When it comes to TV viewing, women of all ages spend more time than their male counterparts. Women ages 2+ watch nearly 16 hours of traditional TV more per month than men. On the flipside, men consistently spend more time streaming video online.

Older Americans (65+) watch more than twice as much traditional TV as teens, and roughly 37 percent more TV than those ages 35-49. In terms of the size of the audience, Americans 50-64 make up the largest segment of the traditional TV audience (25%). Interestingly, adults 35-49 represent the largest segment of the Internet video audience (27%) and Americans 25-34 dominate the mobile video audience (30%).

There are also distinct viewing trends by ethnicity, with African-Americans watching the most video content.

• When it comes to traditional TV, African-Americans tune in nearly 213 hours per month, more than twice as much as Asians and roughly 57 hours more than Whites. African-Americans also watch the most mobile video, though less time-shifted TV than the general population.
• Asians have emerged as the hands-down leader in time spent watching video on the Internet, averaging six-plus hours more per month than Whites and nearly four hours more per month than the next closest ethnic group, Hispanics. Asians also watch far less traditional TV than the general population.
• Hispanics watch less traditional TV but more Internet video than the general population, but not at the level of the Asian population.
• Whites watch by far the most time-shifted TV—nearly 50 percent more than Asians, the next closest ethnic group—when looking at all TV homes. They continue to watch the most when the field narrows to only homes with DVRs. Whites also watch less video on the Internet or mobile phones than other ethnic groups.

For more detail on methodology, viewing demographics, mobile video, timeshifted TV, and Internet video, download Nielsen’s Cross-Platform Report.

“A general understanding of those aged under 25 and over 54 is lacking,” said McDonough. “Many of the long-held beliefs about these groups’ purchasing and media habits are just plain wrong.”

The over-55 age group is important not only because of their growth rate, but also because their value as consumers and their relevance as media users.

“The misconception is that spending drops for people in this age group, and that they’re set in their ways,” added Stagaman. “But those in the 55+ age group are just as likely to switch brands as those aged 25-54, and the two groups’ buying rates almost match.”

The 55+ age group logs the most hours watching TV per day (6.5 hours), and also spends 85 minutes per day online—15 more minutes than those in the 12-24 age group. And in both groups, 75 percent are online and watching TV simultaneously, which can double ad recall.

Marketers tend to underestimate the value of those under 25 as well. “This age group is extremely important as a point of entry for products and brands,” said Stagaman. Capturing the culture and attitudes of those in this group allows manufacturers and retailers to establish and build their brands with these consumers as they age.

In order to speak to the under 25 age group effectively, marketers must keep in mind that the young consumer population grows more ethnically diverse every day. By January 2012, almost half of the under 25 market will be multicultural.

The key opportunity with young consumers falls around the fact that they hold significant sway over household purchases, including food, clothing, movie tickets and fast food. Often they’re considered the default family experts on major household electronic purchases. In fact, when purchasing tablets (88%) and smartphones (72%), the great majority of families rely on the influence of younger consumers when selecting a brand.

Those under 25 and over 54 need to be an integral part of the marketing mix, not only because of their growth rates, but because of their value as consumers and relevance as media users. Taking a closer look reveals incredible opportunities. “Overall, we need to adjust our marketing mix as we understand who we are truly reaching,” says McDonough, “…and more importantly who we’re missing.”

Kids Today…

• Are the Heaviest Mobile Video Viewers: On average, mobile subscribers ages 12-17 watched 7 hours 13 minutes of mobile video a month in Q4 2010, compared to 4 hours 20 minutes for the general population.
• Are More Receptive to Mobile Advertising than their Elders: More than half (58%) surveyed in September 2010 said they “always” or “sometimes” look at mobile ads.
• Out-Text All Other Age Groups: In Q1 2011, teens 13-17 sent an average of 3,364 mobile texts per month, more than doubling the rate of the next most active texting demo, 18-24 year olds (1,640 texts per month).
• Talk Less on the Phone: Besides seniors 65-plus, teens talk the least on their phones, talking an average of 515 minutes per month in Q1 2011 versus more than 750 minutes among 18-24 year olds.
• Grew Up in the Age of Social Media—and It Shows: While they make up just 7.4 percent of those using social networks, 78.7 percent of 12-17 year olds visited social networks or blogs.
• Watch Less TV than the General Population: The average American watched 34 hours 39 minutes of TV per week in Q4 2010, a year-over-year increase of two minutes. Teens age 12-17 watch the least amount of TV on average (23 hours 41 minutes per week).
• Spend Less Time on their Computers: American 18 year olds averaged 39 hours, 50 minutes online from their home computers, of which 5 hours, 26 minutes was spent streaming online video per month.

