One of the most exciting things about our field is the incredible pace of change. Nearly every day, there are announcements about new programming and media outlets, marketing deals, demographic research and pioneering techniques. When you track the news as closely as we do you begin to see trends.
One significant trend is the explosion and increased sophistication of online media aimed at U.S. Hispanics. Case in point: www.Impre.com.
And I thought I would never see the day - but times do change. The Miami Herald reported this morning that Telemundo and Televisa have reached a 10-year agreement to have Televisa distribute Telemundo programming in Mexico. The deal itself probably won’t have a major immediate effect on the US media market, but combined with Televisa’s ongoing legal feud with Univision, it could signal a fundamental realignment of the forces that have governed Spanish-language television in the US over the past decades.
Univision’s ratings dominance has been anchored on the Mexican soap operas to which they have had exclusive rights as Televisa’s partner. Whether Televisa severs its programming relationship with Univision now as a result of their legal battle or down the road when their agreement expires, it could represent a huge windfall for Telemundo who have long languished in second place without access to the Mexican programming that is so popular among the immigrant population.
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.
We read all the time about pop stars' efforts to alleviate problems in different parts of the world: Bono has long been an advocate for Africa, Darfur and AIDS education, also a cause of concern for Elton John, Sting has taken a stand for peace, and Shakira has fought to end child poverty.
As tension rises between Colombia and Venezuela following increasing evidence that links Chavez to the FARC rebels in his neighbor to the West, a Colombian native with star power is calling on his friends to join together for peace. In a press conference this week, Grammy-award winner Juanes announced plans for a peace concert to be performed right on the border of the countries where the two Latin American powers meet. The site also is symbolic because it also is where Ecuador meets with the two -- the country recently broke ties with Colombia. The concert is scheduled for March 18 and also will feature leading Latino music talent such as Juan Luis Guerra, Mana, Alejandro Sanz and Ricardo Montaner.
This A-list group is increasingly influential far beyond music. And many Latino pop artists are being more active about wearing their beliefs on their sleeves.
All over the country, communications professionals at cultural and non-profit organizations are partnering up with their counterparts at corporate institutions to roll out programs that are mutually beneficial. To get some insight into this process we had a brief talk with Shannon Gilliam, Director of Public Relations for the Children’s Museum of Houston.
After 10 years, two car crashes and 80,000 miles of fun, my car has finally died.
Like millions of other Hispanic consumers, I am officially in the market for a new car.* And now I have lots of places to go for automotive information in both Spanish and English.
Auto manufacturers have courted Hispanic consumers for years and are among the most sophisticated and innovative Hispanic marketers. You may recall that last year Toyota aired the first-ever bilingual ad during the Super Bowl. And to me it’s no coincidence that a popular pick-up truck from Dodge is named after a state in Mexico: Durango.
According to Ad Age, car companies are among the largest Hispanic media spenders. In 2006, five of the top 15 advertisers were car companies, as were four of the top 10 advertisers on Hispanic media sites.
On the editorial side, there are many choices for automotive information geared to Hispanics, including the automotive sections of newspapers and Web portals, magazines such as Sobre Ruedas and Motor Trend en Español, and Web sites such as Aceleración.com and Conduciendo.com.
Now if only I could find a site to haggle for me.
* = Here’s an interesting look at what drives the purchase process for Hispanic new vehicle buyers.
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.
Continue reading "Niños, Watch Calories Instead of TV Commercials" »
According to the Census, there are about 153 Latino single men for every 100 women in their 20s. In our culture, dating and courtship are much like in any other. However, some do prefer to marry people with similar cultural backgrounds, interests and even language. For those looking for love, churches, work, family and friends can traditionally be sources for finding a soul mate. Increasingly, they also turn to the web where Latino-specific dating sites now are offered in the same universe as Match.com or eHarmony. A few years ago, then University of Pennsylvania students Ariel Oxman and his friend and now business partner Joe Spector had conversations about how difficult it was to meet and date other Latinos. Forward to this month, the partners have launched QuieroLatino.com -- what they envision to be the equivalent of J-Date for the Latino community. Their positioning is to offer a serious dating site targeting bilingual bicultural singles.
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.
Shakira and Carlos Mencia will both be featured in commercials that will air during the upcoming Super Bowl, pitching Sunsilk shampoos and Budweiser respectively. Last year, Mencia's spot was hilarious and memorable, playing on ESL. The ad was very natural coming from Mencia and, as he described recently during an interview with Donny Deutsch on The Big Idea, relatable to all people. This year, he's back. And Shakis will be pitching Sunsilk alongside Madonna and Marylin Monroe-- two iconic women who have earned their place in pop culture. A couple of years ago Toyota broke a bilingual ad touting the hybrid Camry during the game.
With the Super Bowl taking an aim at growing its Hispanic fan base, and audience lines blurring as Hispanic viewers flip from English to Spanish-language TV, this is an interesting trend. And an echo of what's going on in TV with many shows including lead Hispanic characters. The NFL is currently on a multi-year plan to attract Hispanics. This has come with some challenges since acculturated Hispanics are among its fans, while Spanish-dominants prefer other sports. According to research conducted last year by TNS Sport and cited by the New York Times, the N.F.L. is the favorite sport of English-dominant Hispanics, followed by Major League Baseball, the N.B.A. and boxing, but ranks fifth among Spanish-dominant Hispanics.
Mencia is a great draw for those who already are fans-- his show airs on Comedy Central. Shakira, on the other hand, can deliver both broad Hispanic segments.
