The mention of young adults ages 18 to 24 conjures up poignant images of cell phone texting, frequent socialization and lots of clothes and music. For Hispanics in this age group, these activities are also important, but the depth of their interests far exceeds that of the general population. This makes these tech-savvy consumers prime targets for marketers.

"They're Hispanic and they're the youth segment, so it's a double whammy," said Roberto Ramos, CEO and founder of the Vox Collective. "Pop culture, technology and social media are part of being young for any ethnicity. But Hispanics over-index more than the mainstream market. Often, they are the earliest technology adapters in their households. This makes mobile phones very important. They are also very urban and have a trendsetting impact."

When it comes to attitudes and values, the gap between Anglo and Hispanic Millennials is much wider. The Hispanics live in two worlds. While most are U.S. born and bilingual, Latino traditions run deep. They have strong family ties and enjoy Hispanic food and music. They also do not like being alone. This necessitates constant communication with others.

"Millennial Hispanics are often the children of first-generation immigrants," said Ramos. "Their culture and bilingualism are incredibly strong and they have deep pride in their roots. They are very aware of their parents' sacrifices to come here and have a strong sense of giving back."

U.S. HISPANIC POPULATION, BY AGE, 2006-2016
Age	2006 (000)	%	2011(000)	%	2016 (000)	%	% change 2006-16
Under 5	4,975	11.3	5,161	10.1	5,742	9.7	15.4
5-14	8,066	18.3	9,684	18.9	11,104	18.7	37.7
15-24	7,430	16.9	8,791	17.1	10,200	17.2	37.3
25-34	7,735	17.6	7,992	15.6	8,673	14.6	12.1
35-44	6,492	14.7	7,502	14.6	8,358	14.1	28.7
45-54	4,441	10.1	5,653	11.0	6,754	11.4	52.1
55-64	2,506	5.7	3,477	6.8	4,549	7.7	81.5
65-74	1,362	3.1	1,783	3.5	2,458	4.1	80.4
75 and up	1,010	2.3	1,230	2.4	1,547	2.6	53.1
Total	44,017	100.0	51,272	100.0	59,386	100.0	34.9
*Numbers may not equal totals due to rounding. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, interim population projections released 2008 (population in 2011 and 2016) and estimates of the population as of July 1 (population in 2006).

Over the past decade, Ramos said Hispanics have become more visible. The fact that there are far more of them has made retailers sit up and pay attention. The Millennial group is the second largest segment. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 17 percent of Hispanics (8.8 million) are ages 15 to 24; 18.9 percent are ages 5 to 14.

FAVORITE CATEGORIES
Apparel, cosmetics, gaming and pop culture are the online and mobile topics that draw the most interest across all online and mobile formats for these consumers. Ramos noted that many Hispanics "dress to the nines." The group, which over-indexes in apparel, fragrance and cosmetics, "wants to get ahead and look good."

On the pop culture side, dance tunes are popular. In addition to parties, they are played in the house, in the car and many other locations. "You don't have to go to a party to enjoy dance music," said Loida Rosario, senior vice president of multicultural strategy and planning at Edelman. "Hispanics are very artistic in nature and even `dance' in the car. It's an extension of how you live."

PepsiCo is one company that understands this. In May, it launched Sabados de Verano, a 12-week free music entertainment series that featured popular Latino acts. The initiative provided 36 live concerts, free soft drinks and film screenings in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Miami, Dallas and Houston. Acts included Alacranes Musical, Belanova, K-Paz, Melina Leon and Tego Calderon.

"We're bringing top artists that they would normally have to pay to see right into their communities," said PepsiCo spokeswoman Andrea Canabal, noting attendance has met or exceeded expectations. "We're trying to establish a connection through music."

Movies and television also play major roles with Hispanic Millennials. According to Ramos, up to 30 percent of box-office receipts are generated by Hispanics. Hispanics also watch about two hours more TV per month than other groups. According to "Hispanic Overview 2010," a report generated by the Jake Adams Editorial Services and Research Consultancy and HispanicAd.com, there are 48 nationally distributed Spanish-language cable networks.

