As part of Nielsen Media's recently-released report on Hispanics, focusing on how media and brands can improve their reach and meet the challenges of the segment's ethnic diversity, there is a deeper dive into their level of engagement with radio during the protests in Cuba and Miami on July 14 – during which listening in the Miami market hit its highest levels in 2021 among Hispanics 6+ – and data showing the growth of podcasts among the Latino community.
Going beyond previously reported data showing Hispanics' higher levels of radio listening overall, Nielsen's breakout of trends for the day of the marches in Cuba and solidarity demonstrations in Miami shows that for Spanish-speaking Hispanics tuned to Spanish News/Talk stations, listening levels in Miami were 28% higher than average for 2021 to date, and 30% higher for Hispanics 18-49.
“Radio became the platform where Hispanics in Miami could validate information and connect with the historic movement,” the report says. “Radio served as an immediate source for information about the marches in Cuba and the swelling of support in the U.S.”
As for podcasts, Nielsen reports that listening among Hispanics has doubled in the past three years, while the number of listeners has grown six times between 2010 and 2019, compared to four times the rate of growth among Whites. Additionally, seven in 10 Afro-Latino or Hispanic women – and close to two-thirds of Hispanic men – listen to podcasts between one and five times a month.
“The U.S. Latino experience is hard to define and is often perceived as synonymous with the immigrant experience, but the truth is that most Latino youths are not immigrants: two-thirds were born in the U.S.,” the report says, pointing out common misconceptions about the segment, specifically treating Hispanics as one group to be marketed to one way. “Aside from being the largest racial or ethnic group in the U.S., Latinos are a diverse, intersectional group with different experiences, perspectives and expectations.”
Complementing Nielsen's report, data from eMarketer details how Hispanic consumers are underserved by advertisers. Among the information cited is the Hispanic Marketing Council's finding that only 6% of overall ad spend goes to Hispanics, although they represent 18.7% of the total U.S. population, and Edelman Trust Barometer 's report that more than half of Hispanics feel that they can better influence social issues through the brands they buy than with who they vote for.
“This community consumes media differently, and when it comes to inclusion and representation, has firm expectations of content creators, media platforms and brands/advertisers,” Nielsen's report says. “With Latino buying power projected to be $2.6 trillion in just about three years, America is taking note, and so are brands and advertisers.”