From what people watch to what they buy, behavior across ethnic groups in the U.S. is as diverse as the groups themselves. A closer look at the multicultural landscape by The Nielsen Company reveals how consumers utilize the same resources differently. The findings show that African Americans are TV-centric, Hispanics are savvy smartphone users, and Asians/Pacific Islanders are heavily wired to the Internet. In retail, African Americans shop the most frequently; Hispanics shop less often but spend more than others; and Asians/Pacific Islanders take the most advantage of deals and promotions.

Multicultural Multimedia
African Americans are the heaviest TV consumers, watching 6 hours and 54 minutes a day versus the 5 hour and 11 minute average for all U.S. households. More than 30 percent of African American households have four or more televisions, and they over-index in subscription to premium cable services. On their mobile phones, they use more voice minutes than other groups (1,261 minutes per month).

Hispanics are very active on their smartphones, texting the most out of all races/ethnicities (943 texts per month) and employing a wide range of mobile activities, including mobile banking. Smartphone penetration has reached 45 percent, matching only Asian-American usage levels in popularity.

Asians/Pacific Islanders are the most active PC and Internet users, spending nearly 80 hours on PCs in February 2011 versus the national average of about 55 hours. They also consume more Internet content than any other group, visiting 3,600 web pages in February – about 1,000 more than their counterparts. Although they watch the least amount of TV (3 hours and 14 minutes per day), they stream the most online video, averaging 10 hours and 39 minutes in February – more than double the overall mean of 4 hours and 20 minutes.

Different Retail Channels for Diverse Needs
African-Americans shop more frequently than other ethnicities, but spend less on each trip and on an annual basis. Compared to other households, African-Americans make relatively fewer trips to major channels like grocery stores and supercenters, but are more frequent shoppers in smaller retailers like drug stores, dollar stores and convenience/gas channels. Spending on basic food ingredients, non-alcoholic beverages, and personal and beauty care products exceeds the U.S. average.

Hispanics shop less often than other ethnicities, but spend more on each trip and annually. English-preferred Hispanics are more frequent shoppers in supercenters, mass merchandisers and drugstores, while Spanish-preferred Hispanics outpace English-preferred in trips to dollar stores, convenience/gas stations and warehouse clubs. Hispanic households spend disproportionately more than the U.S. average on staple ingredients such as dried vegetables and grains, shortening oil, flour and seasonings and spices. They also buy more men’s and women’s beauty products and baby-related items than the average U.S. consumer.

Asians/Pacific Islanders offset slightly lower per trip spending with more frequent shopping than White Non-Hispanics. Asians also get the biggest bang for their buck, buying close to 31 percent of purchases on deal. Asian/Pacific Americans bring home far more fresh produce, nuts, dried fruit, pasta, yogurt, soup and juice & drinks compared to the U.S. average. With higher birth rates, they show a disproportionate amount of sales for baby categories. Their spending on skin care and oral hygiene also index well above average.

For more information, refer to Nielsen’s Digital American Family Report.

Ad Darlings
While a top draw for marketers, moms can be hard to reach. In broadcast primetime, ad recall levels are 8 percent lower among moms 25-54 than non-moms of the same age and the general population. Nielsen has found that the ads that resonate most with moms are often family- and convenience-oriented with relatable characters/situations, sentimental tonality and good natured humor. A heavy focus on products/services tends to reduce ad effectiveness among moms.  For moms, the 30-second sitcom (or drama) might just snag her much-divided attention.

Social Butterflies
Moms with kids under 18 are 19 percent more likely than the general population to engage in social networking, and even more likely to become a fan or follow a brand (31% more likely), become a fan or follow a celebrity (24% more likely) and comment on others postings (27% more likely).  Moms account for one-fourth of all video streams occurring on social networks, and are also more likely to post their own content:

• photos (37% more likely)
• links/articles/videos (25%)
• status updates (33%)

Using the Internet for personal communication is also very high among mothers, with moms 37 percent more likely to send/receive invites online, 17 percent more likely to use instant messaging and 14 percent more likely to make/receive voice calls online.

