• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, August 23, 2012

A new analysis by BIGinsight, from the Hispanic InsightCenter, shows that Hispanics (18+) tend to be more digital-savvy than their Non-Hispanic counterparts. In addition to face-to-face communication, they are using social media and mobile technology to give and seek advice about products and services, effecting the allocation of media when marketing to this consumer group.

In general, Hispanic consumers tend to be early adopters and are more likely to own smartphones and tablets than Non-Hispanics. iPad ownership specifically is up among Hispanics from 4.2% in June 2010 to 21.3% in 2012. (14.6% of Non-Hispanics report having an iPad in 2012.)

Hispanics’ regular usage of social media also largely outpaces that of their Non-Hispanic counterparts. Usage among Hispanics indexes higher across all sites tracked in the InsightCenter.

Word of Mouth in the digital age is no longer neighbors talking over the fence, and Hispanics appear to be embracing digital means. While face-to-face remains the #1 way for them to give or seek advice about products and services, things like email, text and mobile are making their way on the list.

It’s noteworthy that there are differences among advice seekers and givers within this group. One big distinction is product reviews; 34.6% of Hispanics who seek advice read them, while only 8.7% who give advice write them. So, less than 1 in 10 are providing information in product reviews to more than three times as many people who are taking that information in to make product decisions.

Considering that digital technology is aiding in the evolution of traditional word of mouth, it’s interesting to look at media allocations that consider social media, mobile, instant messaging and blogging in the WOM equation, especially among digital-savvy Hispanic consumers. This “new” Word of Mouth dwarfs traditional medias in comparison when weighted by influence and consumption.

For Hispanic digital behavior for specific services, in PDF format, please visit here, and for viewing the information from BIG insight, visit here.