Hispanic Public Relations & Social Marketing Conference Set For 2010 - Written by My Latino Voice

The Hispanic Public Relations Association (HPRA) and the Hispanic PR Blog are joining forces to make history by presenting the first ever Hispanic Public Relations & Social Media Marketing Conference in Dallas, TX, May 10-12, 2010.

“This conference will provide attendees with case studies, professional development, career and networking opportunities that are razor-focused on Hispanic PR and social marketing,” said conference co-creator Manny Ruiz, the nation’s leading blogger on Hispanic public relations and the founder of Hispanic PR Wire, a division of PR Newswire. “We believe this case studies-driven event will be the premier annual showcase for all that our Hispanic PR/social marketing industry has to offer.”

“This conference comes at a critically important time for both HPRA and the Hispanic market,” said John Echeveste, HPRA co-founder and senior adviser. “This year, HPRA celebrated its 25th anniversary and, in 2010, we will expand its national presence, while the upcoming U.S. Census and the continued growth of social media will underscore the importance of the national Hispanic market. As the leading organization for Hispanic public relations professionals, HPRA is pleased to co-present this conference to demonstrate the effective role that PR plays in Hispanic marketing and the creativity and innovation that our members are providing in leading the social media revolution,” added Echeveste.

Rosa Alonso, My Latino Voice CEO, joins senior executives from leading brands and agencies as a member of the conference's advisory board, which includes: Cristina Alfaro (McDonald’s); Jorge Diaz de Villegas (Fleishman); Aymee Zubizarreta (State Farm); Armando Azarloza (The Axis Agency); Alfredo Padilla (Comerica Bank), Ivette Zurita and Lourdes Rodriguez (Hispanic Public Relations Association); Stephen Chavez (Ketchum); Lorenzo Lopez (Walmart); John Echeveste (VPE Public Relations), Romina Bongiovanni (Edelman); Audrey Ponzio (Edelman); Mario Flores (Sportivo/RL Public Relations) and Deborah Vallejo (Bromley).

The conference will feature nearly two dozen sessions on a wide range of topics covering everything from how to generate coverage with the top Hispanic bloggers to best practices in Hispanic youth marketing to how to effectively manage corporate partnerships with Hispanic organizations. All of the professional development programs are being defined by a senior executive advisory board consisting of some of the most seasoned Hispanic PR pros in the corporate communications, agency, media and non-profit worlds.

In addition to quality professional development programs and networking opportunities, the conference will feature an exhibition area to connect Hispanic marketers with industry communications providers as well as key Hispanic organization exhibitors. Parallel to the main exhibition hall will be a first of its kind Hispanic Market Career Fair for companies, organizations and government agencies seeking talented Latinos in PR and advertising.

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Hispanics in the News

Monday, December 7 - Most of what the public learns about the Hispanic population comes from event-driven news stories in which Hispanics are one of many elements discussed, according to a studyreleased jointly by the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism (PEJ) and the Pew Hispanic Center.

And from February through August, 2009, only a fraction of the news stories--57 out of all 34,451 studied--focused directly on the life experiences of Hispanics in the U.S.

The event that drove far more of the coverage than any other was the historic nomination of Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. The issue of immigration drove less than a quarter as much.

Among the key Findings:
During the six months examined, 2.9% of the news content studied contained substantial references to Hispanics. That was more attention than any other group studied except for Muslims. Nearly all of the Muslim coverage involved foreign affairs, while the majority of Hispanic coverage concerned domestic issues and events.


The nomination of Sonia Sotomayor made up the largest share of this Hispanic-related news, 39.4%, more than twice than of any other storyline. The Mexican drug war came second at 15.1%; the outbreak of H1NI flu (with its origin in Mexico City) was third, at 13.0%.


Immigration, the number four topic, accounted for just 8.4% of the coverage involving Hispanics during these six months. When immigration was discussed, however, Hispanics were the group mentioned most often. Looking at all of the news about immigration, 34% referenced Hispanics, 10 times that of any other ethnic group.


