Us Hispanics Online Demographics

July 2008

US Hispanics Online:
Demographics
Lisa E. Phillips,
Senior Analyst
lphillips@emarketer.com

Executive Summary: In 2008, eMarketer estimates there are 23 million Hispanics online, about 52% of the US
Hispanic population. By 2012, more than 29 million will be online, increasing Internet penetration to 58.6%.
095064

Growth within this population—both online and offline—will
US Hispanic Internet Users, 2007-2012 (millions and %
of total Internet users) come from native-born Hispanics rather than immigrants.
This group of young Latinos is bilingual and proud of its
2007 21.4 (11.4%)
Hispanic origins. Marketers should not assume that their
2008 23.0 (11.9%) mass-market, English-language campaigns are reaching this
2009 24.6 (12.3%) audience effectively.
2010 26.2 (12.7%) The paradox is that the larger this market grows, the more
2011 27.8 (13.1%) fragmented it becomes. People with heritages and traditions
2012 29.4 (13.5%) extending to Latin America often do not share the same
culture or even the same language.
Note: eMarketer defines an Internet user as any person who uses the
Internet from any location at least once per month; Hispanics can be of
any race The challenge for marketers is to create relevant messages
Source: eMarketer, May 2008
that speak to those traditions and use appropriate references.
095064 www.eMarketer.com
As noted in previous eMarketer reports, the answer may mean
creating multiple executions and strategies.

Key Questions
■ How many Hispanics are using the Internet?

■ What language do Hispanics prefer to use online?
The eMarketer View 2
■ What do Hispanics shop for online?
Demographic Dynamics 3
Online Activities 10 ■ How do Hispanics use new media?
Conclusion 15
Endnotes 16
Related Information and Links 17

The First Place to Look Copyright ©2008 eMarketer, Inc. All rights reserved.

The eMarketer View

Key eMarketer Numbers — Hispanics Online US Consumer Spending, by Race/Ethnicity, 2007 &
2012 (billions)
29.4 million US Hispanic Internet users in 2012, up from 21.4
million in 2007 Hispanic
58.6% US Hispanic Internet users % of total US Hispanic $860
population in 2012, up from 50.0% in 2007
$1,200
13.5% US Hispanic Internet users % of total US Internet
users in 2012, up from 11.4% in 2007 African-American
Note: eMarketer defines an Internet user as anyone who uses the $845
Internet from any location at least once per month; Hispanics can be of $1,100
any race
Source: eMarketer, July 2008 Asian
096600 $459
$670

What does “Hispanic” mean? American Indian
$57
According to the US Census Bureau, Hispanic-Americans,
$77
also called Latinos, are those who came to the US from
2007 2012
Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, or Central or South America.
Hispanic-Americans can be of any race. Source: Selig Center for Economic Growth, "The Multicultural Economy
2007: Minority Buying Power in the New Century" as cited in press release,
July 31, 2007
Offline demographics for the US Hispanic population are impressive.
086882
The most recent data shows the total Hispanic population increased
by 3.3% to 45.5 million people as of July 1, 2007, according to the
“The Hispanic population has taken on a
US Census Bureau. As the fastest-growing segment of the US
population, Hispanics are projected to make up 29% of the total in
momentum of its own. If you close the
2050, from 15.1% in 2007. borders tomorrow, there is still going to be a
large Hispanic increase.” —Kenneth Johnson, senior
Growth within this population was responsible for one-half of the demographer at the University of New Hampshire’s Carsey
US population gains between 2000 and 2007. Since 1990, the
Institute, quoted in The Wall Street Journal, May 1, 2008
number of Hispanics in the US has increased by 85%, compared
with just an 18% growth rate overall, according to the Selig Center
The online Hispanic population will be growing, too—from
for Economic Growth.
21.4 million in 2007 to 29.4 million in 2012, eMarketer projects.
The source of growth has changed, however. While immigration Internet penetration will rise from about 52% this year to almost
caused the Hispanic population to swell in the 1990s, native births 59% in 2012. Between 2007 and 2012, the compound annual
account for the recent surge and will remain the catalyst through growth rate for Hispanic Internet users is projected to be 6.6%.
2050, according to the Census Bureau. In 2006, native-born
However, Internet penetration within the Hispanic population still
Hispanics made up about 56% of the Hispanic population,
lags that of other groups. For example, 68.6% of non-Hispanic
compared with 44% who were foreign-born, according the Pew
whites were Internet users last year, as were 74.8% of Asian-
Hispanic Center.
Americans and 53.8% of African-Americans.
Economic growth is expected to occur in tandem. By 2012,
Yet Hispanics do not constitute a homogeneous market. Language
Hispanic consumers will spend $1.2 trillion of the total $13 trillion
and degrees of acculturation and assimilation vary by circumstances
projected by the Selig Center for Economic Growth at the
of age, nationality, education and income. Second- and third-
University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business.
generation Hispanics who have at least one parent or grandparent
born in another country may have high levels of acculturation (that
is, the modification of a group based on its contact with another
group), but they themselves may have not fully assimilated into the
culture (that is, fully adopted US customs and attitudes).

