Mediamark Research Inc. for the first time will use Spanish-speaking interviewers to survey U.S. Hispanic consumers in their homes nationwide as the New York firm integrates that minority group into its “Survey of the American Consumer” product.
Until this decision, Mediamark typically conducted most interviews with Hispanics in English. When done, Spanish-language interviews were conducted on an ad-hoc basis with the help of translation by a relative or neighbor.
Such research aims to recognize the several levels of acculturation and differing media choices of the many segments within the domestic Hispanic population.
Mediamark, known for its magazine audience and multimedia research, runs 26,000 in-home interviews yearly with U.S. adults on their media consumption and use of products and services. Founded in 1979, Mediamark is part of NOP World, a wholly owned arm of British news group United Business Media.
With this move, Mediamark effects many changes to the survey. All interview support material has been translated into Spanish. The firm is hiring a mobile bilingual staff to interview respondents in Spanish-isolated households. Questions on language capability and country of origin have been added to the personal interview.
Also, questions measuring the viewing of 135-plus Spanish-language television programs have been incorporated into Mediamark's self-administered, in-home questionnaire.
Once the fieldwork is completed, the firm claims, clients can compare and contrast media and product use, attitudes and demographics of Hispanics and general-market consumers in a single piece of research.
More specifically, marketers will be able to glean TV, radio and Internet use by Hispanics versus the general market. The comparison will extend to 6,000 product and service brands across 550 categories, demographics and attitudes.
Mediamark's survey will allow data to be parsed by Spanish-preferred or dominant capability, English or bilingual.