Some of you may have seen Univision’s announcement today that is has hired a VP of corporate communications. The news hit close to home since she's someone we are very familiar with: Monica Talan, our esteemed, and now former colleague and a regular contributor to this blog since it came into being last year. A great talent, if we may say. Congratulations to Monica on her appointment. We wish her every success in her new role at Univision. To read some of Monica's past postings, please consult our archives.
This weekend I read two interesting posts from Alberto Ferrer (no relation) over at AdAge's Big Tent that examined the difference between Hispanic professionals and professional Hispanics.
The order in which those two words describe an individual can tell a world of difference. In the professional realm, Hispanics have very satisfying and rewarding careers-- specially those with a college degree. But when in comes to the professional discipline of marketing to Hispanics, just being raised in the Hispanic culture is not a qualification.
But to add to the discussion, another issue facing Hispanics in marketing/communications: pigeonholing. What do I mean? That being Hispanic does not mean that marketing/communications professionals should only be considered for Hispanic or multicultural opportunities, instead, for any and all opportunities based on skill.
In general, as Ferrer points out, the assumption that ethnicity or cultural background alone equips an individual with the right tools is wrong. I would agree and add that not opening the doors to Hispanics for all opportunities is also wrong.
Finding the best talent to work on Hispanic marketing is very difficult, but part of the challenge might be that some companies/agencies are not looking beyond ethnicity or cultural background.
The good news is that Hispanic professionals are in high demand -- a recent story in Univision.com spoke of how bilingual Hispanics are getting ahead in the corporate world.
Thanks, Alberto, for opening the door to such a rich discussion.
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.
According to Nielsen Monitor-Plus data, total Hispanic ad spending in the first six months of 2007 was up 2.3 percent to $2.87 billion. This report, in addition to the information in the December issue of Hispanic Business Magazine focused on Hispanic media, provide good insight to Hispanic marketers. The top ten list of Hispanic advertisers follows:
How does this compare to 2006? In 2006 Lexicon was the top advertiser, spending $162,695,000. P&G was second at $154,278,000 and Univision was third at $99,880,000. Wal-Mart and PepsiCo were in the top ten, but this year fell to 15 and 16. The sharpest increases in spending include Univision; the U.S. government, from $31,715,000 to $98,607,400; and Ford, which went from $43,883,000 to $85,722,610. AT&T and Verizon also had significant increases in spending. Click here for the 2006 list.
The December issue, according to a release by Hispanic Business, also looks at how companies are spending their ad dollars. It reports that broadcast and radio still dominate Hispanic ad spending but Internet advertising now represents 4.6 percent of the total expenditure in 2007, which is an increase from the 3.5 percent spent in 2006. It also reports, based on HispanTelligence(R) estimates, that Hispanic online display ad revenue will reach $179.86 million in 2007, which is a 36.3 percent increase from 2006.
In other words, the December issue of Hispanic Business is a must read for those of us in Hispanic marketing and communications.
*AT&T and P&G are FH Hispania clients.
David Beckham arrived in the MLS this past summer with much hoopla and hopes of drawing in fans that will finally propel professional soccer to the upper tier of sports in the United States. But, with much less fanfare, several developments in recent months point to Latin American players taking on a more significant role in the growth of the sport in our country.
Last week, the MLS’ deputy commissioner stated that Beckham’s transfer to the LA Galaxy was not the biggest event to happen in the league this year, but rather it was the addition of star imports from South America who made a huge difference on the pitch and in the stands. Brazilian forward Luciano Emilio of DC United led the league in scoring and was named MVP. The other finalists for the award were also newcomers from south of the border: Colombian Juan Pablo Angel and Mexican Cuauhtémoc Blanco. In addition to boosting the Chicago Fire’s record, Blanco is a marketing marvel. It has been reported that average attendance at home games rose by 5,000 fans after he joined the team – a not trivial figure in the world of the MLS.
Yet maybe even more telling was the appointment last month of Wilmer Cabrera to lead the US U-17 men’s national team and US Soccer’s Residency Program, the crown jewel of the Federation’s youth development efforts. You see, Cabrera is a Colombian national taking over a position that has featured a string of coaches schooled in the English and German style of play.
Whether all these developments are driven by the goal of finding greater success on the field of play or to make the US game more attractive to the large number of Latino fans who still place their loyalties with teams from their home country is hard to tell. Either way, if this trend continues, it promises to change the face of a sport that in the United States until now has reflected a decidedly Northern European influence.
Last week I attended a discussion of a new report on Latinos in the Chicago suburbs and in particular, the challenges municipalities are facing in successfully integrating Latino immigrants into suburban communities. The report was jointly released by the Institute for Latino Studies at the University of Notre Dame and the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus.
It was an eye-opening event. Currently, more than half of Chicago Latinos live in the suburbs, and that number is steadily growing, due mostly to birth rates and not immigration patterns.
For many municipalities, this is uncharted territory. On the one hand, many (though not all) recognize that they should provide culturally-relevant services to their newest residents. On the other hand, others are being pressured by some long-time, non-Hispanic residents, afraid that their home values will dip and angry about having to “press 1 for English,” to not make any changes. As a caveat, there are many who see the value immigrants bring to their community.
The discussion was frank and often-times heated, but as the moderator noted, absolutely necessary because the only way to solve tough issues is to address them head-on.