In the small portion of coverage that dealt with the experiences of Hispanics living in the U.S., the most common story line was the effect of the recession. Next was the immigrant experience, after that was population growth and changing demographics, and then the question of fair treatment and discrimination.


Looking at Hispanic figures mentioned in the news, Justice Sotomayor received far more coverage than anyone else. She was a lead newsmaker in 30% of all stories with a Hispanic element. The only other people to garner of the total even one percent were leaders of Latin American countries: ousted Honduran president Manuel Zelaya (1.7%), Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez (1.4%), and Mexican president Felipe Calderon (1.1%).


The degree to which Hispanics are covered in the news varied by media sector. Newspapers gave them then most attention, with Hispanic references in 4.3% of the front-page coverage studied. Hispanics were least likely to be referenced on cable television, appearing in 1.9% of the newshole studied. (Newshole is the percent of total time on TV and radio and space online or in print studied.)

These are some of the findings of a study that examined coverage of four prominent ethnic, racial and religious groups--Asians, Africans/African-Americans, Hispanics and Muslims--in 55 U.S. news outlets including 13 newspapers, 15 cable programs, the 7 broadcast network evening and morning news programs, 12 prominent news websites and 9 news radio and talk programs. This study was designed and produced jointly by PEJ and the Pew Hispanic Center, both of which are projects of the Pew Research Center in Washington, D.C.

Read the full report

Contact:

Mary Seaborn, Pew Hispanic Center
info@pewhispanic.org
202-419-3606
or
Amy Mitchell, PEJ
asmitch@journalism.org
202-419-3650

Why sell your services or products in Spanish?

Not only is Spanish the second most spoken language worldwide, and is the most commonly taught foreign language in the United States. Because of the Hispanic population living in the US now reaching millions, Spanish is recognized in many states at the government level.

The term Hispanic refers to a person of Latin American or Spanish culture or origin. As such, Hispanic does not refer to a racial group, but an ethnic category of people shares similar cultural traditions. Persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race, and come from different countries, yet the uniting factor is the Spanish language. Thus, bilingual marketing efforts in Spanish and English will continue to become more valuable for U.S. businesses over time.

The Department of Labor’s most recent Survey of Consumer Expenditures shows Hispanic households spent more on groceries, communications, and apparel than non-Hispanics. Also, Hispanics spend greater percentage of their money on housing and vehicle purchases, and they spend similar amounts as non-Hispanics on restaurants, household supplies and personal care. As such, Hispanics are a segment of the market that is worth targeting just as much if not more than other ethnic groups.

The 2006 American Community Survey shows that one out of every seven people who reside in the U.S. is of Hispanic origin. And this does not refer simply to those who have migrated from Spanish-speaking countries. In fact, three out of five Hispanics residing in the U.S. were born in the United States. According to the Pew Research Center in their April 2009 study, 22% of infants born in the U. S. are Hispanic. The statistics also show that approximately half of all U.S. immigrants are from Latin America.

Because of the high birth rate and increasing immigration, the Hispanic population is growing at a rate much faster than the total U.S. population, a trend anticipated to continue. Between 1990 and 2008, the Hispanic population has increased by 107% compared to 14% for the non-Hispanic population.

There are an estimated 44 million Hispanics in the U.S. as of 2009. This means the United States is home to the world’s fifth largest Hispanic population (trailing Mexico, Colombia, Spain and Argentina.) The US Hispanic population is projected to grow exponentially to over 100 million people by 2050, which will be approximately one quarter of the total U.S. population.

California is home to the largest population of Hispanics in the U.S., 13 million, one-third of the state's population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Therefore, California businesses are taking note of the economic influence of Hispanics by designing products, services and advertising that appeals to them. More than 50% of Latino adults respond best to advertising when it is presented in Spanish.

© Sofia E. Keck 2009 – sofia.keck@sellitinspanish.com

Hispanic Broadband Access

According to The Hispanic Institute and Mobile Future Hispanics have a strong preference for mobile broadband access. While Hispanics trail other U.S. populations in overall Internet access, they are among the most avid users of mobile broadband. In fact, Hispanics and African Americans lead mobile broadband use
(53% and 58% respectively), with both communities far ahead of Whites (33%).