Moms make up more than one-fifth of online video viewers and spent an average of 258 minutes viewing online video in March 2011.  Compared to the overall usage in the US, Moms spent 25% more time, about 52 minutes longer on average, viewing online video from Home PCs.

Savvy Shoppers
Households with kids under 18 might make up a third of U.S. households, yet they are responsible for roughly half of all purchases of cereal, juice, fresh meat and prepared food (dry mixes).  Moms also overindex for shopping for groceries online.

However, when it comes to general shopping online, they are on par with other online adults. Moms are more likely to shop for media items: books (11% more likely than the adult online population), magazines (20%), digital music (15%), video games (7%).  On the flipside, they tend to shy away from any investment shopping (53% less likely).  They under-trend for shopping for stocks, credit reports, mutual funds and money markets.

Reality Stars
For the 2010-2011 season, reality TV programs have been the big winners among women ages 25-54 in broadcast primetime.  In fact, the top four broadcast programs women ages 25-54 watched were reality TV as were half of the top 20 shows watched by this audience.  Football also made the top 10, which isn’t that surprising since the NFL Regular Season has seen a steady increase in its female fan base over the years.

There are more than 50 million Hispanics living in the United States, making them the single largest ethnic group, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. If U.S. Hispanics were a country, they would rank as the 12th largest global economy, somewhere between Mexico and Australia, commanding more than $1 trillion in purchasing power. The fact that U.S. Hispanics represent more than half (56%) of net population growth from 2000 to 2010 and are projected to contribute 100 percent of the population growth between the ages of 18-49, is game changing.

By 2050, Hispanics are projected to account for more than 30 percent of the U.S. population – a significant growth driver that marketers can no longer overlook. But the questions for many remain:

• How do I reach and successfully engage Hispanics?
• Will general market campaigns capture enough of the Hispanic demographic?
• Is online relevant?
• Should I consider mobile in my market mix?

To answer these questions, Nielsen breaks down the prevailing myths surrounding Hispanic interaction with today’s media.

Myth #1: Bilingual Hispanics don’t watch Spanish television

There is a belief that once Hispanics learn to speak English well and become bilingual, they become “acculturated” and use English as their primary language. However, acculturation is a process rather than an absolute classification whereby Hispanics adopt American customs while still guarding their culture, heritage and traditions. While 77 percent of U.S. Hispanics speak English well, according to current American Community Survey estimates, 61 percent of Hispanics aged 18+ tell Nielsen they prefer to speak Spanish in their homes versus only 17 percent who say they speak only English. Spanish language remains a core component of the Hispanic home long after English proficiency is gained. Language spoken at home rather than English ability tends to be a better indicator of TV viewing behavior.

While there is general consensus that Spanish-language-dominant homes (speak mostly or only Spanish) predominately watch Spanish-language TV, there is debate about viewing patterns in multi-language homes (where English and Spanish are spoken equally). The viewing breakdown during the 2009-2010 TV season for persons 18-49 is as follows:

• Spanish-language-dominant homes viewed 78 percent of TV in Spanish.
• Multi-language homes viewed about 50 percent Spanish-language TV.
• English-language-dominant homes (speak mostly or only English) spent only three percent of time viewing Spanish-language TV.

Digging deeper into a multi-language home reveals that English- and Spanish-dominant members primarily watch TV in their preferred language, but as expected, the time spent viewing in English and Spanish language eases towards the middle. English-dominant Hispanics in multi-language homes spend 80 percent of viewing on average in English and 20 percent in Spanish versus English-dominant-homes where the split is about 97 percent English and three percent Spanish.

The same movement toward the middle is seen with Spanish-dominant members in a multi-language home where 65 percent of viewing is in Spanish versus 77 percent for a Spanish-dominant home. Despite the variability across the different Hispanic language groups, in 2010, the top ten broadcast shows for the Hispanic demographic were all Spanish-language programs. The fact that the majority of Hispanics aged 18+ prefer to speak Spanish at home underscores the growing need for advertisers to better connect with Hispanics in the native language.

