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 The hottest show on television follows the daily
life of a young woman from a struggling Latino
family. Adapted from the highly successful
Colombian telenovela, Yo Soy Betty, La Fea, ABC-TV’s Ugly
Betty has charmed American audiences and is one of the
highest rated shows among viewers 18 to 49, the group most
prized by advertisers.
And while there’s more to the show’s popularity than its Latin
roots, there’s no denying that its success is tied in part to the surge
in the nation’s Hispanic population, which has been changing the
face of America’s pop culture over the past few years.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Hispanics make
up about 14 percent of the nation’s total population, up from
8.8 percent in 1990. That 14 percent represents approximately
$750 billion of buying power, which is expected to rise to nearly
$1.1 trillion by 2010.
Based on a study by the Pew Hispanic Center, while the growth
in the Hispanic community is due primarily to new immigrants
who may have lower average incomes, the Hispanic population
as a whole is on the cusp of change.
Naveen Donthu, Katherine S. Bernhardt Professor of Marketing
at Robinson, has been studying Hispanic consumer behavior
for the past 20 years and says that the increase in the Hispanic
population has not gone unnoticed by many of the country’s top
companies. “There has been a significant rise in the number of
companies who have been targeting Hispanic consumers,” he
said. “Some have even created entire marketing teams specifically
focused on how to reach this very desirable market.” However,
Donthu says that few have done their homework when it comes
to learning about this unique group of consumers.
In very general terms, says Donthu, this culture is characterized
by collectivism, where the welfare of the group is more
important than the individual. And while it’s somewhat of a
stereotype, he says that the Hispanic community is very male
dominant. “Through our research, we have also found that they
have a great respect for elders and superiors, are risk averse, and
are long-term oriented.”
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