Hispanics are more mobile than the general U.S. population and, thus, rely more on cell phones. In fact, compared to Americans generally, Hispanics account for more minutes used and for a higher percentage of cell-phone ownership despite their relatively low incomes.

Given that roughly 40% of U.S. Hispanics are born abroad1, in countries where wireless service often is more common than landline phones, the American Hispanic community is more open to mobile broadband than many other population groups. This familiarity makes the leap to smartphones and other connected mobile devices a more intuitive step for many than turning to wired, home broadband adoption and computer usage.

In 2008, Hispanics outpaced the general population in accessing and downloading digital media (music, video, audio, movies, television programs, video games and podcasts), 42% to 35%2.

In many developing countries, there are relatively few traditional telephone landlines due to infrastructure limitations. As a result, cell phone use often eclipses landline usage in many parts of the world.

In Mexico, mobile phones have a 36% penetration rate, compared to only 16% for land lines, and in Chile penetration rates are 60% and 22%, respectively15, with similar rates in most Central and South American countries. As a result, many immigrants arrive in the United States with a propensity for mobile use. Transition to smart phones and other similar devices seems an easy step, which may partly explain why immigrants are more likely to have cell phones even if they have relatively lower incomes than the average U.S. resident.

Additionally, immigrants tend to be more mobile and have greater need for wireless services. Given that roughly 40% of Hispanics are foreign-born,17 it adds to the facility with which Hispanics have migrated to wireless and broadband devices and
services.

The Hispanic Broadband Access: Making the Most of the Mobile, Connected Future is a joint research project of The Hispanic Institute and Mobile Future.􀀁

The Hispanic Market Is Set to Soar by Noreen O'Leary

The 2010 Census will radically alter the demographic map and the rules of engagement between Hispanic and general-market shops

Hispanic Americans continue to grow in number at a rate four times that of the general population, with the 2010 Census expected to show their total rising to nearly 50 million, from 38 million in 2000. And second-generation Hispanics are fast becoming the driver of the group's growth, with 88 percent of Hispanic children born in America, versus 61 percent of adults.

As a result, agencies that market to this segment are finding themselves in a strong position, armed with the skills and techniques to take on general assignments from big-name clients. Meanwhile, in a tight business environment, general agencies are starting to compete for work previously reserved for specialist shops.

Is an already competitive agency landscape set to become even more so?

"In the 2010 Census, we'll see confirmation of a shift from Hispanic consumers who are first generation, where Spanish is the dominant language, to second-generation, bilingual, bicultural consumers. It totally transforms how we market," says Cynthia McFarlane, chair of Publicis Groupe's Conill, a Latino agency. "These are consumers who are as influenced by American culture as the country of origin of their families. There is a new American culture forming, and these consumers are having a tremendous impact on mainstream America."

McDonald's, which sees higher brand loyalty among its Hispanic consumers, has added offerings like breakfast burritos to its national menu. In further evidence of the growing bilingual voice of Hispanic consumers, McDonald's runs ads with Spanish taglines in general-market media, and earlier this year used "Spanglish" in general-market advertising for the Quarter Pounder.

"We know the general market has become increasingly multicultural, with Hispanic music, Hispanic tastes, the Hispanic palate influencing a lot of general-market initiatives," says Cristina Vilella, director of marketing at McDonald's USA. "We lead with Hispanic insights but make sure they appeal to the general market."

That blurring of distinctions within the Hispanic marketplace hints at the changes ahead for agencies and media firms. Hispanics now have about $863 billion in discretionary annual income, more than any other minority group in the country. (As of the third quarter, Americans overall had disposable income of $10.8 trillion.) Agencies argue that spending power is still underestimated and that upcoming Census findings -- expected to be released beginning in early 2011 -- will deliver a wake-up call to marketers.

"It will be a huge eye-opener when we see the growing affluence of the Hispanic marketplace, not just in buying power but also in household wealth," says Conill's McFarlane.

