Since the Millennial generation is global, and Latino teens compromise most of it in the U.S., then that means a sizeable segment of the youth market really stretches from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego right?
Technology adoption and penetration is increasing dramatically, which means the conversation with the Americas is greater. Companies should be capable of going bilingual, bicoastal, and binational with their message.
There's a distinct board sports subculture out there with stories to tell. Social media trends are providing the tools to share the stoke. Think about your product or service elasticity. Is it something that can be done in other parts of the Americas?
Here's a case for why its possible with the skate/snow/surf industry.
Recent trends:
- Marketing opportunities climb with the rise in U.S. Latino population.
The US-based online Latino population. According to the Pew Hispanic
Center, most regions of the US are experiencing a growth in Latino
population, a population that Global Insight's Hispanic Market Monitor
says has a disposable income that is growing 8% per year. Via - DM News - Web marketing no longer overlooked by bigger companies.
"Our gospel over the last six or seven months has changed," says the
agency president and CEO. "We don't have to preach about online and
digital anymore." Eighteen months ago, the firm's clients -- which
include Bank of America, Tyson and Wal-Mart -- devoted an anemic 0-5
percent of their ad budgets to online efforts. Today, every Lopez
Negrete client has an online strategy, and the 5 percent spending
apportionment is the new floor. Some brands now devote as much as 20
percent of their Hispanic-geared spending to Web-based projects. Via - Adweek - Access to the Internet in parts of Latin America is growing.
In 2007, for example, Colombia added 5.4 million Internet users, or
about 12% of its population of 45 million -- an 80% increase in the
number of Colombia's Internet users that year.
Brazil added 7.4 million Internet users in 2007 (17% growth),
Mexico more than 2.2 million (an 11% increase) and Venezuela 1.58
million (38% growth). Via - Vivir Latino
Why should Latin America be considered important to on overall Latino marketing strategy?
Simple...there are lots skate/snow/surf experiences to be had and shared with family and friends. The size of the Latin niche action sports market is poised to grow in 2009. Plus, Latin American board sports culture offers U.S. Latinos an inspiring path towards "retro-acculturation".
Many Latino journalists and publishers believe that “acculturated” or
“bicultural” Hispanics want to know about or retain their cultural
heritage. “Retro-acculturation,” as defined in Marketing to American Latinos by M. Isabel Valdés, refers to the “conscious search for ethnic
identity or roots, especially by second-, third-, or fourth-generation
Hispanic Americans who have lost some or most of their cultural
traits.” This search is reflected in the increasing number of bilingual
and English language publications targeting this subsegment of the US
Hispanic market – a segment which is growing steadily as the Latino
middle class continues to expand.