Myth #2: I can reach Hispanics through my general market campaigns; Spanish-Language advertising is an expendable part of my budget

In 2010,Nielsen reports that only 75 percent of the top 200 advertisers spent money on Spanish-language cable or broadcast, and those that did only spent about eight percent of the total advertising budget on Spanish-language TV.

For English-language television, Hispanic viewing time is dispersed over a large number of networks, while Spanish-language viewing is more concentrated. A brand advertised across all English-language national broadcast networks in primetime would only reach about 40 percent of all Hispanics aged 18-49, while a Spanish-language broadcast would reach 53 percent. However, when looking into Hispanics 18-49 who are Spanish-language dominant, the gap widens substantially. An English-language broadcast campaign in primetime only reaches 19 percent of Spanish-language dominant Hispanics versus a Spanish-language campaign that reaches 85 percent of Spanish-language dominant Hispanics over a month. That’s a difference of 5.6 million Spanish-language-dominant Hispanics 18-49 or roughly 60 percent of the demographic. A primetime English-language-focused broadcast campaign effectively leaves out Spanish-dominant Hispanics.

Besides providing access to a unique audience, Spanish-language advertising is generally more effective than English-language advertising for Hispanics. Nielsen’s advertising effectiveness studies show that advertisers who translate English ads into Spanish receive an increase in general recall among Hispanics when compared to general market English-language commercials. However, original Spanish ads (ads that do not have an English counterpart or that are based on existing ads by modifying the narrative and soundtrack) see a 15 percent general recall lift from English-dominant Hispanics and a 69 percent general recall increase from Spanish-dominant Hispanics. Two reasons for this effect are that Spanish ads create a deeper personal connection to Hispanic consumers and Hispanics are less likely to time shift Spanish-language programming.

While only 30 percent of Hispanic homes have DVRs compared with 38 percent for the general market, the format in Spanish-language television programming (i.e., daily novellas) make it less likely to be time shifted than English-language TV. As an example, during 2010, English-dominant Hispanics were twice as likely to time shift programs in English as in Spanish while Spanish-dominant Hispanics were three times more likely to do so.

Myth #3: Hispanics are late adopters of technology, so using online and mobile campaigns is unnecessary

According to Nielsen 2010 universe estimates, approximately 30 million Hispanics (62%) have access to the Internet at home. Include the number of Hispanics who have online access via work, school or in other public places and Internet penetration rises to about 88 percent. And mobile Internet access closes this gap even further, since Hispanics are more likely to have a video and Internet enabled cell phone than the general market (44% vs. 35%). While Hispanics spend 20 percent less time online than non-Hispanics, they stream twice as much video online, accounting for almost 30 percent of their online activity.

New studies are finding that Hispanics are equally, if not more involved in emerging technologies than the general market. A recent look at Nielsen’s national people meter panel reveals that Hispanics are just as likely as non-Hispanics to own an HDTV (69% vs.66%). And Nielsen’s 2010 Q4 mobile insights survey of more than 50,000 people and more than 8,000 Hispanics reveals that Hispanics are not only more likely to own a smartphone, but also they are part of the most valuable mobile consumer segments, carrying an average monthly bill that is 14 percent higher than the market average. Hispanics also lead all ethnic groups with an average of 40 percent more calls made per day and are the most likely ethnic group to use text messaging, mobile Internet and e-mail. They are also more likely to download pictures or music on mobile devices.

The Hispanic consumer represents the greatest potential for sustained growth in the U.S. today. At the current rate of expansion, Hispanics will drive population growth and, in turn, consumption in America for the next generation. Reaching Hispanics effectively should be at the top of every marketer’s to-do list. Hispanics actively embrace new technologies and platforms, while keeping close ties to their roots, especially language. And while Hispanics do consume English-language media, Spanish-language media holds the key to connecting with the greatest number of Hispanic consumers most effectively.

Download related Nielsen information about Hispanic and media.

