Calle 13 in Latina Magazine

I read Latina magazine and couldn't help but notice that Calle13 was on the cover.


This is rare being that Latina is a women's magazine, like JANE or ALLURE, targeted to Hispanic women (imagine The Red Hot Chili Peppers on the cover of Cosmopolitan, for instance). At the Billboard conference, a panel featuring Reggeaton acts including CALLE 13, was one of the most popular panels. I was surprised how these Grammy winners were really down-to-earth and had a good sense of humor. My favorite was when "Residente" ( a.k.a Rene Rodriguez) made an effort to speak English although everyone in the room could understand Spanish.

MiSpacio? MySpace Latin America Beta Launches

Today during the Billboard Latin American Music Conference, Travis Katz,
senior vice president and general manager of MySpace International,
announced the beta launch of MySpace en Español, a new
Spanish-language version for U.S. based Hispanics. MySpace also
revealed a new pan-regional site in Spanish for Latin American
residents as well as further development plans for localized
communities in Mexico and Brazil.

"We're moving rapidly to build communities that reflect and respect
the lifestyles of our diverse members," said Katz, "MySpace en
Español opens the community even wider, giving our Hispanic members
the choice to share their experiences, connect with family members,
and plan their social lives in either Spanish or English. We look
forward to getting their feedback as we build out these new cultural
communities."

At the conference MySpace was all the buzz. From marketers and artists,
to journalists and music label executives, there wasn't a single panel
discussion that didn't mention how this social networking site has
changed the entertainment and marketing industry forever.




Check out the sites here:
MySpace en Español (http://latino.myspace.com)
MySpace Latinoamérica (http://la.myspace.com)

Networking and Hispanic Golf Tournaments

• The Latino Open is an Orlando fundraiser golf tournament organized by advocacy group Latino Leadership. The purpose of the fundraiser is to engourage Hispanics in the growing professional and enterpreneurial class to network.
  Personally, when I hear the word "network," my eye twitches. (Speaking of which, I will be attending the Billboard Conference in a few days and this event is considered networking heaven-hell for me). But more on this later...

• A 2003 survey showed that 17 percent of whites tee off, compared to 14 percent of Asians, 7 percent of blacks and just 5 percent of Hispanics.

According to this article by HispanicBusiness.com, too many Hispanics have lost out on networking opportunities because they are unfamiliar with the game of golf -- not the most popular recreational outlet in any minority community.


Photo courtesy of the Orlando Sentinel.

Nancy Sharifi, left, and Patricia Urban leaving the Dubsdread Golf Course in Orlando.

Bridal Website Names New Directror

Miami-based Michelle Villalobos is the new executive director of the
U.S. division of Spain's wedding portal, Bodaclickusa.com. Villalobo's
job includes expanding the site beyond the Miami DMA ( designated market area) as well as attracting new advertisers. Previously Villalobos was executive
publisher of Ocean Drive Espanol.
(source: Hispanic Market Weekly)


The website bodaclickusa.com is very helpful for those planning a wedding, especially around South Florida. It also features articles on health, beauty and tips on how to look your best on your wedding day.
I know it tends to appeal to the Hispanic community ( being that "boda" is the word for wedding in Spanish) but being that it is in English, I don't see why it wouldn't be useful to anyone who is planning a wedding.

Now, as for the photo of the bride pictured above-right:
What's the deal with the curled side-burns? That is so not attractive.

Miami Students Create Commericial for Earth Day

Miami Beach High School students received national TV exposure when their commercial, " Garbage Man" aired nationally. The event was part of an Earth Day educational competition sponsored by Atlantic Broadband and Discovery Kids en Español.
Atlantic Broadband will run the spots, in both English and Spanish, through the end of April. In addition, the Miami Beach High School received a donation from Atlantic Broadband and Discovery Kids en Español for upgrades in TV production equipment


I tried finding the commercial on Youtube but had no luck. The video I posted above is another earth day commericial that I found and thought was charming.

Here's a summary of the 30-second spot the students created:
“You are walking down the street when suddenly, unknowingly, and without warning you are pelted with trash from all directions.”
The spot ends with this message: “THE EARTH DOESN’T THROW STUFF AT YOU, SO DON’T THROW STUFF AT IT.”I think that is very cute and orginal. Congrats to the kids in Miami Beach High.

New Jersey Radio Show Asks Listeners to Report Illegal Immigrants

A New Jersey radio show on 101.5 FM started a campaign named " La Cuca Gotcha" encouraging listeners to call in any suspects of illegal immigration. As you can imagine, the Hispanic community was outraged.
(read more...)

''It's a despicable campaign and clearly slanted at Hispanics,'' said New Jersey Assemblyman Wilfredo Caraballo. ``The campaign describes us as bugs that have to be stamped out.''

Craig Carton and Ray Rossi, aka ''The Jersey Guys'' -- apologized publicly to New Jersey's Hispanics. They are known as "shock jocks" and have pulled these types of anticts before.

Their defense is that the campaign is not anti-Hispanic and that they want listeners to help authorities track down illegal immigrants ``of any origin.''

With Imus and the Rutgers team ordeal, it makes me wonder how far we take our freedom of speech. Personally, I'm not for censorship, but I am for manners and class.

Cool Hispanic Website from Missouri

While doing research for this blog, I came across the site MiLatino.com-a dynamic new player in the Latino web site market targeting 2nd generation, acculturated, bilingual Latinos ( source: MiLatino media kit).