Telemundo alone, which can be found in 210 U.S. markets, reaches 93 percent of Hispanic households. Across all Spanish language networks, sports, courtroom dramas, telenovelas (soap operas) and news are popular. Millennial Hispanics watch both Spanish and English networks.

While English-dominant young Hispanics listen to Spanish-language music, consumption of Spanish-language TV has declined across all age groups, said Leylha Ahuile, senior analyst of multicultural reports at Mintel. This has prompted some TV marketers to address younger customers in two languages.

"You're seeing a lot more bilingual commercials," added Ramos. The same holds true for radio.

PROJECTED HISPANIC POPULATION BY AGE AND SEX, 2020 AND 2050 (in thousands)
Age Group	Both Sexes	2020 Male	2020 Female	Both Sexes	2050 Male	2050 Female
Under 5	6,255	3,189	3,066	10,376	5,298	5,078
5-9	5,901	3,008	2,893	10,088	5,150	4,938
10-14	5,511	2,811	2,700	9,738	4,976	4,762
15-17	3,351	1,707	1,644	5,799	2,957	2,842
18-19	2,252	1,166	1,086	3,946	2,034	1,912
20-24	5,685	3,024	2,661	10,310	5,419	4,891
25-29	5,985	3,113	2,872	10,512	5,456	5,057
30-34	5,422	2,831	2,590	10,298	5,341	4,957
35-39	4,869	2,545	2,324	9,538	4,916	4,622
40-44	4,401	2,375	2,025	8,566	4,381	4,185
45-49	3,595	1,896	1,699	7,703	3,940	3,763
50-54	2,978	1,575	1,403	6,485	3,330	3,154
55-59	2,559	1,335	1,224	5,856	2,982	2,874
60-64	2,057	1,039	1,019	4,696	2,385	2,311
65-69	1,550	746	804	3,910	1,977	1,932
70-74	1,143	525	618	3,337	1,743	1,593
75 and up	1,768	720	1,047	6,621	3,097	3,524
All Ages	65,281	33,607	31,675	127,778	65,381	62,396
Source: Pew Hispanic Center projections (2008)

ONLINE PENETRATION
Every day, young Hispanics spend an average of 87 minutes using the Internet vs. 79 minutes for the rest of the population, the Interactive Advertising Bureau reported.

According to Ahuile, 11 percent use their smartphones in place of a personal computer. Just 36 percent of Spanish-dominant homes have a PC compared to 77 percent of English-dominant Hispanic ones. "This is higher than for blacks but slightly less than for whites," she noted.

The top 10 online activities among young Hispanics include e-mail, games, instant messaging, maps and GPS navigation, news and social networking, according to Scarborough Research. Games are very popular among males, while YouTube videos have a strong female following.