US Hispanics Online 2

The eMarketer View Demographic Dynamics
These psychographic characteristics are spelled out in many The Hispanic market today is young and growing.
market research reports and correlate to Internet and media use.
For example, a major study by Terra.com and comScore For young Hispanics especially, their brand loyalties are being
conducted in February 2008 examined the attitudes and media formed as marketers attempt to reach them through English- and
habits of 3,573 Hispanics based on their degree of acculturation. In Spanish-language Websites.
general, they found that Hispanics with strong positive feelings
about their heritage tended to speak Spanish in family settings but The older Hispanic population (ages 55 and older) dips in and out
preferred to speak English in outside work and social settings, as of the Internet, not staying perhaps because most online retailers
well as online. These respondents embraced technology, owned and marketers do not offer Spanish-language content. This is a
more electronic devices and were more likely to consider their market that begs to be tapped now. Even as these Internet users
mobile phone their primary phone. age, they are building the same legacies online that other
demographic groups do—via e-mail, photo-sharing and online
Young Latinos are predominantly bilingual and proud of their shopping activities.
heritage, according to the Latino Intelligence Report recently
published by The Intelligence Group. When a group of 14-to-34- There were 45.5 million people claiming Hispanic origin in the US
year-old Hispanics was asked what percent of the US they in 2007, making up 15.1% of the total population, according to the
believed to be Hispanic, the average response was 40% (15% is the latest Census Bureau estimates. The figures show Hispanics
actual figure). Nearly 60% said they had a strong connection with remain the fastest-growing minority group, increasing almost 28%
Latino culture. between 2000 and 2007.

To reach Hispanic consumers online, marketers must take a more US Population, by Race/Ethnicity, July 2000 & July
nuanced approach, going beyond language preference to target 2007
niches within this demographic. Marketers should be aware that July 1, July 1, %
2000 2007 change
people of Mexican heritage respond to different cultural cues than
White 231,980,517 245,373,882 5.8%
do Peruvians or Colombians, for example. Where they live now— Hispanic 35,648,985 45,504,311 27.6%
from Miami to Minneapolis—also shapes attitudinal differences. Black 37,231,316 40,744,132 9.4%
Online campaigns that target local markets with local references Asian 12,121,675 15,165,186 25.1%
will resonate more than a one-size-fits-all approach. American Indian or Alaska Native 4,236,189 4,536,857 7.1%
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific 910,595 1,019,301 11.9%
Islander
“It’s not so much about the language. It’s Total 282,194,308 301,621,157 6.9%
about being relevant. Online consumers are Note: numbers do not add up to total because categories include each
race alone or in combination with others
capable of navigating sites in English and Source: US Census Bureau, Population Division, "Annual Estimates of the
Population by Sex, Race and Hispanic Origin for the United States," May 1,
Spanish.” —Fernando Rodriquez, CEO, Terra.com, in an 2008; eMarketer calculations, July 2008
interview with eMarketer, June 26, 2008 096216 www.eMarketer.com
096216


Demographic Dynamics

The Hispanic population now exceeds 500,000 in 16 states, led by
US Internet Users, by Race/Ethnicity and Gender,
California with 13.2 million,Texas (8.6 million) and Florida (3.8 million). March-April 2007 (% of respondents in each group)
Those of Mexican descent hold a clear majority of the US Hispanic
Male
population, at 65.5% in 2006, the Census Bureau estimates. 65%
64%
US Hispanics, by National Origin, 2006 (% of total) 82%

Mexican 65.5% Female
67%
Puerto Rican 8.6%
59%
Central American 8.2% 79%
Cuban 8.2%
African-American Hispanic Non-Hispanic white
Other Hispanic 8.0% Note: n=1,575 African-American, 1,249 Hispanic and 1,115 non-Hispanic
white; ages 16+; numbers may not add up to 100% due to rounding
South American 6.0% Source: Yankelovich, "2007/2008 MONITOR Multicultural Marketing Study,"
provided to eMarketer, September 17, 2007
Source: US Census Bureau, "Current Population Survey, Annual Social and
Economic Supplement," 2006 088658 www.eMarketer.com
088658
096598 Hispanic male consumers were more likely to go online every
Males outnumber females in the Hispanic population, contrary to day—27% of male respondents to the Yankelovich survey did so
compared with only 17% of female respondents.
the ratio in the general population. In 2007, the Census Bureau
reported 23.5 million Hispanic males to nearly 22 million females, Males were also less likely to say they had never used the Internet,
or 107 Hispanic males per 100 Hispanic females. By contrast, the at 34%, compared with 38% of females.
overall population had 97 males for every 100 females.
Frequency of Internet Use Among US Hispanic
US Hispanics*, by Gender, July 2000 & July 2007 Consumers, by Gender, March-April 2007 (% of
(millions) respondents in each group)
Every day
July 1, 2000
27%
18.35
17%
17.30
Almost every day
July 1, 2007
11%
23.52
15%
21.98
Weekly
Male Female
9%
Note: numbers may not add up to total due to rounding; *alone or in 7%
combination with other races
Source: US Census Bureau, Population Division, "Annual Estimates of the A few times a month
Hispanic Population by Age and Sex for the United States," May 1, 2008
8%
8%
096225

The same gender dominance occurs within the Hispanic Internet Almost never
population. Some 64% of male Hispanics used the Internet in early 8%
12%
2007, compared with just 59% of Hispanic female respondents,
according to the Yankelovich “2007/2008 MONITOR Multicultural Never

Marketing Study.” 34%
38%

Don't know/no answer
2%
3%

Male Female
Note: n=642 male and 607 female; ages 16+; numbers may not add up to
100% due to rounding
Source: Yankelovich, "2007/2008 MONITOR Multicultural Marketing Study,"
088657



In fact, males are more heavily engaged online than are females,
US Hispanics*, by Age, July 2000 & July 2007 (millions
according to the Terra/comScore survey. They make up 57% of the and % change)
“heavy online engagement” segment, and females just 43%. The July 1, July 1, %
gender breakdown on medium engagement is an even split, while 2000 2007 change

more females fall into the “light online engagement” segment. <5 3.70 4.92 32.97%

