• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, August 5, 2010

Telemundo is positioning itself at the intersection of two trends -- the rapid growth of the U.S. Hispanic population and the surge of interest in digital OOH video as an ad medium -- with its launch of a new DO network targeting Hispanics outside the home, called Telemundo en tu Mundo (Telemundo in Your World).

The new DO network consists of digital screens in 200 supermarkets, 800 retailers, 2,000 metro buses and major entertainment arenas visited by large numbers of Hispanic consumers.

It features a mix of custom, local and national content from Telemundo, and offers advertisers and marketers integration with custom content, new package and product launches, test marketing and price-point advertising. Targeting options range from national buys to local markets.

Telemundo station group Senior Vice President of Sales Enrique Perez stated that the network will "bring a new level of engagement to consumers at the moment when purchasing decisions are being made."

Ad sales on the network are handled through Telemundo's "Conexion" platform, a multichannel sales service incorporating Telemundo's 16 local station Web sites, as well as mobile, digital and out-of-home properties.

In 2008, the U.S. Hispanic population numbered 47 million, or 15.5% of the total U.S. population of 303 million, and its growth rate is much higher. The Hispanic population increased 3.2% from 2007-2008 compared to 0.6% for the general population.

If current trends continue, Hispanics will account for 30% of the U.S. population by 2050, according to Pew Research Center. Moreover, Hispanic spending power is also increasing rapidly, from an estimated $700 billion in 2004 to $1 trillion this year.

Turning to digital out-of-home, PQ Media predicts that total ad spending on DO networks will jump from $2.47 billion in 2009 to $3.8 billion in 2014, with a compound annual growth rate of 9.4%.