One week before launching our 2018 Latinx Diverse Intelligence Series consumer report, Descubrimiento Digital: The Online Lives of Latinx Consumers, we brought together New York City’s leading U.S. Hispanic media organizations and influencers for a first look at the online behaviors, patterns and trends we’re seeing with Latinx consumers. HOLA USA, WABC TV, El Diario NY and Portada, as well as influencers including Latina Cool Mag, Trendy Latina and Dahiana Perez, attended the event.
Stacie de Armas, VP, Strategic Initiatives & Consumer Engagement at Nielsen, also spoke with our guests (pictured above). Her presentation unveiled important statistics, such as how 72% of Hispanics and 75% of Hispanic households speak Spanish at home, which generated dialogue and interest from the group.
“U.S. Hispanics are digitally empowered and rapidly moving to the forefront of technology adoption,” said Stacie. “Their visibility highlights an increase in cultural inclusivity and civic representation, as well as recognition of the community’s strides.”
Conversation sparked as social media influencers and digital news correspondents acknowledged how their audiences have shifted to an online-centered market—validated by our latest consumer report, which found that the web serves as the go-to resource for Latinx consumers. Nielsen data shows that 60% of Hispanics were born or grew up in the internet age, versus only 40% of Non-Hispanic Whites.
Andrew McCaskill, SVP of Global Communications and Multicultural Marketing, Nielsen, emphasized the importance of understanding the Latinx consumer. “With continuing progress in educational pursuits and economic gains, the Latinx community’s influence on the new American mainstream is undeniable on many fronts,” he said.
As the evening continued, guests mingled and shared their similar experiences as Hispanics in the U.S. discussing favorite online platforms, social media personalities and family traditions. Stacie shared that, when it comes to passing on the flavors of her culture, sticking to the recipe is more than just measurements.
“When I am at the grocery store, there are multiple brands that sell ‘guayaba’ but I always reach for the brand that my grandmother used to buy because it feels like home,” she said. Many at the table agreed with her sentiment, supporting the report’s finding that 80% of U.S. Hispanics agree that when they find a brand they like, they stick with it.
The event was covered by media attendees including El Diario NY, La Raza, La Prensa FL, La Opinion and Portada. The subsequent report launch has stirred media coverage across both English and Spanish news outlets, including EFE, HOY Los Angeles, HispanicAd and Listin Diario, as well as industry trade outlets such as Billboard.
To learn more about the digital lives of Latinx consumers, download Descubrimiento Digital: The Online Lives of Latinx Consumers.
Note: Nielsen uses the term Latinx to connote unspecified gender. The decision is a nod toward greater inclusion of women, LGBT+ and non-binary Hispanics and the growing popularity of the term in social media and academic writing.