"We have 15 percent of the market but only 5 percent of the marketing dollars," says Ingrid Otero-Smart, CEO of Interpublic Group's Casanova Pendrill. "You're going to see more general-market agencies pursue Hispanic accounts. They didn't care when our budgets were $10 million or less, but now that we are dealing with more robust budgets and theirs are being cut, it's a different story."

Already, Hispanic agencies are extending their reach beyond Spanish-language media. Casanova Pendrill's recent California Lottery TV spots were used in the general market, while San Antonio-based independent Creative Civilization is lead agency for the San Antonio Express News and the San Antonio Spurs. In 2006, Toyota liked a Conill TV concept for the Camry so well, it turned it into a Super Bowl spot.

"There are certain categories, geographies, brands where the Hispanic market is now the general market and the Hispanic marketing strategy will be the overriding strategy," says Alex Lopez Negrete, CCO at independent Lopez Negrete Communications in Houston. "The Census will confirm the cultural pervasiveness of Hispanics. When general-market assignments start going to Hispanic agencies, it will manifest itself regionally first and then move to categories."

And Hispanic agencies have to catch up to their ever savvier consumers: Earlier this year, Forrester Research said Hispanic Gen Y consumers 18-28 are "outpacing" their non-Hispanic peers in the amount of mobile activity and use of features in which they engage. Those young Hispanics are also more interested in technology; Forrester found 72 percent of them said it is important, compared to 44 percent of non-Hispanics.

Mark Gibson, vp of advertising at State Farm, says the insurer's Hispanic marketing is an area of innovation.

"We're doing things in the Hispanic market that are driving things to other targets, platforms," he says. "Our Hispanic efforts are becoming a best-practices center at the company."

Given those new approaches to the marketplace and the threat of competition from general-market shops, many traditional Hispanic agencies will need to reinvent themselves to survive. Last year, after spending 29 years at Hispanic agencies, Simon El Hage joined IPG's Draftfcb in Chicago as group management director of multicultural marketing. "The old ethnic multicultural approach is passé," he warns. "We have to look at integration not just from a channel but from a segment point of view. The reality is that Hispanic agencies got used to working with less. We fell into our own trap, and the expectations marketers have for us, we set ourselves. We've underestimated the sophistication of our consumers."

And that provides opportunities for upstarts like MDC Partners' Adrenalina. The agency says it uses digital executions as a starting point and bases its strategies on a behavioral model. "We speak in culture, not language," says Manuel Wernicky, Adrenalina's president. "Old-school agencies just focus on Census numbers, which are used to divide the whole into granular pieces. We try to understand the complexity of that consumer and how they are changing, regardless of language, whether they're male or female, Mexican or Colombian."

Language does remain an important factor. Some 44 percent of Hispanic consumers say, at home, they speak Spanish only or more often than English; 25 percent say they are equally bilingual; and 31 percent use English only or more often than Spanish, according to research from Synovate and Nielsen. (That last number offers a glimpse of the future Hispanic marketplace: Among second-generation consumers, 93 percent say they are bilingual or English dominant.)

As general-market broadcasters continue to battle audience erosion, Univision, the country's No. 1 Spanish-language media company, posted a 5 percent gain last season. The company owns the most-watched single American TV station among adults 18-49 regardless of language -- KMEX-TV in Los Angeles. Univision also said last season it was consistently within the top five broadcast networks in the U.S., and on many nights it was within the top three.

"We're seeing a tipping point in Spanish-language media," says David Lawenda, Univision's president. "In our recently completed upfront, we saw shares shifting [from the general market] as we brought in new brands. The implications of the 2010 Census are huge. Marketers don't necessarily know the spending power of the U.S. Hispanic population. Their purchasing power makes them equivalent to the 15th-largest consumer marketplace in the world."

General broadcast networks posted a 22 percent decline in the last upfront, while Univision posted a 3 percent gain to $1.24 billion. In categories like quick-service restaurants, Univision posted a 25 percent gain, while consumer packaged goods rose 20 percent, Lawenda says.

Unlike general-market shops, many Hispanic agencies still maintain full-service media departments. That business is also under assault. Media agencies at big industry holding companies have created operations dedicated to multicultural planning and buying. The industry is also seeing more media-only agency reviews, which is not typical in the Hispanic sector.