Quick Facts

• High income families view less TV but spend more time viewing with kids, using time-shifted media four times more often than low income households.
• Mobile serves as a key source of connectivity within the Hispanic community. They are more likely than the average household to have cell phones with Internet (55%) and video (40%) capabilities and text more than any other race or ethnicity, sending 943 texts per month.
• African-American media habits are TV- and mobile-centric. They own four or more sets per household and spend almost 40 percent more time watching TV, especially premium cable channels, than the U.S. average. African Americans also run up more mobile voice minutes per month—1,261—than any other group.
• Asian-Americans exhibit a huge appetite for online media, logging 80 hours on the Internet and viewing 3,600 web pages, 3.5 times more than any other ethnic group.
• Marriage is so 20th century! In 1960, 72 percent of the adult population was married. By 2008, that number plummeted to 52 percent. The college educated have the highest marriage rates; those with a high school education or less, the lowest rates.

For more, download the report The New Digital American Family.

With its political stability, economic development and improved income distribution, Brazil stands out among world economies – even among the other “BRIC” countries. It possesses an adequate energy supply, abundant raw materials and an absence of ethnic or territorial conflicts. So it should be no surprise that the retail sector posted solid growth of 5.7 percent in volume and 5.5 percent in value in 2010. But what might surprise some observers is that much of that growth is being driven by consumers in the lower socioeconomic levels (SELs).

Consumers from lower and middle SELs shop more frequently than others and contributed 65 percent of the total increase in Brazilian consumption. These groups – which combined make up about 59 percent of all consumers – are now playing an important role in the future of the economy.

These same consumers now have access to categories with greater added value and to brands with price positioning above the market average, all of which have become part of their shopping baskets. This has influenced the growth of several categories, through the different drivers mapped in 2010.

Brazilians are also more open to trying new products and different categories, thereby prompting new product uses and changing consumers’ habits.

To meet the demands of these consumers, manufacturers of fast moving consumer goods (FMCGs) stepped up their games in terms of product variety and innovation. Nielsen found that those factors, along with offering price and assertive distribution, formed the pillars of solid growth in 2010. The top 40 FMCG manufacturers have grown by 7.4 percent, with the top 10 contributing additional revenues of R$ 9.4 billion.

This growth has been achieved by understanding the dynamics of consumption, by taking strong action on growth drivers, and by focusing on innovation, launches and precision in execution. Manufacturers have become more assertive in their decisions and offer more affordable products to the low and middle classes. As Brazil’s economy continues to grow, we expect these trends to continue for the foreseeable future.

Grandparents are a family’s greatest treasure. They enrich the lives of their grandchildren with traditions, stories, home-cooked meals and unconditional love. For many, their greatest joy is to lavish with love and spoil with splendor. And considering grandparents represent a sizable target (69.6 million according to Grandparents.com), which will continue to grow another 11 percent between now and 2015, retailers and manufacturers would be wise to tap into the “multiplier effect” they represent.

Doting Dollars
Nielsen’s research reveals that grandparent households spend 4.4 percent more per year than all other households, which equates to an extra spend of more than $300 a year. Interestingly, having multiple grandchildren does not translate to more spending. In fact, grandparents in the survey with only one grandchild actually spend two times more than grandparents with 2–10 grandkids. The exception is grandparents with more than 10 grandkids – they actually spend $79 less per year than non-grandparent households.

Grandparents with one grandchild are likely younger and still working and may be more inclined to show their love with greater spending. Similarly, households with more grandkids are likely to be older and therefore have weaker spending power.

Fully 39 percent of grandparents in the Nielsen survey provide some kind of support to help their grandchildren. Nearly one in four (23%) buy clothing for their grandkids and one in five purchase food and beverages. Mom and dad benefit too, as grandparents help out with household and personal care purchases (16%), education expenses (10%), daycare costs (8%) and medical care/doctor visits (5%).

Retail Therapy
With more free time on their hands, grandparents shop more frequently than the average consumer on an all-outlet basis, but where they shop and what buy might come as a surprise considering the status of their empty-nest household. This is especially true for grandparents with just one grandchild who over index considerably for spending on toys and sporting goods, and all things baby: baby food, disposable diapers and other basic necessities. And, of course, no grandparent can resist showing off their beautiful grandchildren with a brag book full of photos.

Grandparent households spend more than average in a number of retail channels – especially those with greater gift-giving options. Supercenters, warehouse club outlets, dollar stores and convenience/gas chains all over index compared to non-grandparent households. With fewer mouths to feed, it is no surprise that they spend less than average in the grocery channel.  However, Nielsen’s research also showed how grandparents who see their grandchildren daily or several times per week (one-third of those surveyed) are bigger spenders, suggesting opportunities for grocers to take advantage of those frequent visits.

