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Carat USA, the Aegis Group media shop, has completed a detailed new study of the Hispanic consumer segment and concluded that marketers are spending dollars against the sector in highly inefficient ways, due to continued reliance on old assumptions and outdated methods of communicating with the Latino population.

The new data has led Carat to conclude that 90% of Hispanic media budgets are targeting only 20% of the Latino population -- and are missing the opportunity to “drive significant business value among 80% of the Hispanic market.”

Among the major findings: a significant decrease in traditional word-of-mouth influence from friends and family. Just like the rest of the population, Hispanics have been empowered by the digital revolution and are highly engaged with digital and social content (such as online ratings, reviews, and blogs).

Digital information now influences the majority of Hispanic purchasing decisions, the agency research found. Previously, children had greater influence in purchases made by parents, and marketers have sought to tap into that persuasion factor. Today, however, 50% of U.S. Hispanic consumers say they no longer shop with their children, opening up a significant opportunity to market to individuals directly through social media channels, per the report.

Another key finding per the study: Impulse purchases and self-indulgence are rising as a mindset among U.S. Hispanics. Nearly 60% of the Latinos surveyed indicated they no longer wait for things to go on sale before purchasing them. And more than half of the respondents said they now make purchases to keep up with the latest fashions.

The green movement has not passed over Hispanic households; nearly 40% now make purchasing decisions based on whether they believe a product or service is environmentally friendly.

“Our research shows there is an immediate opportunity for marketers to maximize their media value and use their dollars more efficiently and effectively by embracing this tremendous cultural shift,” among Hispanics, the fastest growing population segment in the U.S., stated Doug Ray, president, Carat USA. “Advertisers can now tap into a more current set of passions and motivations, some of which are entirely different from those typically identified with Hispanic shoppers, even as recently as five years ago.” READ MORE

While there can be debate about what it means, the unassailable fact is that Latino -owned businesses in the United States are growing at a blistering pace — in fact more than twice the national average. This trend has been sustained for at least the last decade and manifests itself both in the growing number and size of Latino- owned businesses. During the latest 5-year period for which information is available from the census bureau, Latino owned business’ revenue jumped by an astonishing 55% to nearly $350 billion. Some think that the census data underestimates the economic clout of Latino businesses, estimating the sales of such businesses in 2008 at $547 billion. Many are very substantial businesses with numerous employees: the number of Latino- owned businesses with more than $1 million in revenue grew to over 44,000 in 2007, up from just 29,000 five years earlier.

The experts expect that this trend will continue over the next decade. Latino-owned businesses are expected to increase their total revenue contribution to the economy by 8% annually over the 10 years from 2005 to 2015. This is more than three times the average growth for all businesses. What does this mean: Latinos will have more economic clout, employ a greater proportion of the population and purchase substantially more in goods and services than they do today. Already this trend has had a major impact in states with large Latino populations. For example, more than 20 % of all businesses in New Mexico, Florida and Texas are owned by Latinos, and even in the state with the largest economy, California, the figure is fast approaching 20%. READ MORE

As Yolanda Martinez-Schneider made her way through the Spanish-labeled aisles of El Ahorro grocery store on Monday afternoon, she filled her basket with ingredients for some of her favorite meals.

With celery and oregano for her chicken and dumplings, a can of fruit cocktail for a healthy yet tasty snack, crushed red pepper and a pig's head for her tamales, Martinez's shopping cart looked like that of a growing number of U.S. consumers - a mixture of both traditional American and ethnic foods.

While Hispanic grocery markets are grossing $90 billion a year, the demand for other types of ethnic food beyond the "big three" - Mexican, Chinese and Italian - is steadily increasing, as seen by the influx of more niche grocery stores and increased ethnic products on the shelves of major grocery retailers.

"It's a good challenge that we need to stay on top of emerging trends in markets," said Doug Wallace, general manager for H-E-B Plus on Navarro Street. "We listen to our customers. When they ask for items, we do everything we can to source them." READ MORE

Young Latinos—ages 14 to 34—are eager for bilingual, bicultural content, says a new study co-sponsored by Tr3s: MTV, Música y Más—a bilingual, bicultural channel.