"The competitive landscape will shift as more people compete for the money," says Danielle Gonzalez, managing director of Starcom MediaVest Group's Tapestry multicultural unit. "The general market has very good [media] buyers, but they might be lacking in strategic insights. You'll see traditional Spanish agencies positioning themselves as saying, 'You might have the [volume benefit of] dollars, but if you don't have the insights or are smart at buying, then what are you bringing to the process?'"

The stakes in those media plans have clearly changed over the past decade. While the 2010 survey is expected to show that two-thirds of Hispanics in the U.S. continue to live in four states -- California, Texas, Florida and New York -- there will be surprising new expansion of the population base.

"In the 2010 Census, we'll see dramatic growth east of the Mississippi in the Southeast corridor. This is going to be a profound game changer," says Don Browne, president of NBC Universal's Telemundo Spanish-language broadcast operations.

Luis Miguel Messianu, president and CCO at Alma DDB, concurs: "This Census will change the perception of what a national Hispanic marketing plan will look like. Now, it's the 15 top markets. The reality is that it has grown beyond that in recent years."

Article source ADWEEK

Senator Harry Reid Helped Designate October 25-29, 2009, National Hispanic Media Week

RESOLUTION

Designating October 25 through October 31, 2009, as ''Na- tional Hispanic Media Week'' in honor of the Latino Media of America.

- Whereas for almost 470 years the United States has benefitted from the work of Hispanic writers and publishers;

- Whereas there are over 800 Hispanic newspapers with a circulation of 17,800,000, and over 550 Hispanic magazines with a circulation of 31,600,000;

- Whereas Hispanic television and radio programs respond to the bilingual needs of the United States Latino population;

- Whereas market research estimates that the reach of Spanish language television is nearly universal;

- Whereas 1 in 8 Americans is served by a Hispanic publication throughout the Nation;

- Whereas the Latino print media generated $1,400,000,000 in revenue last year, despite adverse economic conditions;

- Whereas the Hispanic press informs many Americans about significant political, economic, and social issues of our day;

- Whereas the Hispanic press in the United States focuses in particular on informing and promoting the well being of our country's Hispanic community; and

- Whereas commemorating the achievements of the Hispanic press acknowledges the important role the Hispanic press has played in United States history:

Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate-

(1) designates October 25 through October 31, 2009, as ''National
Hispanic Media Week'' in honor of the Latino Media of America; and

(2) encourages the people of the United States to observe the week with appropriate programs and activities.

The resolution was presented by Senators Harry Reig (D-NV), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), Mark Udall (D-CO), Michael Bennet (D-CO) y Kristen Gillibrand (D-NY).

Photo: Senator Harry Reid (second from left) at the recent NAHP Media Summit with Judith Martinez, NAHP Region 2 rep; Clara Padilla Andrews, NAHP President; and publisher of the year, Marty Cortinas from La Voz Hispanic.

Biz Tech Day by Edith Yeung

BizTechDay is the largest and most impactful business technology conference in the nation. Its mission is to connect, educate and inspire entrepreneurs. Technology happens fast...This is the ONE event of the year where entrepreneurs catch up on the latest technologies and practical business strategies.

BizTechDay 2009 features an extraordinary lineup of both inspirational speakers and well-renown business experts. It will be held on October 22-23 in Silicon Valley and be streamed live to tens of thousands of entrepreneurs via the internet worldwide. Throughout the day, we will hear from amazing thought leaders, influential business experts, social media mavericks from Virgin America, Comcast, Yelp, Google, Facebook, Elance and many other like-minded entrepreneurs and business owners.

This conference features the top internet and business icons to show you 3 simple ways to use technology to drive your business:

1) How To Raise Money or Get Investors.

2) How To Use Social Media To Increase Business.

3) How To Leverage On Your Website For Marketing And To Drive Sales.

