• by Michael Shields , May 31, 2004

According to a new study, Spanish-only-speaking consumers may be ripe for the taking--particularly for lesser-known brands and local merchants. In fact, despite the inherent language barrier for many Anglo marketers in communicating with this demographic, these consumers may represent the ultimate target market: people who have not made up their minds about any brands.

These brand-amenable consumers may be turning to the Yellow Pages to help them make up their minds, according to the Yellow Pages Integrated Media Association--which has cited a recent study conducted by Knowledge Networks/Statistical Research Inc., which reveals that Spanish-dependent consumers are more likely than their English-speaking counterparts to have no specific company name in mind when they reference the Yellow Pages (51 percent versus 35 percent).

In addition, when searching through the Yellow Pages, they look at more ads and try out more new businesses. The study, which surveyed over 1,800 users from January 1999 through December 2003, also found that 73 percent of Spanish speakers are more likely to view more than one listing--versus 63 percent of English speakers.

In addition, 63 percent of Spanish speakers report that they are new customers to the business where they ultimately make a purchase (versus 44 percent of English speakers).

The difference in these users appears to be cultural, in that Spanish-only speakers who have only recently arrived in the United States have yet to be subjected to the effects of American mass media and consumer marketing. "I think that is a reasonable assumption," says Larry Small, Yellow Pages I.M.A. director of research. "I think these folks don't know as much about brands and don't know as much about shopping."

Although Small acknowledges that the demographic 'Hispanic' encompasses a wide variety of ethnic groups, each of which maintains different characteristics and attitudes, recent immigrants share some traits that make them likely to turn to the Yellow Pages. "When people emigrate to the U.S., if these people are not coming from major cities, their whole concept of finding things is very different," he says. "They are used to a lot more 'word-of-mouth.'" That means that Hispanics may not know what to buy, or where to buy it. "Hispanics don't have a brand preference, and often don't have a store preference."

Small believes that the Yellow Pages is attractive to this group because of its comprehensiveness and ease of use. "When they come to the U.S., they are inundated with messages, and it is very overwhelming," he says. "(With the Yellow Pages), they can find anything they need."

According to Small, the most successful brands catering to this group are those that opt to advertise in Spanish, even within English Yellow Pages.

That goes for major brands and store chains, but perhaps has even greater implications for smaller merchants, who may have a rare opportunity to reach this group on an even playing field.

"If you are a little guy, and you appeal to these people, you have a really good chance," Small says. "If they have a positive experience, their lifetime value can be great."

Because eventually, Spanish speakers will start to form brand preferences and develop marketing savvy.

"The longer you are in this country, the better you understand what is going on," Small says. "The more they become acculturated, they start to mirror the population at large." Apparently, that appears to be the case when it comes to ordering takeout. "Pizza" ranks Number One among Spanish-only-speaking persons ("restaurants" ranks first among English speakers).