As reported previously, Hispanic-Americans are heavy media consumers. New data from Vertis Communications reveals that in 2007 they were also more likely than the total US population to be influenced by media.
Among adults surveyed, 23% of Hispanic-Americans said they were influenced to buy something by watching television, compared with 19% of the total US population. Hispanic-Americans were also 44% more likely than the total US population to be influenced by the Internet.
Vertis said that Hispanic-American adult respondents were more likely than the overall US population to buy consumer electronics, even when the economy was down: 28% of Hispanics said they would buy a big screen or HDTV within the next 12 months, compared with 23% of non-Hispanics. More than one-fifth of Hispanic-American respondents said they would buy a video game console within the next 12 months, compared with only 12% of non-Hispanics.
"It is crucial for marketers to consider a multichannel effort when motivating Hispanic consumers to make purchase decisions," said Scott Marden,
director of marketing research at Vertis, in a statement. "Television and direct mail should be cornerstones, along with Web advertising, of any multicultural marketing plan."
It is not just heavy media consumption, receptivity to TV and Internet marketing, and a penchant for consumer electronics that make Hispanic-Americans of interest to many marketers. The group also has the strength of sheer growing numbers. The Hispanic-American population is predicted to continue double-digit growth through at least 2012, when it will reach 29.4 million.
The eMarketer Hispanic-Americans Online report will be published in July 2008. Click here to be notified when it is released.