(Terra worked with comScore to develop an algorithm based on 5-13 6.24 7.40 18.59%
14-17 2.44 3.10 27.05%
questions about online activity with weighted responses.) Heavy
18-24 4.78 5.12 7.11%
online engagement implies almost constant Internet access, while
25-44 11.77 15.01 27.53%
medium engagement implies an almost-daily connection. Light
45-64 4.92 7.44 51.22%
online engagement is characterized by less than daily or weekly
65+ 1.76 2.51 42.61%
Internet access.
Total 35.65 45.50 27.63%
Note: numbers may not add up to total due to rounding; *alone or in
Level of Online Engagement Among US Hispanic combination with other races
Internet Users, by Gender, February 2008 (% of Source: US Census Bureau, Population Division, "Annual Estimates of the
respondents) Hispanic Population by Age and Sex for the United States," May 1, 2008;
eMarketer calculations, July 2008
Heavy online engagement 096224 www.eMarketer.com
57% 096224
43% Likewise, the Hispanic Internet population skews young. The
Medium online engagement Terra/comScore survey showed 45% of heavy online users were
50% under age 25, as were 46% of medium online users and 37% of
51% light online users. The median age of heavy online users was 27
Light online engagement years, compared with 26 years for medium and 33 years for light
40% engagement online.
60%

Male Female Level of Online Engagement Among US Hispanic
Internet Users, by Age, February 2008 (% of
Note: numbers may not add up to 100% due to rounding respondents)
Source: Terra Networks, "Terra.com Hispanic Syndicated Survey"
conducted by comScore Media Metrix, provided to eMarketer, May 2008 <25 25-34 35-44 45-54 55+
096602 www.eMarketer.com Heavy online engagement 45% 26% 19% 8% 2%
096602 Medium online engagement 46% 22% 19% 11% 3%
Light online engagement 37% 15% 25% 14% 9%
For additional information on the above chart, see
Note: numbers may not add up to 100% due to rounding
Endnote 096602 096605 in the Endnotes section. Source: Terra Networks, "Terra.com Hispanic Syndicated Survey"
conducted by comScore Media Metrix, provided to eMarketer, May 2008
Hispanics are much younger than the US population as a whole— 096605
the median age is 27.6 years, compared with 36.6 years for the
general US population. Almost 34% are under age 18, compared For additional information on the above chart, see
with 25% of the non-Hispanic population. Another 33% of Endnote 096602 096605 in the Endnotes section.
Hispanics are between ages 25 and 44.



Internet Access
US Adult Internet Users Who Have Broadband
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration Internet Access, by Race/Ethnicity and Language,
(NTIA) counted 72.7 million US households with Internet access in March 2007 (% of respondents in each group)
2007. Of that total, 5.9 million US Hispanic households, 43.4% of all Have Plan to Don't have
have* and don't
Hispanic households, had Internet access. The majority of those plan to*
connections—81%—were made via broadband. Non-Hispanic white 72.9% 12.5% 14.6%
Asian-American 72.1% 16.9% 11.0%
US Internet Households and Penetration, by African-American 71.3% 17.4% 11.3%
Race/Ethnicity and Access Technology, October 2007
Hispanic (interviewed in English) 71.2% 15.0% 13.8%
(thousands and % of total households)
Hispanic (interviewed in Spanish) 47.2% 33.6% 19.2%
Internet % of total
households households Total 67.6% 18.6% 13.8%
(thousands)
Note: n=564 African-American, 502 Asian-American, 493 Hispanic
Broadband 59,847 50.8% interviewed in English, 428 Hispanic interviewed in Spanish, 513
non-Hispanic white; numbers may not add up to total due to rounding;
White 45,742 54.9% *within the next year
Black 5,200 36.4% Source: Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication at Florida State
University and DMS, "The Multicultural Marketing Equation Study 2007:
Hispanic 4,792 35.2% Report #2," March 2008
Asian 3,093 69.1% 093678 www.eMarketer.com

American Indian/Alaska Native 192 29.8% 093678

Dial-up 12,575 10.7% In the same survey, 66% of the respondents interviewed in
White 9,787 11.8% Spanish had dial-up access, far more than any other group. Asian-
Black 1,205 8.4% American respondents were a distant second, at 48%. About 39%
Hispanic 1,094 8.0% of the Hispanic participants who responded in English were using
Asian 271 6.1% dial-up access at the time of the survey.
American Indian/Alaska Native 72 11.2%
Total 72,721 61.7% US Adult Internet Users Who Have Dial-Up Internet
Note: total households for 2007=117,840,000; numbers may not add up to Access, by Race/Ethnicity and Language, March 2007
total due to rounding (% of respondents in each group)
Source: US Census Bureau, "Current Population Survey" as cited by the
National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), Have Plan to Don't have
"Networked Nation: Broadband in America 2007," January 31, 2008 have* and don't
plan to*
092649
Asian-American 48.4% 1.6% 50.0%
Broken out by language preference, the percentages tell a
different story. A survey from the Center for Hispanic Marketing
African-American 38.8% 1.6% 59.6%
Communication at Florida State University (FSU) gave respondents
Non-Hispanic white 33.1% 0.6% 66.3%
the choice to participate in either English or Spanish.
Total 44.3% 1.9% 53.8%

The results showed that 71% of Hispanic respondents who opted Note: n=564 African-American, 502 Asian-American, 493 Hispanic
interviewed in English, 428 Hispanic interviewed in Spanish, 513
to participate in English had broadband and another 15% planned non-Hispanic white; numbers may not add up to total due to rounding;
*within the next year
to get it. Only 47% of the respondents who chose Spanish were Source: Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication at Florida State
using broadband, although 34% said they were planning to switch University and DMS, "The Multicultural Marketing Equation Study 2007:
Report #2," March 2008
within the next year. 093677 www.eMarketer.com
093677



