DO HISPANICS USE SOCIAL MEDIA THE MOST: HOW SPORTS TEAMS CAN BENEFIT FROM MARKETING TO LATINOS

April 28, 2012 by Jessica Marie Gutierrez Leave a Comment

THE HISPANIC BLOG IS THE LATEST HISPANIC NEWS BY JESSICA MARIE GUTIERREZ

Social Media is about engaging with your audience. If you can find new audiences, you can expand your reach. Sports teams and leagues have mostly focused on growing the audience they already have and know – their traditional fans. Another way is to identify and connect with new segments of your fan base.

Hispanics represent a major opportunity for sports teams and leagues. Why? Compared to the general population, Hispanics use social media more and they are more avid sports fans. That’s a pretty potent combination. Some baseball teams, such as the Boston Red Sox, have started Spanish-language Twitter accounts to reach their Spanish-speaking fans. It’s a good first move, but there is much more that can be done to reach this sizable population.

Hispanics and sports are strong partners. Three of the top seven Spanish-language cable channels are sports stations (Fox Deportes, ESPN Deportes and Gol TV). When it comes to sports interests, more than 90% of Hispanics are sports fans, compared to less than 80% of the total population, according to the San Jose Group marketing agency.

In August of 2011, there were 8.1 million Hispanics on Twitter

When it comes to social media, Hispanics are heavy users. On Twitter, Hispanics are prolific users. According to a Pew Research Center survey, 18% of Hispanics use Twitter, compared to 8% of the general population. The dominance extends beyond Twitter, according to a uSamp survey in 2011 of online users (according to the MediaPost’s The Social Graph blog): 90% of Hispanic respondents are on Facebook, compared to 81% of the general online population; 57% of Hispanics use YouTube, compared to 46% of non-Hispanics; and 47% Hispanics say they use Google+ compared to just 18% for the general population.

Nielsen says that Hispanic video viewers are 68% more likely than non-Hispanic White viewers to watch video on the Internet, and 20% more likely to watch video on their mobile phone. They’re also heavy phone users in general, sending and receiving some 941 SMS text messages per month – more than any other ethnic group. And they make 13 calls per day on their mobiles, which is 40% more than the average U.S. consumer.

The group is also increasing its access to social networking services and blogs. In February, visits were up 14% to sites like Facebook and WordPress.com, for example. In February, 16.7 million unique U.S. Hispanics visitors headed over to Facebook, which is up 8% year-over-year. Visits to Blogger (+10% YOY), Twitter (+32% YOY), LinkedIn (+52% YOY), WordPress (+27% YOY), and Tumblr (+85% YOY) were up, as well. (See above chart).

They often have a blog of their own, too – Hispanics are 17% more likely than the average consumer to build or update a personal blog, Nielsen found.

In the sports world, some are starting to put these numbers together and going after this large, new market. The NBA is at the forefront. The league has launched a whole Spanish-language platform, called éne-bé-a (the phonetic pronunciation of NBA in Spanish). The platform, which has a Facebook page and Twitter account, also launched its own campaign. The campaign, called Emoción (emotion), leveraged their social media channels to keep fans engaged during the lockout.

This was very smart being that Neilsen reported:

Hispanics are 25% more likely to follow a brand, 18% more likely to follow a celebrity, 21% more likely to post links, articles, videos and website, and 7% more likely to have one or more social networking profiles.

NBA TV played classic games during the work stoppage, and the Emoción campaign turned that into a positive. As the Social Media Spanish blog said, the campaign “engaged fans online through social media as a reminder of why they loved the game to begin with. This worked to remind their audience ‘de los buenos tiempos’ (the good ol’ times) and of the greatness of the game, then and now.”

The NBA did the smart thing and grew their Spanish-language social media accounts organically and cross-promoted their Spanish-language platforms to their English-speaking Hispanic fans. From the Social Media Spanish blog: “ ‘One strategy we’re currently focusing on is heavily cross promoting our éne-bé-a pages with our general market [English-language] pages,’ said Saskia Sorrosa, the NBA’s Vice President of Multicultural Marketing.

