TARGETING HISPANICS: EFFICIENT MARKETING REQUIRES DATA, INSIGHTS THAT GET BEHIND STEREOTYPES

Knowledge Networks analysis shows behavior can vary significantly among Hispanic users of different products, services

Menlo Park, CA; June 16, 2003: With Hispanic consumers and Spanish-language media gaining new attention from advertisers and ad agencies, Knowledge Networks is delivering research that helps marketers go beyond stereotypes to create products and media plans based on the preferences of specific Hispanic buyer groups.

In today's issue of Television Week, Gale Metzger - Senior Consultant to Knowledge Networks and a longtime leader in media research - asserts that "stereotypes do not work" when it comes to developing Hispanic media strategies. Data from Knowledge Networks/SRI's MultiMedia Mentor™ service show, for example, that time spent with Spanish-language television can differ substantially among Hispanic soda drinkers, new-car purchasers, credit card users, and other groups.

Metzger also argues that the current interest in Hispanic consumers and media outlets should not lead planners to abandon rational, data-driven approaches to advertising allocations - the types of analyses enabled by MultiMedia Mentor™ and other Knowledge Networks resources.

Now in its third year, MultiMedia Mentor™ uses single-source data to reveal the best ways of reaching specific buyer groups via cross-media advertising. The service's analytical software includes breaks for Spanish-language versus all television - and, in its next data set, for comparing media use in Hispanic homes that are mostly Spanish-speaking versus mostly English-speaking.

In addition to reaching Hispanics more efficiently via media, KN also possesses expertise and unique resources for helping companies

• develop products based on feedback from their intended Hispanic consumers;
• create packaging and advertising that will speak effectively to specific Hispanic groups;
• test the Hispanic potential of a specific product or product category, and estimate actual sales; and
• identify sports leagues and media that offer the greatest potential for influencing Hispanic consumers.

Knowledge Networks is changing the marketing information world to help companies maximize their efficiency in reaching and selling to consumers. The company leverages its expertise in brands, media, advertising, and analytics to deliver insights that speak directly to clients' most important marketing issues. In addition, Knowledge Networks has built a substantial practice in government and academic research, an area notable for its rigorous methodology standards. KN's unmatched consumer research resources include the only projectable Web-based consumer panel.

In 2001, Knowledge Networks acquired assets and expertise from Statistical Research, creating Knowledge Networks/SRI. KN/SRI is one of the country's leading authorities on consumers' use and ownership of media and technology, as well as the leading measurement provider for Yellow Pages directories. Its other products include How People Use® media studies and The Home Technology Monitor™.