Wireless Internet connections were more common among Major online publishers and marketers are taking notice, and are
English-preferring Hispanic respondents than among those moving from Spanish- or English-only content to a more bilingual
who preferred Spanish. Far fewer Spanish-language respondents approach. In January, The Wall Street Journal reported that
had wireless access, at 16.6%, compared with the 36.3% of Microsoft’s MSN Latino, a Spanish-language site, began offering an
English-preferring Hispanics who had already gone wireless at the ad service that targets second-generation Hispanics—those with
time of the survey. at least one immigrant parent. The English-dominant ads mix with
Spanish-language spots from companies such as General Motors,
US Adult Internet Users Who Have Wi-Fi Internet AT&T and Procter & Gamble.
Access, by Race/Ethnicity and Language, March 2007
(% of respondents in each group) In June, the Spanish portal Terra, owned by Spain’s phone
Have Plan to Don't have conglomerate Telefónica, announced it would add English on its
have* and don't
plan to* Spanish-language site and chose the US market to launch an
Asian-American 47.8% 18.5% 33.7% English-language social video bookmarking site, Kazivu.
Terra is heeding its own research. For online transactions, general
Non-Hispanic white 25.5% 9.4% 65.1%
browsing or reading online ads, the vast majority of online
African-American 24.6% 19.9% 55.5%
Hispanics—85% to 89%—preferred English, according to the
Total 30.4% 17.9% 51.7%
Terra/comScore study. Only 8% to 12% said they would conduct
these online activities in either language, and a mere 3% said they
Note: n=564 African-American, 502 Asian-American, 493 Hispanic
interviewed in English, 428 Hispanic interviewed in Spanish, 513 would prefer Spanish.
non-Hispanic white; numbers may not add up to total due to rounding;
*within the next year
Source: Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication at Florida State US Hispanic Internet Users' Language Preference
University and DMS, "The Multicultural Marketing Equation Study 2007: During Select Online Situations, February 2008 (% of
Report #2," March 2008
respondents)
Spanish Usually Spanish & Usually English
093679
only Spanish English English only
The FSU survey team surmised that affluence was a key E-commerce 2% 1% 8% 15% 74%
determinant of Internet access technology. They noted, however, transactions
that despite income differences, Asian-Americans and Hispanics Surfing the 2% 1% 9% 17% 72%
Internet
interviewed in English were more eager to adopt broadband than
Viewing 2% 1% 12% 14% 71%
others. Hispanics interviewed in Spanish were more likely than online ads
other groups to want high-speed Internet and wireless access Note: ages 12+; numbers may not add up to 100% due to rounding
within the next year. conducted by comScore Media Metrix, provided to eMarketer, May 2008
Language Online 094800

As the US Hispanic population grows through native births, Choice of language can depend on the situation or setting,
language preference becomes a matter of personal choice, not Terra/comScore data shows. Although 40% of online Hispanic
necessarily a foregone conclusion. Many first- and second- adults surveyed said they spoke Spanish exclusively as a child,
generation Hispanics speak Spanish in some settings and English 69% said their personal preference now was to speak English at
in others. work, and 55% said they spoke English in social situations. An
additional 19% said they “usually” preferred English at work and in
Findings from comScore’s “Young Latinos Online” report, cited by
social situations.
Si TV, summed up the dilemma: 52% of online Hispanics preferred
English-language content, while just 22% preferred Spanish and
27% listed both languages as their preference. Forrester Research “It’s not necessarily about language. It’s more
claimed 51% of online Hispanics preferred Spanish-language about cultural nuances.” —Monica Gadsby, CEO of
Websites and 23% required Spanish online. Starcom Mediavest’s multicultural group, quoted in The
Wall Street Journal, January 8, 2008



Language choice relates to levels of acculturation and assimilation Frequency of Internet use correlated to cultural characteristics.
but is not a rock-solid indicator of those personal levels. The Spanish-oriented Hispanics with high and low cultural affinities
Yankelovich survey delved into psychographic characteristics of were much less likely to go online every day than their bicultural or
its respondents regarding Internet use and found that higher assimilated counterparts, Yankelovich found. They were also most
percentages of respondents in the bicultural and relatively likely to say they never went online at all—45% and 52%,
assimilated categories were Internet users (79% and 74%, respectively—compared with Hispanic consumers rated bicultural
respectively), while respondents who self-identified as or relatively assimilated (20% and 24%, respectively).
predominantly Spanish-speaking were online in fewer numbers
(44% and 51%, respectively). Frequency of Internet Use Among US Hispanic
Consumers, by Acculturation Level, March-April 2007
(% of respondents in each group)
US Hispanic Internet Users, by Acculturation Level,
March-April 2007 (% of respondents in each group) Spanish- Spanish- Bi- Relatively Total
oriented/ oriented/ cultural assim- Hispanics
Spanish-oriented/high cultural affinity high low ilated
cultural cultural
44% affinity affinity
Spanish-oriented/low cultural affinity Every day 8% 17% 34% 34% 22%
51% Almost every day 10% 11% 17% 14% 13%
Weekly 8% 6% 8% 9% 8%
Bicultural
79% A few times a 6% 10% 12% 6% 8%
month
Relatively assimilated Almost never 12% 8% 8% 11% 10%
74% Never 52% 45% 20% 24% 36%
Total Hispanics Don't know/no 4% 4% 1% 1% 3%
61% answer
Note: n=1,249 ages 16+
Note: n=1,249 ages 16+ Source: Yankelovich, "2007/2008 MONITOR Multicultural Marketing Study,"
Source: Yankelovich, "2007/2008 MONITOR Multicultural Marketing Study," provided to eMarketer, September 17, 2007
088683
088681

Endnote 088681 088683 in the Endnotes section.
Endnote 088681 088683 in the Endnotes section.

