Reach them where they are

Editor’s note: Amy Henry is vice president of youth insights at C&R Research, Chicago.

The digital space is fast becoming a rich channel for reaching any number of markets - unless, according to conventional wisdom, you’re targeting the African-American and Hispanic markets. While it’s clear that the Web is increasingly accessible and is frequently utilized by the general population, doubts remain among those seeking to connect with African-American and Hispanic consumers over the prevalence of these groups online.

When it comes to minority youth, however, it’s time those doubts were dispelled.

It turns out that the Internet is not only a playground well-populated by ethnic young people, but it has the potential to become the only game in town, according to C&R Research’s 2009 YouthBeat, an ongoing study of over 13,000 kids (aged 6 to 9), tweens (10 to 12) and teens (13 to 18). And when it comes to technology in general, African-American and Hispanic youth are increasingly taking advantage of tools and techniques that both feed their need to connect and network with others while also allowing them to express their individuality.

According to YouthBeat, African-Americans and Hispanics of all ages are keeping pace with their Caucasian counterparts when it comes to Internet usage. In fact, African-American and Hispanic youth surpass them when it comes to going online on an everyday basis. About two-thirds of Hispanic (66 percent) and African-American (65 percent) youth are online at least three to five times per day, compared to 62 percent for Caucasian youth.

Contrary to popular belief, Internet use among Hispanic and African-American youth is relatively consistent with Internet use among the population overall. For example, ethnic youth’s Internet usage is on par with or even higher than their Caucasian counterparts during weekdays. African-American and Caucasian youth were online at about the same rate (91 percent each), while slightly more Hispanic youth (92 percent) were online during the week. We know that Caucasian households are more likely to own computers than those of ethnic youth, which leads us to believe that increased Internet usage among these ethnic groups may be due to expanded access to computers in schools or public libraries.

Consistent with this hypothesis, the data show that Hispanic and African-American youth visit Web sites slightly less frequently than Caucasian youth on weekends. While 93 percent of Caucasians report using the Internet on weekends, just 83 percent of Hispanic youth and 88 percent of African-American youth said that they go online. Therefore, it’s important for marketers to recognize that Web sites are attracting young visitors both during the school week and on weekends, although ethnic youth may not be online as often as their Caucasian peers when school is out.

Tap into their potential

Marketers who are paying attention to these trends are fashioning campaigns that tap into their potential. For example, when marketers at Nestlé wanted to convince Hispanic youth that their Hot Pockets product was a better choice versus homemade leftovers (a staple in many Hispanic homes), they took their message of convenient food just for tweens and teens to online destinations that they would truly think of as their own.

To attract this group, Nestlé tested a campaign with the theme “Eat What You Want. Hot Pockets” that took full advantage of the Internet. The company created a two-minute, Scream-like parody trailer, “Cuidado con los leftovers” (“Beware of the leftovers”), which was posted on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQB4Wq1kyaM) and Facebook to capture their attention in a place where they were most likely to be. The spot, focusing on the “horror” of leftovers, continued to run on what will ultimately be a dedicated Web site (www.cuidadoconlosleftovers.com). To complement and expand its reach, Nestlé will conduct a national rollout later this year.

Ethnic youth are not only well-represented online but they also visit different sites than Caucasian youth. African-American and Hispanic youth visit a wider variety of Web sites - outpacing Caucasians in 14 of 20 categories - especially those that allow them to stay connected to and current on the world around them. Ethnic youth visit music, magazine, celebrity and gossip sites that let them stay on top of pop culture more often than their Caucasian peers. But they also visit news, weather and financial sites that keep them up to date and informed more frequently than Caucasian youth.

Social networking sites are favored by both Hispanic and African-American youth, showing that the Internet is truly a way that they build and maintain their connections with peers. Hispanic and African-American youth (45 percent for both groups) mentioned social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace more frequently than Caucasian youth (35 percent) as destinations on the Internet.

And companies that want to be part of their consideration set are taking advantage of this knowledge. McDonald’s, for example, maintains a Facebook page that has 1.7 million fans and a corporate Twitter presence with more than 17,000 followers. Similarly, Verizon is on Facebook (850,000 fans) as well as Twitter (6,100 followers). With big brands like these taking a leadership role, more and more marketers are likely to use social media to bolster their reach with Hispanic and African-American youth.

Nearly indispensable

Because connection is so important to these groups, it’s not surprising that their cell phones - along with other digital technology that put friends and family at their fingertips - are nearly indispensable.

In fact, a higher percentage of Hispanics (68 percent) and African-Americans (69 percent) have their own cell phones, versus 54 percent of the Caucasians who participated in the YouthBeat survey. These groups are also more likely than their Caucasian counterparts - by a 10 percent margin - to use their cell phones on their way home from school, to text and receive e-mail, to game and to take pictures.

But Hispanic and African-American cell phone use is not distinguished by what they do on their phones. They are also more likely to use cell phones to say something about themselves. For example, they’re more likely to have customized ringtones than their Caucasian counterparts, and more likely to assign their friends and family members signature sounds.

Programs that don’t choose

Given the wealth of online channels and technologies, smart marketers are increasingly developing programs that don’t choose between online and cell-phone marketing, but that integrate them. Dr. Pepper, for one, boosted its sales to Hispanic youth by a reported 10 percent via a multifaceted campaign that depended heavily on Web interactivity. A theme song by hot fusion performer CuCu Diamantes serves as a centerpiece, which immediately signals to Hispanic youth that Dr. Pepper acknowledges and celebrates the Hispanic experience.

The campaign Web site offers an official video of her performance, downloads, commercials and contests, and ups the interactivity by giving visitors a chance to remix the song. They are also invited to download ringtones based on the song. And to bring the virtual world back to the real world, Dr. Pepper also sponsors a mobile music tour across the country, with the schedule and photos from previous stops adding fodder for the site.

Valuable lesson

These examples teach marketers a valuable lesson: being online to reach African-American and Hispanic youth is not an option, it’s a mandate. In fact, counter to conventional wisdom, the Internet is not a place where ethnic youth are underrepresented, but rather a place where you’re most likely to find them.

And because these young African-American and Hispanic consumers are exploring so many sites, it’s critical to be in the right places with an authentic presence. Marketers who want to reach these groups online need to develop fresh and timely messages and applications that break through the clutter.

When you’re creating online experiences for these groups, it’s imperative to speak to their need for connection and self-expression. Look for ways to help them share and simultaneously show off that they’re in-the-know. And finally, don’t ignore the power of cell-phone marketing. Now and in the future, recognize that these connected kids, tweens and teens are as likely to have their eyes on a text as they are on a TV.