There is a perception that Hispanics are lagging behind the general population in the use of new technology. In reality, Latinos are in some cases early adopters of new media.
Larissa Acosta,General Manager, Dieste Harmel & Partners

Connecting with the more than 40 million Hispanics in the United States yielding nearly $1 trillion in spending power has moved well beyond the traditional Spanish-language broadcast and print media into new points of consumer contact via the Internet, text messaging, social networking, blogging, music and video on demand.

According to Forrester Research, digital marketing is becoming a critical element of Hispanic media planning. "There is a perception that Hispanics are lagging behind the general population in the use of new technology," said Larissa Acosta, conference co-chair and general manager of Dieste Harmel & Partners in San Francisco. "In reality, Latinos are in some cases early adopters of new media, as with mobile phones. And often they are heavier users of technology than non-Hispanics, as in the case of text messaging. While television and radio are still strong vehicles to reach our Hispanic audience, the digital world is growing and we as Hispanic marketing specialists need to redefine the way we approach the evolving Latino population."

The typical U.S. Hispanic today is anything but typical, according to Carl Kravetz, chairman of AHAA and chairman/chief strategic officer for L.A.-based cruz/kravetz:IDEAS. "Latino consumers are multidimensional and our approach to marketing must be as creative and complex as the audience we serve," Kravetz said. "Latino agencies are uniquely suited to reach Latino consumers on a rational level but also on an emotional and spiritual level. We must keep pace with the changing technology and dynamics of our industry. If we are Hispanic specialists we must translate our consumer insight into multi-channel platforms blending interactive and traditional media to communicate and connect with our consumers on every level."