MiLatino began in July 2006 when it was incorporated as MiLatino Media LLC in the state of Kansas.

I am impressed by how well-thought out and informative this site is. The site contains music videos, community news, sports, and even features some original reporting. I think it is a good site for Hispanic's living, or thinking about moving to, Kansas City, Dallas-Fort Worth and Missouri.

Internet Usage Among Young Hispanics

Only 56 percent of the nearly 43 million U.S. Hispanics use the Internet at all, versus 71 percent of non-Hispanic whites, according to a report released last week by Pew Hispanic Center.

The Hispanic Internet market may not be growing as fast as predicted, but it is changing. Broadband-video hubs such as Voy TV and Barrio305.com have emerged, looking to become the YouTube of the Hispanic world. Pioneer sites such as QuePasa.com and MiGente.com have been revamped as social networking explodes. It seems that everyone is trying to get on the Myspace-YouTube bandwagon.


Currently Hispanic online media space is dominated by Univision.com and by the Spanish-language versions of the Internet's top portals: MSN, AOL and the recently formed Yahoo! Telemundo. These are all TV extensions, not purely web portals. ( source: Media y Medios )


(side note: Unfortunately, my curiosity got the best of me and I visited Voy TV. Okay, pretty much, it is a soft-porn site. If you click " top videos" , all you see are girls in thongs. Ugh, another dissapointing Hispanic website. What a shame, so dissapointing.)

Zol 95 Morning Show Hosts Suddenly Resign

Enrique Santos and Joe Ferrero of El
Vacilón de la Mañana on WXDJ El Zol (95.7 FM) have resigned from their hosting positions.

This DJ'ing pair (Santos pictured left, Ferrero right) is
famous for pulling an on-air prank to Cuban President Fidel Castro and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez back in 2003.

Everyone, from employees at Spanish Broadcasting Systems to regular listeners, have been taken by surprise.
Santos told Hispanic Market Weekly that he and Ferrero acted after Liliana Rodríguez, host of El Zol’s afternoon show and daughter of singer José Luis ‘El Puma’Rodriguez, made fun of Vacilón during her first stint as afternoon drive
host. ''She was laughing, saying we've had enough of El Vacilón, things are gonna change,'' Santos told The Miami Herald.

It seems to me that these pranksters couldn't handle being on the other said of the joke. Like I tell my good friend Steve who LOVES pulling pranks but hates being made fun of: If you can't take it, don't dish it.

Univision Names New CEO

On April 1, Joe Uva will become chief executive officer of Univisión. Uva, the current chief executive officer of OMD Worldwide, is replacing Jerrold Perenchio,who stepped down as chairman."Univisión has enormous growth opportunities ahead of
it, and we are very pleased that an executive with Joe Uva's broad media experience, leadership abilities, and entrepreneurial qualities will be driving our
efforts to build value and take the company to the next level," said Broadcasting Media Partners Inc ("BMPI"), the investor group that is acquiring Univisión Communications.

( source: Hispanic Market Weekly read more )

Univision is the popular girl in high-school;full of drama, constantly sticking gum in Telemundo's hair and tripping poor Mexican Televisa during gym class.

Televisa has had enough of Univision and recently reaffirmed its intention of selling its 11% stake in the company .

I wonder how things will unravel once Uva takes his official post come April.

Stay tuned...

Univision Hit With Record Fine

You mean this isn't "educational?"But but, I learned how to shake it without breaking it.

According to the FCC, Univision Communications Inc. agreed to pay a $24 million penalty for its failure to meet the Children's Television Act, a 1996 regulation that requires networks to broadcast at least three hours a week of educational children's programming. The fine will allow the company to proceed with a $12 billion private equity buyout.

Univision maintained that it met those requirements by broadcasting several telenovelas, among them "Complices al Rescate," about 11-year-old twin girls who swapped identities after learning they were separated at birth. ( This sounds more traumatic than educational!)

The FCC however, did not agree. ( continue reading more: New York Times)

So you mean all those hours of " Sabado Gigante" and " El Gordo y La Flaca" weren't considered educational?! This explains a lot...

NEW AT&T PLACES LATINOS AT EXECUTIVE POSTS

Here we go again, another cellular -service -provider merger.
Following the acquisition of BellSouth Corp. by AT&T in late 2006, ( good-bye Cingular) the company continues to focus on its commitment to the Hispanic community. As part of this initiative towards diversity, AT&T has appointed several Latino leaders to key executive positions. Among them are Ralph de la Vega ( left) who has been named group president of wireline operations, and Thaddeus Arroyo (bottom-right) chief information officer.
(source: Hispanic Trends)



“AT&T realizes that diverse, talented and dedicated leadership is key to a company's success,” said Forrest Miller, group president - Strategic Initiatives and Human Resources. “Our new leadership team brings an unparalleled understanding of telecom and of our customers, including the rapidly growing Latino community

At&T knows that Hispanics like to "chismosiar" and will use up lots of minutes. I wouldn't be surprised if after these promotions/appointments, we'll be seeing an increase in Hispanic -targeting AT&T commercials.

On the Go Television

As if you aren't flooded by adverstising enough, L.A. Buses have started to run Spanish and English programming from NBC-owned Stations.

NBC's Spanish-language Telemundo 52 and Canal 22 and mainstream channel KNBC from L.A. , are having their programming aired to be viewed by passengers on board the 2,200 buses fitted with 4,400 screens.