Some of this year's speakers:

Craig Newmark – Founder of Craigslist.org

Tim Ferriss – Author of 4-Hour Workweek

Michael Gerber – World’s No 1 Small Business Guru per Inc Magazine and the New York Times Best Selling Author of the E-Myth

Will Bunker – Co-Founder of Match.com

Kevin Rose – Founder of Digg (Over a Million People follow up on Twitter)

Porter Gale – VP Marketing at Virgin America

Mark O’Leary – Regional VP for Business Services for Comcast

Matt Mullenweg – Founder of WordPress

Kevin Hartz – Paypal Angel Investor

Fabio RosIati – CEO of Elance

Joel Comm – Creator of iFart iPhone App – Over 1 Million downloads

Gary Swart – CEO of oDesk

Randy Williams, Founder of Keiretsu Forum. The World’s largest angel investor network – over $180m invested in 200 companies

Chris Larsen – Founder of Prosper.com

Michelle Broderick – Director of Marketing at Yelp

Justin Kan – Founder of Justin.TV

Ramon Ray – Chief Editor of SmallBizTechnology.com

Alison Covarrubias – Founder & CEO of Hatch Network

And 40+ more thought leaders and successful entrepreneurs

Find out more at www.biztechday.com

Latina Business Strategies Breakfast

Last Thursday (Oct. 15) , in conjunction with the San Francisco Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, NAWBO-SFBA was proud to present the Latina Business Strategies/NAWBO-U Breakfast focusing on providing educational resources to women business owners.

The diverse panel of women entrepreneurs who shared their experiences and tips for navigating and succeeding in this economy was great.

Agenda:

"Growing Your Business in a Down Economy"
This panel, was moderated by Vanessa Robledo of Black Coyote Vineyards and discussed how to shift and create new marketing strategies, how to look beyond your typical target customer for new contracts, how to create strategic alliances with other women-owned businesses.

Panelists included:
Katie Gutierrez – Assistant Match
Jeanne Beacham – Delphon Industries
Edith Yeung – San Francisco Entrepreneurs


"Secure New Contracts for Your Small Business: Demystify the Terminology and Process of Procurement"
This panel, was moderated by Denise Coley of Cisco Systems, and discussed the ways in which small business, micro-business and minority businesses can secure new contracts through the procurement process. Panelists shared their own successes and pitfalls in securing contracts from corporations and government.

Panelists included:
Ginny Velasquez – Team Persona Personnel
Sheila Lewis – Flyin' West Strategic Marketing Resource Group
Miranda Reyes, PG&E Supplier Diversity


Special thanks to Mr. Richard Ventura, president and CEO of the San Francisco Hispanic Chamber of Commerce for providing us once more with an informative event.

Feliz Día de la Independencia GUATEMALA!

Latino professionals Learn From The Winemaker by Adrian Perez

Dressed casually, as if going to a fall wine tasting event, Alex Sotelo walked around politely, introducing himself and listening to ways the 25 Hispanic professionals introduced themselves to him as they enjoyed a cup of coffee and exchanged business cards. The monthly meet-up event held by the Hispanics Mean Business group in San Francisco, California, was featuring Sotelo as the guest speaker to share experiences and tips for improving business. With the majority of attendees dressed professionally, Sotelo was not hard to miss. But it was his message that made him the star of the day.

"Good morning," he told the group once everyone was seated. "My name is Alex Sotelo, I am a winemaker that happens to be Hispanic."

His introduction left some in the room chuckling while others looked a bit puzzled.

"How you introduce yourself is very important," he told the now attentive group. "Many of you told me your name and didn't tell me what you do until after I asked. This is a missed opportunity."

For the next 20-odd minutes, Sotelo shared a variety of tidbits that not only made sense on making a sale, but explained how he got his wine to be served at the White House.

"Many people ask me, how did you get the White House to serve your wine? And, I tell them like I am going to tell you, they look for you," he says. "They get lots of wine sent to them, and they throw it away."

Instead, Sotelo says, he has allowed for people and his product do all the promotion for him. He does not have a wine tasting cellar, but does attend many events where he pours his wine and where key people have learned of his products.

"The key for me is having a good product and having the infrastructure ready to handle the load," Sotelo told the group. "But I did not release my product to Latinos first. Instead I sold it to a small network of people who enjoyed wine and I knew could help me grow. Today, Latinos make up 45 percent of my business."

