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....