The format of the programs will include five minutes of local news, weather, sports and entertainment every hour and will air on Transit TV, an out-of-home video network based in Orlando.

As if that's not enough....

In addition, Transit TV’s Hispanic content includes material from AIM Tell-A-Vision’s American Latino program, targeting Hispanics in English, as well as Spanish-language music/interview show Raza de Campeones, from independent production company Picabú.

Media Dependency?

Are we really that uncomfortable with ourselves that we can't be left alone or without external entertainment for even a few minutes?

Forget trying to read a book while riding a bus, you can now add television ( advertising) distraction to that experience as well.

Hispanic Magazine Growth Remains Slow

An article in Mediaweek states Hispanic magazine sales are not growing, despite the cultural boom in the Hispanic media market.
According to the Hispanic Magazine Monitor, a service of the Florida-based Media Economics Group, a multicultural market-research firm, ad pages for the entire category in 2006 are flat.
Even with Shakira and America Ferrera ( Ugly Betty star) popularity, bilingual women seem to prefer the Internet over magazine subscriptions:
"In fact, Hispanic magazines received a paltry 2 percent of total Hispanic media spending in 2006, according to a study by TNS Media Intelligence. Hispanic magazine spending in 2006 actually fell 4.4 percent to $96.8 million. On the flip side, Hispanic network TV revenue took 64 percent of that pie, rising 11.4 percent to $3.1 billion". (source: Marketing y Medios)

Magazines targeting Hispanic bilingual women:

• LATINA - fashion, recipes,celebrities. More for 18-28 demographic.
  
  


• Latina Style- Career advice, working young-adult. More for the late-twenties to thirties demographic.
  
  
  
• Siempre Mujer- For older women with children
  

Mun2 Launches Controversial Commericals

Miami Beach-based Hispanic advertising agency La Comunidad created a commercial ad campaign with bilingual-music channel Mun2 ( pronounced, moon-dose). The commercial tag-line is " Are you too gringo?" and features Hispanic teens dreaming about things considered " too American." For example, check out this ad where the Hispanic Teen is asked to keep his dream Hispanic.

What people are saying...
Some people think the spots are stereotypical-but Mun2 creative director Ricardo de Montreuil believes they're just "... taking the rights because we're Latin," and that everyone who works at mun2 is Latino. "We're taking the right to make fun of ourselves. I think it will make a lot of noise on TV and the Internet in a way that no other brands have done before". (continue reading Marketing y Medios article)


What do you think?
Ofcourse you know that I personally, do not like these ads. Don't get me wrong, I find them quite funny and give the agency credit for creativity. But to send the message that dreaming bigger than mowing lawns is not "latin" enough, to young Hispanics is not right. I was never told growing up that I couldn't dream big-in fact, on the contrary, that's what America is for, to dream and make your dreams happen.

JCPenney Launches New Ad Campaign

Does everyday truly matter?


J.C.Penney wants to connect with their customers on a deeper, more emotional level. To do so, the store will launch “Every Day Matters,” an integrated marketing campaign and a change from their " It's All Inside " jingle. Hispanic customers will also be included-a 30 second ad created exclusively for a Hispanic audience by Dieste Harmel Partners starts airing on Feb. 22. The “Cada Di Cuenta” ads will start to air on Univision, during JCPenney's exclusive retail sponsorship of Premio lo Nuestro. ( read the rest of the article)

Personally, I hope they start carrying more stylish clothing. I once offended a JCPenney employee while purchasing a wallet for my father. She enthusiastically asked me if I'd be interested in signing up for a J.C.Penny credit card, and I quickly shot back with a, " pfft! yeah right, this is my mom's store I'd never shop here for myself." She proceeded to roll her eyes at me while throwing the wallet in the bag.

(photo source: Hispanic PR Wire /span>)
Hum, I guess these aren't so bad...

Don't have a Valentine? Try the Internet!

(source: corazones.com)


This Valentine's Day, Quepasa.com, the world's largest bi- cultural, Hispanic Internet community, has acquired Corazones.com, one of the leading online dating sites in the U.S. and Latin America (think match.com but for Hispanics).

According to U.S. News & World Report, in the U.S. alone, more than 40 million Americans have turned to the Internet to find the love.

The union between Quepasa and Corazones.com, one of the best-known Hispanic dating sites, means that your chances of finding a love connection will increase greatly.


For the rest of us, there's always MySpace.

Innovations in Hispanic Marketing-really??

On March 12-14, in the city of Coconut Grove, a marketing conference titled, " Innovations in Hispanic Marketing" , will be held. The conference featuring Roberto Suro, author of the National Survey of Latinos, will deliver a message about the Hispanic population to marketers and advertisers.


The U.S. Hispanic population today is fragmented by sharp differences in age, income, education, geography, immigration status, religion and other influences.

If interested in attending the conference that lasts 3 days, visit here to find out the details.


So for those that didn't know: the Hispanic audience is diverse and your stereotypical ads will no-longer cut it.

Because We expect more from Spanish Television

The title of this post is part of a slogan for a new PBS Spanish-language channel to launch in March. The channel, V-ME TV (pronounced "veh-meh" as in “see me”),offers to give viewers another perspective when it comes to Hispanic television.
"This name speaks volumes," says Mario Baeza, founder and executive chairman of V-me. "Latinos contribute so much to our country, culturally and economically. Yet quality programming in Spanish that reflects that experience, showcases those contributions, and entertains and educates our families, is sorely missing from the landscape".(complete article)
The entire slogan reads:

The Best of Public TV in Spanish…and more!

