What: Research shows that Hispanic women have different attitudes and interests according to acculturation level.
Why it matters: Relationships between brands and consumers are highly dependant on the consumer’s attitudes and passion-points, and in the case of Hispanics, acculturation plays an important role.
As we have previously seen, Latinas have increasingly become bread-winners and decision makers in their household. It is worth taking into account certain characteristics of Latinas, as marketers can learn a lot about how to approach them depending on how they see life. Research shows that acculturation level (the extent to which they have adopted American customs and the English language) influences Latinas’ attitudes and life perspectives a great deal, which is why brands should take that into account when addressing Hispanics, and Latino women in particular.
Less Acculturated Latinas Are More Optimistic
Everyone agrees that life is not easy, but we don’t all take it the same way. According to research by Greenberg Quinland Rosberg Research, 83% of Latinas say that their personal or family’s financial system is doing “very” or “fairly” well. Less acculturated or Spanish-dominant Hispanics were particularly optimistic about their financial situation: 48% said that their household situation had improved compared to the previous year (2016) compared to 28% of more acculturated Latinos. The table below reflects this positive outlook of less acculturated Hispanic women.
| Agrees with the below statement | Hispanic adults 18+ | Female Hispanics 18+ | Female Hispanics 18+ (Predominantly Spanish) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agree | % of sample | Index | Agree | % of sample | Index | Agree | % of sample | Vertical % | |
| I’m very happy with my life as it is | 4,759 | 68.9% | 100 | 2,637 | 68.3% | 99 | 1,279 | 70.3% | 102 |
| I like to enjoy life and do not worry about the future | 3,379 | 49.0% | 100 | 1,851 | 49.9% | 102 | 899 | 53.0% | 108 |
| I am an optimist | 4,094 | 56.6% | 100 | 2,330 | 58.3% | 103 | 1,197 | 63.3% | 112 |
Source: Simmons Research, Fall 2016 National Hispanic Consumer Study
Family is Crucial to Latinas Independently From Acculturation Level
Latinas are strongly family-oriented. They are frequent consumers of family-related publications, and they over-index vs. the general U.S. population when it comes to websites that focus on motherhood and family. They were also found to over-index in visits to websites for big retailers like Macy’s, JCPenney, Wal-Mart, and Target. The table below shows that a great majority of female Hispanics think family is of utmost importance.
| Agrees with the below statement | Hispanic adults 18+ | Female Hispanics 18+ | Female Hispanics 18+ (Predominantly Spanish) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agree | % of sample | Index | Agree | % of sample | Index | Agree | % of sample | Vertical % | |
| I enjoy spending time with my family | 5,773 | 81.4% | 100 | 3,292 | 85.0% | 104 | 1,525 | 84.1% | 103 |
| Family life is the most important thing to me | 5,370 | 73.5% | 100 | 3,085 | 78.8% | 107 | 1,449 | 79.2% | 108 |
Source: Simmons Research, Fall 2016 National Hispanic Consumer Study
Higher Acculturation Levels Bring More Interest in Arts
Generally speaking, interest in news, arts, and even music is positively correlated to the acculturation level of the Latina woman. The more acculturated they are, the more Latinas are interested in international events, as well as in knowing more about other cultures. Meanwhile, less acculturated Latinas say they want to understand about nature.
| Agrees with the below statement | Hispanic adults 18+ | Female Hispanics 18+ | Female Hispanics 18+ (Predominantly Spanish) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agree | % of sample | Index | Agree | % of sample | Index | Agree | % of sample | Vertical % | |
| I consider myself interested in arts | 2,548 | 36.3% | 100 | 1,517 | 38.6% | 106 | 600 | 32.3% | 89 |
| I am interested in international events | 2,595 | 38.9% | 100 | 1,395 | 36.8% | 95 | 606 | 33.5% | 86 |
| I am interested in other cultures | 3,748 | 51.9% | 100 | 2,190 | 55.4% | 107 | 945 | 48.5% | 93 |
| Music is an important part of my life | 4,279 | 59.8% | 100 | 2,479 | 64.2% | 107 | 1,129 | 63.5% | 106 |
| It is important to continue learning new things throughout your life | 5,559 | 75.9% | 100 | 3,172 | 79.9% | 105 | 1,461 | 77.6% | 102 |
| I like to understand about nature | 4,548 | 62.3% | 100 | 2,597 | 65.0% | 104 | 1,255 | 70.4% | 113 |
| It is important to be well-informed about things | 5,241 | 72.0% | 100 | 2,954 | 74.4% | 103 | 1,345 | 73.2% | 102 |
| If I feel strongly about an issue, I would participate in a civil protest | 1,863 | 26.2% | 100 | 1,075 | 26.8% | 102 | 462 | 22.8% | 87 |
Source: Simmons Research, Fall 2016 National Hispanic Consumer Study
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