A host of new mobile and online ad initiatives - including those from Yahoo and the Orange Advertising Network - have just been launched with the intent of targeting the 46-million-strong US Hispanic market.
In building off its already-strong mobile homepage, Yahoo is making its Spanish-language counterpart, Mobile en Español, available on more than 1,900 mobile device models. The site offers mobile search, Spanish US and global news, email and social networking connections, sports, local information, RSS feeds, weather, stocks and horoscopes. It also will be offering advertisers "a variety of mobile advertising opportunities and advertising formats."
In a separate effort, Orange Advertising Network - an ad sales house in Europe that is home to 20 Hispanic publishers - is making a similar play for the Hispanic ad market in the US and Latin America, from an online perspective. Its ad tools include site-specific placements, run of network, category affinities, customized branded entertainment and direct-response campaigns. Its network also includes the starMedia portal, Spil Games and El Mundo online, one of the biggest newspapers in Spain.
Growing Force
A wealth of research statistics affirm the the growing presence of digitally savvy Hispanics. The online US Hispanic population reached a record 20.3 million visitors in February 2009, according to comScore, Inc., which noted that the Hispanic online demographic is expanding more than 50% faster than the overall US online population. Hispanics now make up 11% of the total online population.
Another survey, from ARAnet and ORC, noted a similar increased use of online sources for news and information among the college educated, Hispanics and those making more than $100K per year, compared with the general population, writes MarketingCharts.
Mobile Hispanic Growth Trends
Market researchers are also examining trends among US Hispanic mobile users and finding similar growth. Mobile internet use among Hispanics is outpacing that of all other groups, with 88% of Hispanics consuming content on their mobile phones, according to a comScore MobiLens' custom report cited by Yahoo.
Campaigns
Even without the comScore data, several recent campaigns have demonstrated that the mobile channel is effective in reaching US Hispanics. Several brands have successfully targeted this demographic through their cellphones. HBO, Harley-Davidson, Rite Aid, Arby's and Cheetos, for example, have used HipCricket's Hispanic Mobile Marketing Network to send permission-based offers and ads to their mobile phones. HipCricket estimates this market has a buyer power that is projected to exceed $1 trillion in 2010.
HBO PPV, for example, used HipCricket to market the Mayweather-Marquez fight, and generate opt-ins for its mobile VIP club. Consumers were asked to text "PELEA" - FIGHT - to for a chance to win a signed boxing glove. They received an SMS message back inviting them to join the VIP club - an offer on which 12.9% clicked. Of that number, nearly 70% opted into the club.
A similar Rite Aid campaign, which provided coupons when consumers texted "MARCA" (BRAND), garnered a 7.6% click-through rate.