However, the four groups appear much closer when the two
Yankelovich defined its segmentation as:
extremes—“every day” and “never”—are taken away. Spanish-
■ Spanish-oriented/high cultural affinity: 35% of US Hispanics; speakers, English-speakers, and people with high and low cultural
more fluent in Spanish than English; 89% foreign-born; strong affinities all went online “weekly,” “a few times a month” and
attachment to Hispanic culture “almost never” in similar percentages.

■ Spanish-oriented/low cultural affinity: 15% of US Hispanics; Spanish-speaking consumers may be underserved by what they
more fluent in Spanish than English; 86% foreign-born; relatively find—or fail to find—online. In April 2007, Forrester estimated that
weak attachment to Hispanic culture 7.1 million Hispanics were being ignored by companies and
publishers offering English-only content. Its 2007 telephone survey
■ Bicultural: 26% of US Hispanics; fluent in English but have
of 3,000 US Hispanic adults, together with its review of Internet sites
strong understanding of Spanish; 24% foreign-born; strong
of 100 different brands, found that Dell had 1.5 million customers
attachment to Hispanic culture
who preferred Spanish online, while Best Buy had 2.8 million
■ Relatively assimilated: 24% of US Hispanics; more fluent in Spanish-preferring customers and Bank of America, 1.3 million.
English than Spanish; 9% foreign-born; relatively weak
Forrester did not discuss cultural affinity in the context of its
attachment to Hispanic culture
research. But determining that millions of consumers find
Spanish-language content more attractive is a strong indication
that other companies would benefit from adding such content.



Appealing to Spanish-speaking consumers has potential payoffs This Forrester data illustrates yet again that consumers who prefer
in brand loyalty among future generations. As Hispanics become Spanish content are underserved online—53% agreed with the
more acculturated, there is less evidence of brand loyalty, statement, “I would research more products on the Internet if I
according Nielsen Homescan research published in September could do it in Spanish,” while just 5% of English-preferring
2007. Nielsen found that 70% of Spanish-preferring homes Hispanics said the same. And 42% said they would buy more
purchased a certain brand of carbonated beverage, while just 33% products online if they could do it in Spanish, compared with 3% of
of English-preferred Hispanic homes stocked the same brand. their English-preferring counterparts.

The same holds true among Hispanic Internet users in the Forrester
survey. Those preferring Spanish were slightly more brand-loyal “When it comes to brand loyalty and the
(71%) than English-preferring Hispanics (62%). However, individuals Hispanic consumer, the key learning for
who chose Spanish were more sensitive to price than brand names marketers is understanding the importance
(51%) compared with those who chose English (39%), and they were of building a brand relationship during the
more influenced by recommendations from family and friends
initial stages of acculturation and
when making purchases.
maintaining this connection as Hispanics’
Online Consumer Behavior of US Hispanic Adult
integration to American life increases.”
Internet Users, by Website Language Preference, Q1 —Tim Kregor, president, Nielsen Consumer Panel Services,
2007 (% of respondents) in a press release, September 24, 2007
When I find a brand I like I stick to it
67%
62%
71%

Price is more important to me than brand names
45%
39%
51%

I rely a lot on recommendations from friends or family when
making purchases
34%
29%
39%

I would research more products on the Internet if I could do it in
Spanish
30%
5%
53%

I would purchase more products on the Internet if I could do it in
Spanish
23%
3%
42%

Total English-preferring Spanish-preferring
Note: ages 18+; respondents answered 4 or 5 on a scale of 1 (disagree
completely) to 5 (agree completely)
Source: Forrester Research, "Hispanic Technographics Consumer
Technology and Marketing Phone Survey, Q1 2007" as cited in Forrester
Research, "Teleconference: Making the Case for a Spanish-Language Web
Site," May 23, 2007

087457


Online Activities

The online activities of Hispanic Internet users The Terra/comScore survey showed high levels of interaction with
e-mail across all age groups, the highest being among 25-to-34-
match those of the general US Internet
year-olds. A full 86% said they checked their e-mail either
population, albeit in lower numbers. E-mail and “constantly” or “several times” a day.
communication are top priorities; entertainment
Frequency of E-Mail Usage Among US Hispanic
such as music and movies rank highly, as do Internet Users, by Age, February 2008 (% of
respondents)
gathering information and shopping. 12-24 25-34 35-44 45+ Total
(n= (n= (n= (n= (n=
343) 1,495) 918) 717) 3,473)
Nearly nine out of 10 online Hispanics used e-mail, according to the
Constantly 36% 46% 34% 31% 37%
Terra/comScore study. Online banking ranked second (72%), throughout the
followed by online shopping (69%). Social media activities such as day
visiting social networks, blogging, streaming video and using photo- Several times 47% 40% 47% 46% 45%
throughout the
sharing services were on the low end (at 39% or fewer respondents). day
Other research studies show that younger Hispanic Internet users About once a 15% 14% 16% 20% 16%
are more engaged in these activities than older ones. day
Less than once a 2% 1% 2% 3% 2%
day/not on a
Online Activities* of US Hispanic Internet Users, regular basis
February 2008 (% of respondents)
Read/send e-mail 87% Source: Terra Networks, "Terra.com Hispanic Syndicated Survey"
Online banking 72%
Online shopping 69%
094808
Read news and online magazines 65%
Research products 62%
Online coupons/incentives/rewards 59%
Instant messaging 58%
Play games 57%
Information resources (directories/yellow pages) 55%
Download music 53%
Research travel 50%
Career search 40%
Social networking 39%
Download video 37%
Stream video 37%
Photo printing/sharing services 37%
Stream music 36%
Online auctions 34%
Stream radio 34%
Purchase travel-related products 28%
Discussion boards 25%
Maintain a personal Webpage 24%
Blogging 22%
Online invitations 21%
Podcast 18%
Download a widget 12%
Online trading 10%
Personal dating 9%
Other 2%
None of the above 2%
Note: n=3,511 ages 12+; *conducted in past six months
094806


