Mobile and Latino Empowerment

Mobile broadband is connecting America's Hispanic community in empowering new ways, resulting in greater economic, educational, health, and civic opportunities for Latinos.

In fact, a recent report by the Hispanic Institute and Mobile Future reveals that the 50.5 million Hispanics living in the U.S. today are increasingly turning primarily to mobile broadband rather than wired connections as their main on-ramp to the Internet.

The report, "Hispanic Broadband Access: Making the Most of the Mobile, Connected Future," shows Hispanics are among the most active users of mobile broadband among all demographic groups in the U.S. They also tend to be more geographically mobile than the overall U.S. population and rely more heavily on wireless services generally. Today, 90 percent of Hispanics ages 18-29 own cell phones; 70 percent have laptops, more than 51 percent have smartphones, and almost 20 percent have tablets.

These astonishing technology adoption rates by Hispanics are driving equally rapid uptake in the use of mobile broadband for promoting education, health care, access to financial service and civic engagement. And during this presidential election year, mobile technologies are offering the Hispanic community a bullhorn for civic engagement. (Source: Hispanic Trending)

Latin America Leads as the Most Socially-Engaged Global Region

Image credit

A recent comScore report on social networking in Latin America shows that more than 127 million Latin Americans ages 15 and older visited a social networking destination from a home or work computer in April 2012, with the average visitor spending 7.5 hours social networking during the month. The report also provided analysis on emerging social network Pinterest.com, which saw its audience increase eightfold in the first four months of the year to reach 1.3 million Latin Americans in April.

“Not does nearly 100 percent of the Latin American Internet population visit social networking destinations each month, but they also spend a lot of time on the sites,” said Alejandro Fosk, comScore senior vice president of Latin America. “While social networking isn’t a new phenomenon, we are still seeing strong market growth, changing dynamics among the leading players, and the emergence of new social sites that make it an especially interesting market to watch right now.”

Latin America is an ideal and burgeoning market for technology, social media, and startups. 

For the full article, visit comScore.

When it Comes to Reaching Latinos Online, Marketers Have Room for Improvement

Creative that appeals to race, background is key to engagement

Brands that want to reach ethnic minorities online are not doing a very good job, according to some research. An April 2011 survey by Yahoo!, Mindshare and Added Value found that according to Hispanics, blacks and Asian-Americans, digital advertising does not engage them. When asked for three brands doing a good job reaching them, most said they couldn’t name even one.

One big reason was that respondents felt their ethnic groups were poorly represented in messaging. Some 78% of blacks, 74% of Hispanics and 72% of Asians surveyed agreed that diversity in ads is the best reflection of the real world. And nearly as many in each group said ads should show more of that diversity.

Reaching these groups and building resonance is about understanding the unique interests of today's multicultural audience and the important element of authenticity.

One way to be authentic is to reflect consumers’ core values and interests. The study found particular cultural “drivers” important to ethnic groups. For about half of blacks surveyed, music and beauty were significant. For Hispanics, a big driver was food and recipes, and for Asian-Americans, restaurants that reflect their tastes were key.

Source: eMarketer

Top 10 U.S. Web Brands in 2011

As 2011 comes to a close, Nielsen reviewed the top online destinations, social media sites, and smartphone devices. Google was the most-visited U.S. Web brand, while Facebook held its lead among social networks and blogs. Smartphones were popular in 2011, making up the majority of new phone purchases with Apple as the top smartphone manufacturer and Android as the leading OS.

Leaders of the pack include (To nobody's surprise...):

1. Google
2. Facebook
3. Yahoo

For the full list and original article, click here.

7 Hyper Relevant Facts on the Hispanic Market

Back in May 2011, comScore reported that 787,000 Hispanics visited Tumblr, making up 9% of total U.S. traffic. (Tweet)

In the past 12 months, Tumblr's total U.S. traffic grew 218% while Tumblr's U.S. Hispanic traffic grew 312%. (Tweet)

Latino digital getting lots of alone time these days because of its surprising status in the digital marketing food chain. (Tweet)

Early experiments in the most promising sector of the Latino marketing world - digital - will pay off big. (Tweet)

Latinos, in the aggregate, out-index all other ethnic groups on public social networks. (Tweet)

12% of US Hispanic mobile users use social networks on their mobile vs. 10% of the general market. (Tweet)

87% of Hispanic households have multiple mobile phones... Tweet)

Quick Facts About Latinos in the Tri-Counties

Image credit

The following are a collection of quick facts helping to paint a better picture of the Hispanic population in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura counties. Insights that matter...