“Sorrosa explained that 12 percent of the NBA’s (English-language) Facebook and Twitter followers – more than 11 million likes and 3.8 million followers, respectively – are Hispanic. Cross promoting allows the team to push culturally relevant content among bicultural, bilingual fans across the NBA, and drive them back to éne-bé-a social media assets for customized engagement.”

It’s a very smart move because not all Hispanics prefer to consume content in Spanish. And while Spanish-language social media channels helps engage non-traditional fans, it is important to not employ a one-size-fits-all, or a one-language-fits-all approach. As Major League Baseball, which does so many things well in the social media space, continues to pursue Hispanic fans, it can steal a sign or two from the NBA.

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Filed Under: FEATURED MARKETING, LATINO MARKETING Tagged With: Boston Red Sox, Facebook, hispanic, Pew Research Center, social media, Spanish language, Twitter, YouTube

DOES HISPANIC EDUCATION HAVE A STRONG IMPACT ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT?

April 14, 2012 by Jessica Marie Gutierrez 1 Comment

THE HISPANIC BLOG IS THE LATEST HISPANIC NEWS BY JESSICA MARIE GUTIERREZ

photo source: Fox News Latino

The level of Hispanic education, skills and capabilities will have a strong impact on the economic development and competitiveness of the U.S. The level of education among the Hispanic community is not only a social issue but is also a vital economic concern.

There are currently 50 million Hispanics living in the United States, a figure that represents 16 percent of the country’s total population. Hispanic children between five and 17 years of age often face educational challenges, usually scoring lower than the average student in annual reading and mathematics standardized tests. In this context, there are three main aspects to consider in the debate on educational public policy for Hispanics: the increase in their school enrollment rates in the last decade, their low level of educational attainment and the educational gap between whites and Hispanics in the U.S.

Compared to other ethnic groups in the country, Hispanics lend a higher degree of importance to education, according to a 2009 Pew Research Center study. This fact, in addition to the effect of public policies and the increased influx of immigrants in the country, contributes to the growing enrollment rates among the Hispanic community. According to the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans, the average enrollment of K-12 Hispanic students is higher than the average for the general population.

However, reports have shown that the schools that Hispanics are enrolled in are typically lower quality school systems. In addition, the dropout rate in high school is 17.6 percent among Hispanics, as compared to 5.2 percent among the white population and 8.1 percent among the entire U.S. population, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

Quality continues to be an elusive goal. Although there is a reduction in the gap between the white population and Hispanics in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) mathematics average scores from 1973 to 2008, this change is not sufficient evidence to show a decrease in the overall educational gap of Hispanics. Regarding SAT scores, Hispanics are scoring lower in mathematics and critical reading than the average U.S. student.

Elements that are prompting the problems associated with the characteristics described above include:

(i) Factors that influence educational achievement.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, there are four factors that affect student achievement: Having a mother who has less than a high school education, being a member of a family on welfare or receiving food stamps, living in a single-parent family, and having parents whose primary language is one other than English. By the end of the 20th century, “about seven out of 10 entering kindergarten from Hispanic or Black families have one or more of these risk factors, compared to about three out of 10 of those from white families.

(ii) Low quality of the schools that they attend.

Hispanics are more likely to attend minority-heavy public schools that are often low performing.

(iii) Constraints to parents when it comes to the possibility of choosing their children’s schools.

The White House Initiative for Hispanics highlights how the challenge of the low educational achievement that Hispanics suffer from represents a problem not only for the community, but also for the entire country, given the importance of this minority within American society. Addressing the challenges that Hispanics face in the U.S. has become quite serious and their growing importance in number and participation in social, economic and political life gives greater credence to their growing demands to live in a more fair and prosperous society.

HOW DO HISPANIC AMERICANS IDENTIFY THEMSELVES?

April 5, 2012 by Jessica Marie Gutierrez 4 Comments

THE HISPANIC BLOG IS THE LATEST HISPANIC NEWS BY JESSICA MARIE GUTIERREZ

Just over half of Americans of Spanish-speaking origin have no preference between the terms “Hispanic” and “Latino,” according to new data from the Pew Hispanic Center. Of those with a preference, 33 percent preferred “Hispanic,” versus the 14 percent who said “Latino” better describes them.

