The Hispanic Persona Project seeks to redefine marketing strategies for the growing and changing U.S. Hispanic population, emphasizing the need for new models that go beyond traditional demographics. It introduces four distinct Hispanic personas—Tech-Fluential, Social Techie, Nostalgic Newbie, and Utilitarian Explorer—each characterized by unique behaviors and preferences in digital engagement. The research highlights the importance of understanding these personas to effectively connect with and serve the increasingly diverse and connected Hispanic market.

1. THE HISPANIC PERSONA PROJECT
A new model for understanding &
engaging digital Hispanics
March 11, 2012
@jrvilla
#HisPersona

2. Jose
… I’m the President of Sensis…
an ad agency specializing in
integrated digital-traditional and
cross-cultural marketing.
2

3. A little about Sensis…
we were founded to address two
shifts taking place in society– the
growing cultural diversity of the
country and the rapid adoption of
digital technology.
In this new world, culture changes
everything… which is how we
approach marketing
3

4. #HisPersona

5. Presentation Outline
Hispanic Marketing is Dying
Personas 101
Meet the 4 Hispanic Personas
Using the Personas
Discussion & Dialogue
5

6. Hispanic Marketing is Dying

7. … the U.S. Hispanic population has seen
unprecedented growth…
7

8. More than 50 million
Hispanic population in the US: 1970 to 2050
102.6
in Millions
87.6
73
59.7
50.4
35.3
22.4
14.6
9.6
1978 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
8

9. More than 50 million
Hispanic population in the US: 1970 to 2050
102.6
43% increase
in Millions
16% of population
87.6
73
59.7
50.4
35.3
22.4
14.6
9.6
1978 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
9

10. More than 50 million and growing…
Hispanic population in the US: 1970 to 2050
102.6
in Millions
87.6
73
59.7
23% of children in
50.4
U.S.
35.3
14.6
22.4
25% of U.S.
9.6
population by 2050
1978 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
10

11. But it’s changing just as drastically as
it’s growing
11

12. 63 is more important than 50
63% of U.S. Hispanics were born in the U.S.
This is infinitely more important than the size (50.5
million) of the Hispanic population.
12

13. a large and growing population
of immigrants is quickly
becoming a large and growing
ethnic group
13

14. The simple language / acculturation model
Acculturated 20%
2nd / English-dominant
3rd gen
Partially
Acculturated 30%
long-time residents /
2nd generation Bilingual
Unacculturated 50%
Recent immigrants
Spanish-dominant
14

15. The simple language / acculturation model
is being flipped on it’s head
2nd / Partially
3rd gen Acculturated 50%
Bilingual
Recent immigrants Acculturated
English-dominant 30%
Long time
residents
Unacculturated
20%
Spanish-dominant
15

16. … and the Hispanic market is in for some big
changes in the next 10 years
Non-Hispanic
White
85+
80-84
75-79
70-74
65-69
60-64
55-59
50-54
45-49
40-44
35-39
30-34
25-29
20-24
15-19
10-14
5-9
0-4
6 4 2 0 2 4 6
16

17. … and the Hispanic market is in for some big
changes in the next 10 years
Hispanic Non-Hispanic
White
85+
80-84
75-79
70-74
65-69
60-64
55-59
50-54
45-49
40-44
35-39
30-34
25-29
20-24
15-19
10-14
5-9
0-4
10 5 0 5 10 6 4 2 0 2 4 6
17

18. We need to figure out the Hispanic
market, but old models don’t
work…
What are we to do?
18

19. We need to figure out the Hispanic
market, but old models don’t
work…
What are we to do?
Use (or create) new models.
19

20. We need to figure out the Hispanic
market, but old models don’t
work…
What are we to do?
Use (or create) new models.
This is why we undertook the
Hispanic Persona Project
20

21. Personas 101

22. What are personas?
22

23. What is a persona?
Profile of an archetypal user
Represents the needs of many
Based on ethnographic research
Emphasize behavior, motivations, and mindsets
23

24. A Primer on Personas
Invented by and made famous by Alan
Cooper’s “The Inmates are Running the
Asylum” (1999)
Personas have been derided
But good personas are based on real data
and defined by goals
Commonly used in digital advertising
and user experience (UX) design
But quickly being adopted across the
enterprise
24

25. How do we create personas?
Synthesized from ethnographic interviews
Presented as real people with descriptions
Behavior patterns
Skills
Attitudes
Environment
25

26. Why use personas for the Hispanic
market?
26

27. Hispanic Personas
They focus on behavior, mindsets, and
goals, not demographics
Provide important texture to plan
earned media initiatives, particularly in
interactive and two-way social
environments
27

28. Users instead of consumers
28

29. participatory
engaged
Users instead of consumers
interactive
utility
29

30. participatory broadcast
engaged passive
Users instead of consumers
interactive one-way
utility self-serving
30

31. But we added a twist…
We evolved the persona model by incorporating:
Psychographic details
Differences from other ethnic
and general market users
Ways to reach them
31

32. Meet the 4 Hispanic
Personas…

33. The Research Methodology
Sample to reflect the composition of U.S. online Hispanics
60 ethnographic interviews across the country
Three key variables
Acculturation
Age
National origin
33