It’s true that savvy marketers – and the media – have begun to recognize that Hispanics are no longer concentrated in urban centers. In Chicago, Reflejos, one of our largest bilingual newspapers, only covers the suburbs, and earlier this year, Hoy beefed up its suburban coverage.
It used to be said that reaching Hispanics was extremely efficient because they lived in only a few areas of the country. As previously discussed at FH Hispania Plaza, this has not been true for some time.
I listen to Spanish-language radio every morning on my way into work, usually the AM news-talk station. Because such stations typically serve a dual role as community advocates, the one I listen to often features guests from various non-profit organizations offering tips and advice on everything from immigration law to buying a home, to health and nutrition.
More often that not, each guest provides a phone number people can call for help and more information. I know these numbers are used, because it’s not unusual for listeners to call in requesting the phone number of a guest they heard earlier that day or even in previous days. This got me thinking about two basic, yet critical best practices for Hispanic market communications:
1. Keep the conversation going. It’s shocking how many companies send out Spanish language press releases or have a Spanish-speaking spokesperson conduct an interview, without having a place to send people to for more information. If you want to be successful in reaching Spanish-speaking customers you need to invest in the infrastructure, which means providing access to Spanish-speaking telephone representatives or a Spanish-language micro site to tell your story, offer assistance or close a sale. If you are not providing that support, your efforts in Spanish-language media will have limited, if any impact.
2. Know your audience. Even in this high-tech age of WAP sites, social networking and virtual worlds, some members of your target audience will always prefer the human interaction of a phone call – particularly when it comes to buying something or sharing personal information. If you’re trying to reach Hispanics who may not be online (often less acculturated), make sure to have a phone number they can call or a bricks-and mortar place to send them to for more information. This will only increase your chances of making a meaningful connection.
As those that know me know, I love using "dichos y refranes". Many marketers also turn to these savvy, sometimes funny, and often wise phrases in programs directed at reaching the Latino community. I was thinking of this as I listened to a new song by Gloria Estefan called “ Refranes.” Here is a link to a great site for lyrics of songs http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Refranes-lyrics-Gloria-Estefan/D0F5F884B32273C14825736E0025A52F.
What caught my attention was that I had never before heard some of the refranes she uses. Granted, Gloria's album harkens back to her Cuban roots and the song is based on the tale of finding her abuelita's notebook. But when using these, or any other cultural phrases or slang, it is important to recognize regional differences in ensuring that a message is of relevance to a broader segment of the audience. In the Hispanic market, as in the general market, testing and using research when developing programs and campaigns is important to ensure success. As the saying goes: nunca por hacer las cosas bien se ha perdido el tiempo.
The big winner at last week’s Latin Grammys was Juan Luis Guerra, who walked away with five trophies, the most of any performer. But he wasn’t the only one who walked away triumphant. The show itself has grown bigger each year, making it a top prize event for performers, sponsors, viewers and Latino music alike.
Arguably the largest Hispanic entertainment awards program (a record 12.6 million viewers tuned in this year), the Latin Grammys were broadcast for the first time from Las Vegas, the perfect match for the show’s celebrity sizzle factor and unforgettable performances.
With the show’s popularity growing each year, everyone from the Latin Recording Academy to Univision to corporate sponsors, were eager to ride its wave.
To build consumer excitement for the show, Univision hosted Latin Grammys street parties in key markets and also heavily promoted the show online many weeks leading up the show.
Last week, Latin Grammy viewing parties thrown by enterprising bars and restaurants popped up around the country, as did a special “Welcome Bleacher” near the green carpet where fans could watch their favorite stars arrive.
Corporate sponsors got into the act too, by promoting their connection to the event in unique ways, and airing their best creative.
From a marketing standpoint, the Latin Grammys provide many opportunities, both onstage and off, for companies that wish to connect with the young, influential Latinos the show – and the Latin music industry – attracts. And much like any other big event, opportunities include VIP gift bags and all the machinery behind having the best and most popular celebs take the stage for a night.
A lot has been written this year about how the Latin Grammys have finally hit their stride (the show stumbled in its first few years on CBS, unsuccessfully trying to capture general market viewers before moving to Univision to focus solely on the Hispanic audience); its evolution into one of the biggest Hispanic marketing events of the year is proof of that.
Long-time Hispanic marketing blogger and political enthusiast Luis Clemens has a new, timely blog about the intersection of Latinos, culture, marketing and politics. With all that is happening in the arena and the line up of presidential candidates debating on many topics of deep interest to Hispanics, LaPolitica.com is a fresh, new, much-needed forum. Luis contributes the following post, originally published as his inaugural editor's note, to readers of FH Hispania Plaza. Congratulations on your new blog Luis, and happy, content-rich countdown to the 2008 election.
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Latino political marketing in presidential elections got its start in 1960 when Jacqueline Kennedy recorded a television ad in her prep-school Spanish touting the candidacy of her husband. The production quality is lousy but the message is clear, "¡Qué Viva Kennedy!"
Nearly fifty years later there is one Hispanic presidential candidate, two Latino campaign managers and three contenders who have already purchased Spanish-language media.
Hispanic online, print, radio and television media outlets are ramping up their electoral coverage. Many are going beyond reporting and actively encouraging their audience to become citizens and register to vote. Spanish-language radio disc jockeys nicknamed "Piolín" and "El Cucuy" are becoming full-blown political players. Presidential debates are conducted in Spanish and simulcast in Spanish. Latino English-language bloggers are receiving paid political advertising.
Against this backdrop, we launch La Politica one year before the 2008 elections.
