New York, NY (PRWEB) July 01, 2014
The increasing influence of Hispanic-Americans on every aspect of American life—from politics to media, fashion to entertainment—is felt most keenly in the states bordering Mexico, a microcosm of the U.S. Hispanic community. The sphere of influence in the U.S. has always been New York City and Los Angeles, and although they still matter, this border is like a port, where change happens.
Because of that, Havas PR North America surveyed 18- to 34-year-olds, both Hispanic and non-Hispanic, in those states (Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas). The focus there has often been negative but is now more widely known as vibrant, exemplifying the true “Latin” in “America.” Already the largest racial/ethnic group in the U.S. after Caucasian, Hispanics are forecast to become the majority in the next 25 years.
The agency’s study launching today, “Mi Casa en Los Estados Unidos: Millennials of the Border States,” examines the opinions of these “border millennials” on key areas such as family, food, work and more. It looks at current data through the lens of trendspotting, a key tool for Havas PR that distills information for brands into what’s important now and next.
Among the most compelling findings:
- Hispanic-Americans are very connected to culture and family, virtually and physically. Many respondents say it’s important to stay close to family—and that they will never leave the Southwest. This is especially true for Hispanics (51 percent versus 44 percent of non-Hispanics).
- They are entrepreneurial and ambitious. More Hispanic-Americans dream of owning their own business than non-Hispanics (54 percent versus 43 percent).
- Location is important. San Antonio tops the magnet cities for border millennials; rounding out the top 10 (in order of popularity): San Diego, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Austin, Albuquerque, Dallas–Fort Worth, Houston, San Francisco and Tucson.
“It’s easy to focus on either the similarities between Hispanic-Americans and other people or the differences, but businesses need to understand both and address Hispanic-Americans in ways that honor their identities as Americans and Hispanics,” said Marian Salzman, Havas PR North America CEO. “Brands and millennials are frustrated at the lack of targeting solely to this demographic. Hispanic-Americans will act as culture and business bridges to the rest of the hemisphere, something brands and corporations need to know to stay ahead.”
To help them do that, Havas PR is also today formalizing Havas Conexiones, its multicultural agency within an agency. Havas Conexiones was created to recognize the need to address Latinos in a culturally relevant way and connect them authentically with brands. Its philosophy is rooted in the understanding of the importance of relationships within the Hispanic community. The team knows these relationships inside and out: The offer is led by five Latinas—Daniela Fleisman, Kendra Matathia, Mayra Meza, Laura Pacas and Priscilla Ramos—with Argentinean, Cuban, El Salvadoran, Mexican and Puerto Rican backgrounds who are best in class in their Hispanic/Latino marketing experience.
Havas PR North America developed the border millennials survey, which was fielded online by iTracks in March 2014. It achieved a random and representative sample of 804 respondents ages 18 to 34 from the four Southwest border states. To receive a copy, write to james.mann(at)havasww(dot)com.
About Havas PR North America
As the North American earned-media and buzz boutique within French holding company Havas, we’re part of the Havas PR Global Collective. Headquartered in New York City, Havas PR North America is one of the most awarded agencies of its size in the U.S. We created PRWeek’s Multicultural Marketing Campaign of the Year for 2012 (and were a finalist in 2013) and work across B2B and B2C spaces. For more information: us.havaspr.com.
About Havas Conexiones
The Hispanic-focused agency within an agency of Havas PR North America is built around the fundamental truths of the real Latin in America. Five Latinas—whose backgrounds are Argentinean, Cuban, El Salvadoran, Mexican and Puerto Rican—lead the efforts with a presence in California, New York City and Texas. For more information, go to havasconexiones.com.