Online Activities

Hispanic adults who consider themselves influential among their
Leading Online Activities of US Hispanic Adult
friends and families are a source of viral e-mails, more so than Internet Users, December 2007 (% of respondents)
general online influentials, according to a Burson-Marsteller
Movie news 42.7%
survey. They are the most likely to forward e-mails regarding
interesting Websites they have found, product recommendations Shopping 41.7%

and invitations to events. They send out more stories about news, Video games 34.7%
product warnings and recalls, and information on products, Music news 33.2%
services, political causes and petitions.
Weather 32.5%

Types of E-Mail Forwarded by US Hispanic vs. Total TV news 32.0%
Adult E-Fluentials*, 2008 (% of respondents in each View photo from friends 31.1%
group)
IM/chat 30.2%
Hispanic Total
e-fluentials e-fuentials Sports news and scores 27.7%
Personal e-mails 79% 76%
Horoscopes/astrology 22.7%
E-mails with attachments 76% 70%
Links to interesting Websites 69% 67% Note: ages 18+
Source: BIGresearch, "Simultaneous Media Usage Study (SIMM11),"
Product recommendations 66% 28% provided to eMarketer, May 14, 2008
Invites to events 64% 35% 095591 www.eMarketer.com
News stories 63% 54% 095591

Warnings/recalls 58% 42%
Online Shopping
Information on products/services 56% 45%
Online shopping by all minority groups has increased dramatically
Information on causes/petitions 56% 24%
between 2003 and 2008, according to The Media Audit. Among
Coupons or discount offers 51% 49%
Retail promotions or sale information 46% 29%
Hispanic Internet users, 41.8% are shopping online this year,
Jokes/cartoons 42% 65%
compared with 27.7% five years ago; 23.5% make five or more
Newsletters 36% 30% purchases in a year.
Information on companies 31% 30%
In addition, JupiterResearch predicts Hispanic online shoppers will
Invites to network (e.g., Facebook) 23% 36%
spend $12.8 billion in 2008. That is expected to grow to $21.6 billion
Chain letters 11% 11%
in 2011, about 13% of the total that will be spent on e-commerce
Note: ages 18+; *i.e., influential online consumers
Source: Burson-Marsteller conducted by MSI International as cited by that year.
Marketing Charts, April 2, 2008
094367 www.eMarketer.com Still, some data shows Hispanics are not avid online buyers. A
094367 recent Synovate survey found that 57% of general online
However, e-mail did not show up among the leading online consumers had made a recent purchase online, while only 42% of
activities of Hispanic Internet users in BIGresearch’s “Simultaneous online African-Americans and just 25% of online Hispanics had
Media Usage Study (SIMM11)” report, most likely because it was done so.
not offered as a choice. Instead, information about movies, music,
English-speaking Hispanics represented 10% of all online buyers in
television, sports, weather and social activities ranked in the top 10.
2007, yet 18% of all Internet users who had not purchased anything
Online shopping ranked second in this survey.
online. In its recent “Online Shopping” report, the Pew Internet &
American Life Project noted that the data does not support some
hypotheses about online shopping, including the idea that
broadband connections are a great boost to purchase decisions.


Online Activities

In fact, more than one-half of the nonbuyers had a broadband According to Forrester, concerns about providing personal
connection, a result that Pew researchers said was contrary to information online (32%) and the desire to touch and feel products
their expectations. Also, the majority of low-income Americans—a before making a purchase (30%) were the two leading reasons
group supposed to have less incentive to buy online—had made a why Hispanic Internet users refrained from buying online.
purchase over the Internet. Some 58% of people whose annual
That may explain why travel—an experience more than a
household incomes were below $25,000 bought something
product—is the top category Hispanic Internet users researched
online. Pew suggests that attitudes play a critical role in shaping
“usually/always,” according to the Terra/comScore study.
people’s tendencies to shop online.
Entertainment products such as DVDs, music and video games
Demographic Profile of US Online Buyers vs. Internet are highest in the “occasionally” researched category.
Users Who Have Not Purchased Online,
August-September 2007 (% of respondents) US Hispanic Internet Users Who Use the Internet to
Online Internet Research Goods and Services, February 2008 (% of
buyers users who respondents)
(n=1,111) have not Usually/ Occasionally
purchased always
online
(n=570) Travel 35% 26%
Gender Entertainment (DVDs, music and video games) 30% 45%
Male 49% 49% Computers 24% 28%
Female 51% 51% Consumer electronics 24% 35%
Age Books 24% 39%
18-29 26% 24% Cars and other vehicles 13% 22%
30-49 46% 37% Appliances 12% 22%
50-64 23% 28% Clothing/shoes (for women) 11% 34%
65+ 6% 12% Flowers 11% 24%

Race or ethnicity Clothing/shoes (for men) 10% 30%
Fashion accessories 8% 27%
White (non-Hispanic) 74% 66%
Black (non-Hispanic) 10% 11% Toys (excluding computer games) 8% 27%

Hispanic (English-speaking) 10% 18% Health-related products and services 8% 25%

Education Real estate 7% 14%

Less than high school graduate 6% 11% Hobbies and crafts 7% 28%

High school graduate 29% 25% Clothing/shoes (for children/teens) 6% 23%

Some college 25% 42% Other beauty/personal care products 6% 24%
College degree or more 39% 21% Jewelry and watches 6% 23%
Household income Cosmetics 6% 21%
<$25,000 13% 19% Food-related products and services 6% 21%
$25,000-$40,000 12% 15% Baby clothing and accessories 5% 18%
$40,000-$60,000 17% 18% Home and garden 4% 18%
$60,000-$100,000 22% 16% Art 4% 13%
$100,000+ 19% 7% Other 4% 12%
Don't know or refused response 17% 25% Note: n=3,513 ages 12+
Geographic location conducted by comScore Media Metrix, provided to eMarketer, May 2008
Urban 25% 27% 094833 www.eMarketer.com
Suburban 50% 47% 094833
Rural 14% 15%
Household broadband 77% 53%
Source: Pew Internet & American Life Project, "Online Shopping," February
13, 2008

