The Caribbean Island of Puerto Rico’s digital landscape can be explained in part by its political landscape. Its constitutional status as a territory of the United States makes the country an anomaly in the Latin American region and, therefore, a remarkable case to study. The duality created by the island’s unique position at the crossroads of the United States and Latin America extends to every aspect of Puerto Rican life, ranging from its system of government all the way to its culture. Not surprisingly, the digital behavior of Puerto Ricans is no exception to this pattern. At once, we see how the advantages and barriers caused by these circumstances ultimately determine the way Puerto Rico interacts with the digital world around it.

Advantages and Barriers

The main barriers to increasing digital adoption in Puerto Rico have roots in economics and demographics. Economically, the island is at the same time positively and negatively impacted by its relationship to the United Sates.

On one side, it does have access (albeit somewhat limited) to many of the infrastructural advantages enjoyed by a world power like the United States. There is a relatively good broadband network and an ever-growing presence of Wi-Fi availability.

But on the other side, the island has suffered the brunt of the mainland’s economic crisis perhaps more than any other state in the union. Puerto Rico has an unemployment rate of 14%, nearly double the rate in the United States. The digital barrier becomes more apparent, however, when the island’s fragile economic state is not necessarily reflected on the average the cost of Internet access. Even though, if it were a state, Puerto Rico would be by far the poorest one in the United States, the cost of Internet access in the island is similar to the cost of access in many wealthier states. In other words, the price of having a fast, reliable connection in Puerto Rico is significantly more expensive than anywhere else in Latin America. The average monthly rate for a basic, 1 MBps broadband Internet service in Puerto Rico is $38 (USD), more than double the rate in Colombia ($15) and four times the rate in Argentina ($9). Therefore, Puerto Rico’s comparatively lower level of adoption (less than half of all adults have access) is explained partly by the fact that being connected is simply not affordable.

Demographically, Puerto Rico faces the burden of a rapidly aging population. Adults over 60, a segment notorious for lower digital adoption rates, currently represent over 20% of the population and thus bring down the overall figure of 48%. However, it is crucial to note that this estimate leaves out the young adult segment, which is known for a very high adoption rate. If we consider this segment as part of the overall population estimate, the digital adoption rate would jump to approximately 57%. This behavioral difference according to age group is also important to consider when we move beyond digital adoption and get to digital usage. As we will see later on, the story is quite different when we compare Puerto Rico to the rest of Latin America in this category.

The good news is that these barriers are not insurmountable. Several government projects, both at local and federal levels, are intended to make the Internet more accessible to Puerto Ricans. These include special funds and subsidies to lower-income families, expanded free Wi-Fi zones, and new efforts to extend broadband coverage throughout the island.

The Rise of Mobile

Even though the rate of digital adoption might be lower than some other countries in the region, the level of usage and affinity is higher than any other country. An explanation for this fact begins and ends with the explosive rise of mobile in Puerto Rico. As we are part of the United States’ telecommunications market, access to mobile phones (particularly smartphones) is greater than any other country in Latin America. While many Latin American countries still see widespread use of “traditional” cell phones, advanced devices such as Android phones and iPhones dominate the Puerto Rican mobile market.

Greater mobile usage is also explained by culture. In Puerto Rico, owning a mobile phone is perceived more as a necessity than as a luxury. Many Puerto Ricans concur that it gives them a heightened sense of security in the face of emergency, particularly in a country with a large crime rate.

This usage pattern suggests a clear course of action for marketers. The main, and often only, access point to the Internet in Puerto Rico is through a mobile device. As the segment continues to grow, brands must create content that adapts well to mobile devices. They also need to take advantage of the island’s overall high rate of digital usage and affinity. As the Puerto Rican consumer is eager for quality engagement through a variety of digital platforms, agencies should capitalize on this enthusiasm through innovative and relevant digital efforts to help brands connect on a deeper level.

Digital Bilingualism

To achieve this we first need to figure out the consumer’s digital activity. Once they are connected, where do they go? What do they do? In this matter, Puerto Rico’s relationship with the United States is, once again, important to consider. Puerto Ricans tend to visit the same websites and use the same networks that are popular in the United States. Moreover, because of their bilingual and bicultural upbringing, many Puerto Ricans consume digital content in both Spanish and English.

For marketers, this is particularly important when it comes to buying online media. They must keep in mind that Puerto Ricans visit sites from Puerto Rico and the United States with almost the same amount of frequency.

Social Addiction

Any discussion about digital behavior today is not very useful without an in-depth look at social networking. Given Puerto Rico’s relatively high level of digital usage and affinity, it is no wonder that 47% of Puerto Ricans (most likely driven by the young age groups) admit that they are “somewhat addicted” to social networks.

Getting into specifics, Facebook overwhelmingly takes most of the usage share. Twitter stands at a distant second place, although emerging platforms like Instagram and Pinterest are experiencing remarkable growth.

Puerto Rico’s significant presence in the social sphere is due in part to its high mobile usage and engagement. As the main social networks offer mobile applications and platforms, many Puerto Ricans access them primarily while on the move.

This presents both an opportunity and a challenge to brands. Even while social media penetration is high, that alone does not guarantee that local consumers are open to interacting with brands. In this arena, brands must find the way to communicate less from a sales point of view and more as part of a two-way conversation in which both the brand and the consumer get something valuable and gratifying. If this is done well, social media interaction provides a unique opportunity to get to know a Puerto Rican consumer they already know is more than willing to share.

Purchasing Power

Online shopping also sets Puerto Rico apart from Latin America. More Puerto Ricans who have Internet access shop regularly online more than any other Latin American nationality. Again, Puerto Rico’s standing as a territory of the United States offers several incentives that promote the widespread use of online shopping. Puerto Ricans can purchase from large United States online retailers more easily because of the country’s status as a “domestic” destination. Therefore, shipping and tax fees tend to be lower than international rates. Making purchases online is also a way to avoid paying local sales taxes.

Cultural peculiarities also help explain why Puerto Rico leads the online shopping chart in Latin America. Puerto Rico’s middle class tends to be consumerist. In plain words, Puerto Ricans like their shopping, particularly when it comes to tech goods. A need to have the latest gadgets is often fuel for online traffic to retail sites.

For brands, marketing implications of this digital consumer behavior are more than clear. Puerto Ricans have proven they are more than willing to shop online. Therefore, a brand that fails to expand operations in order to promote or sell a product or service in that medium may be missing out on a huge opportunity. Brands that have already done this must extend their efforts to communication efforts to what happens after a purchase. Getting new customers is crucial for growth, but maintaining them is equally important. For instance, some brands in Puerto Rico have already started using digital tools such as behavioral targeting and retargeting in order to get to know their consumer’s shopping patterns better and offer them products and services more tailored to their interests and needs.

We are Addicted Netizens

According to the JWT Digilats digital persona categories, Puerto Rico would clearly fall under the Addicted Netizens group. Even though the country’s rate of Internet access is not the highest in the region, those who are connected tend to be heavily committed users. On average, Puerto Rican Internet users are more than comfortable on social networks, online stores, and a wide variety of digital platforms.

In short, Puerto Ricans are using more devices to access more platforms to do more things than ever while connecting to the Internet. Local marketers need to be aware of this in order to come up with successful efforts for their brands. Content needs to be smarter and more creative. But most of all, it needs to be ubiquitous, working on desktop and mobile platforms alike. Puerto Rico might be a small island, but if a brand wants to reach digital Puerto Rican consumers, it needs to be everywhere.