There is some sort of seismic shift in the American political landscape. Indeterminate and unpredictable, yes. But, there is movement.
Enough to spur Latino voter turnout? Enough to tilt the presidential elections one way or another? Enough to encourage investment in Hispanic political advertising?
I don't know. I leave the business of predictions to others.
My business, my obsession, my passion is news and analysis. I promise to work like crazy to keep readers informed of the full range of political communications efforts targeting Latino voters at the national, state and municipal levels. And we will cover the political issues that matter to Latino voters: the economy, education, health care, the war in Iraq, relations with Latin America and, of course, immigration. Indeed, we will report on the intersection between Hispanic media and politics.
A dash of opinion - someone else's, that is - will close each weekly newsletter.
And please share your own opinions about the newsletter, politics and Hispanic political marketing at our blog.
Let's become part of the political conversation.
For those following the online debate spurred by a blog posting by Laura Martinez regarding the lack of quality of programming in Spanish-language television, it truly is fascinating, primarily because it is taking place online and it is between individuals in the industry. If you have not followed, here’s a quick recap.
On October 10th, Laura Martinez had a post called “Why Can't Hispanic TV Be as Good as Hispanic Advertising?” on her blog. Click here to read the posting http://adage.com/bigtent/post?article_id=121032. The Hispanic Association of Advertising Agencies (AHAA) and the CEO of Hispanic Ad both responded quickly, displeased with her comments. The AHAA letter was sent to AdAge editor Scott Donaton and the letter made it to the blogoshpere. Click here for that letter and additional response: http://multicultclassics.blogspot.com/2007/10/essay-4638.html.
Gene Bryan of HispanicAd.com responded with a piece called “¡Ya Basta!” which he posted on the site. Click here for the piece http://www.hispanicad.com/cgi-bin/news/newsarticle.cgi?article_id=22880. Yesterday, Laura responded to AHAA’s letter in AdAge’s Big Tent forum. Click here for that post: http://adage.com/bigtent/post?article_id=121642.
So what do I think? I think both sides make good arguments, but also miss a few points. Laura has to understand that she is not and has never been part of the target audience for Spanish-language television, particularly daytime programming. In all honesty, I also am probably not either, but still watch some shows (I must confess that I call it market research). For the record, in my opinion, general market daytime quality is on par with Spanish-language, but I’m probably not the target for those shows either.
I agree with AHAA regarding the programming and that it is based on what works. Just look at the ratings. I also agree that comparing advertising and programming is not an apples to apples comparison. I do think her comments regarding the creative speak volumes to the quality creative we are seeing on the Hispanic front.
However, I do believe Laura’s voice, and opinions based on her experience, are important. As Maribel posted earlier, we need more voices that talk about Hispanic marketing. The more voices we have, obviously, the more we will disagree. Is this a bad thing? Not at all. Al contrario, que continúe el debate.
This is the first of a series of posts featuring interesting thought leaders in the Hispanic community. We talked to Hispanic Trending's Juan Tornoe as a follow up to our recent post on the state of the Hispanic marketing blogging community. If you have suggestions on thought leaders, would love to hear from you.
Juan Tornoe is tireless. Four years ago he followed a friend's suggestion that his collection of research and clippings on the Hispanic market could be enough material for a blog, and after taking him up and building Hispanic Trending, he has not stopped since. That is a little more than 1,400 days-- and counting-- of diligently sharing the information he gathers. A quality he chalks up to being a little OCD. And we thank him for that.
His search for information originated from a very individual business need. As an advertising executive, he went to countless meetings were the same information about the demographic was recycled, and many assumptions started to sound the same. Himself a professional from Guatemala now living in Austin, he did not self-identify with many of those assumptions. "My hypothesis is that you have to fully understand the (Hispanic) market to market to them", he told me. I could not a agree more.
Tornoe views his blog as a piece to puzzle and he considers himself a content aggregator. He gets numerous feeds a day and evaluates stories to post those he finds the most compelling. And more than 1,400 readers appreciate his work and follow it. Tornoe says he receives messages from many industry leaders thanking him for the relevant information he selects and posts.
His influence is strong and undeniable. Recently, Tornoe conducted an e-mail interview with democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. The comments poured in-- his readers let him know their presence, including staffers from other campaigns. Now, he plans to conduct other such interviews soon. Visit his blog for more.
As we were wrapping up our very enjoyable chat, I asked Tornoe what were the two Hispanic trends that he thinks are most interesting. His answer: mujer power and the influence of the U.S. born. "Latinas look after their businesses as an extension of their family," he says, and states how Latina-owned businesses continue on a growing streak, cementing the female influence in the market even further. This is truly a fascinating topic and one we will soon explore further (though it makes enough for a book). And on the topic of the U.S. born, simply put and to summarize the essence of the market: "we are a moving target".
Juan, thanks for your time, and here's to many more years…and blog postings…to come.
RedEye, a Chicago Tribune publication, earlier this week published a cover story titled “This is Latino Chicago,” a thorough, by-the-numbers snapshot of the impact Latinos have made on our city. “Latinos have driven Chicago’s population growth, stirred changes in the city’s neighborhoods, redirected marketing campaigns and changed the face of the city's schools,” stated the article.
As a lifelong Chicagoan, I have witnessed these changes myself and seen the impact in different facets of my own life, including the workplace.
When I started out in PR, I was often the only Latino account person. Today, in our Chicago office, we have grown to five Latino account staff members - all young, highly-educated Latinas. This is important to acknowledge because as more Latinos enter the workforce they will increasingly make their mark on the workplace and the economy.