Because we want to entertain, educate, and inspire our families.Because we want to see ourselves and show ourselves in a positive way.

Because we expect more from Spanish-language television.

I am always complaining about the content of Spanish-language media-stereotypical, sexists and lacks variety- and someone at WNET in New York City heard my cry. Don’t get me wrong-I think there’s still a long way to go before Hispanic television programming completely revamps itself, but adding an educational channel to the mix ( I am a PBS junkie- Globe Trekker anyone?) is a big step towards that goal.

Programming will include:

• Kids - High-quality Spanish-language preschool programs, educational online resources for children and parents, and local activities
• Lifestyle - Latino-focused food, travel, design, home and self improvement, parenting, health and well-being
• Factual and current affairs
• Intelligent entertainment and opinions: history, technology, nature, current affairs, news and biography
• Movies and special events - Contemporary Spanish-language films every night, plus international concerts and special events (source: HispanicAd)

Why is it that whenever I flip-on a Spanish channel, 85% of the time, there will be a promiscuously-dressed woman reciting the current events or weather ?

(photo found on google image is of Jackie Guerrido, Despierta America's weather woman)

Moreover,I don’t appreciate being at a friends house (where the majority in the room are male)and hearing them say, “hey, let’s turn-on the Spanish channel so we can look at some hot Latina chicks!” Perfect example.

For once, I would like to be known for something besides the depth of my cleavage or the tightness of my jeans, and V-Me seems to get that:

Because there are things we want to know and things we want to say. With
history, technology, nature, current affairs, news and biography.

Amen to that.

Premio Lo Nuestro ( an Award show)

The highest-rated annual special among Hispanics in the United States, Premio Lo Nuestro, is set to take place on Thursday, February 22 at 8pm ET on Univision. The show will broadcast from Miami’s American Airlines Arena and will include performances by Julieta Venegas, Gloria Trevi, and Fonseca,just too name a few.
The “Premio Lo Nuestro” (“Our Award” in English) presents awards to the winners from the five most popular Latin music genres-Pop, Tropical, Regional Mexican, Rock and Urban and Video of the Year (source : Hispanic Tips)



Believe it or not, more Hispanics watched “Premio Lo Nuestro” last year than the Latin Billboard Awards, Academy Awards, Golden Globes and Emmy Awards combined. That’s approximately 11 million Hispanic viewers for 2006. Last year, I was one of those 11 million for 5 minutes when mom called informing me that Shakira was performing. I’m not a Spanish music fan, but I’ll be the first to admit that when it comes to Shakira ( who I’ve loved since her pre-crossover/blonde hair days)
and Mana-I am weak.

In case you are interested, below is a comprised list of the nominees in their respective categories:
GÉNERO POP (POP GENRE)

Artista Femenina (Female Artist of the Year)
1) Anaís
2) Julieta Venegas

(source:Am.com)
3) Laura Pausini
4) Shakira

Grupo o Dúo del Año (Group or Duo of the Year)
1) La 5ta Estación
2) RBD
3) Reik
4) Sin Bandera

GÉNERO ROCK (ROCK GENRE)

Álbum del Año (Album of the Year)
1) Amar es Combatir, Maná
2) Anoche, Babasónicos
3) Indeleble, Alejandra Guzmán
4) Pescado Original, Enanitos Verdes
5) Vida de Perros, Los Bunkers


for a complete list, visit Univision

Contradictions?

In one of my previous posts I went on and on about Hispanic's being avid football fans- or at least in the process of becoming. But in the past few days everything in the news is contradicting those "facts" , or now more like, assumptions. First, this article from Medialife magazine features a short interview with Max Kilger, chief behavioral scientist at Experian Simmons. a Florida-based market research firm. Kilger tells Media Life that typical football fans are still what you imagine them to be: Republican, male, usually white and , here we go: less likely THAN EVER to be Hispanics, with the number of Hispanics identifying themselves as NFL fans falling over the past few years.

What?
What about all the articles claiming those percentages have risen? I guess this is what happens when you believe marketing hype.
Personally, I do feel there are more Hispanic football fans than before, if only simply for the fact that the Hispanic population in general has grown dramatically in the past few years.

WSVN Channel 7 in Miami has an article about how some Hispanics are still not ready to trade their futbol for their ( the NFL's) Football.

I wonder what Coors Light thinks about that? Were their bilingual marketing efforts worth it?

Well, according to Mark Kilger, probably not:

Are there any demographic characteristics that NFL fans share that you don't see as widely among the general population?
They’re probably going to be more educated, because they have more money. They’re more likely to be male. Hispanics also don’t seem to identify as much as NFL fans.


As you just mentioned, there don't seem to be many Hispanics who identify themselves as NFL fans. Has that changed over recent years, and why is that?
Part of it is that football in the Latin community means soccer, so that’s going to be a big difference between Hispanic and non-Hispanic. Also, there aren’t really any Hispanic stars in the NFL, much like Yao Ming has been a hit with Chinese fans in the NBA.

( ahem, NFLatino.com, recently launched a basic guide to football and profiles of the league's 23 Hispanic players, and it signed a contract with Telemundo to air more football ads on its radio stations across the country) ( source: WSVN).