MILLENNIAL MOMS Hispanic mothers are a significant part of the 18- to 24-year-old demographic. This stems from the fact that Latinas marry and/or have children earlier than Anglos, particularly those who are foreign born. In 2009, nine percent of Hispanic women who gave birth were aged 18 to 19; 27.5 percent were 20 to 24, according to a report issued by the Centers for Disease Control in December 2010. Among non-Hispanic whites, in contrast, 5.4 percent of women who gave birth were aged 18 to 19 and 22 percent were 20 to 24. Being a young mother can be economically challenging, but living with an extended family can ease the strain since Hispanic mothers may share child care and financial resources with others. This gives them more disposable income. Like other women their age, young mothers love all types of media. Many log onto Todobebé, a Spanish-language social networking site for moms. Most visitors are first-generation, high-school educated and have an average annual household income of $50,000, said Cynthia Nelson, COO of Todobebé. The site also has a well-used mobile component. Cooking is a big topic. "Cooking is a way to serve and love your family," she said. "They like to cook things that remind them of their country. Sixty-five percent eat at home five nights a week." Recipes are big, as is information on eating healthier and cutting calories. These women also love Walmart. The retailer is Todobebé's exclusive promotional partner on radio and television, as well as at events. In 2011, Todobebé and Walmart will stage 100 "retailtainment" events in store parking lots. "More than 88 percent list Walmart as their retailer of choice," Nelson said. "They carry everything, including many Hispanic brands. They know these young women are coming and invest in them." Café Mom, another social networking site for mothers, plans to launch a Hispanic site (including mobile) in 2012. English and Spanish content will target a more acculturated group that is largely U.S. born. Connecting moms with their "passion points" will be crucial, said Lucia Ballas Traynor, former publisher of People en Español and the site's co-founder. As at Todobebé, recipes and healthy eating are important. Other passion points are family, careers, finances, relationships, culture and personal appearance. Balancing jobs and family in particular, said Ballas Traynor, can be challenging. "She is juggling multiple tasks but has conflicting values. She grew up cooking from scratch and is entering a professional realm where she doesn't have role models to teach her shortcuts. Anglo women have been doing this for more than a decade." Religion and spirituality are also crucial. "When somebody gets sick, Latinas form prayer groups," she said. Many of these women also have no idea how to talk to their kids about sex — another focus. Ballas Traynor expects the site to be of particular significance to Hispanics who have left predominantly Latino communities. "We've had private conversations with moms in secondary markets. Not New York or L.A., but North Carolina and other places. They are more isolated and need content that is culturally relevant and helps them connect."

Many of these activities allow Hispanics to express their opinions. They do this via blogs or Facebook. According to Edelman's Rosario, Hispanic Millennials spend an average of 20.2 days per month on Facebook compared to 14.7 for other consumers in this age group.

Retailers Most Frequented
	% of adults who shop*	Target %	Index	Percent of total market represented by Hispanics
Walmart	61	61	100	24
Target	34	36	106	26
Dollar Tree	25	27	111	27
Dollar General	19	16	87	21
Best Buy	18	18	99	24
Family Dollar	17	16	93	23
Did not shop	17	19	112	27
JCPenney	17	20	119	29
Kmart	16	17	101	25
Kohl's	16	14	87	21
Macy's	14	16	117	28
Costco	12	16	134	32
Sam's Club	11	12	102	25
Sears	11	13	118	28
Big Lots	11	15	137	33
TJ Maxx	8	6	81	20
Ross Dress For Less	7	15	212	51
Marshalls	6	9	144	35
Burlington Coat Factory	6	8	120	29
Dillard's	5	4	92	22
BJ's Wholesale Club	4	3	94	23
Age of respondents: 18 to 24 Source: Scarborough Research USA Plus, 2010 *Incudes all ages and all ethnicities Note: The numbers in the first column are the percentage of the general population that shops at a store or channel; Target % is percent of Hispanics who shop at a particular store or channel.

Since celebrities are a big topic of discussion, Latin World Entertainment Licensing is launching all of its Sofia Vargara apparel promotions via social networks. The exclusive apparel line will be sold by Kmart. While the Columbian-born actress is popular with the general population, her Hispanic fans have a more personal relationship, said Nancy Overfield-Delmar, president of Latin World Entertainment.

"They'll watch programs on television such as news, telenovelas, etc. and then go online to comment," she said. "Next to communicating with friends and family, entertainment is right up there with food and water. Combine social media with a celebrity and it's a win-win."

PepsiCo's Sabados de Verano concerts were promoted on Facebook, as well as Twitter. Pages engaged fans in both English and Spanish, said Canabal. "We look at things that are relevant to that consumer and comment on them. Then, they can comment back." A website called MiPepsi.com also promoted the concerts in both languages.

Asking for this kind of consumer feedback can be positive or negative. Unfortunately, the nays tend to predominate. "If they've purchased something they're not happy with, they'll go online and tell 100 people," said Overfield-Delmar. "If they're happy, they'll tell 10. Online is their biggest resource."

Along with posting comments, Millennial Hispanics go online to research products, prices and related trends prior to buying. They text their opinions and findings to friends and family, said Rosario. But the amount of online buying they do is limited. Hispanics who do shop online are younger (25.8) than the general average (35.3), added Overfield-Delmar.