San Luis Obispo County

Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin - 55,973

21% Share of the population.

Within the county, 7.9% businesses are Hispanic-owned firms.

Santa Barbara County
Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin - 181,687

43% Share of the population.

Within the county, 13.9% businesses are Hispanic-owned firms.

Ventura County

Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin - 331,567

40% Share of the population

Within the county, 15% businesses are Hispanic-owned firms.


More facts about Latinos in California:

Between 2006 and 2008, the number of Latinos who earned undergraduate degrees in California grew by 13 percent, while other groups increased by just eight percent.

Among the top 10 states enrolling Latinos, California had the largest increase in degrees conferred to Latinos over three years.


However, college completion among Latino students in California still lags behind their Non-Hispanic White counterparts.


Sources

David, E. (2011). Despite progress, California Latinos lag behind others in college completion. Retrieved from http://www.edexcelencia.org/newsroom/pressreleases/2011/08/despite-progress-california-latinos-lag-behind-others-college-complet

Pew Hispanic Center. (2011) Retrieved from http://pewhispanic.org/data/census2010/ 

The End of the PC Era

For nearly 30 years, personal computers as we have known them have been the drivers of the technology engine. From Intel to Microsoft to Dell to HP to Micron Technology — many fortunes were made on the back of the PC. But the rise of mobile computing is upending the technology business and is simultaneously redefining what is a personal computer and how we use it.

On Thursday Hewlett-Packard, one of the oldest companies in Silicon Valley with deep connections to the PC ecosystem (they paid $25 billion for Compaq in 2002) and the world’s largest seller of PCs, confirmed it is looking to sell off its personal computing business. It’s also getting out of the hardware game altogether, ditching its tablet and smartphone operations too. But if HP does eventually find a buyer for its PC division, it will only be catching up with IBM, which in 2004 decided that the low-margin PC business wasn’t worth pursuing.

HP is not the only company that is finding itself on the wrong side of PC history. Earlier this week Dell reported its earnings and acknowledged that its bread-and-butter PC business isn’t what it used to be.

Read the full article or learn more about how Hispanics are a key driver of this trend through the increased adoption of tablets.

STUDY: For Many U.S. Latinos Biculturalism is Key to Self-Identity

Many U.S. Hispanics feel culturally connected to both, their U.S. and Latino identities, according to Horowitz Associates’ annual FOCUS: Latino report. The study of U.S. Hispanics’ attitudes towards and viewing of TV, broadband, and alternative platform content and services finds that, when asked to rate on a scale of 1-5 whether they identified themselves as “completely Latino” or “completely American,” 18% of Hispanics identify themselves as “completely American,” 43% as completely Latino, and four in ten (39%) feel they are a mix of both.

Latinos comprise a population segment that's constantly on the move. We live and breathe the dynamics of biculturalism. Here's a link to a post with additional data on bilingual homes.

Sweeping Race Change and A Growing Age Divide - The New Majority

Image Credit

WASHINGTON – For the first time, more than half of the children under age 2 in the U.S. are minorities, part of a sweeping race change and a growing age divide between mostly white, older Americans and fast-growing younger ethnic populations that could reshape government policies.

"The recent emergence of this cultural generation gap in states with fast growth of young Hispanics has spurred heated discussions of immigration and the use of government services," Frey said. "But the new census, which will show a minority majority of our youngest Americans, makes plain that our future labor force is absolutely dependent on our ability to integrate and educate a new diverse child population."

Source: Yahoo! News

Latinos Fuel Growth in Santa Maria | California

Santa Maria’s population increased by 28.6 percent over the past 10 years, with most of the city’s growth fueled by the Latino community, according to data released by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Santa Maria’s population climbed from 77,423 in 2000 to 99,553 in 2010, according to statewide data on the 2010 Census.

The city became the most populous in Santa Barbara County in 2006, reaching 89,917 and surpassing Santa Barbara for the first time.

The Latino community was responsible for most of the city’s growth, representing 70.4 percent or 70,114 of the city’s residents, compared to 59.6 percent in 2000.

Read the full article.