092229


Online Activities

Consumer electronics are by far the most-researched product
Select Social Networking Website Activities of US
category among online Hispanics, according to Vertis Hispanic vs. White Adult Internet Users, September
Communications. More than six in 10 Hispanic Internet users 2007 (% of respondents in each group)
checked out home electronics before purchasing—slightly more Download coupons
than the general online population, at 59%. Clothing, major 34%
appliances and all other categories drew much less online 23%
interest, at 38% of respondents or fewer. Post videos
30%
Products Researched Online Prior to Purchase 11%
According to US Hispanic Adult Internet Users vs.
Total Adult Internet Users, August-September 2007 (% Purchase products
of respondents) 24%
Hispanic Total 14%

Home electronics 62% 59% Hispanic White
Clothing 38% 30% Note: ages 18+
Major appliances 34% 37% Source: American Marketing Association (AMA) conducted by Opinion
Research Corporation as cited by Marketing Charts, December 13, 2007
Home improvement items 32% 33%
Furniture 28% 25%
090710
Sporting goods 24% 20%
Facebook and MySpace each launched Spanish-language versions
Restaurants 21% 18%
of their sites earlier this year. Facebook’s offering debuted in
Office supplies 18% 17%
February, the first of several languages beyond English that it plans
Auto parts 18% 14%
to offer. MySpace Latino, a bilingual version with eight different
Health and beauty care 17% 14%
communities focused on entertainment, fashion, music, nightlife,
Arts and crafts 11% 9%
soccer, events and news, moved out of beta testing in April.
Groceries 8% 7%
Eyewear (glasses or contacts) 8% 6%
Don't know 1% 1%
None of these 14% 23%
Note: ages 18+; *prior to the survey
Source: Vertis Communications, “Customer Focus OPINIONES” as cited in
press release, June 5, 2008

095386

Social Media
Socializing online is just an extension of socializing offline for
many young Hispanics. They are twice as likely as non-Hispanics
to prefer “a large group of friends” versus a “few close friends,” the
Intelligence Group reported in its survey of 14-to-34-year-olds.
Unsurprisingly, 88% of this group said they had a profile on an
online networking site.

Hispanic Internet users are more active than whites on social
network sites. A study from the American Marketing Association
shows that Hispanics used more online activities within social
networks, such as downloading coupons, posting videos and
buying products.


Online Activities

Even before the MySpace Latino launch, the English-language
Number of Social Networking Websites Visited* by US
version was the most popular social network among Hispanic Hispanic Internet Users, by Age, February 2008 (% of
Internet users in every age group. Terra/comScore data from respondents)
February 2008 shows 80% of respondents visited MySpace, 12-24 25-34 35-44 45+ Total
(n= (n= (n= (n= (n=
compared with 58% for Facebook. 172) 627) 229) 124) 1,152)
1 21% 21% 21% 21% 21%
Social Networking Websites Visited* by US Hispanic 2 27% 24% 21% 21% 25%
Internet Users, by Age, February 2008 (% of
respondents) 3 20% 21% 13% 18% 19%
4 18% 11% 12% 12% 15%
12-24 25-34 35-44 45+ Total
(n= (n= (n= (n= (n= 5-9 14% 17% 26% 18% 17%
172) 627) 229) 124) 1,152)
10+ <1% 3% 4% 4% 2%
MySpace 83% 81% 75% 61% 80%
None 0% 3% 3% 6% 2%
Facebook 68% 48% 53% 26% 58%
Note: numbers may not add up to 100% due to rounding; *in the past 30
Yahoo! Groups 17% 26% 36% 43% 23% days
Classmates 10% 18% 34% 39% 17% conducted by comScore Media Metrix, provided to eMarketer, May 2008
Flickr 18% 18% 14% 12% 17% 094824 www.eMarketer.com
hi5 13% 18% 19% 9% 15% 094824

MyAOL 14% 12% 11% 26% 14%
Yahoo! 360 12% 14% 18% 22% 14%
Online Video
Windows Live Spaces 12% 13% 19% 14% 13%
Approximately one in four online Hispanics, African-Americans
LiveJournal 14% 9% 5% 3% 11%
and general market consumers visited YouTube in the past six
LinkedIn 7% 10% 18% 7% 9%
months, Synovate reported in its “2008 Diversity Market Report.”
Friendster 5% 9% 18% 12% 8%
African-American and Hispanic males ages 18 to 34 were more
Digg 6% 7% 8% 3% 6%
likely to visit the online video site than were females of the same
Xanga 7% 5% 4% 5% 6%
age. Among Hispanics, 41% of males and 20% of females had been
Bebo 3% 4% 4% 3% 4%
to YouTube. Among African-Americans, 55% of males and 33% of
GaiaOnline 4% 2% 3% 1% 3%
females had visited the site.
Cupid 2% 2% 4% 5% 2% Minority Internet users are very proactive in seeking out online
Del.icio.us 1% 6% 3% 3% 2% videos. In a separate Synovate report commissioned by Clipblast!, in
Technorati 1% 2% 3% 1% 1% which respondents were broken out as white or nonwhite, 62% of
Piczo 1% 2% 2% 1% 1% the minority group said they found online videos on their own,
Note: *in the past 30 days compared with just 50% of whites. More minority Internet users were
conducted by comScore Media Metrix, provided to eMarketer, May 2008 looking for a specific video, too—an indication that they had heard
094815 www.eMarketer.com about it from a friend or had seen something about it elsewhere.
094815

