Sponsor (Oct-Dec 1964)

• How dominant the language? • Is it brand conscious? • How do you reach it? Spanish-language U.S. market enough to work is doing so. Thus, "household" income in New York, for example, is nearly $4500 on the average in Spanish-language homes, and is even higher in other Spanishspeaking areas. The Cuban refugee influx in Florida is a particularly interesting situation; thousands entered the country but few are on civic relief rolls. As for general household purchases, Spanishspeaking homes match the average "Anglo" home on most household items, exceed it on others (soft drinks, beer, rice, etc.), lag behind only on special purchases (new autos, certain foods, luxury items). In Southern California, more of a "settled" Spanish-speaking area than the New York City area, a rising socio-economic tide is evident. In a 1962 study prepared for KALI, Far West Surveys, aided by such sources as Bureau of the Census. California State Department of Public Health, etc.. placed the median income figure for the area's Latin-descent families at $5762 — about $1000 higher than the family-income median in New York City's Spanish-language homes. In the same geographical area, a 1964 checkup by Belden Associates found that 23 percent of Spanish-language radio households had family incomes of $4000 to $5000 and 21 percent were in the $5000 to $7000 category. Not everyone in such families has a job. inc'dentally; more than nine out of 10 males (household heads) are employed, but only a third of the women — with the balance largely available to advertisers at home via Spanish -language daytime radio. FALLACY: "The official language of the United States is English. As Spanish-speaking immigrants learn English, the market disappears and can be reached by the usual English MARKETING HIGHLIGHTS OF SPANISH-LANGUAGE HOME PRODUCTS USE With over a million Spanish-speaking residents. New York City is the largest concentration of Latin-descent population within the borders of the United States. (California and Texas have more people, but they are distributed over a larger geographical area.) Although the Spanish spoken in New York— largely with a Puerto Rican accent— is not the same as the Spanish of Los Angeles or Brownsville or Tampa, much of the product usage reported below in a 1 964 study by Pulse for WHOM is considered "typical" of Spanish-language U.S. homes by marketing experts. Highlights of the study: • Spanish-language families spend nearly $6,000,000.00 a week for food in New York. Most of the shopping is done on Friday and Saturday; 51 percent prefer to shop at supermarkets, 30 percent at independents and 19 percent at both. Median weekly expenditure for groceries: $28.20. • Virtually all homes, 99 percent, serve white bread with two-thirds preferring wrapped brands and one-third buying in local bakeries. • Rice, a Spanish staple, was found in nearly all homes. Spanish, American brands are about equally preferred. • Marcaroni, spaghetti and tomato sauce, usually associated with Italian rather than Spanish tastes, are served by more than 95 percent of the families, as are salad and olive oils. • The use of coffee is at a high level of 93 percent with Spanish blends predominating. Instant coffee is used by less than 28 percent. Tea is also a popular beverage in 89 percent of the homes surveyed. • Both hot and cold breakfast cereals show a high level of use, over 89 percent. Packaged crackers and cookies are 87 percent and 73 percent respectively. • In the fields of drugs and cosmetics, headache and indigestion remedies are used in more than 95 percent of homes, personal deodorants in 93 percent, hoir shampoos and tonics in more than 80 percent and liniments in 69 percent. While razor blades are used by 95 percent, electric razors were found in only 7 percent of homes. • Cold beverages are popular with Spanish-speaking households. Soft drinks were found in 98 percent while beer and ale are consumed in 77 percent. More than 48 percent of families serve wine. • More than 72 percent of the Spanish-language population smokes cigarettes but cigar smoking is represented in only 14 percent of homes. • Canned fruits were found in 95 percent of homes while 87 percent serve canned vegetables with Spanish labels well represented. Canned fish products were found in 73 percent and canned meats in 66 percent of homes. October 19, 1964 37