The Máximo report, conducted by Latino media and marketing firms Motivo Insights, LLC and the New Generation Latino Consortium (NGLC), focused on U.S.-born Latinos and those who had been in the U.S. for at least 15 years. Like most consumers, it found, these “New Generation Latinos” want to see content in which “they are the star”—i.e., to have their lives and interests represented.

But they’re not so concerned about the language of this content. The study also found that these consumers are language-omnivorous: 50 percent said they sought out more bilingual/bicultural programming, and over 30 percent said they looked for 'mainstream' English-only content.

This, the marketers wrote, was in contrast to older Latinos, higher percentages of whom tend to prefer Spanish-language content.

Some other insights:

• Respondents felt they were better equipped to deal with the recession compared to Caucasians. The report says this is “mostly due to culturally based realities that give NGLs a slightly different perspective on finances.”

"Latinos for generations have been having to make dollars stretch," explains Gonzalo Perez, Principal and Founder of Motivo Insights. "And they have a history of not being too proud to take a job—or two or three jobs—to keep the family going."

• Seven out of 10 “think that seeing an English language commercial on Spanish language TV is a good thing.” (Translation: Bring on the advertising money, honey!)

• Peer-to-peer recommendations are important to this group. In fact, the study says, these young Latinos “are more likely to forward opinions and info about a brand compared to their Caucasian counterparts.” (translation: Bring on the social media advertising money!) READ MORE

The Verizon iPhone is finally here, causing a lot of buzz and conversation around this expected news. For marketers targeting Latinos, this might be even bigger news, considering that currently 24 percent of all iPhones have been activated by Hispanics.

We all know that Hispanics are very mobile and are always on the go. For these reasons, cell phones are becoming a very powerful tool for them to stay connected to their social world. The use of cellular phones alone rose 26 percent from 2006 to 2010 among Latinos, compared to 18 percent of the general population. This notable increase shows that Hispanics are catching up: cellular phone penetration among Latinos has reached 82 percent, which is almost even with 84 percent of the overall population.

This is consistent with the growing trend of Hispanics cutting landlines and switching to mobile phones as their main source of communication. Some experts attribute this to the recession. But actually, when we take a deeper look at how Latinos use their mobile phones, there are many other reasons beyond the economy that are driving this behavior.

There are three key attributes driving the mobile Hispanic:

1. Social connectivity: Mobile applications have changed the role and landscape of marketing - and Latinos are all over it.
2. Fun experience: For Latinos, mobile is not about efficiency and multitasking, but about ubiquity and expanding their experiences.
3. Open to innovation: Contrary to many marketers' beliefs, Latinos are more receptive to new ways of using their mobile phones. READ MORE

The Hispanic market in the U.S. is growing at an impressive rate. The U.S. Census reports that Hispanics are the fastest-growing demographic segment in the U.S . By 2050 Hispanics will account for 30% of the nation’s population. It’s no wonder that companies are putting a significant amount of their budgets towards engaging them in a meaningful way. Companies like Old Navy with their interactive Telenovas, T-Mobile and Lowe’s are all examples of big brands looking to reach the Hispanic population in the U.S.

Here are some tips for marketers looking to reach this growing segment:

Hispanics are mobile savvy. 44.7% of U.S. Hispanics use smart phones compared to 31.9% of the non-Hispanic population. And, surveys show that Hispanics are quite receptive to marketing messages if they are done right. According to a consumer survey published in Ad Age, 42% of Hispanics said they are more loyal towards companies that show appreciation for the culture by advertising in Spanish. During the 2010 World Cup, the iPhone World Cup app published by Hispanic network, Univision became the 13th most popular free application in the U.S. If you want to reach Hispanics, go mobile.

Hispanics come from 20 diverse countries. READ MORE

Just two months after striking a major content partnership with Univision, Hulu is now doubling down on its Spanish-speaking audience within the U.S.: The site announced this morning that it has brokered deals with 11 Spanish-language content partners. Content from these new partners, as well as existing partners, will be presented in a dedicated Spanish-language section on Hulu’s home page. Targeting the Latino audience make a lot of sense for Hulu, as it is much more engaged with online video than many white viewers.

