FH Hispania Plaza

A Unique “Sponsorship” Deal

I recently heard that Lindsey Lohan looked for corporate sponsors for her 22nd birthday party earlier this month, which made me chuckle to think that only now is Hollywood catching up to our quinceañera celebrations.

Held to mark a girl’s 15th birthday and honor her passage from childhood to womanhood, quinceañeras are a strong tradition in many Latin American countries and Hispanic communities across the U.S., and the events can be so lavish that they can put a major dent on a family’s budget.  Of course, those who provide services to quinceañeras at the tune of $400 million a year are dancing all the way to the bank.

Cooking Up Hispanic Housewares Sales

The International Home and Housewares Show is being held this week in Chicago and among the many new products featured are several aimed at the U.S. Hispanic market.

Some products have arrived straight from Latin America (pots and pans from Mexico’s top selling cookware brand, for example) while others are designed specifically for Hispanic households, such as Megatrade International’s line of food containers.  The company sells containers meant to store traditional foods such as tortillas, rice and beans, aimed at among other targets, Hispanic laborers.

So naturally, I assumed that cookware companies selling Hispanic items would also be targeting the general market, but it appears from the article I read that their primary focus is the less acculturated Hispanic consumer and purists who want to use traditional tools from back home.

Kitchen Spanish

We often have covered the topic of language and identity on this blog.  Research continues to document that English is fast becoming the language of choice for second generation Hispanics and third generations rarely speak Spanish, with the written skill suffering the most.  While this is a sign of acculturation -- and learning English is a must for thriving and gaining access to better professional prospects to the millions of Hispanics and other immigrants in the U.S. -- keeping a second language can further amplify those opportunities.  A front page story on Sunday's edition of The Miami Herald touches on how the erosion of Spanish in a city that has seen prosperity from bilingualism can mar the economic prospects of the local workforce. You see, if the Hispanic population continues to explode in the nation, immigration from well-educated Latin Americans continues and the need to attend to businesses conducting transactions in both languages thrive, so will the need to have a workforce equipped to do business in both languages. 

Niños, Watch Calories Instead of TV Commercials

According to a new report from the John Hopkins Children’s Center, Hispanic children are doing more than just being entertained while watching Spanish-language TV, they're also gaining weight.

The Hopkins team monitored commercial breaks and found that Hispanic stations "averaged two to three food commercials an hour, with one-third of them specifically targeted to children.  Almost half of all food commercials promoted fast food, and more than half of all drink commercials featured soda and drinks with high sugar content.”

This is a particularly important topic of concern in our community because Hispanic children have the highest rates of obesity, as documented by the CDC and other sources.

Confianza: Hispanic Trust Pulse Study

Most every day my colleagues at FH Hispania are engaged in delivering information and messages to the Hispanic public, usually through the filter of media or other third-parties. Today, we unveil the results of Confianza: Hispanic Trust Pulse, a study our agency conducted that delves into the topics that are most important to U.S. Hispanics and what sources they rely on to obtain information about them.

One thing is for certain: Hispanics trust a variety of sources to obtain their information. Although media plays a prominent role in this interaction, to an even greater extent Hispanics reach out to individuals in their communities, such as professionals and service providers or family and friends, to get informed about that things that matter to them. Another aspect that bears noting is that Hispanics share key similar interests with non-Hispanics, but differences do come to the surface that should be heeded by communications professionals - as should differences between recent immigrants and more acculturated Hispanics.

You can access the press release about the study we distributed earlier today at http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/02-07-2008/0004751504&EDATE. If you are interested in seeing a more in-depth presentation about the study results, please feel free to contact me (jorge.diaz@fleishman.com) or any of our other team members who regularly contribute to FH Hispania Plaza.

