Study: Hispanics More Likely to be Influenced by Billboards

Hispanics are more likely to be influenced by outdoor advertising than non-Hispanics, according to a new report released by the Outdoor Advertising Association of America. The study, conducted by Perception Research Services, was conducted on 100 car passengers in Los Angeles using eye-tracking technology during a 30-minute drive.

While the tracking information shows that Hispanic and non-Hispanic passengers saw and read nearly the same number of billboards, 76 percent of Hispanics interviewed said they would probably or definitely be influenced in a purchase decision based on what they saw, compared with only 41 percent of non-Hispanics.

Ten years ago, a Spanish language billboard would “reach an audience and hit home,” said Rick Robinson, creative director for Outdoor Systems, Los Angeles. Now, Spanish billboards are no longer unique. The stretch of road on which the study was conducted included 58 billboards, 10 of which were in Spanish.

Pedro Milian Jr., vice-president of multicultural sales at Clear Channel, believes the powerful presence of outdoor advertising in Latin America has impacted the U.S. outdoor market, according to Hispanic Business Magazine. When foreign-born Hispanics come to the U.S., they bring that awareness with them when they come.

Hispanics also tend to be more loyal to a brand than their non-Hispanic counterparts, and there is a stronger bond between Hispanics and smaller, neighborhood retailers than among non-Hispanics, according to an Ipsos survey, suggesting that local companies may have better success at billboard advertising geared to this market than national companies.

Several of the largest billboard companies, including Viacom Outdoor, Clear Channel Outdoor, and Entravision Communications, now have special divisions or sales teams for the Hispanic market.

Clear Channel’s “big focus is the Hispanic market, because that’s where the business has been,” Milian was quoted as saying. “We are sold out on Hispanic space every month. People are buying six, seven, eight months in advance. There is a limited inventory, and people want to place their message before these [Hispanic] consumers.”