For example, the number of Latinos in management and professional occupations is increasing. In addition, Hispanic business ownership is growing three times as fast as the national average. Given the example of my own office, it should come as no surprise that more and more Hispanic business owners are women.
Research shows that diversity is good for the economy. A survey by the Society for Human Resource Management and Fortune magazine showed that 79 percent of HR professionals at Fortune 1,000 companies believe that diversity improves corporate culture and 52 percent believe it improves client relations.
Statistics aside, one of the most exciting things for me about the rise of Latinos entrepreneurs and professionals is the collaborative way we help each other to achieve success.
Arturo Rico, a construction company owner in North Carolina, told CNN that he encourages his employees to learn what they can from him, so that they can one day go into business for themselves. And here in Chicago, the Chicago Latino Network connects Hispanic professionals for networking and social events. Stories like this exist across the country and additional proof is the growing number of local Hispanic business chambers in the US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce network.
Marketers interested in reaching Hispanic influencers should pay close attention to the millions of business owners and professionals among us.
Please. Start. Writing. Again.
From time to time, I like to click through the web in search of new voices covering the Hispanic market-- from a marketer's perspective. It might be (what might be?) that a lot of writers have turned their attention to politics -- I know the field is very fruitful -- and in cultural aspects, we are lucky to have many voices. I tip my hat to people like Juan Tornoe, Laura Martinez and Think Multicultural who have been regularly contributing their thinking and interests and a few other bloggers who are strong, recurrent voices.
Sadly, in doing random clicking on blogs listed on our site, Tornoe's and Martinez's, I noticed many have apparently taken a break or simply ceased to keep the stream going. For example, Monica's favorite, Clemenseando is on hold now that Luis Clemens is working on La Politica. I'm disappointed because I went into this post wanting to cheer all who are contributing to the growth of our discipline through the online space. Don't get me wrong, I think there are great voices out there -- I just wish that the online community were more robust, more representative of all we do.
During Hispanic Heritage Month, we had loads of topics to tackle. Even if for a month, attention to the market was consistent from many brands, industries and disciplines. But while Hispanic PR and marketing is an incredibly rich discipline, we still have some maturing to do. I look forward to the day when the Hispanic Public Relations Association becomes a national organization, with a national awards show, that recognizes the best work in reaching the demographic. I wish for a day that Hispanic PR and marketing blogs (yes, us included :) can be cited and ignite discussions at the highest levels of marketing. And I hope that all of that comes with a richer online discussion on how to really connect. Is it because many of us are talking rather than writing? I suspect (and hope) so. But a more densely populated (marketing) blogging community can help us trend spot, discuss, critique and become even more strongly connected to the audience that most enthralls us all. So, in the spirit of capturing all the great things being posted out there, if you know of any fabulous blogs about Hispanic PR and marketing, please share.
We are often asked by clients who have little experience in Hispanic public relations if it’s possible to equate general market media outlets with Hispanic media outlets.
“Can I call "Despierta America" the “Good Morning America” of Hispanic morning shows.” “Is Buen Hogar like Good Housekeeping?” I’ve been asked. While they are the most approximate equivalent in terms of influence with each of its target demos, the answer to both questions is “no.” While such comparisons are logical, they’re not entirely accurate.
Because the general market media landscape differs in size and scope from the Hispanic media landscape, it’s difficult to make apples to apples comparisons. The challenge of finding equivalence is particularly greater at the local level.
Across the country, there are fewer local market choices for Hispanic consumers than there are general market choices, so the chances of reaching a larger percentage of Hispanics through Hispanic media are greater.
Take Chicago for example. Here we have four English-language, and two Spanish-language 10 p.m. newscasts (not counting cable). If each newscast had equal viewership figures, the English-language stations could each only reach 25 percent of the market, whereas the Spanish-language stations could each reach 50 percent. (And in some markets, there only is one Spanish-language newscast to further complicate things.)
Even if they weren’t split equally across the board, the Spanish-language newscasts would still be more likely to capture a larger percentage of viewers simply because there are fewer choices for Chicago Hispanics who consume Spanish language media.
We know that local Spanish-language media outlets are incredibly influential because they speak directly to and are advocates for the community. And because there are fewer of them, individually they are more likely to command the attention of a larger share of the Hispanic community, certainly more than – in most cases – any individual English-language media outlet could on the general market side, simply because that landscape is much more fragmented.
So is it possible to compare Hispanic media outlets to general market media outlets? No, because factors such as reach and influence must be taken into consideration.
This weekend CNN had a story about a car dealership that decided to run a Spanish-language ad, with subtitles, in general market channels in Florida. Link here for the story. The car dealership owner received more than 200 angry emails and was even called a traitor by one person. In today's sensitive environment, companies have to be careful to not alienate customers while trying to reach a new segment. This is easier said than done because the immigration debate, in my opinion, really has created a negative environment in which language has become a central issue of the argument. For example, I don't know what the big deal is of pressing "1" to get help in English when calling a toll-free number.
At FH Hispania we work closely with our clients to look at the big picture when developing programs, looking at each situation carefully to ensure that they don't alienate one segment in trying to reach another one. It is important to remember that there are many bilingual Hispanics. Also important is to note that Hispanics are not only watching Spanish-language TV, but also shows such as “American Idol” and “Friday Night Smackdown.” Personally, I've always felt that marketers need to stick to English-language ads in English-language television and magazines, even if Hispanic-focused (i.e. Latina, Hispanic Business) because you are losing the segment that does not speak Spanish. There are some ads that have what we call cultural cues (i.e. Spanish-language music) that are well-executed and that are effective in reaching this bilingual audience without alienating others. Now, is this dealership wrong in running this ad in general market media? Time will tell. For now, sales are up.