Quinceanera Smackdown

*The following posting comes from our FH Hispania colleague Patricia Alvarado who today is joining our blog as a regular contributor.  Patricia is based in Miami.*

What does lucha libre have to do with Quinceañeras? The question came to my mind after reading an article on Produ.com about a new initiative by mun2 together with WWE –one of the stations in mun2’s signal- called "Ultimate Quinceañera." To celebrate the 15th anniversary of WWE, the station will select one quinceañera from its audience and will award her with a bells and whistles celebration from the limousine ride, the dress and a bash for 50 invitees, to the presence of wrestling stars at her party.

I know why wrestling is so popular with Hispanics: Growing up in Mexico, I remember Lucha libre as an important part of Mexican folklore. Santo el Enmascarado de Plata, Blue Demon, el Hijo del Santo, el Perro Aguayo and others are names that made international headlines. And of course U.S. Hispanics growing up in areas such as Texas can remember Rito Romero and Enrique "Black" Guzman, Mexican wrestlers that in the 1950s were the heroes of Hispanics in the U.S. So with such deep roots in the culture, the WWE is looking to further grab hold of the Hispanic audience. According to reports from Nielsen Hispanic Television Index, the CW’s Friday Night Smackdown ranks within the top ten highest rated English-language programs among Hispanic viewers while not even figuring in the Top 100 in the overall ratings.

In contrast, the traditional 15th birthday celebration for Hispanic girls could not be farther away from what lucha libre represents. Quinceañeras are the depiction of femininity - flowers, waltzing, a court of fourteen girlfriends and their chambelanes or dance partners, the long and lacey pastel-like gown that makes them dream of being Cinderella -or for that matter any other princess- awaiting the arrival of their príncipe azul, who will come and sweep them off their feet to live happily ever after.

But wait: what if the birthday girl as well as her friends are BIG fans of wrestling? And what if the príncipe azul that she dreams of is a wrestler like The Rock. And more: what if she is also a fan of video games and she and her friends morph themselves into wrestling characters to play Raw vs. Smack Down. Well, the winner of the party will be a very special and happy quinceañera, fulfilling a dream that her most likely Spanish-speaking traditional mother probably never imagined. I certainly would not have put those two together without the help of mun2 and WWE. It seems the ultimate product of audience segmentation, a mix of traditions, likes and acculturation to fulfill a marketing goal.

Keeping a Tradition Alive

From all of us at FH Hispania, Feliz Navidad!!! And keep the season's spirit alive.

For many Hispanics, Christmas may have passed but the Holidays are not over yet.  While the tradition of the Epiphany (better known as the visit of the Reyes Magos or Three Wise Men) is not widely observed in the U.S., it is very much alive in Puerto Rico, Mexico and other parts of Latin America.  The tradition is observed on the eve of January 6th and many kids wait patiently for gifts that will be left under the bed or next to the Pesebre.

The Reyes Magos don't eat cookies and milk, though it wouldn't surprise me that many families leave out a sample of Santa's favorite snack for them… They are more concerned about feeding their camels or horses.  Growing up in Puerto Rico, we collected grass, put it on a shoe box and hoped the camels would find it and in turn a place for our gifts. Monica mentioned that in her family in Mexico they used to put a shoe out by the tree in Christmas and for los Reyes. Santa would bring her and her sisters clothes and the Reyes Magos would bring toys.

The holiday has its own traditional food too-- the "rosca de reyes"-- which is favored in Mexico and Latin America.  And I don't know if it was just another excuse to eat pork, but lechon seemed to be the fare of choice for the Fiestas de los Reyes in Puerto Rico.

It is good to see that some retailers and U.S. brands are embracing the holiday and reflecting the interests of the Latino consumers by doing so.  For example, some Wal-Marts around the nation will have los Reyes visit stores post Dec. 26th to take pictures with kids. And as the sensitivity to the revered Hispanic tradition spreads, it will not surprise me that the Holiday season can extend into early January same as it does in many Latino homes around the world.

