Hispanic Super Consumers Are Mobile And Green
How mobile and online is the Hispanic Consumer?
Nielsen conducted a recent survey and concluded that Hispanics are Super Consumers of mobile and mobile shopping. Increasingly, the sales path to the Hispanic consumer is through their smart phone.
Research points to Super Consumers having the potential of driving 30% of sales, 40% of growth and 50% of profits for a business.
This opportunity is not just for high tech or fashion products. 50% of Hispanics say they have purchased grocery items online compared to only 40% of the general U.S. population. Every business needs to recognize that the Hispanic consumer is more likely to visit their store via a smart phone and that they will use social media to access a business before shopping.
Why is this important?
Because Hispanic now represent a $1.5 trillion consumer market segment. This is a customer that no business can afford to ignore.
Winning the Hispanic consumer’s trust
In addition to being high users of mobile and social media, the Hispanic consumer is also highly sensitized to environmental and human health issues. 85% of Hispanics believe it is extremely important or very important to reduce smog and air pollution. Their high degree of sensitivity is reenforced by research on children health that found children five years and younger are most at risk to pollution health impacts including premature death.
86% of Hispanics support increased water conservation and 84% say the U.S. should mandate more solar electricity and wind power (the key word is “mandate”). Unique among America’s demographic populations the Hispanic community’s strong support for conservation and renewable energy comes from their family heritage where their parents and grandparents lived lives based on wise use of resources like water and energy.
Conservation is not only a response to environmental concerns, it is a path for Hispanics to honor their parents and grandparents.
Compare these strongly held beliefs on pollution and conservation to your company’s communications and business commitment. A business commitment, and the communication of that commitment, in the areas of environmental and human health leadership is a trust building opportunity with the Hispanic consumer.
Yes, they are highly focused on finding competitive prices for their product purchases just like all Americans. But they also seek to do business with businesses that align with their strong family heritage for preserving the environment and protecting the health of their children. It is through this type alignment with the Hispanic consumer that a business can win their trust.
Authenticity is the key step to winning trust
Trust is not something achieved through corporate social responsibility reports. Trust is a genuine human connection that is built on the authenticity of actions. This is a huge business opportunity for every smaller businesses.
People trust people. Rarely do they trust corporations. Smaller business owners have a competitive advantage by being closer to their customers. This opportunity is realized by taking concrete actions, ideally in partnership with the customer.
Engagement is now the marketing path to the customer. It is enabled through social media like Facebook. Every business needs a customer engagement strategy. Today, it is not what you advertise that wins customers (unless it is a phenomenal price discount…we all can still be bought). What wins a customer is what other customers and your work associates are saying about your products, service, prices and commitment to improving environmental and human health.
Authenticity is the key to successful customer engagement. If your business talks about caring but only gives money to charities then that is not engagement. That is philanthropy.
Engagement moves your customers to post on their social media. It is their heart-felt reaction to your business behavior. Are they impressed, or disgusted, with your service? Are your prices too high? Are you taking real actions to make a difference on their key issues of air pollution and conservation of resources?
Next- Two proven ways to make money and built customer trust