Though there are clear distinctions between the online habits of what AOL calls “acculturated” or “unnaculturated” U.S. Hispanics, the results of “The AOL Latino 200 Hispanic Cyberstudy” suggest that blended marketing is highly appropriate for this demographic.
Of the 16 million U.S. Hispanics online, which represents more than half of the total US Hispanic population, 77 percent have broadband access. Of that number, 81 percent were defined as “mostly or partially acculturated,” relating to the level of assimilation into the Anglo-dominant society.
The study, conducted by Synovate, reports that acculturated Hispanics tend to prefer English-language online content, though almost 40 percent still appreciate Spanish-language content. From the segment considered unacculturated, representing just 19 percent of online Hispanics, 37 percent prefer both languages. Only 15 percent of the total prefer Spanish only.
Over two-thirds of the total population (68 percent) regard the Internet as the best source for making final brand decisions. AOL says this makes the Internet the most relevant medium for marketers.
“With this new data,” says Mark Lopez, publisher of AOL Latino, “marketers will be able to better understand how to reach the rapidly growing online Hispanic market.
“This study also helps to understand the complexities of U.S. Hispanics, and that marketers seeking to connect with the online Hispanic population must address cultural needs, which differ depending on levels of acculturation.”
The same number that considered the Internet the best source for brand decisions also reported enjoying social networking online: 68 percent use instant messaging; 63 percent share photos online; 52 percent read or post blogs; 43 percent visit social networking sites; and 40 percent use VoIP.
The most popular types of website content and offerings included news (48 percent), maps (43 percent), followed by music, weather, health and travel.
By the numbers:
Seventy-five percent (75%) of online Hispanics use the Internet to learn about brand features or benefits (vs. 61% in 2004).
Seventy-two percent (72%) of online Hispanics use the Internet to compare prices of products (vs. 59% in 2004).
Mostly acculturated Hispanics are more likely to visit websites that focus on topics such as Finance, Entertainment and Nutrition.
Unacculturated Hispanics are more likely to visit websites that provide news from Latin America, as well as Sports websites that focus on Soccer.
Nearly half (47% of mostly acculturated online Hispanics and 45% of partially acculturated online Hispanics) are getting online and watching TV at the same time. A third of unacculturated Hispanics are also online and watching TV simultaneously.
In an average week, online Hispanics spend 12.4 hours watching English-language TV and 7.7 hours watching Spanish-language TV.
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