and are willing to pay more for certain products because if the brand name.

* The dynamic segment of the Hispanic Market is not necessarily best reached via traditional Hispanic advertising methods.

* Bicultural women’s media habits are more similar to those of non-Hispanic women. They are more likely to read a newspaper, go online or read magazines.

* Bicultural women are far more likely than Non-Bicultural women to either prefer English or have no preference when consuming various types of media.

*In spite of their propensity to consume English-language media, Bicultural women still seek to maintain a connection to their heritage.