In the diverse landscape of Hispanic media in America, understanding the preferences and tendencies of U.S. Hispanic consumers is paramount for brands seeking a genuine connection. The growing Hispanic community offers not just numbers, but an intricate tapestry of tastes, histories, and loyalties that advertisers must navigate. We explore the media channels that are making waves among this demographic, drawing insights from industry stalwarts Cayetano Chimeno, Global Partnerships Director & Country Manager Digo Hispanic Media Spain and Augusto Ghigliotti, Head of Publishers at Digo Hispanic Media, we unravel how brands can astutely leverage Hispanic media channels for optimal reach and heightened brand awareness.
Hispanic consumers in the U.S. have a diverse media consumption pattern, deeply rooted in both their cultural origin and the evolution of hispanic media in their new homeland. This month, we delve into the minds of Cayetano Chimeno and Augusto Ghigliotti, who shed light on the intricate relationship between U.S. Hispanics and Hispanic media channels.
Understanding the Hispanic Consumer
“To understand Hispanic media consumption, we first have to understand how the Hispanic population in the United States is made up,” begins Cayetano Chimeno. The spectrum ranges from recent immigrants clinging to traditional media from their home countries to third-generation Hispanics fluent only in English. As Chimeno outlines, the evolution sees these consumers shift from predominantly local media to consuming mass media of U.S. society.
“Third and later generations, in many cases, only speak English, so they consume the mass media of the United States and, very occasionally, the media of their cultures of origin. Likewise, although each culture has its own intrinsic characteristics, there is a common Latin culture that consumes media that is transversal to the United States and Latin American media that has been consolidated as such for decades, such as Univisión and Telemundo. Programs like “Miss Belleza Latina” have a Pan-American audience, throughout the continent,” explains Chimeno.
For advertisers aiming to reach these varied segments, platforms like Digo have come forth, having alliances with around 60 leading media groups from Latin America and Spain.
The recall rate is multiplied by 4 when the message is received in our media.
Engagement Metrics: A Comparative Insight
When it comes to engagement, the responsiveness of Hispanic users in Hispanic-specific media is unparalleled. As per Cayetano Chimeno, “The recall rate is multiplied by 4 when the message is received in our media.” Metrics such as ad click-through rate, viewability ratio, or video ad view-through rate showcase a two-fold increase in Hispanic-specific environments.
Augusto Ghigliotti points to Connected TV (CTV) as one of the fastest-growing trends resonating with U.S. Hispanics in the media landscape. “Hispanics have a strong presence in the CTV landscape,” Ghigliotti notes. He elaborates on Digo’s strategic alignment with this trend, emphasizing their significant collaborations with CTV media content providers and the upcoming launch of their own OTT platform.
The Social-First Approach: A Double-Edged Sword?
As the debate rages on about the significance of a social-first strategy, Augusto Ghigliotti stresses the importance of understanding the audience’s behavior on social media.
“In a social-first approach for media properties (mainly online ones), it’s of paramount importance to understand the reality and how the objective audience behaves, consumes, and shares content on social media. The success of embracing a social-first strategy can be quantified through key metrics like engagement, reach, and feedback, making them pivotal indicators that media properties strive to achieve. It’s also good to have a well-trained team that can deal with possible negative feedback, and controversial articles and turn this “crisis” into opportunities. There is no such thing as bad publicity, and social media teams constantly deal with these situations,” Ghigliotti says. “We know the importance of the community that follows us on social networks for loyalty to our media brands. These users move bidirectionally between our media and our social media channels.”
These users move bidirectionally between our media and our social media channels.
Owned and Operated Media
According to Cayetano Chimeno, the advantages of owned and operated media are immense. Advertisers can trust in their ability to connect emotionally with their target audience on such platforms, thereby providing a secure brand environment.
“When an advertiser chooses to establish a presence in our owned and operated media, they can trust that they’ll connect with their target audience on a platform that resonates emotionally with individuals. We uphold a rigorous premium-only policy, ensuring a secure brand environment across our O&O and partner networks. This commitment involves prohibiting content against our guidelines and maintaining high-standard metrics. Brands can leverage our platform for enhanced brand awareness through impactful advertising formats, sponsorships, or branded content.”
“Our close relationships with publishers enable us to mediate with partner publishing groups, providing a consistent product across all networks. These parameters and relationships deliver heightened value for brands seeking campaign success in the market. Brands find satisfaction in investing in our media because they recognize that advertising revenues play a vital role in preserving professional journalism across diverse countries and cultures, thereby contributing to the fight against fake news,” Chimeno states.
In essence, both Chimeno and Ghigliotti offer a compelling look into the ever-evolving world of media consumption in the U.S. Understanding these nuances is the key to building lasting brand awareness.
