Latino Rebranded: Social Media and Latinos

Subtitle:  Waxing Data Visually

Data visualization (DV) has been with us for a little while now.  DV frees us from standard pie charts and bar graphs that are prevalent these days.  By representing data in new ways, we stimulate a means for which new ideas and conclusions can occur.

One of the first visual representation was done by Martin Wattenberg, who represented the stock market on the web in a ground breaking manner. Go to Jeff Clark’s site who continues to present data in innovative new ways.

Twitter Venn

The below picture captures the terms ‘Latino’ + ‘Hispanic’ + ‘Mexican.’  I’ve done this for self-amusement several times and the results are always the same:  Latino is always present double or more than Hispanic, and the term Mexican surpasses both terms on Twitter.

More interesting are the most used terms associated with each labeled sphere.  If you click each sphere, the bottom left  presents  common terms.  You can get a feel for some of the conversations that may be occurring – you’ll be surprised by what you see.

Twitter Spectrum

Twitter Spectrum compares the relationship between two terms and how they are associated with one another.

I’ve plugged in the terms ‘Latino’ and ‘Hispanic.’  It’s a little funny to see the term ‘lol’ fall right between them…’health,’ ‘census’ and ‘marketing’ are other notables.

With no doubt, I am sure many of you have already seen these technologies.  What I wanted to accomplish in this post is one of the ways I use these techniques to challenge some of my ideas, as well as look for new trends.  If you use data visualization in any way (or now start using it) I’d be curious to hear about it.

Popularity: 100% [?]

There are a couple of  posts on the chopping board right now, but they are in draft stages at the moment.  In my effort to give quality content I cannot ‘push-button-publish’ them just yet.

Against my better judgment,  I’ll share a post that has not quite made it to a draft just yet…it concerns a Hispanic man, or woman who defines themselves as a man…or woman, and not a ‘Hispanic’ man/woman.

This thought recalls the line made by the famous black actor, Sidney Poitier, in the 1960’s movie, “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” – “Dad, the difference between you and me is that you see yourself as a colored man, and I see myself as a man.”

Of course, the context is quite different here than from the movie, but the statement is relevant and profound.

More later…

Popularity: 58% [?]

While social media is undeniably hot, without evidence of burning out, many established organizations and businesses have been exceedingly slow in accepting social media as the new engagement platform.  In the face of prudence, speculation and convention, enthusiasts – evangelists – have pressed forward with a new and unpredictable, yet powerful and stable form of communication that has haulted an entire industry and forced it look over its shoulders.

In many ways, social media has just begun – 2010, will be its pivot.  Pre-2010 will be looked back as social media being considered only an addition to already established marketing tools, but post-2010 social media will be viewed as a major factor, even replacing traditional media.

Hispanic organizations will be on the far end of the tail, as Hispanics are mostly a conservative population.  To the older generation, social media represents…is, change.  However, the younger generation is embracing new media in droves.  Somewhere in the near future – post 2011? – there will be a huge explosion of Hispanic based industries and organizations in social media.

These are my observations, not my judgments.  I think social media will continue to influence its way into every business sector and will be the fast track to Hispanic related communications.  The fact that Hispanics are the quickest and most abundant adopters of new technologies and media, should move every decision-maker toward the promised land of social media.  Will you be joining me?

Popularity: 43% [?]

Subtitle: The Why of it All

Without definition, one is left to be interpreted and thus defined by others.  More so, without definition one has no purpose and drifts to the will of the tides.

I’m going to briefly point out some things I have my sights on within the realm of social media.  I encourage you to do the same from time to time going forward.

In no special order here are some goals which have been set in motion and are continually honed:

• Give Latinos a pipeline to catapult their voices into the national conversation via social media.

• Engage influencers in multiple disciplines.

• Facilitate solidarity and communication within Latino community.

• Build Brand (Rebranded) “Me.”

• Communicate with like-minded people.

There’s much more to discuss for each point, but I’ve kept it brief for the sake of the blog and will pick up this discussion at another point in time.

If you have something you want to add, or think I’ve missed a critical point, please leave your thoughts in the comment section.

I’m also curious to know what YOUR purpose is?  Is it product or service awareness?  A grassroots endeavor?  Network with peers?  Keep abreast on the latest trends?  Become the next social media rockstar?

Popularity: 24% [?]

AOL just release their Hispanic Cyberstudy, packed with the habits of Hispanics online.  The study is based on a question – Why and how are Hispanics using the internet in their daily lives?

For years, marketers have struggled with the complexities of the Hispanic market. Given the blistering growth of their population and subsequent rise in purchasing power, AOL wants to help marketers and agencies understand the changing Hispanic market, and improve their advertising performance with this segment.

Not widely known are that Hispanics online are very different from the general Hispanic population.  They are so different in fact, that personally I use the term Latino to differentiate the online counterparts.

Online vs. Offline

Online, 46% of Hispanics prefer English media and speak it at home, compared to only 23% Spanish language dominant.  Interestingly, offline this fact is reversed – 52% prefer Spanish, and 28% are English dominant.  This shows us that the  majority of Latinos online are well acculturated, young and early adapters.

Online Hispanic households are much younger than the general population.  Almost half are under 35 years old, compared with only 28% across the nation.

Hispanic-Fluential

One fifth of the Hispanic online population are exceedingly influential and are termed as Power Users.  They share maven-like characteristics and are the sweethearts if not the key-holders to the Hispanic online population.

They spend over 24 hours online per week, half of that time connected via mobile device.  They are highly innovative, thus are early adapters.

These are the influential leaders in their respective category , that shape and direct what is hot and what’s not.  They are what my friend Lori Gama talks about as Hispanic-fluentials.

Online Hispanics, prefer it in English

Marketers – even Hispanics! – have a misconception that in order to reach Hispanics online one must do it in Spanish.  However, the opposite is true.

As much as Hispanics themselves would like to see more Spanish online, truth is the audience is a yet a smaller subcategory of the already mulit-faceted Spanish population.  Brands as well need to note this.

Mi Gente

Studies like this give me pause to reflect not only on social media/marketing, but society.  If you look below the surface marketing is 100% about business – it’s about people and what is going on in our culture.

Beyond buying and selling, you can appreciate the subtle cultural dynamics.  Once a shrug of the shoulder, the Hispanics market is hitting the industry with a sledge hammer.

Salsa outsells ketchup. In some places in the US, Hispanics are the dominant population.  Yes, these types of  trends will continue, but behind the numbers is a vibrant culture filled with smiles, laughter, celebration – culture.  Let’s not forget that…

Popularity: 31% [?]

Subtitle:  Hispanic Media Myths

A great article…it even seems to have some picante to it as it’s spiced up with some humor and witty lines.

If you have some image in your head of a poor campesino looking confusedly at a computer screen, delete it. Replace that with an image of Perez Hilton tweeting and blogging and instant-messaging all day. In fact, Latinos far outpace Anglos in online and mobile usage. Of all wireless users in the U.S., 39% of U.S.-Hispanics use their mobile devices to read the news, in comparison to just 17% of non-Hispanics.

Note the quick change to ‘Latino’ from ‘Hispanic’ when talking about online/mobile usage.  I almost got excited about that, but then noted that Hispanic and Latino are used interchangeably throughout the piece.  It’s still a great read.

Popularity: 5% [?]