Hulu’s new Spanish-language section, which is featured prominently on the site, so far only contains content from existing partners Univision, Galavision and Telefutura. Hulu Plus subscribers will be able to access entire current seasons of prime-time shows from these broadcasters, whereas users of the free Hulu service will have access to a more limited catch-up catalog on a next-day basis. Shows from new partners Azteca America, Butaca, Caracol Televisión, Comarex, Estrella TV, Imagina US, Laguna Productions, Maya Entertainment, RCTV, Todobebe Inc and Venevision will be added in 2012. READ MORE

In a room full of highly engaged and motivated entrepreneurs, Nely Galan, former Telemundo President and media powerhouse, proclaimed, "Latinas are starting more businesses at a faster rate than they are getting married!" This was one of the most resonating phrases of the Coca-Cola Adelante Tour which took place this past Saturday in Santa Monica, California.

The first stop in a national tour, Coca-Cola in conjunction with Galan and Count Me in for Women's Economic Independence, Saturday served as the catalyst for a movement targeting Latina women who are thinking of starting or are currently ready to grow their own business. Key speakers included Galan, the award-winning author Sandra Cisneros, and Nell Merlino founder of Count Me In and the originator of Take Our Daughters to Work Day.

With stories highlighting not just the success but the struggles and sometimes failures, these women connected with and encouraged the Latina audience to persevere. Or as Sandra Cisneros put it, to transform the darkness into light. They all drove home the point that motivation and dedication are just the beginning. Preparation in the forms of business skills, a support network and financing can be the difference to propel a Latina owned business to become a multimillion dollar business. Merlino especially focused on being more proactive: creating a network, sharing the business plan, and going after customers.

The Latina audience covered the gamut in ages, nationalities and industries but the one thing that connected all of them was the palpable desire to succeed and the eagerness in receiving advice from women already in leadership positions. At the end of the day, after finding commonalties and establishing a sense of shared purpose a community had been formed. This community is now charged with the mission to spread the message Coca-Cola, Nely Galan and Nell Merlino have worked hard to establish: help each other become the entrepreneurs that will change the face of business. As a witness to this amazing event, I believe its only a matter of time before that occurs. READ MORE

The number of babies born to Hispanics dropped below 1 million in 2010, a nearly 11 percent drop since 2007 that reflects the tough times.

Fewer people of all backgrounds are having babies because of economic concerns, but the sharpest drop is among Hispanics, a booming population that contributes almost a quarter of all U.S. births and half of its population growth.

"Hispanic fertility is dropping like a stone," says Kenneth Johnson, demographer for the University of New Hampshire's Carsey Institute.

Hispanic birth rates tumbled 17.6 percent in three years — from 97.4 births per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44 to 80.3 last year, according to preliminary 2010 data released this month by the National Center for Health Statistics.

Non-Hispanic whites still deliver most U.S. births. Their birth rates fell too, but at a much slower pace — down 3.7 percent to 58.7 per 1,000 women in 2010.

Hispanic births in Wisconsin dropped from 6,911 to 6,545 between 2007 and 2010 — a difference of 366 — but because of the overall drop in the state's birthrate, the percentage of Hispanic births to all births remained about the same at 9.56 percent. READ MORE

Latino immigration is reshaping entire neighborhoods throughout the country, and sparking new community trends. The vibrant culture of many of these neighborhoods-- their rich music, art and traditional food from all over Latin America-- has become a lure for thousands of tourists.

Take Visit el Barrio , a campaign promoting Spanish Harlem, also known as El Barrio, as a tourism destination. In promotional video, host Victor Cruz visits restaurants that offer traditional Latino food, art venues -- including museums, galleries and street art -- and nightlife. There are tips on the best salsa clubs and "mojitos" in Spanish Harlem.

New York isn't alone in trying to capitalize on these Latino enclaves. In Chicago, murals depicting Hispanic history and culture have become tourist attractions. In the mostly Mexican neighborhood of Pilsen, monthly walking tours allow visitors to appreciate the art and gain a further understanding of the community's identity, according to Fox News Latino.