It looks like Hispanic has actually gone down a little--9 percent of Hispanics in Spring ‘03 identified themselves as NFL fans compared to 6.4 percent this year. That could be because cable is starting to show more soccer games.

( BUT according to the National Football League, 77% of bilingual Hispanic men ages 21 to 34 consider themselves football fans, and as the official beer sponsor of the NFL, Coors Light is not neglecting those consumers).

People en Espanol's " 100 Most Influentual Hispanics"

People en Espanol has chosen their “100 Most Influential Hispanics" for their February Issue. On the cover-to no surprise-Jennifer Lopez.

Inside the issue, Lopez talks about the influence of her ethnic roots and her desire to have a family. "Being an example to others is a big part of my work," Jennifer tells PEOPLE en Español. "It excites me to think that I could be capable of changing opinions, or of making people laugh or cry. It's a beautiful facet of the work that we do."
Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony are expected to be in South Florida for pre & post Superbowl parties. Marc Anthony will be performing at a private party hosted by South Florida magazine, OCEAN DRIVE. The party is to take place in South Beach.

In the Media and Business categories, the honored included
(photo credit:Televisa)

Emilio Azcárraga Jean, CEO of Grupo Televisa,
Tere Zubizarreta, President and CEO, Zubi Advertising,
Christina Norman, President of MTV,
Gustavo Cisneros, President, Cisneros Group,
Jorge Ramos, journalist, co-anchor of "Noticiero Univision"
(photo credit: Univision)

María Antonieta Collins, author, host on Telemundo,
María Celeste Arrarás, editor and anchor on Telemundo,
Maria Elena Salinas, journalist, co-anchor of "Noticiero Univision",
Mario Kreutzberger (Don Francisco), television host, presenter, Markos Moulitsas Zúniga,
political commentary,
blogger, Mónica Lozano, editor and executive director of "La Opinion" newspaper,
Nina Tassler, President, CBS Entertainment,
Raúl Alarcón Jr., President, Spanish Broadcasting System
most of these studios' headquarters are located in Miami, Fla.

Hispanics use the Internet? No Way!

Photo source
A study conducted by Synovate's Diversity Group, " The AOL Latino 2006 Hispanic Cyberstudy", reveals there are currently more than 16 million Hispanics online or 55% of the total U.S. Hispanic population. Of those 16 million, 77% have access to broadband. The interesting fact is that this study defines online Hispanics by their level of acculration:

Mostly acculturated
Partially acculturated
Relatively acculturated

Marketers wanting to reach Hispanics can benefit by realizing the internet is consumed in different ways. For example:

*81% of Hispanics online are mostly acculturated or partially acculturated, while only 19% is relatively unacculturated.

*Acculturated online Hispanics tend to prefer online content in English, nearly 40% of them still find Spanish content appealing;


I found this particular aspect interesting:

The Hispanic Online Market & Acculturation

There is a clear distinction in the Internet behavior between mostly acculturated and less acculturated Hispanics:

-- Mostly acculturated Hispanics are more likely to visit websites that focus on finance, entertainment and nutrition.

-- Unacculturated Hispanics are more likely to visit websites that provide news from Latin America, as well as sports websites that focus on soccer.

Hispanics: Going Online vs. Watching Television

LANGUAGE also needs to be considered.

-- In an average week, online Hispanics spend 12.4 hours watching English-language TV and 7.7 hours watching Spanish-language TV.


Perhaps like me, you are wondering, " How do they conduct this research?"

METHODOLOGY

Both the 2006 and 2005 studies were conducted using phone interviews. The 2006 study was completed by interviewing 502 participants in English or Spanish by Synovate bi-lingual interviewers. Respondents were 18+ year old Hispanics who accessed the Internet from any location in the past month.

Synovate Diversity Group's market research defined acculturated, Partially acculturated and unacculturated as follows :

Mostly acculturated Hispanics are those that have been online for an average of 3 or more years. They tend to be U.S. born and to have lived in the U.S. for more than twenty years. However, they still speak Spanish and consume Spanish media.

Partially acculturated Hispanics are those that have been online for an average of 2.8 years. Tend to have lived in the U.S. for several years. Fifty percent (50%) are Spanish-dominant and nearly one-third of this group is bilingual or speaks more English than Spanish. This continues to be the largest Hispanic segment.

Unacculturated Hispanics are those that have been online an average of 2.3 years. They are born outside of the U.S. Hispanics in this segment tend to have lived in the U.S. the shortest amount of time. They are 90% Spanish dominant.
( source: AOL TIME-WARNER )

Online advertising is becoming increasingly popular. Markerters have taken notice and everyday a new on-line shopping site is born. But is it wise to invest in online advertising geared towards hispanics?

Online Hispanics and Internet Purchasing Decisions

-- The Internet continues to be the best source to make a final brand decision for most online Hispanics (68% in 2006 vs. 51% in 2004).

-- More than three quarters of the online Hispanic population (77%) use the Internet to learn about brands of products (vs. 59% in 2004).

-- Seventy-five percent (75%) of online Hispanics use the Internet to learn about brand features or benefits (vs. 61% in 2004).



( personal photo: "shop 'til you drop" )

Does this mean I'm not alone when choosing to shop online versus the local mall?