34. TECH-FLUENTIAL
“I’m always online,
Ivan
always connected.”
34

35. “I’m always online, always connected.”
TECH-FLUENTIAL
Psychographic Info
Name: Ivan
Age: 27
Acculturation: Mid / High
• Early adopter of technology
• Internet “junkie”, always connected
• Does everything online
• Lifestyle built around technology
• Voracious appetite for information
• Heavy mobile user How do we reach him?
• Takes pride being “in the know”; • Behavior-based advertising (long-tail sites, FB ads)
teaches friends and family about tech • Retargeting
EGO
35 BE DIFFERENT BE CONNECTED
CURIOSITY INFLUENCE STATUS

36. SOCIAL TECHIE “I like to know what
Sandra my friends are up to
all the time.”
36

37. “I like to know what my friends are
up to all the time.”
SOCIAL TECHIE
Psychographic Info
Name: Sandra
Age: 33
Acculturation: Mid
• “First follower”
• Not concerned with how tech works; but
must have the latest
• Online 24/7
• Lives her social lives online
• Loves to share content How do we reach her?
• Uses multiple devices to stay connected • Social media advertising (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
• Has to know what everyone is doing at all
times
• Online video ads
POPULARITY “EVERYONE IS DOING IT”
37
BEING HEARD STAY IN TOUCH FRIENDS AND FAMILY

38. “The Web allows me
NOSTALGIC NEWBIE to stay in touch with
Mariana family and friends in
Mexico and adapt to
life in the U.S.
38

39. “The Web allows me to stay in touch with family
and friends in Mexico and adapt to life in the U.S.
NOSTALGIC NEWBIE
Psychographic Info
Name: Mariana
Age: 39
Acculturation: Low
• Entry-level user
• Still exploring the capabilities of the
internet
• Still connected to the home country, and
everything she does online reflects it
• New to social media; Facebook is the “all- How do we reach her?
in-one” social connectivity solution • Spanish-language portals and long-tail websites
• Uses the web as a tool to learn and to
adapt to life in the U.S.
• Instant Messenger ads / Facebook ads
OPPORTUNITIES
39 EXPLORE
HOME COUNTRY ADAPT

40. UTILITARIAN EXPLORER
“I think it’s important
to have a balance and
Armando
not spend too much
time online”

41. “I think it’s important to have a balance
and not spend too much time online”
UTILITARIAN EXPLORER
Psychographic Info
Name: Armando
Age: 44
Acculturation: Mid
• Life doesn’t revolve around the Web
• Uses social media daily but are for the
most part “passive listeners“
• Knows what they want and leave once
they get it
• Uses internet as an important channel for
entertainment (after TV + radio + print) How do we reach him?
• Uses mobile mostly for calls/texts • English and Spanish-language portals
• Tends to visit the same sites, not too • Paid Search / Facebook / YouTube ads
adventurous
EASE EVERYDAY TASKS RESERACH
41
STAY IN TOUCH CONVENIENCE

42. Applying the Personas

43. What “application” of Hispanic Personas
would you like to discuss?
43

44. Choose one
1. Using Hispanic Personas for the Enterprise (e.g.
customer service, designing products)
2. Using Hispanic personas to plan / develop owned
media (e.g. Websites, social media properties)
3. “Futurecasting” the Personas
4. Differences between Hispanic and “other”
personas
44

45. 1) Using Hispanic Personas for the Enterprise
Customer Service
Call Center scripts, IVRs
Sales Strategy
Custom Portals
45

46. 2) Using Hispanic personas to guide owned media
Information Architecture
Taxonomy
Content Strategy
Planning Functionality
46

47. 3) “Futurecasting” the Personas
Trends changing the Hispanic market Result on Personas
A younger population, that is more More Social Techies and Tech
acculturated Influentials (potential hybrid persona)
A geographically diverse market – that More “Nostalgic Newbie” motivations
is quickly growing in the South and and behavior
Midwest
A group of consumers that is spending Need to address novice behavior /
more and more time consuming digital potential new persona representing
media (in many cases for the first time) Hispanic boomers
And a consumer base that is pushing
the technological envelope, leading the Tech Influential on steriods
adoption of new devices such as
tablets, 4G smartphones, and emerging
gaming platforms.
47

48. 4) How are Hispanic Personas different?
What if you already have personas?
Should you create a separate set of Hispanic personas?
Should you make sure some of your personas are “Hispanic”?
48

49. Discussion & Dialogue

50. Key Takeaways

51. Social Media Usage
Almost all of interviewees noted that the first thing
they do when they go online is check email and
Facebook – very often from mobile devices.

52. “The young teaching the old”
Younger Hispanic ‘super users’ are teaching the late
adopters how to use new technology and
introducing them to new digital trends.

53. Online Advertising
Interviewees mentioned they are likely to click on
online ads if they are relevant to their interests or
contextually relevant, particularly hyper-targeted
Facebook ads.

54. Mobile Internet
Most interviewees had smartphones.

55. ¡GRACIAS!
www.HispanicPersonaProject.com
#hispersona
@SensisAgency | @jrvilla | @RamiroPadilla
www.SensisAgency.com