While watching the Steelers-Cardinals game on Sunday night – and I must confess that I usually don’t watch the commercials – an ad for the NFL came on, in Spanish, with English subtitles. The ad was about a couple in counseling, where he confesses his passion for American Football. As someone who grew up watching American Football (I’ve been a 49ers fan since childhood and now love the Titans because of Vince Young), this was a tad surprising, since the ad made the assumption that Hispanics have historically not been NFL fans, when in fact the sport has been popular among Hispanics for years. I grew up in Texas where football is the state sport and I love watching both pro and college games. I also know the Cowboys have played several times in Mexico, where they have a big following, and Jorge tells me that in Miami, both the Dolphins and Miami Hurricanes have a large contingent of Hispanic fans. So this ad actually annoyed me.
My question is: why did the NFL not leverage this opportunity to recognize Hispanics that have contributed to the game? Or traditions for watching? I know I should have a sense of humor. But as a Hispanic -- and one in marketing -- I feel this ad speaks more to non-Hispanics. Here again I would have preferred that the NFL recognize the influence of Hispanics on the game, not make it seem like we are new fans.
It is important to note that, according to their website, the NFL is recognizing the contributions of Latinos through non-traditional outreach. This is an integrated effort the NFL is investing on and one that should be applauded. The NFL also has a partnership to broadcast the games in Spanish via Hispanic radio, and has the NFL Latino Web site. Now you might say I’m not the typical Latina if I like American Football, and that if I call it American Football I really must not be a fan. To answer the first point I have to say there are many more of us - and there have been for many years. And on that second point, being from Mexico, when referring to football, I am talking about soccer, but it doesn’t make me any less of a fan of the American kind.
Years ago, it used to be that marketers pointed to a group of three recurring data points to substantiate a strategy to reach the Hispanic demographic: market size, economic growth/over indexing and brand loyalty. The discussion has since evolved quite a bit, and today, we focus much more on acculturation, segmentation and other crucial characteristics that truly impact consumer and audience behavior. Good thing the approach has matured. This week, Nielsen came out with consumer insight that brand loyalty shows a decline depending on acculturation. Anyone who has visited the home of a Latino family can attest to that. With acculturation, language, media, affluence and other influences penetrate a household at different levels. And loyalty needs to be attained from each member of a household. Just last year, Yankelovich's annual multicultural marketing study* found that 58 percent of Hispanics thought it risky to buy a brand they did not know. This is where segmentation becomes critical since the more acculturation comes into play, different members of a home have different brands to call their own.
If brand loyalty slips while the two other data sets of years before stay, perhaps one of the leading considerations for approaching the market is understanding the need for 'connectedness'. This remains to be true and spans all segments. On the literal side, Hispanics do speak more on the phone, using both more long distance and wireless than their peers. The Nielsen research covers, that -- and for my peers who follow telecom -- a recent study from Florida State's Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication looked at Hispanic and other consumers use of old and new media and found that the Hispanic group that spends the most time on the phone is the 36-45 year old Spanish-dominant set (almost 11 hours per week for those who want to know). Aside from the literal, 'connectedness' also relates to culture and the set of characteristics that 'feel' Hispanic. Think music, food, softer traits such as ambiance, colors, cosmogony, life philosophy, values and language. In other words, a loyalty to roots still exists-- according the Yankelovich study, it's in an uptrend from 5 years ago.
We often get requests for data and research that size up the Hispanic market opportunity, and luckily, a lot of such stats abound today. But the truth is to effectively reach this segment, we need a deep understanding of the demographic so we are loyal to the reality of the market and the community.
(*The 2007 version of this annual study is scheduled to come out in October.)
I recently learned that Kat Von D, one of the top female tattoo artists in the world and star of TLC’s Miami Ink and now L.A. Ink, is Hispanic. Born in Mexico to Argentine parents, Kat moved to the U.S. years ago.
She sports large tattoos of legendary Mexican actresses Maria Victoria and Elsa Aguirre on her shins and occasionally peppers her language (on-air) with Spanish words and phrases. From what I can tell, she strongly identifies with her Latino heritage but isn’t wholly defined by it. A go-to tattoo artist for Hollywood’s A-list, Kat is seen (by most of the world) first as an artist then as a Latina.
There once was a time when Latina actresses wouldn’t dare admit that they were Latina. Early film roles, such as the sexy Latina spitfire or exotic home wrecker, reinforced ugly stereotypes and limited talented actresses from finding non-ethnic parts. The only way around this was to suppress your Latina roots. Screen siren Rita Hayworth is probably the best example of this unfortunate reality.
Times have certainly changed.
Continue reading "Hollywood Latinas: From Invisible to Influential" »
As a Latina, and first time voter, it is exciting to see the potential impact the Hispanic vote will have on the next presidential election. As a communicator, I am fascinated by what each candidate and what the two parties are doing – or not doing – to reach Hispanic voters. This will be more evident as I blog more and more on the upcoming elections.
The numbers, as it relates to how many tuned in to the debate broadcast Sunday in Spanish on Univision, are pretty impressive: 2.2 million viewers. In comparison the CNN YouTube debate had 2.6 million viewers.
