Zeroing in with Email – media appears natural fit for Hispanic consumers.

Latest research from Mintel Comperemedia suggests Hispanics are more open to email marketing than other consumers. Surveying adults about their attitudes towards email, Mintel Comperemedia found that Hispanics welcome email communication from companies they know up to 11 times a month. Non-Hispanic consumers only tolerate such emails up to 7.4 times a month.

“The Hispanic population is very receptive to email as a means of marketing,” comments Carmen Curran, senior email analyst at Mintel Comperemedia. “Hispanics tend to spend more time online than the general population, so receiving information and offers through email makes sense to them. Email fits well into their lives.”

In a 2006 Online Banking report, Mintel found that Hispanics spent an average of 9.2 hours online at home each week, nearly 10% more than the 8.5 hours spent by the general population. Hispanics have rapidly become mainstream Internet users, with 84% using Internet banking services in 2006, compared to 78% of the online population as a whole.

Additionally, the Hispanic population is young, with a median age of 27.2 years compared to the overall population at 36.2 years. Younger consumers gravitate towards Internet-based services and communications like email. Mintel Comperemedia’s recent survey found that younger adults are more open to receiving email communication from companies they know. Adults under 34 want everything from new offer notifications to account alerts to special promotions via email.

With the Hispanic population expected to grow 13.3% over the next five years (versus only 2.9% growth for non-Hispanics), the demographic group is ripe for targeting. “In 2008, we expect to see more companies using email to market products and services to Hispanic consumers,” says Curran. “With their high Internet usage and stated preference for email communication, email marketing seems to be one of the best alleys into the Hispanic population.”
For more information at http://www.mintel.com