Movie Studios Are Coming After Latino Audiences

Yesterday we told you that beer brands are trying to capitalize on you — part of the Latino market — and are joining Kool Aid, Kmart and the wine industry in this endeavor. Well, the movie studios want a piece of you, too. According to a story from CNN:

Hispanics, now the second-largest group in the U.S., are more likely to go to movies, the Motion Picture Association of America says. Last year, 43 million Hispanics purchased 351 million movie tickets, an MPAA report says, an uptick from the 37 million who bought 300 million tickets the previous year.

And in 2010, when Nielsen examined that coveted group of heavy moviegoers — people who see on average 16 movies a year and contribute to 63 percent of ticket sales — it found that Hispanics make up 26 percent of those frequenting theaters.

Money! But what does that mean? One of our commenters recently asked whether economic power translates into any actual kind of power, and I would say that yes it does. For example, the CNN story goes on to note that studios have taken note that something as simple as say, hiring a bunch of Latino actors to star in “Sin City” even though they’re not “explicit” Latino roles helped boost that film’s take.

So, whether you’re consciously doing it or not, you are making a statement when you spend money. What do you think, am I wrong?

Follow Sara Inés Calderón on Twitter @SaraChicaD