The Digital Raindance had the pleasure of moderating an important session at the annual
Hispanicize conference in Miami last week on a new segment of Latino consumers being called
New Generation Latinos and the content presented illustrated a couple of important considerations for those marketing products to the more than 50 million Latinos now living in the United States. First and foremost, the Latino consumer demographic is not a monolithic block, given that there are about 23 different nationalities that make up the "Hispanic" consumer group. In addition to the diversity of heritages, strategists point to the growing number of "bicultural" Latinos whom live in two worlds because they are completely immersed in mainstream media consumption and an American lifestyle, yet react most favorably to content that is presented in a culturally-relevant way. That's why English cable networks like MTV Tr3s and Telemundo's Mun2 have connected with a core 18 to 34 year-old core demographic who were either born in the United States or have resided in the U.S. for more than 15+ years and live an acculturated lifestyle. This New Generation Latino profile now makes up more than 62 percent of the overall so called "Hispanic" market and will continue to grow as more than 34 percent of consumers with a Latino heritage today are under the age of 18. That doesn't mean that Spanish-language media doesn't have a future because they will always serve language dependent immigrants and those who "retro acculturate" as Latino cultural influence grows. The takeaway for Rainmakers is that the "U.S. Hispanic" marketing environment is sophisticated and complex and requires a thoughtful strategic approach.
The Digital Raindance had the pleasure of moderating an important session at the annual Hispanicize conference in Miami last week on a new segment of Latino consumers being called New Generation Latinos and the content presented illustrated a couple of important considerations for those marketing products to the more than 50 million Latinos now living in the United States. First and foremost, the Latino consumer demographic is not a monolithic block, given that there are about 23 different nationalities that make up the "Hispanic" consumer group. In addition to the diversity of heritages, strategists point to the growing number of "bicultural" Latinos whom live in two worlds because they are completely immersed in mainstream media consumption and an American lifestyle, yet react most favorably to content that is presented in a culturally-relevant way. That's why English cable networks like MTV Tr3s and Telemundo's Mun2 have connected with a core 18 to 34 year-old core demographic who were either born in the United States or have resided in the U.S. for more than 15+ years and live an acculturated lifestyle. This New Generation Latino profile now makes up more than 62 percent of the overall so called "Hispanic" market and will continue to grow as more than 34 percent of consumers with a Latino heritage today are under the age of 18. That doesn't mean that Spanish-language media doesn't have a future because they will always serve language dependent immigrants and those who "retro acculturate" as Latino cultural influence grows. The takeaway for Rainmakers is that the "U.S. Hispanic" marketing environment is sophisticated and complex and requires a thoughtful strategic approach.