Artist Jose Guerrero, who has painted many of the murals, has been leading tours in the Pilsen neighborhood for three decades. According to Fox News Latino, Guerrero said, "Pilsen has always been a spirited neighborhood and doesn't hide its identity." The themes depicted in the murals include immigration, displacement, education, Aztec culture, and Latino historical figures such as Pancho Villa. READ MORE

When the personal computer revolution began decades ago, Latinos and blacks were much less likely to use one of the marvelous new machines. Then, when the Internet began to change life as we know it, these groups had less access to the Web and slower online connections — placing them on the wrong side of the "digital divide."
Today, as mobile technology puts computers in our pockets, Latinos and blacks are more likely than the general population to access the Web by cellular phones, and they use their phones more often to do more things.

But now some see a new "digital divide" emerging — with Latinos and blacks being challenged by more, not less, access to technology. It's tough to fill out a job application on a cellphone, for example. Researchers have noticed signs of segregation online that perpetuate divisions in the physical world. And blacks and Latinos may be using their increased Web access more for entertainment than empowerment.

Fifty-one percent of Hispanics and 46% of blacks use their phones to access the Internet, compared with 33% of whites, according to a July 2010 Pew poll. Forty-seven percent of Latinos and 41% of blacks use their phones for e-mail, compared with 30% of whites. The figures for using social media like Facebook via phone were 36% for Latinos, 33% for blacks and 19% for whites.

A greater percentage of whites than blacks and Latinos still have broadband access at home, but laptop ownership is now about even for all these groups, after black laptop ownership jumped from 34% in 2009 to 51% in 2010, according to Pew. READ MORE

Telemundo Chicago, the fastest growing Spanish Language station among Adults 18-34, welcomes Meteorologist Maricela Vazquez, Reporter Yolanda Vasquez and Political Editor Alejandro Escalona as contributors to its 5pm and 10pm newscast. Telemundo Chicago is fortifying its award winning news team with individuals adding vast experience, tenure and news savvy.

Maricela Vazquez, an Emmy Ward Winner in 2005, is the first Latina Meteorologist in Chicago. Ms. Vazquez’s resume extends to general assignment reporter, covering politics, crime, education, immigration and other stories. Ms. Vazquez has covered President Bush’s visit to Chicago in 2006 and Mexican President Felipe Calderon’s visit in 2008. Ms. Vazquez has presented weekly women’s segment, “Para Ti Mujer” from 2003-2010. Presented two-part special series on tornadoes in Chicago (July, 2008). Ms. Vazquez will be the Meteorologist M-F at 5pm and 10pm news.

Yolanda Vasquez, comes to Chicago by way of New York, NY where she held the position of News Producer and reporter for Telemundo, N.Y. In her tenure Vasquez has held various international and national positions, including Press Advisor, Correspondent, News Producer and Anchor. Notable accomplishments include coverage of the death of Pope John Paul, the death Celia Cruz and The Staton Island Ferry Crash in 2010, Ms. Vazquez was a back fill for national correspondence. Yolanda will focus her reporting on M-F at 5pm and 10pm news.

Also joining Telemundo Chicago as Consulting Political Editor, is veteran Chicago journalist Alejandro Escalona. Mr. Escalona is the Latino Affairs Columnist for the Chicago Suntimes, where he writes a weekly column focused on the Latino Community in Chicago. Mr. Escalona will be providing in depth analysis in the political arena, specifically the Chicago Mayor Candidates and their election platforms. Escalona is the former editor of Hoy Chicago, the Tribune Company’s Spanish language daily. During his tenure the publication won numerous awards for coverage and design. During his distinguished career, Mr. Escalona has interviewed numerous leaders, including Mexican President Vicente Fox, Cuban President Fidel Castro, Chilean President Patricio Alwyn and Nobel Peace laureate Rigoberta Menchu. His articles and interviews have been published in leading publications and has consistently appeared on Television as a political news commentator.

All members join Telemundo Chicago at a time of major accomplishments for the station. . “Noticiero Telemundo Chicago at 5pm” continued a steady growth trend in the November Sweeps 2010. The newscast achieved a +46% increase from September 2010 among Adults18-34 and +42% among Adults18-49. In addition, Telemundo Chicago increased the share of Spanish Prime time viewer ship to 25% in the November Sweeps 2010, an increase of 8% compared year over year.

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Source: Nielsen Media Research - Chicago NSI Live +3 data