Hispanics and the Arts - Interview

Being Hispanic myself (born in Lima, Peru, came to the United States when I was a 6 year old) I know a lot about being stereotyped. I'll never forget my first months in Nashville when in second-grade a boy asked me if I wore sombreros at dinner time.
(This is what I imagine the kids in Tennessee saw when they looked at me)

In Nashville it seemed everyone assumed if you spoke Spanish, you had to be Mexican. It became my mission to inform my classmates about the other countries through out the world that communicated using the Spanish language.
This is why I found this interview from-The Hispanic PR Monitor-with Isabel Lara, from the Smithsonian Latino Center, enjoyable. I like how she addresses the stereotypes often associated with Hispanics- stereotypes I feel are perpetuated by Spanish media itself ( more on this topic in a later blog). Lara makes it clear that a lot of us enjoy the arts and are passionate about them. Not all of us sit at home eating chips & salsa wearing sombrero's-although if someone does, there's nothing wrong with that either.



Isabel Lara is Public Affairs Manager at the Smithsonian Latino Center where part of her job is promoting pride in Latino culture. She came to Smithsonian from GMMB, a Washington, D.C.-based strategic communications firm, where she was a senior associate responsible for strengthening efforts in the U.S. Hispanic community. Previously, she worked in the business development department at Grey Global Group's Hispanic agency, winglatino, in New York. Before that she was at Interpublic Group's Hispanic agency, Siboney USA, supervising integrated marketing campaigns. She also worked for Univisión Radio/Hispanic Broadcasting Corporation as New York website manager.

Lara graduated Cum Laude with a bachelor’s degree in literature from Universidad Católica Andres Bello in Venezuela and received an master's degree in Media Studies from The New School University in New York. In this interview, Ms. Lara sheds light on some stereotypes often associated with Latinos; the different ways the Smithsonian Center is raising awareness about the outstanding contributions Latinos have made to our culture, and enlightens us on how privileged she feels to be working this field, which she considers, her dream job.

Why do you feel it is important to educate the public about Latinos in the art, sciences and humanities fields?
Latinos who come to our nation's capital and visit any of the Smithsonian museums should feel welcome and represented. The Smithsonian Institution is a repository of our country's cultural legacy --- Latino contributions and achievements are an important part of this and must be recognized as such. Our community has made invaluable contributions to music, art and science; we need to feel proud of them. Especially now with all the debate about immigration and the dangers of isolation, we need to be aware that we have been a part of American history since the country's very beginnings – St. Augustine, Florida, was founded by Pedro Menéndez de Avilés in 1565, years before the pilgrims landed in Plymouth in 1620.

Do you feel the Smithsonian Latino Center is helping to break the stereotypes often associated with Latinos?
The mission of the Center is to ensure that Hispanic contributions to art, science and the humanities are recognized, understood and advanced through the development and support of public programs, research, museum collections and educational opportunities at the Smithsonian Institution and its partners and affiliates across the U.S. and internationally. It is very important to foster understanding and appreciation of our contributions to America's history, society and culture.

We have contributed to build this nation with our hard work, but also with our creativity and our rich cultural heritage; it is very important for Latino and non-Latinos to learn there is more to our community than sombreros, chips and salsa.

With our programs and exhibits we aim to show the lesser-known sides of Latino culture, the untold stories. We recently had an exhibit in collaboration with Museo Soumaya de Mexico called "Myth, Mortals and Immortality." It showcased the different myths that come together to make the mosaic of Mexican culture: the Virgin of Guadalupe, death, magical realism, among others. It was a fascinating show which was visited by over 35,000 people. Our exit surveys showed that most people aren't aware of the first-rate art we have in our community and in our different countries of origin. Latino visitors, including many of the Smithsonian staff in that exhibition space were filled with pride in our heritage. Non-Latino visitors were surprised to discover there was so much more to learn about a country that is such a close neighbor, but so often misunderstood or taken for granted.



What has been your most challenging assignment thus far at the Smithsonian Latino Center?
The most challenging part of my job is getting the arts press to cover our exhibits on their own merits, not solely because they are "Latino" art or to satisfy a "multicultural" theme. We want our art and exhibits to be taken seriously and we need to get reviews in the mainstream publications in order to increase our visitors. But, as I said before, once we get the word out and get the critics to come see the shows, the art just speaks for itself! At the same time it is wonderful to see the amount of support Spanish language media gives to our programs – it is a real service to our community to inform people of the free exhibits and weekend activities the Center sponsors.

(source: The Hispanic PR Monitor )

El Superbowl & An Interview

With the Superbowl on the verge of invading Miami, advertisers have taken notice of the endless marketing possibilites. The Hispanic population is no exception. Coor's Light recently launched a bilingial marketing campaign realizing the growing popularity of NFL football among Latinos in the U.S. “Appealing to Latinos’ affinity for the NFL around the Super Bowl, the biggest football event of the year, allows Coors Light to bring an exciting brand experience to this consumer.", said Paul Mendieta, marketing director, U.S. Hispanic and Latin America, for Coors Brewing Company. ( source: hispanicretail 360)
In this interview from The Hispanic PR Monitor, Anthony Ero's, president of Sports & Entertainment Marketing, Ero's reveals the growing population of Hispanic sports fans and sheds light on some common misconception the general public has about Hispanics and sports.


1) What is the main focus of Latino Sports & Entertainment Marketing? In other words, what is the main purpose that you wish to accomplish with your clients?

The main focus of Latino Sports & Entertainment Marketing, LLCTM (LSE) is to connect brands with the Latino consumer via sports and entertainment marketing platforms. We identify the relevant consumer segment and align two cultural passion points, sports and entertainment, to connect with that consumer.