Sotelo's initial strategy worked, getting him on the cover of the New York Times and the San Francisco Chronicle, eventually leading to some members of President Barack Obama's staff contacting him to be one of a few vintners whose products would be featured at the White House.

"Mr. Sotelo is a humble man and a good dancer," says Mayra Bautista, member of the Marin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and HMB. "I met him at an event and we danced. I introduced him to some friends as a great dancer when he told us he was actually a winemaker."

The Mexican-born Sotelo became a winemaker at age 25 after working in the industry since his teenage years. As he explains it, education is a very important foundation to have, but becoming a professional at what you do is more important. Providing a good product and service is good, but becoming unique is what helps promote any product or service.

The Hispanics Mean Business is led by Sofia Keck and meets monthly. For more information, visit www.meetup.com/Hispanics/.

For more information about Sotelo Wines, visit www.alexsotelocellars.com.

About the author - Adrian Perez is a writer and publisher of the only online publication dedicated to public policy and government from a Latino perspective, The Latino Journal. Adrian currently manages four daily updated blogs: The Latino Journal; The Latino Business Review; Vida de Oro/Life of Gold; and the Latino Med Journal, and publishes The Latino Journal E-News every week, reaching millions of readers in the U.S. and beyond.

U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis and Ambassador of Mexico Arturo Sarukhan celebrate the inaugural “Labor Rights Week” by Jessica Lopez

The U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis and the Ambassador of Mexico Arturo Sarukhan today celebrated the inaugural “Labor Rights Week” that will take place from August 30th to September 4th in 14 cities across the United States.

Labor Rights Week is an important opportunity to ensure that the Mexican community and Mexican workers in the United States are aware of their labor rights. It is a new initiative that brings together the Embassy of Mexico and its consular network in the United States, the U.S. Department of Labor, local authorities, unions, religious groups, and community based organizations with the common goal of better informing workers from Mexico and elsewhere of their rights. Framed around Labor Day, the Labor Rights Week will multiply outreach initiatives developed jointly by participating organizations (through leaflets, posters, press conferences and forums).

“In the past few years, a growing number of immigrant workers were subject to abuse under a mantle of fear that was created by unscrupulous employers that used immigration status to threaten deportation if workers reported discrimination, wage and hour or health and safety violations. We recognize the leadership of Secretary Solis in this issue and believe that joint efforts like Labor Rights Week will strengthen our ability to protect the rights of our nationals abroad,” said Mexican Ambassador Arturo Sarukhan.

“Today we renew our commitment to protecting all workers and welcome this continued partnership with the Mexican government,” said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. “These efforts will help ensure that all workers are treated fairly and will empower them to seek assistance.”

Joe Hansen, President of United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) said, “Our communities and neighborhoods are better, safer places to work and live when all workers know and exercise their rights. Semana de Derechos Laborales is a perfect way to empower Mexican national workers with information and promote full participation in the civic fabric of our nation. The UFCW has been a union of immigrants for more than 100 years and this weeks’ program helps ensure that a new generation of workers has the resources to have their voice heard on the job.”

Events for this inaugural Labor Rights Week will be held in the following cities: Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Fresno, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Phoenix, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, and Washington D.C.

These events include: a National Opening event held today in Los Angeles where Secretary Solis was joined by local and community leaders; an information telethon on Labor Rights in Dallas; the unveiling of a permanent Labor Window in the Consulate of Mexico in Chicago with the presence of Joe Hansen, International President of the UFCW; the screening of a film related to labor rights in New York; Community Fair in Phoenix; and workshops on Labor Rights in most participating cities and consulates, among others.

Jessica Lopez
Comunicacion Social / Press Attaché
Consulate General of Mexico in San Francisco
jlopezm@sre.gob.mx
consulado.mexico.sf@gmail.com

"Latinos A Morir" (LAM) Means Business by Giovanni Gonzalez

The concept of Latinos A Morir started out as a gathering of friends at a house in Berkeley in 2001. Although the initial group of friends had different majors, ethnicity, and nationality, we all had a key values in common: ambition, care for our community, love of life and Latin American culture.

