US Hispanics Go Online

A new report by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) shows Hispanics embracing online and mobile media in a number of areas.

  The surveys show that 4 of the 5 most used online activities for Hispanics are media or communication related.  Shopping is the most widely used (46%), followed by reading and posting movie reviews (36%), downloading music and videos (31%), socializing online (29%), and watching TV online (28%).  Moreover, the report showed that for these, and a number of other online activities, penetration was higher among Hispanics that evidenced among the general U.S. population.
   One of the key factors in this is the finding that Hispanics are more likely to own a wireless laptop (46%) than a desktop computer(40%), and are heavier adopters of smartphones and tablets.  (The report breaks smartphones and tablets by OS, and Hispanic ownership levels are higher than the general population's in every breakdown).  The most popular mobile uses were text messaging (56%), viewing email (42%), and taking a picture or video (39%).
  As for traditional media use, compared to the general US population, Hispanics are -

• more likely to at least occasionally watch video or TV online (64% v. 56%)
• more likely to subscribe to a paid online video service (55% v. 43%)
• watch videos on a mobile device (47% v, 35%)
• regularly get news on a mobile device (27% v. 19%)
• regularly watch videos or TV on a mobile device (16% v. 11%)
• regularly watch sports on a mobile device (15% v. 11%)

And most importantly, from a business/advertising perspectives, Hispanics are more likely to actually watch pre-roll online advertisements (at least occasionally 58%-54%, regularly15%-12%).  And as noted earlier, they are also more likely to subscribe to paid online video services (55%-43%).

“Hispanic consumers are living their lives on the go and lean on their mobile devices accordingly,” said Pam Goodfellow, consumer insights director at BIGinsight. “Brand leaders would be well-served to recognize the economic power of the Hispanic community and harness their appetite for goods, services and online content -- especially via mobile devices.”

   Hispanics are the fastest growing segment of the US population, and one that appears ready and willing to embrace digital and mobile medias.  There would seem to be opportunities there for content producers and packagers to exploit.
   The report draws on two recent consumer samples conducted by BIGinsight - a general sample of almost 25,000 consumers (including Hispanics) and a separate representative sample of 4325 U.S. Hispanics.

Sources -  IAB: Hispanic Audience Active Online, On Mobile,  OnlineMediaDaily
Hispanic Consumers & Digital Media, IAB & BIGinsight