In an earlier blog I talked about how we are not one issue voters, in other words we care about immigration but we also care about many other issues. This was reflected in the debate that covered issues including immigration, Latin American policy, Cuba-U.S. and Venezuela-U.S. relations, healthcare, education and as Maribel covered yesterday, language.
It will be interesting to see how, at the end of the day, Latinos vote. However, as someone who has worked on outreach for Latino market for years, including briefly on a state political campaign, I know it is imperative to demonstrate a commitment to the community. Research has shown that Latinos are very loyal consumers and this does translate to politics. In fact, I believe that President Bush’s effectiveness in attracting the Hispanic vote was a result of the time and energy he dedicated for years to cultivating this constituency. Today the Democrats are stepping it up to cater to Latino voters– Democrats have the first Hispanic presidential candidate, the first Hispanic campaign manager and many Latinos actively involved in the campaigns. The fact that the Republican candidates did not participate in any of the Hispanic conventions this year and have not agreed to participate in a debate on Univision is hurting the party with all Hispanics. How or will Republicans recognize the investment needed before it is too late? For now we will continue to monitor, and discuss, how the parties and candidates are reaching out to Hispanic voters.
If you are interested in learning more about the debate, there has been extensive coverage by mainstream media, including stories by Arian Campo-Flores from Newsweek and Nancy Ayala from AdWeek. There is also a great article in TIME Magazine titled "The Republicans Flunk Spanish."
I was recently asked how Hispanics celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. If you look at the history of the celebration, it was created as a weeklong U.S. government commemoration in 1968, and expanded to a month-long observance in 1988. Today, Hispanic Heritage Month begins on September 15 and runs through October 15, to help commemorate the independence of several Latin American countries during the 30-day time period, including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico and Chile.
Hispanic Heritage Month is an important celebration that helps acknowledge the many contributions of Hispanic Americans to this country. For marketers and communicators, there are many opportunities to leverage this month-long celebration but need to recognize that they’ll be competing with public, private and non-profit entities to generate media coverage and awareness of their efforts.
Observing the celebration can take several forms. It is leveraged internally, to help recognize and to promote awareness of Hispanic workers contributions among the workforce, or for external purposes ranging from advertising to participation in key events in places like D.C. At a grassroots level, however, the fiestas patrias or Independence Day celebrations at communities are better venues for Corporate America. More on these events in a later blog.
For companies looking to maximize the events in D.C., and there are plenty including the Smithsonian Con Sabor celebration on September 5th, the Hispanic Heritage Awards, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund Alumni Hall of Fame* and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Gala. Based on our experience, there are also a few points of consideration:
• Define priorities. Why do you want to participate in the D.C. events? What is the ultimate goal? Have you worked with the hosting group before?
• Create a budget: Define how much you are willing to invest in events to meet the set goals. Remember that buying a table at an event means having a company representative there to staff the event, which could mean travel dollars for more than one individual.
• Establish expectations. These events are important to build relationships, have a presence with Washington-based organizations and leaders and further partnerships. However, most of the time these sponsorships will not result in media coverage or create visibility outside of D.C. or the circle of influence of the group attending the event.
• Focus on relationships: The most tangible benefit to be derived from these opportunities is the opportunity to meet other people who hold influential positions and have an interest in diversity and Hispanic marketing. Strike conversations, get to know people and companies and network all you can for the best ROI.
* HSF is an FH client.
In the past couple of weeks, three movies have been heavily promoted to Hispanic audiences in the U.S. Interestingly, each has a unique appeal and niche audience but ultimately an in-culture story at heart (depending on the segment). First in the trio is A-list biopic "El Cantante" a project near and dear the heart of its stars and producers Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez. While the movie did not set any box office records, it succeeded in bringing the life of Fania star Hector Lavoe to the big screen. The movie stars took on the persona of Lavoe and his dear Puchi and paraded all over the Spanish-language media, but also in general market media to the tune of E!, Entertainment Tonight and many glossies.
Then, last weekend, Tego Calderon's turn at the Big Screen made the rounds. Along with an all Latino cast, Tego is featured on the film "Illegal Tender", a story about investment bankers, the Bronx and a family fleeing from gangsters. This movie was shot between New York and Puerto Rico (El Cantante also had some filming in the island). Since the story appeals more to the acculturated and to youth to promote it, Universal Studios hijacked MTV3rs and Tego and cast also made the rounds on Mun2.
And this week, what seems like a string of movies about and featuring Hispanics is completed with a movie aimed at first-generation Spanish dominant Latinos. When I first saw the trailer, I thought of Danny Ocean and his gang, or even The Italian Job, and Ladron que Roba a Ladron does not pretend to stray far from that. Heavily promoted through Univision, the film is in Spanish and features Mexican stars such as Saul Lizaso, soap opera sweetheart Fernando Columbo and Colombia's own Pedro el Escamoso, Miguel Varoni.
All in a month's work, an example of segmentation coming from the movie industry.
Now, in a year of record-breaking summer ticket sales of $4 billion and such blockbuster hits (many of them trequels) Bourne Ultimatum, Spiderman 3, Shrek, Pirates of the Caribbean and Ratatouille to name a few, why have these movies not found an audience? The question leads back to quality, story telling and engaging audiences. For a Hispanic family to fork over more than $10 a piece for a movie ticket, same as any other consumer, they will choose what they think is good. According to the most recently availbale breakdown, Hispanics are estimated to account for 20% of total ticket sales. The paltry $5 million or so from El Cantante, and the $2 million so far for Illegal Tender are nowhere near capturing that potential. A case in point, last year's Pan's Labyrith made $37 million in the U.S. and won Oscars, and in 2004 The Motorcycle Diaries made $16 million domestically -- both with Latino casts and in-culture stories.
