• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, January 3, 2011

Digital media producer Terra offered research Monday indicating that Hispanics may be a successful target for interactive TV campaigns. A new study commissioned by the Hispanic-targeted Internet company -- which runs lifestyle site Terra.com -- shows that almost 40% of Hispanics "enjoy" interactive options provided by online video ads.

The research has that figure at 37%, compared to 25% of non-Hispanics. Terra said Hispanics appreciate the opportunity that online video advertising provides for obtaining additional information about a product, which traditional TV ads don't offer.

To be sure, gathering that information can occur more swiftly online, perhaps with only a single click. But advertisers have been experimenting with TV ads that offer some Internet-like capabilities, in which a viewer can use a remote control to order a product sample, coupon or brochure.

So far, the opportunities have been available mostly by cable operators in a local market, such as a Cablevision in New York. Canoe Ventures is rolling out an opportunity on national cable networks.

Terra offers a wealth of video on its flagship U.S. site, where it runs pre-roll ads for Toyota. The site can draw from the company's mass of content from its Latin American base and also has video culled from partnerships with Azteca America, CNN and the NBA. The online outlets for Univision and Telemundo are competitors.

In addition to interactivity receptivity, the new research also showed other differing online behaviors between Hispanics and non-Hispanics in the U.S., including 35% of Hispanics saying they are "more open to advertising on sites where they read or contribute user generated comments." That's compared to 27% for non-Hispanics.

The research also showed that 36% of Hispanics say Internet advertising has prompted them to head to a retail store, vs. 24% of non-Hispanics.

The data comes from a study conducted by comScore from Sept. 13-Oct. 18, where 2,300 online surveys were completed by U.S. residents ages 13-plus.

In drawing a conclusion from the research, Terra said that with 30 million Hispanics online -- 60% of those in the U.S. -- and continued growth in usage, "the digital divide is now becoming a thing of the past as Hispanics are at the forefront of embracing Internet and technology."