What’s Cool to US Hispanic Millennials in 2014?
What are US Hispanic Millennials into right now? How do perceptions of what’s cool differ between Hispanic and non-Hispanic young people? And has what’s cool changed from last year?
Tr3s has the latest, as part of its soon-to-be released 2014 Hispanic Adult Millennial study. Based on data from that analysis, here is a summary of the Cool List – the top 10 cool things among Millennials ages 19 to 34:
Smartphones are still #1. They topped the Cool List among Hispanics last year – and the smartphone love affair continues in 2014, among both Hispanics and non-Hispanics.
Streaming and e-commerce are new “cool” items. Amazon (#3 among Hispanics, #2 non-Hispanics) and Netflix (#4 among both groups) are new entries on this year’s list. As a retail outlet, Amazon merges the Millennial-friendly qualities of convenience and good prices – in addition being a destination for purchasing or streaming content of all kinds. Netflix’s high position indicates the increasing popularity of streaming, especially among younger adults (it ranks higher among Hispanics 19-29 than 30-34).
Millennials continue to balance tech usage with more intimate personal experiences. Too much technology can be isolating – and Millennials crave activities that make them feel closer to other people. Romance was new to the list this year, ranking #2 among Hispanics and #3 among non-Hispanics. In-person socializing was also on the Cool Lists among Hispanics (#6) and non-Hispanics (#5), appearing for a second year.
Frugality is still “in” when it comes to food. Subway is cheap, convenient, and perceived as a healthier fast food option – and it continued for a second year on the Cool Lists among Hispanics (#5) and non-Hispanics (#9). Diners, which are budget-friendly and comfortable for meeting friends or taking the kids out, also sustained popularity for a second year among Hispanics (#7) and non-Hispanics (#8). And in keeping with Millennials’ disdain for ostentatious displays of wealth and preference for penny-pinching, expensive restaurants are “out” (#10 on the Uncool List among both groups).
Target and Victoria’s Secret are the coolest brick-and-mortar retail stores. Like Amazon, Target offers reasonable prices and the convenience of one-stop shopping. It ranked #8 among Hispanics and narrowly missed the top 10 among non-Hispanics. Victoria’s Secret, a returning favorite from last year, was #9 among Hispanics and also just outside the top 10 among non-Hispanics. Its popularity may be tied to the renewed coolness of romance.
Sports are cooler than video games among Hispanics. In the world of games, the real beat out the virtual among Hispanics this year – watching, playing, or otherwise engaging with sports was #10. Video games, which ranked #7 last year, fell to #12. Among non-Hispanics, however, the reverse was true – video games (#6) outranked sports (#17).
Justin Bieber and The Kardashians are officially uncool. They topped the Uncool List among Hispanics and non-Hispanics alike. Other 2014 uncool items include e-cigarettes, beauty pageants, twerking, WWE, hipsters, and dancing TV shows.