New Latino DMAs

(Image credit)

There is an need for marketers to rethink and move beyond traditional stereotypes in reaching today's Hispanic audience. An exploration into current demographic data released by the U.S. Census Bureau is providing some profound insight into the activity and geographic characteristics of Latinos in America.

Rethinking DMAs
Non-traditional Hispanic DMAs are experiencing dramatic growth driven by foreign-born Latinos. Markets such as Louisiana, Mississippi, and Virginia grew by 78.7 percent, 105.9 percent, and 91.7 percent respectively. Comparatively, the total population in these states only grew by 1.4 percent, 4.3 percent, and 13 percent. In Oregon, the Latino population grew by 64 percent, compared to the total population growth of 12 percent. Hispanics were also major contributors to population growth in other non-traditional Hispanic markets such as Iowa, Maryland, Oklahoma, Indiana, Arkansas, and Vermont.

For additional information and insights into important demographic shifts occuring in the Hispanic market, read the "The Super Bowl of Demographics" by Gustavo Razzetti.

Latinos + Smartphone Usage -- Story

Opportunities in the Hispanic Market

Photo Credit

"When the [census] data comes in, it’s going to be significant. The buying community psychologically is going to go ‘Wow.’ You’re going to see a tremendous shift.” [and] a “significant game changer in our country,” [which] will “signal to the world…that the economic power and force of Hispanics have arrived. Psychologically and practically, I think it’s going to be the biggest game changer in the history of media...” - Don Browne, President of Telemundo Communications Group

For savvy marketers, this comes as no surprise. The Hispanic market is a unique population segment with the potential to impact a variety of industries.

Why wait for census data? The time to connect with Latinos is now.

Engaging Latinos and Building Trust in Today's New Media Landscape

Latinos are an important segment of the internet populace. Statistics confirm that Latinos are trend-setters, pioneers, and influencers with powerful market potential. Recognizing the important role of cultural dynamics and the fact that Latinos are not restricted to being just a "market" but rather an important group with the potential to lead change, progress, and impact beyond any defined industry is key.

I was recently invited to do a workshop for M.E.Ch.A.'s statewide conference at CalPoly San Luis Obispo on social media and Latinos:

Engaging Latinos and Building Trust in Today's New Media Landscape

View more presentations from HUB 81.

Truly the possibilities for engagement are numerous.

Targeted Approach to Reaching Hispanics Key

Multicultural America provides opportunities for targeted marketing

Marketers need to tailor their strategies to reflect the cultural diversity of the United States rather than adopting a ‘one size fits all’ approach, according to the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies.

Market research organization Nielsen predicts that more than half the US population will be non-white by 2050. Currently, the African-American, Hispanic and Asian populations in the United States are responsible for about $299bn of CPG (consumer packaged goods) spending, and Nielsen estimates that this could rise by as much as 25 percent over the next 10 years, to $373bn in today’s money.

The Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies (AHAA) said that savvy marketers, including the likes of General Mills and McDonald’s, understand the value of targeted marketing for different cultural groups.

AHAA chair and COO of Bromley Communications Jessica Pantanini said: "Trying to be all things to all consumers not only waters down the communication but also waters down the results. The population is definitely more multicultural but that only reinforces the need for customized, one-to-one communication.”

Read more.

5 Articles You May Have Missed | Hispanic Market Insights

Reaching Bicultural Latinos and the Evolution of Media Outlets
by Andy Checo via Strategic Sense
Insight into the world of the bicultural Latino and current efforts to capture the attention of this important demographic.

"Reaching bicultural Latinos is not as complex as some industry insiders may lead you to believe. I believe that relevancy and context are the two most important factors in successfully reaching this expanding demographic. Success lies in offering cultural connections to Hispanics. While the future may look bright for some Hispanic media outlets, if they do not adapt to reflect the new culture of Latinos in the U.S., their victory may be short lived."

How To Grow Your Business In The Hispanic Community
Denver-based duo of Juan Alberto de la Roca and Marcus Jimenez have released a detailed, highly insightful report examining the myths and realities of the Latino demographic and how snowboard brands can effectively reach this market.

Multicultural Is the New Mainstream via HispanicPR Blog
Offers a discussion on how today's one-size-fits all marketing approach to reaching Hispanics falls short.