Accessible and Connected
If you want to reach grandparents, television is a good bet. Older populations watch more television than their younger counterparts. During fourth quarter 2010, Persons 65+ viewed over 46 hours of live television on a weekly basis (by far the most of any group). They also played back more than 90 minutes of recorded programming each week (the lowest of any group). By comparison, Persons 35-44 viewed over 30 hours of live television and played back more than three hours of recorded programming (the most of any group). With most grandparents free from navigating work schedules and busy households, more time at home is driving some of this behavior.

If you think that older consumers aged 50+ are not digitally savvy, you are mistaken. In fact, in December 2010, Nielsen reports that consumers aged 50+ in the U.S. comprised roughly one-third (32%) of the active Internet audience on average taking into account usage at both home and work locations. And older consumers spent nearly 62 hours online in that month. Sending and receiving email is the most popular online activity, with 82 percent of grandparents finding this mode of communication fast and easy. Paying bills, checking the weather, printing maps and directions, reading the news, visiting social network sites, accessing personal health care information and playing online games are activities enjoyed by a surprisingly high number of older consumers.

Mobile phone usage, while significantly lower for consumers aged 65+ compared to the younger set, it is rapidly catching up. On a monthly basis, they made 104 calls, but only sent or received 41 text messages. Perhaps the hand dexterity of older consumers may contribute to the minimal usage of short message service capabilities – an opportunity for mobile providers to specially design phones for fingers that may not be so nimble anymore. The mobile behavior of the next generation of grandparents is clearly in the “texting” camp.

Redefining Old Age
Today’s older consumers are active, connected and big spenders. And while this segment represents a disproportionate share of marketplace consumption, they are often overlooked in marketing plans. There is a tremendous opportunity to dig deeper to understand what the older set watch and buy. Developing targeted programs designed around their varied needs and desires will prove beneficial for the savvy marketers that tap into these lucrative households.

At 12:01 AM on January 1, 2011 the Baby Boom generation, those aged 47–65 in 2011, started turning 65 around the world. Between then and December 31, 2029, about 10,000 people will reach age 65 every day in the United States alone. But aging is not the sole province of the U.S., or even the more developed world. Of all the countries in the world, only Niger in Saharan Africa will not see an increase in its median age over the next 10 years – it will start to rise after 2020, according to the UN Population Division World Population Prospects.

Population aging is not a short-term trend or even a medium-term one. As most countries will continue to age well into the second half of the 21st century, population aging is a permanent trend and marketers will need new models to reach aging consumers.

Why Age Matters
As populations age, the significance of consumers over the age of 50 will grow in importance. Already in the U.S., the Baby Boom generation accounts for the largest share of sales of any generation across most product categories. Understanding this new marketplace will be essential for brands that will grow in the 21st century.

Nielsen’s report, The Global Impact of an Aging World, based on findings from Nielsen’s global online survey conducted in more than 50 countries brings much to light about retirement and other sentiments around aging. The one thing marketers must accept for certain about Baby Boomers is that they will redefine what it means to be old in exactly the same manner as they redefined what it meant to be young and middle aged. And they will not allow themselves to be ignored.

The Global Impact of an Aging World provides answers to critical questions to help marketers better understand how to navigate the growing aging marketplace:

• Why are we getting older?
• How old is old?
• When can I retire?
• How will I fund retirement?
• How will I spend my time?
• How will I spend my money?

The New/Old Face of Opportunity
Whether you are a manufacturer who makes the products consumers use, a retailer who sells the products to the consumers, or the media who provide the means for both manufacturers and retailers to talk to consumers, you are impacted by the aging profile of consumers. The senior market is affluent, connected and a force for decades to come. And while this segment represents a disproportionate share of marketplace consumption (in the more developed world), they are often overlooked in marketing plans.

The degree and extent of aging taking place across the globe today is unprecedented. Demographers, sociologists, and marketers will need to develop new models and new ways of thinking to understand the shifts we see today and will continue to see for decades to come. Aging is here to stay.

• For more, download the complete report: The Global Impact of an Aging World.