How Hispanic-Americans identify themselves is only one aspect of the detailed picture provided by the Pew study released Wednesday. The Pew Center asked a sampling of the 50 million Latinos around the country questions about culture, social attitudes and life in the U.S.

The survey began with a simple question: “What do you call yourself?”

When it comes to identity, Mark Hugo Lopez, associate director of the Pew Hispanic Center, says it’s not the name that counts, but where you’re from.

“More than half of Hispanics overall say it’s the name of the country of origin of their families or their ancestors — names like Mexican, Dominican or Cuban, for example,” Lopez says, that matters most.

And that association with country of origin is highest among immigrant Hispanics.

But whether respondents were first-generation immigrants or third-generation descendants of immigrants, there was agreement on one thing: the importance of language.

“We found that virtually all Hispanics think that U.S. Hispanic immigrant adults should learn English,” Lopez says.

But researchers “also found that when we asked Hispanics about the importance of Spanish, virtually all of them say it’s important that future generations speak Spanish.”

In other words, English fluency should not come at the expense of that important cultural link to their country of origin.

Marketing expert Laura Martinez writes and blogs about Hispanic consumer interests. She says one of the biggest misconceptions among marketers involves language.

“Still, a lot of people think all Hispanics speak Spanish, or all Hispanics speak Spanish only,” Martinez says.

In an effort to reach out to that population, that assumption has led many companies to make marketing missteps, Martinez says — like the very popular “Yo quiero Taco Bell” ads, featuring a hungry Chihuahua.

To Taco Bell’s credit, Martinez says, the fast-food chain’s marketing philosophy has evolved. The current campaign is offering everyone “mas for their money” — more for their money.

The blending of cultures is a strong theme throughout the Pew study results. Lopez points to data that younger Hispanics are marrying outside their ethnicity at rates higher than the general population.

“We’re seeing, in many respects, Hispanics who are newlyweds marrying someone who is not Hispanic,” Lopez says. “And that Hispanics and Asian-Americans are the ones most likely to do that, compared to any other group.”

photo source: 30minute.weebly.com

More than 80 percent of Hispanics interviewed said they’d have no problem if their children married someone from a different heritage, whether or not that person was Hispanic.

That openness to other cultures is also reflected in popular culture, as in ABC’s Modern Family. In the sitcom, a Colombian-born character, portrayed by actress Sofia Vegara, is married to non-Hispanic Ed O’Neill. The cross-cultural lines often become tangled as the two interact on screen.

In the end, says Martinez, it’s all about inclusion. She says marketers like Nike and Apple are successful because they don’t lean on ethnicity, but rather show a mosaic of races and ethnicities using their products.

Businesses that don’t figure out how to approach Hispanics correctly may find that’s an expensive mistake, Martinez says.

“Think about it,” she says. “We’re talking about a population of 50 million people. This is a market that’s growing. They’re buying cars, they’re getting mortgages, they’re sending their kids to school,” she says.

And they’re doing it with companies and services that understand their myriad interests and cultures.

WHY SHOULD COMPANIES INVEST IN HISPANIC MARKETING?

March 6, 2012 by Jessica Marie Gutierrez 1 Comment

THE HISPANIC BLOG IS THE LATEST HISPANIC NEWS BY JESSICA MARIE GUTIERREZ

More Hispanics in College Will Add to Consumer Spending Growth

Higher Education Leads to Higher Income

A study by the Pew Hispanic Center shows that there was a 24% increase in Hispanic college enrollment between 2009 and 2010. This exceeds the population increase among the Hispanic 18-24 demographic (7%) over the same period, which indicates a trend in strides in educational awareness among the Hispanic community.

Record High School Completion & College Enrollment

Hispanic high school completion reached a record 73% in 2010, up 3% from the year prior. Additionally, strides to move these kids from high school to college have paid off: 44% of those Hispanic students completing high school are going on to college, up from 39% in 2009.