MySpace may be the most popular, but younger Hispanics Online Video Resources of US Adult Internet Users, by
especially are checking out more than one social network, the Race/Ethnicity, March 2008 (% of respondents)
White Nonwhite Total
Terra/comScore study showed. One-quarter of all Hispanic (n=476) (n=46) (n=532)
Internet users visited two networks in February, while 21% stayed Discover on own 49.9% 61.5% 52.5%
on one site and 19% visited three. Some 26% of 35-to-44-year-olds Recommendation 52.3% 50.2% 51.7%
visited between five and nine social networks, an anomaly in the from someone
known
data that may indicate some parents checking up on their
Search for specific 35.3% 59.6% 40.3%
children’s profiles. video
Recommendation 17.9% 16.3% 17.7%
from someone
known only online
Receive via 9.3% 11.3% 9.5%
unsolicited e-mail
Receive via e-mail 9.9% 2.8% 8.5%
subscription, RSS
feed, etc.
Note: ages 18+
Source: Synovate, "e-Nation" commissioned by Clipblast!, April 22, 2008
094385


Online Activities Conclusion
Blogging The US Hispanic Internet population is young,
Blogging has gone mainstream, for online Hispanics as well as the
relatively acculturated and proud of its origins.
general US Internet population. Hispanic blogging activity skews
younger, just as it does among all Internet users. Synovate Online growth will come mostly from native-born
reported there was no difference in blogging behavior between Hispanics who are comfortable speaking English
the genders.
and Spanish, and are comfortable with new
In its most recent simultaneous media usage survey, BIGresearch
media and technology.
found that 20% of US bloggers are Hispanic—although
respondents were allowed to choose a racial category as well.
Hispanic males generally are more avid Internet users than are
Demographic Profile of US Adult Bloggers*, January females—they are online more often and are more engaged in
2008 (% of respondents) online activities involving entertainment and media.
Race/Ethnicity**
Internet users who predominantly speak Spanish are underserved
White 69.7%
by many companies and publishers. Their numbers online will
Hispanic 20.0%
grow in proportion to the amount of targeted, relevant content
African-American 12.2%
provided by marketers who understand this growth opportunity.
Asian 3.7%
Average age 37.6
Average income $55,819
Average years of education 14.3
Note: ages 18+; *who regularly or occasionally write in a blog; **numbers
do not add up to 100% as respondents who chose "Hispanic" were also
allowed to choose another category
Source: BIGresearch, "Simultaneous Media Survey (SIMM 11)" as cited in
press release, February 12, 2008
092390


Endnotes

Endnote numbers correspond to the unique 088681 088683

six-digit identifier in the lower left-hand corner US Hispanic Internet Users, by Acculturation Level,
of each chart. March-April 2007 (% of respondents in each group)
Spanish-oriented/high cultural affinity
44%
096602 096605
Spanish-oriented/low cultural affinity
51%
Level of Online Engagement Among US Hispanic
Internet Users, by Gender, February 2008 (% of Bicultural
respondents) 79%

Heavy online engagement Relatively assimilated
57% 74%
43%
Total Hispanics
Medium online engagement 61%
50%
51% Source: Yankelovich, "2007/2008 MONITOR Multicultural Marketing Study,"
Light online engagement
40%
088681
60%

Male Female Frequency of Internet Use Among US Hispanic
Consumers, by Acculturation Level, March-April 2007
Source: Terra Networks, "Terra.com Hispanic Syndicated Survey" (% of respondents in each group)
conducted by comScore Media Metrix, provided to eMarketer, May 2008 Spanish- Spanish- Bi- Relatively Total
096602 www.eMarketer.com oriented/ oriented/ cultural assim- Hispanics
high low ilated
096602
cultural cultural
affinity affinity
Level of Online Engagement Among US Hispanic Every day 8% 17% 34% 34% 22%
Internet Users, by Age, February 2008 (% of Almost every day 10% 11% 17% 14% 13%
respondents)
Weekly 8% 6% 8% 9% 8%
<25 25-34 35-44 45-54 55+
A few times a 6% 10% 12% 6% 8%
Heavy online engagement 45% 26% 19% 8% 2% month
Medium online engagement 46% 22% 19% 11% 3% Almost never 12% 8% 8% 11% 10%
Light online engagement 37% 15% 25% 14% 9% Never 52% 45% 20% 24% 36%
Note: numbers may not add up to 100% due to rounding Don't know/no 4% 4% 1% 1% 3%
Source: Terra Networks, "Terra.com Hispanic Syndicated Survey" answer
096605 www.eMarketer.com Source: Yankelovich, "2007/2008 MONITOR Multicultural Marketing Study,"
096605 provided to eMarketer, September 17, 2007
Extended Note: The responses to some of the survey questions 088683 www.eMarketer.com

were used to create three "online engagement segments." These 088683

segments are a measure of self-reported behavior relating not just Extended Note: "Spanish-oriented/high cultural affinity"-35% of
to the amount of time spent online, but also to the variety and Hispanic-Americans, more fluent in Spanish than English, 89%
frequency of activities conducted online. Respondents were foreign-born; have a strong attachment to Hispanic culture;
classified as either heavy, medium or light in terms of their derived "Spanish-oriented/low cultural affinity"-15% of Hispanic-Americans,
level of online engagement. more fluent in Spanish than English, 86% foreign-born, relatively
weak attachment to Hispanic culture; "Bi-cultural"-26% of Hispanic-
Americans, fluent in English but have strong understanding of
Spanish, 24% foreign-born, strongly attached to Hispanic culture;
"Relatively assimilated"-24% of Hispanic-Americans, more fluent in
English than Spanish, 9% foreign-born, relatively weak attachment
to Hispanic culture.


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