Prepare to see Green on Black Monday
A discussion on how advertisers are scrambling to reach out to holiday shoppers and today's powerful Latina women "who represent a market expected to reach $1.3 trillion in buying power by 2013..."

Courting Hispanic Customers With Texts and Web Sites en Español
Today's brands must speak the language of their target base and companies such as Ford and Best Buy are making strides in relevant Spanish content.

Hispanic Market Tidbits and Articles You May Have Missed

Below are some excellent articles and updates for those interested in the tidal wave of activity occuring in the Latinosphere.

Excellent post by @jrvilla:
Precision Is The Key To Reaching Hispanics Today

Once again data is showing why Latinos are pioneers in technology adoption:
New Data: Hispanics Leading Geo-Social Usage


Latino2 is a can't miss event for those interested in learning best practices in community, collaboration, and communication in today's multicultural landscape:
LATISM Makes Formal Call For Speakers For 'Latino2: Central California'


Here's an excellent post by Giovanni Rodriguez, a noted author, consultant, and public speaker on organizational leadership and digital/social communications.
The Latino Vote: Why Mess With the 'Metatribe'?

Cain Velasquez | A Big Deal for the Latino Market

Outreach to the Hispanic market.
Source: Inside MMA

Much was made on blogs and fight fan forums about the marketing of UFC 121 and Cain Velasquez to the Mexican audience. The UFC billed him as the first potential Mexican heavyweight to win a major championship in combat sports. Velasquez, born in Salinas, Calif., considers himself American but he also grew up paying respects to his Mexican heritage.

The push by UFC appears to have been a huge success, as the nearly 15,000 people inside the Honda Center, many waving Mexican-flag colored garb, were clearly behind Velasquez.

"I think Cain winning the title and holding the title is a big deal for the Latino market," UFC president Dana White said. "Mexico dominated the lighter weight categories in boxing and I think they will in mixed martial arts eventually, too."

The difference between Velasquez and other Hispanic fighters, especially those native to Mexico: wrestling. There will need to be a steep learning curve for many young Hispanic fighters making their way into MMA, unless they're exposed to wrestling at an early age. For now, Velasquez would seem to be the exception. But with a fighter like him to look up to, let there be no doubt that a young crop are already mapping out their careers to the top.

"I feel great being the first Mexican heavyweight champion of the UFC," Velasquez said. "I'm going to keep representing. This belt I dedicate to the Mexican people in the United States and Mexico."

The UFC has attempted to make inroads into Mexico for at least half a decade. Velasquez could be the key to getting that done.

3 Must-Read Articles on the Hispanic Market

Below are three recent articles providing us with excellent insight into the happenings surrounding today's Latinos. Hispanic grocers are a force to be reckoned with due to their niche offerings and ability to cater to the various tastes and interests of the Hispanic market. Spanish digital content is an arena that must be explored by today's digital pioneers. Young Latinos are once again setting trends in how we communicate.

Hispanic grocers focus on customer service, specialty products

A view into the real-world experiences and trends affecting Hispanic grocers and the impact of recent attention placed on immigration.

Spanish Content: The Next Frontier in the Digital Race

Interesting view into the future and potential market of Spanish digital content.

"We would do well to remember that Spanish is the third most-spoken language in the world after English and Chinese and one can hardly turn a blind eye to the revenue potential of a market that is poised to cater to 500 million Spanish speakers around the world."

Research: How Young Latinos Communicate with Friends in the Digital Age

Discusses recent findings based on a new analysis of data from a nationwide telephone survey of Latinos conducted by the Pew Hispanic Center, a project of the Pew Research Center.

Hispanic Spending Insights

Excellent insights from eMarketer's new report "CPG Marketers Target Hispanic Shoppers In-Store and Online"

Hispanics go online to socialize, research new products and find good deals -- more so than many other groups. In 2010, Hispanics will spend $125 billion on consumer packaged goods products, accounting for 11.8% of all CPG spending, according to Nielsen. These factors create a lucrative opportunity for CPG suppliers that want a closer connection with this dynamic demographic.

The internet is becoming ever more important in Hispanics' daily lives, via broadband and mobile. This year, 29.6 million Hispanics -- nearly 60% of the Hispanic population -- will go online at least once a month. By 2014, 39.2 million Hispanics will be online, representing 70%.

Read more here...Hispanics to Spend $125 Billion on Packaged Goods Products in 2010