Latinos have consistently demonstrated loyalty toward sports, music, movies and more, and brands can effectively utilize these channels to target their diverse Latino customer base. It is natural to utilize these strategically complementary cultural passions when designing and delivering programs for our clients.


2) What is the most common misconception the public has about Hispanics and sports?

The most common misconception the public has about Hispanics and sports is that Hispanics only follow and participate in soccer or boxing. Granted, soccer is the number one sport in reaching the Spanish-dominant Hispanic, but there is potential for brands to reach different Hispanic target segments with various sports such as football, golf, basketball, baseball, etc.

Another common misconception is that (the Hispanic sports fan) can only be reached in Spanish. Hispanic sport fans are bi-lingual and very diverse in nature. Acculturation and language levels vary and Spanish may not be the most appropriate and relevant language to speak to a brand’s desired consumer segment. I have noticed brands purchase Spanish-language sports programming and believe they have successfully reached and impacted their consumer in a relevant way. Brands have to understand their consumer target may be reached by the mass, Spanish-language sports content, but they also need to be touched via personal relevance and interaction. Although mass reach is the norm, targeted and relevant consumer connection is the future.

3) What motivated you to open your own Sports marketing firm? Did you see a need for it in this industry?

When I first started about 12 years ago, Fox Sports en Español, ESPN Deportes, GolTV, Republica Deportiva (Univision) and the many other Spanish-language sports networks and internet sites did not exist. Very few professional sports teams in the NBA, MLB and NFL had Hispanic outreach initiatives, which at best consisted of sporadic Spanish-language radio broadcasts. The MLS did not exist and international soccer friendly matches were unknown. Brands were relatively non-existent in activating sports to reach their Hispanic consumers. Hispanic fans were not addressed, were stereotyped and unseen by sports outreach campaigns – in fact there was NO value associated with the Latino market as viewed by sports marketers. And finally, Hispanics had very little opportunity to work as professionals in sports marketing industry because it was never presented as an option.

I started in the sports marketing industry as a consultant to the San Diego Chargers in 1994-1995. After successfully creating a profitable business model to reach Hispanics, I contacted every MLB, NFL and NBA team located in high Hispanic markets to learn how the Chargers’ efforts ranked. It was my expectation that of the more than 70 sports teams contacted, our efforts would rank low. To my surprise, the team ranked very high. This research and realization was educational and eye-opening, and launched my career.


4) Your company has a Latino Sports Marketing Internship program. What was the reasoning behind starting such a program and what does the program entail?

According to surveys conducted, Caucasians account for 93 to 96 percent of the sports industry workforce while all other ethnicities account for the balance. As the Hispanic segment becomes more diverse and as sports business continues to diversify its efforts to reach an ever-growing Hispanic segment, I felt there was a need to contribute to the success of future Hispanic sports marketing executives.

The Latino Sports Marketing Internship Program (LSMIP) seeks to diversify the sports industry workforce, provide opportunities and prepare the Latino sports executives for tomorrow. The program’s goal is to complement the educational scholarships that exist for Latinos with “real world” working experience - opportunities that will better prepare them for success.

While the number of Latinos on the playing fields has increased, the same cannot be said about the number of Latinos working in the sports industry. Many cannot afford to work at the mainly non-paying sports internships positions, but more importantly, they do not have the contacts or support system that can inform them on these opportunities. The LSMIP provides the “foot in the door” and a stipend so future Hispanic sports business executives can get their start.

.

5) Can you list some of the clients you’ve had this past year?

o Tecate
o Merrill Lynch
o Virgin Entertainment Group

6) Outside of your professional ties to sports-do you play or personally follow a particular sport?

I truly enjoy golf, basketball, cycling, running and fitness in general. I am a fan of high school, collegiate and professional sports and ranges from traditional sports to lacrosse and the Tour de France. In general, I am pretty lucky that I can be at a sporting event while conducting business.

7) You are considered an entrepreneur and pioneer in the Hispanic sports marketing industry who has helped paved the way for many marketers. What personal and professional experiences have given you a unique perspective and foundation of knowledge about the Hispanic Sports and marketing niche?
Surviving and overcoming failures gave me a unique perspective and foundation about business and life. Failure provides humility, while surviving and overcoming failure provides confidence and perspective.

I listen to people with common sense, because they are usually successful. The following three sayings were shared with me by a successful mentor:

• “Gotta skin it after you kill it”
In business it means the hard work starts after you secure a new client. Now you have to deliver on what you said you’d deliver.

• “I’d rather have ICAN than IQ”
In business it means activity/action/doing something pays off more than intelligence. The smartest guy in the world can be on a couch reading a book while an average guy is doing something to get ahead.

• “He may not always be right, but he’s never in doubt”
It means you have to be willing to be right and wrong. Too many people are afraid to have an opinion. In business, people make good salaries for providing facts while other people make millions for providing their opinions.

My parents were hard workers and took pride in the quality of work they produced while not complaining. They were both laborers and neither can tolerate people who talk too much and do too little. They earned reputations for being work horses and people could count on them. I admire and respect these qualities and strive to duplicate them in my own efforts.

8) What are some of the new trends that you are seeing in Hispanic Public Relations and in Hispanic Marketing?

