The New York Times Co. is about to increase targeted marketing efforts among Hispanic readers in the New York City area.
The new focus follows similar moves among other large dailies, particularly in Florida, Texas and the West. Nationwide, the Hispanic population is estimated at 11 percent, but that number is expected to increase to 25 percent by 2025. Hispanics account for 34 percent of the population in California.
Alyse Myers, vice president of marketing services, said the company’s “integrated Hispanic marketing effort in New York simply represents the continuation of our efforts to reach ethnic segments, both within New York as well as in our national markets.”
Myers said the Times considers its Hispanic readers to be part of an overall multicultural consumer marketplace, one that now makes up 65 percent of the New York City area’s population. She said it was essential that “we build strong relationships with diverse groups in our home market.”
But as other daily publications have learned, winning over consumers who may already read or subscribe to a Spanish-language news publication requires sophisticated targeted marketing. The Times recently hired The Bravo Group, an integrated Hispanic communications agency in New York, to help it develop key marketing initiatives through print advertising, targeted direct mail, and media planning and buying in both online and offline markets.
The Bravo Group’s initial work for The Times will likely involve heavy research into Hispanic users’ online interests, especially following news late last month that The New York Times Co.’s year-over-year traffic for May increased at all three of its largest Web sites.
Media Metrix, New York, reported that page views rose 41.9 percent at NYTimes.com, 60.3 percent at Boston.com and 47.1 percent at NYToday.com. Overall visits grew 27.7 percent at NYTimes.com and 74.8 percent at NYToday.com. The New York Times Co. also publishes The Boston Globe and 22 other newspapers, and manages 10 broadcast television and radio stations.
Linda DeJesus, a spokeswoman for The Bravo Group, said daily publications are paying more attention to the Hispanic marketplace because it constitutes a growing share of the overall marketplace. However, she said, knowing your target is not enough.
“It’s important to be culturally relevant,” she said. “Reaching this market is not just about language; you have to speak to issues that are relevant to your target. If you’re not focusing in a way that is culturally meaningful to [Hispanic] consumers, you’re missing your target.”
The Bravo Group estimates Hispanic buying power at $365 billion nationally, a figure that is expected to double by 2010.
There are three daily versions of The New York Times — the New York edition, the Northeast editions and the national edition. As of March 31, 1999, total net paid circulation for The Times was about 1.1 million copies on weekdays and 1.7 million copies on Sundays.