Shopping for bilingual toys

Last year, Wal-Mart and Toys R Us listed bilingual toys among the hottest for the 2006 holiday season and it appears the trend continues this year. According to a story from the LA Times from February, Fisher-Price said its Dora’s Talking Dollhouse is the best-selling dollhouse in the company's 77-year history.

This year, some of the most popular bilingual toys such as Dora and Diego play sets were affected by the sweeping recalls.  But walking though a store, you wouldn't know, since both of the very popular franchises have resulted in many delightful options for fans of the characters. Truth is, Dora and Diego are very entertaining, endearing and wholesome and those are extremely good reasons to like them-- throw their use of English and Spanish combined in the mix and you come out with the phenomenon they've become.  And if you don’t know who they are, ask any parent of toddler.

Aside from toys featuring these characters, parents looking for bilingual toys can choose from many options including offerings from V-Tech, Chicco, more Fisher Price or Mattel franchises and even smaller, independent toy makers.  One such example is Baby Abuelita designed to keep Hispanic traditions and sold at top name retailers including Wal-Mart and Target*.

The toy industry amounts to $22 billion, and Hispanic shopping power is nearly one trillion and with larger, younger families, the toy sector will continue to develop products with the needs of these consumers in mind-- and of those who regardless of ethnicity, seek ways to raise bilingual children.  With just a few days left for shopping, know that if you are looking for a gift que hable español, there are options out there.

And on a curious note, according to Wikipedia, Dora has been translated into more than 15 languages and always teaches a second language depending on the country where it has been adapted...

(*Target is an FH Hispania client.)

Adding Value

Earlier this month, GM announced that it was shifting multicultural work for five brands to general market shops.  At the recent Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies conference, there was a strong focus on where Hispanic advertising is going and the blurring lines between Hispanic and general market work.

I mention this because as our clients look to maximize investments, they are looking for ways to create programs that can be effective with both general market and diverse audiences, programs that add value by attracting more consumers.

As an example, I am working on a project where a client is dispatching street teams for product demos.  Part of the selection criteria for the street team staff is bilingual capability.  Even though this is what would be considered a general market program, the brand team recognizes the importance of having bilingual staff available because Hispanics make up a large population of major metro areas and because of our spending power.

Too often, organizations begin to think about a Hispanic marketing program only after they’ve completed their general market planning, missing opportunities for maximizing their investments or creating much more innovate programs.  This piecemeal approach is not the most effective way to work.  Instead, a strategy and plan for reaching Hispanics consumers and influencers should be developed in tandem with overall planning.

This does not necessarily mean the consolidation approach is the right answer either, because you have to have a strong understanding of the market, including opportunities and sensitivities, in order to be effective.

As noted here last week, Hispanic marketing spend is increasing.  The companies that get it right – and make their dollars work harder - integrate Hispanic marketing from the planning phase, and not as an add-on.

The Bilingual Household

Language is an expression of identity and its how we connect to each other and to our world. While many may never have to question their relationship with language, the majority of Hispanic households face the challenges, contrasts and opportunities of navigating between two languages on a daily basis.

The Pew Hispanic Center today came out with a new report, based on several studies, that shows how generations living on the same households widely differ in their usage and relationship with language. In summary, more than 80% of U.S. born adult children of immigrants speak English fluidly and very well, in contrast to just over 20% of their parents. And when it comes to third generations, more than 90% speak English very well.

It is not a surprise that children or second generations pick up English at a very fast pace: they are exposed to the language at earlier ages, more frequently and their social surroundings mostly operate in the language (i.e., school, friends) and even the media and culture they are exposed to are mostly in English. Their parents, on the other hand, are often becoming more exposed to English later in life, and still have some extremely strong connections to Spanish through family, work and even the media they consume.

Acculturation and language are recurring topics when it comes to developing strategies on behalf of our clients and something we also personally face. What will always be interesting is that a large portion of Hispanic households can't be defined solely on language; many may better be described as bilingual households. And reaching the members living under that roof requires multiple approaches based on the desired target audience.