• Brands are beginning to realize that hiring a couple Hispanics and creating a division at a big agency is not as effective as specialized agencies. Hispanic ad agencies really don’t have the promotional and marketing expertise they need in order for well-rounded and integrated marketing plans to be implemented. In the case of sports marketing, general market sports marketing firms don’t understand the Latino component of marketing programs.
• Brands are allocating more dollars in reaching Hispanics via sports and not necessarily just soccer. There will be more money allocated toward baseball, basketball, football, etc. in an effort to reach Hispanics.
• Experiential marketing is more important because brands see the need to go into local Hispanic communities versus always asking them to go to professional sporting venues that are not likely in their neighborhoods.
• More PR tactics are created to generate publicity opportunities versus simple press releases, etc.

9) Coors light is targeting Hispanic’s through American Football by featuring bilingual ads during the upcoming SuperBowl games. Do you think this is a trend that will become increasingly popular within the sports industry and with marketers? Or is this only occurring because of the magnitude of this event?

Definitely. More and more Hispanic consumers are bi-cultural and bi-lingual.

From The Hispanic PR Monitor part of Hispanic PR Wire Inc.

Facts & Figures on Hispanics and Hispanic media

Key Hispanic Media Facts

Population Facts

· There are 42.7 million Hispanics in the United States. The U.S. is the world's second largest country of Hispanics and there are more Hispanics in the United States than there are Canadians in all of Canada. (Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2006)

· The U.S. Census estimates that by 2020, the Hispanic population will reach 60 million-that is 18 percent of the total U.S. population ( Source: Advertising Age, 2006)

· Mexico accounts for 66.8% of all Hispanics in the U.S. They are followed by Central Americans (9.0%), Puerto Ricans (8.6%), South Americans (5.3%), Cubans (3.8%), Dominicans (3.1%) and others (3.4%). (Source: Synovate, 2006)

· The Selig Center states that the top ten states, as ranked by the rate of growth of Hispanic buying power over 1990-2002, are North Carolina (912%), Arkansas (778%), Georgia (711%), Tennessee (655%), Alabama (466%), South Carolina (463%), Nevada (443%), Minnesota (418%), Kentucky (415%), and Iowa (370%). Georgia and North Carolina also rank ninth and eleventh in market size, making them two of the most attractive Hispanic markets in the nation.

According to Synovate, the Top 10 markets by Hispanic population are:


1
Los Angeles
8.4 million
2
New York
4.4 million
3
Miami
2.1 million
4
Chicago
1.9 million
5
Houston
1.9 million
6
Dallas
1.6 million
7
San Francisco
1.6 million
8
San Antonio
1.2 million
9
Phoenix
1.2 million
10
McAllen (Texas)
1.1 million

(Source: Synovate 2006 U.S. Diversity Markets Report)


· The purchasing power of Hispanics will exceed $1 trillion by 2008 -- a 55 percent increase over 2003 levels (Nielsen Media Research, 2006)

· Hispanics tend to trust the information they read in their local newspaper. They listen to the radio for quick news updates and rely on magazines to keep them informed. They are also receptive to television advertising and tend to remember those ads when shopping ( source: Advertising Age, 2006)

Language

56% of all Hispanic households are Spanish dominant, 26% are equally Spanish and English bilingual and 18% are English only or more than Spanish (Source: Synovate, 2006)

82 percent of Hispanics use at least some Spanish at home; 81 percent do so at work or school (Source: Simmons, 2005)




Univision Communications Inc. is the largest Spanish-language media company in the United States. Its operations include Univision Network, the most-watched Spanish-language broadcast television network in the U.S. reaching 98% of U.S. Hispanic Households


Major TV Media Outlets
-Despierta America
-Sabado Gigante

Major Hispanic Radio Outlets -KSCA-FM (Los Angeles)
-WCMQ-FM (Miami)
-WSKQ-FM (New York)
-KESS-FM (Dallas)
-WOJO-FM (Chicago)

Major Hispanic Newspaper Dailies and Weeklies:-La Opinión (Los Angeles)
-El Nuevo Herald (Miami)
-Diario La Prensa (New York)
-Al Dia (Dallas)
-La Raza (Chicago)
-Rumbo (San Antonio, Houston, McAllen)
-Hoy (New York, Los Angeles and Chicago)
-Semana (Houston)
-El Latino (San Diego)

Major Hispanic Magazines-People en Espaňol
-Selecciones
-Mira!
-Latina
-LatinaStyle
-Catalina Magazine

Major Hispanic Internet Web Sites:
-YahooenEspaňol.com
-QuePasa.com
-Univision.com
-Terra.com
-MSNLatino.com
-MiGente.com
-LaOpinion.com
-LaRaza.com (part of Hispanic Digital Network www.HDNWeb.com)
-LatinaStyle.com
-CatalinaMagazine.com

Intro

As the Hispanic population continues to dramatically grow so does the number of Hispanic media outlets launching almost weekly to serve Latino communities across the U.S. This is especially apparent in South Florida.
This blog will focus on Hispanic Media/Public Relations and Multicultural Marketing/Advertising. I will use my blog to discuss trends related to this particular niche. I plan on writing about how this growing demographic is impacting the way corporations communicate and sometimes insert my personal opinion on the matter.
I will include interviews with media and public relations professionals and will attempt to always show both sides to a story.

Sources:
Hispanic PR Wire
The Hispanic PR Monito
Hispanic Market Weekly
HispanicAd.com
Marketing y Medios
Univision
Google
New York Times
PR Week
and many others....