Rosario said many young Hispanics prefer the interactive experience of shopping in a physical store, particularly when it comes to fashion categories like clothes and makeup. "Any category that's about touching is a physical experience for them," she said. "But they love to say what's going on and tweet about it. There's a lot of blogging about fashion." Categories that are less visually stimulating such as music, software and electronics are more likely to be purchased online.

PepsiCo's Sabados de Verano was a 12-week free summer music entertainment series that featured popular Latino acts in six major U.S. cities.

Credit limitations can also impede online shopping. The propensity to get into debt, said Rosario, is a serious problem among a group whose parents may not know how credit works. Some Millennials over-extend credit; others easily fall victim to unrealistic interest rates.

"Out of $400, they'll spend $460," Rosario said. "While traditional Latin culture is against debt, Hispanics come to the U.S., want the latest things and get into debt. Some groups don't understand the short-term deals out there or how the interest and high penalties work. If they are not financially literate, they can get into trouble." Older, less acculturated Hispanics, in contrast, tend to pay cash. In addition to not understanding credit, they do not trust it.

Levels of income and education, which vary among different Hispanic groups, also impact spending. While education is important to them, many Millennials start college but do not finish. Economic hardship is the main reason they leave school. In addition to the high cost of tuition, young Hispanics must often work to help their families. Girls, who do not always have the same financial obligations as boys, are more likely to get a degree. Overfield-Delmar noted that a number of corporations, including Microsoft and McDonald's, are providing these young adults with scholarships and incentives.

Having conjoined family finances has benefits in that high-priced products like cars or electronics can be more attainable. Items are usually shared among family members who jointly discuss purchases. "Sometimes, it's hard to understand how a family of six lives on $20,000," said Rosario. "But there is a communal mentality and a sense of responsibility in giving back to family."

As Millennials grow older, their spending power should increase. Still, not all marketers are going after this Hispanic age group to the extent they should. This is a mistake since tomorrow's population of young adult Hispanics (currently those aged 5 to 14) will be even larger than today's. In addition, both this future generation and their parents should be more acculturated and affluent.

"More people are targeting this group," Ramos said. "But there is still a lack, considering its size. Specialty retailers Forever 21 and Abercrombie do well targeting Latinos, as does Macy's. These consumers are trendsetters who live in high-profile markets like New York, L.A. and Houston. This audience is the future and it is important to build their affiliations."

Mobile phone activities
	% of adults who use mobile for*	Target %	Index	Percent of total market represented by Hispanics
E-mail	19	21	109	15
Games (play or download)	14	19	134	18
Instant messaging	11	15	143	20
Maps/GPS navigation	12	14	114	16
Music (listen or download)	14	22	161	22
News/weather/traffic	14	15	109	15
Search (Google, Yahoo!, etc.)	15	18	119	16
Social networking (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)	11	13	123	17
Sports scores/updates	8	9	117	16
Stocks/stock market	3	3	83	11
Subscribe to TV service for a fee	0	1	162	22
Text messaging	56	64	114	16
Watch free TV programs	2	3	161	22
Watch video clips	6	10	158	22
Other Internet feature	7	9	129	18
Age of respondents: 18 to 24 Source: Scarborough Research USA Plus study, 2010 *includes all ages and all ethnicities Note: The numbers in the first column are the percentage of the general population that shops at a store or channel; Target % is percent of Hispanics who shop at a particular store or channel.

Wireless/cell phone bill amount last month
	% of adults who paid*	Target %	Index	Percent of total market represented by Hispanics
Less than $30	16	11	68	9
$30 - $49	17	17	100	14
$50 - $74	18	22	118	16
$75 - $99	16	15	95	13
$100 - $149	21	22	107	15
$150 or more	13	14	107	15
Age of respondents: 18 to 24 Source: Scarborough Research USA Plus study, 2010 *Includes all ages and all ethnicities Note: The numbers in the first column are the percentage of the general population that shops at a store or channel; Target % is percent of Hispanics who shop at a particular store or channel.