What This Means for Marketers

With college graduates on average earning 1.5 times more than those with only a high school degree, these trends put the Hispanic youth catching up with their non Hispanic counterparts not only in terms of educational attainment but also in terms of income level. US Hispanic consumer spending is on track to reach $1.4 trillion by 2014, and with continuing increases in income levels among these young Latinos, real levels could outpace these projections. Marketers should be looking to include Hispanic marketing strategies into their annual plans in order to capture this growing population’s loyalty and purchases.

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Filed Under: LATINO MARKETING Tagged With: High school, hispanic, Hispanic and Latino Americans, HISPANIC MARKETING, Influential Access, Jess Marie, JESSICA MARIE GUTIERREZ, latino, marketing, Pew Hispanic Center, Pew Research Center, public relations, Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, social media, the hispanic blog, transforming ordinary, United States, Voto Latino

DOES HISPANIC EDUCATION HAVE A STRONG IMPACT ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT?

The level of Hispanic education, skills and capabilities will have a strong impact on the economic development and competitiveness of the U.S. The level of education among the Hispanic community is not only a social issue but is also a vital economic concern.

Elements that are prompting the problems associated with the characteristics described above include:

(i) Factors that influence educational achievement.

(ii) Low quality of the schools that they attend.

(iii) Constraints to parents when it comes to the possibility of choosing their children’s schools.

HOW DO HISPANIC AMERICANS IDENTIFY THEMSELVES?

“More than half of Hispanics overall say it’s the name of the country of origin of their families or their ancestors — names like Mexican, Dominican or Cuban, for example,” Lopez says, that matters most.

“We found that virtually all Hispanics think that U.S. Hispanic immigrant adults should learn English,” Lopez says.

“Still, a lot of people think all Hispanics speak Spanish, or all Hispanics speak Spanish only,” Martinez says.

“We’re seeing, in many respects, Hispanics who are newlyweds marrying someone who is not Hispanic,” Lopez says. “And that Hispanics and Asian-Americans are the ones most likely to do that, compared to any other group.”

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DO HISPANICS USE SOCIAL MEDIA THE MOST: HOW SPORTS TEAMS CAN BENEFIT FROM MARKETING TO LATINOS

They often have a blog of their own, too – Hispanics are 17% more likely than the average consumer to build or update a personal blog, Nielsen found.

This was very smart being that Neilsen reported:

Hispanics are 25% more likely to follow a brand, 18% more likely to follow a celebrity, 21% more likely to post links, articles, videos and website, and 7% more likely to have one or more social networking profiles.

Share this:

Like this:

DOES HISPANIC EDUCATION HAVE A STRONG IMPACT ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT?

The level of Hispanic education, skills and capabilities will have a strong impact on the economic development and competitiveness of the U.S. The level of education among the Hispanic community is not only a social issue but is also a vital economic concern.

Elements that are prompting the problems associated with the characteristics described above include:

(i) Factors that influence educational achievement.

(ii) Low quality of the schools that they attend.

(iii) Constraints to parents when it comes to the possibility of choosing their children’s schools.

Share this:

Like this:

HOW DO HISPANIC AMERICANS IDENTIFY THEMSELVES?

“More than half of Hispanics overall say it’s the name of the country of origin of their families or their ancestors — names like Mexican, Dominican or Cuban, for example,” Lopez says, that matters most.

“We found that virtually all Hispanics think that U.S. Hispanic immigrant adults should learn English,” Lopez says.

“Still, a lot of people think all Hispanics speak Spanish, or all Hispanics speak Spanish only,” Martinez says.

“We’re seeing, in many respects, Hispanics who are newlyweds marrying someone who is not Hispanic,” Lopez says. “And that Hispanics and Asian-Americans are the ones most likely to do that, compared to any other group.”

Share this:

Like this:

WHY SHOULD COMPANIES INVEST IN HISPANIC MARKETING?

More Hispanics in College Will Add to Consumer Spending Growth

Higher Education Leads to Higher Income

Record High School Completion & College Enrollment

What This Means for Marketers

Share this:

Like this:

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