At FH Hispania Plaza, we recently covered the exploding popularity of chipotle peppers. As we noted back then, Americans are hungry for Latino cuisine.
So hungry, that Packaged Facts predicts the U.S. Hispanic food and beverage market - which includes “authentic Hispanic,” mainstream Mexican” and “nuevo Latino” categories – will grow by 11.3 percent this year to $6.3 billion.
And now mainstream media is picking up on the trend. Gourmet, the upscale epicurean magazine, has devoted its entire September issue to Latino cuisine in the U.S., and Everyday with Rachael Ray, the perky talk show host’s magazine, has added chef Daisy Martinez, host of her own PBS cooking show, as a monthly columnist.
On the broadcast side, chef’s Daisy’s show is going strong, and the Food Network has ordered more episodes of Simply Delicioso, hosted by Latina lifestyle goddess Ingrid Hoffman. (By the way, Ingrid also has a show on Galavision/Univision, making her the first TV host to have two shows in two languages on two networks – you go girl!)
What’s interesting about all this is that food and beverage marketers now have even more media vehicles for promoting their products – and a hungry marketplace willing to give them a try. Watch for more Latino chefs and media titles making it to the big time, and more Latino-inspired foods and beverages hitting the grocery store aisles very soon.
Today's post was written by guest blogger Mariana Rodrigues in our New York office. A member of the FH Hispania practice group, Mariana has Brazilian roots.
Are you in need for some inspiration as you develop your next PR campaign? If so, get down to basics, and think…BEANS: an all-too recognized symbol of Latin culture. They’re cheap, tasty, and mostly fat-free. What’s not to like?
Below are a few tips that I think will be helpful to the hidden gringo in all of us:
Beyond…Beyond translation that is. We’ve all been faced with the task of explaining how translating press materials has a limited impact on the market you are trying to reach. Language isn’t the only thing that makes a person Hispanic. Translation might be the first step, but cultural relevancy must be taken into consideration through every step of your communications plan.
Engage…Make it interesting. Plugging in some Hispanic local stats might help you localize your messages and book that interview, but it won’t do much when it comes to grabbing your audience’s attention. Pull interesting tidbits on your topic that highlight why your message is important and why the public should listen. For example, in a recent campaign, our goal was to emphasize the growing Alzheimer’s disease crisis among Hispanics, so we chose to highlight the fact that the number of Hispanics living with Alzheimer’s disease would skyrocket by 550% by 2050.
Acknowledge…The diversity of the U.S. Hispanic market. When designing an effective program, don’t over-generalize: there is quite a difference entre un Cubano en Miami y un puertoriqueño en Nueva York. Prior to kicking off your program, speak to people within your target community to figure out what makes them tick.
Narrow…Your target market. Identify which segment(s) of the market you wish to reach and determine the characteristics of the targeted segment (such as age, area of residence, income level, language preference and fluency, level of acculturation etc).
Simplify…Your message. What is it you’re trying to say? Figure it out – and say it! Lack of direction is a surefire way to lose your audience’s interest.
All-in-all, when planning your Hispanic outreach campaign, don’t forget your side of beans – simple, easy to digest, yet unique, and a definite crowd pleaser.
Hispanics Catholics are like a two-sided coin.
On the one hand, Hispanics make up a large part of the U.S. Catholic church. More than a third of Catholics in this country are Hispanic, and as immigration from Latin America increases, so too will the number of new U.S. Catholics.
On the other hand, Hispanic Catholics are leaving the church in steady numbers. According to The Center for the Study of Latino Religion at the University of Notre Dame, around 70 percent of U.S. Latinos today identify themselves as Catholic, compared to 90 percent 30 years ago.
Many are leaving to join evangelical and Pentecostal churches. In fact, one of the Christian movement’s brightest stars is Hispanic. Erwin McManus of the hip, multicultural Mosaic ministry in Los Angeles, number 12 on Church Report magazine’s list of the 50 Most influential Christians in America, originally hails from El Salvador.
Those Hispanics that remain Catholic are infusing a unique blend of culture and charisma into the Church. In San Pablo, Calif., the Hip Kidz rap group, comprised of local at-risk Latino youth, rap about the Virgen de Guadalupe. And across the country, more than half of Hispanic Catholics describe themselves as charismatic (meaning they engage in spiritual practices such as hand clapping and speaking in tongues), compared with only an eighth of non-Hispanic Catholics.
So why is this important for marketers?
Quinceañera celebrations, the balls in which 15-year-old girls are presented into society as a transition to adulthood and marriage, are a long-standing tradition in Latin America that has been transplanted to the U.S. by Hispanic immigrants. Families are known to pour thousands of dollars into fancy parties, dresses and other accoutrements that are outdone only by wedding festivities.
Big business has taken notice of what for many years existed in the cultural background and is now moving to cash in. Quince Girl magazine began publishing last year, Seventeen magazine now sponsors a Quinceañera contest, Quince celebrations have been featured in MTV´s My Super Sweet 16 and Hearst announced today that it is launching MisQuinceMag.com.
The Miami Herald recently ran a story on how Royal Caribbean is capitalizing on the Quinceañera business by offering destination Quince celebratio