U.S. Hispanic Consumers are Embracing Mobile Technology [REPORT]

Consumers are increasingly “going mobile,” but U.S.-based Hispanics in particular have adopted and embraced mobile technology at an equivalent or greater extent than non-Hispanics across a wide variety of mobile device activities, according to a new PwC US report titled “Mi Móvil: Hispanic Consumers Embrace Mobile Technology.” A survey of 1,000 participants in the U.S. combined with focus groups and online/social listening reveals that smartphone and tablet ownership is similar among Hispanic and non-Hispanic consumers, but frequency of mobile device usage skews higher for Hispanics.

Low-cost entertainment and affordable access to communication, including “second screen” and social media activity, are cited as prime factors for the Hispanic propensity toward mobile usage. Hispanic consumers have also adopted the mobile wallet to a greater degree, and are comparatively more likely to use their phones as a vehicle to both pay for additional services and access customer service.

Although Hispanics rank high in mobile adoption, they do have a large similarity with non-Hispanics in that both groups have significant concerns with privacy and sharing personal information.

Among the reasons on why Hispanic sentiment towards mobile consumption is so high:

• Cost effective entertainment. Through streaming and downloading content, especially from free sites, mobile technology provides access to a full complement of video entertainment. Hispanic consumers are enjoying video content to a greater degree than their non-Hispanic counterparts to avoid costly cable/satellite subscriptions.
• 43% and 37% of Hispanics, as opposed to 25% and 17% of non-Hispanics, stream and download video on their mobile devices at least once a week, playing into the “anytime, anywhere” mantra.

Payments, coupons and loyalty cards. Hispanic consumers are using mobile devices to pay for a wide variety of services, such as travel arrangements, transportation, tickets and downloading electronic coupons.

• 65% of Hispanic consumers check their bank balance, make transactions and pay bills on their mobile device at least once a week.

Affordable and accessible technology. Hispanic consumers are always “on the move” and as such are more reliant on mobile technology by necessity due to their urban lifestyle, working longer hours / multiple jobs.

• Mobile devices are seen as a “new toy” and a more cost effective way to access the Internet by using 4G technology.

The Hispanic population is diverse in terms of home countries, length of time/number of generations in the U.S., geographic disparity, and age and family makeup differences. A “one size fits all” solution will not work, so companies should develop multiple customized strategies to reach Hispanic consumers, including:

• Provide unique and culturally relevant programming that might not otherwise be available via mobile 4G access.
• Capitalize on multi-screen usage to create better engagement with and viewership of TV content.
• Explore how to best maximize mobile wallets’ appeal and benefits, especially as a credit card, while directly addressing security concerns.
• Capitalize on the desire to use mobile devices to pay both for mobile-related services and access customer service.
• Continue to develop and differentiate mobile phones and tablets in terms of usage type so that they are not seen as interchangeable and each has a distinct reason for being.

 
To download report CLICK HERE.