Now, LAM consists of 2,700+ members and we all come from very diverse backgrounds: country of birth, industry, age, hobbies, etc. However, we all share the same values from that initial group of friends back in 2001.

For this reason, LAM is adding opportunities for our members to interact at a more personal and professional level than just dancing. [Don't worry, that will never change!]

Latinos A Morir has partnered with Hispanics Mean Business to provide intimate events for those interested on personal growth, community improvement, and professional success.

Hispanic Business Owners gathered at the 30th Annual CHCC Convention

The California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce (CHCC) hosted its 30th Annual State Convention on August 19-22, 2009. This year’s convention took place at the U.S. Grant Hotel in San Diego, California. The CHCC is the fastest growing regional organization in California.

The goal of this convention was to address issues of relevance to more than 720,000 Hispanics businesses and over 65 local Hispanic chambers in California. Some of this year’s speakers included Jim Steeg, COO San Diego Chargers, Moctesuma Esparza, Chairman and CEO Maya Entertainments Group Inc, California Latino Water Coalition (CLWC) Chairperson -actor and comedian- Paul Rodriguez, and Chairman of the CHCC Ken Macias.

“As Hispanic business ownership continues to rise, it is important that we work together to have our voice heard from the boardrooms of corporate America to the halls of government. This convention serves a valuable role in making that happen,” said Joel Ayala, President and CEO of the CHCC.

The convention featured business procurement/matchmaking sessions with companies such as Hyundai, Sate Farm, PG&E, Sempra, AT&T and more. Some of the corporate sponsors of the convention were Wells Fargo, Verizon, Aetna, Walmart and South West Airlines.

The four day convention was a great opportunity for relationship building with chambers, businesses and corporate partners. With a number of events and workshops catered specifically to the concerns of Hispanic business-owners new entrepreneurs had the chance to learn from successful business veterans. As a young business owner, I felt honored to be part of this experience. Next year’s convention will take place in Los Angeles, California.

Hispanic Heritage Month ROI

In September 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson proclaimed National Hispanic Heritage Week. Twenty years later it became a month-long celebration (Sept. 15 – Oct. 15). During this time, America celebrates the culture and traditions of those who trace their roots to Spanish-speaking countries.

The month of September is a historically significant one for many Latin American countries. September 15 is the anniversary of the independence of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence on September 16 and 18.

With over 45 million Hispanics in the U.S., it is crucial for marketers to be aware of this important time of year for Hispanic culture. Hispanic Heritage Month presents an opportunity for businesses to integrate themselves into this growing community by showing support. It is important that this support not be seen as token, and one of the best ways to do this is via sponsorship.

There are many levels of sponsorship, so businesses of all sizes can participate in supporting Hispanic Heritage month. No matter who you are or what you sell, there is a place for your brand in the Hispanic community, especially during this time. Hispanics have a strong sense of loyalty and reciprocity, so if you genuinely give to the Hispanic community, rest assured that you will get back. Your ROI will skyrocket if you get creative and position your support strategically during this month.

Hispanic Heritage Month means a great deal to Hispanics. It is the culmination of years of efforts at recognition by American culture. Integrating yourself into the Hispanic market by supporting Hispanic Heritage month could very well set you apart from other brands. Those who support Hispanic Heritage Month appear to be sincerely supporting Hispanic heritage, and not just supporting their own business. Contact me for more information about the numerous opportunities to take part in this special time of year for Hispanics.

"Hispanics Mean Business" on Meetup.com

Networking and Latino Business Owners

A few weeks ago I wrote about "Hispanics Mean Business - Professional Group." HMB was featured in today's E-News of the Latino Journal Magazine.

July 27, 2009 Issue No. 49

Latinos and the Economy

Networking helps Latino business owners stay afloat, grow
By Adrian Peréz

"With double-digit unemployment and businesses closing their doors throughout the nation, Hispanic business owners are learning the power of "teaming" and "networking" to create opportunities for one another and establish strong referral services to ensure continued prosperity. This isn't new for numerous Hispanic chambers of commerce that conduct business mixers and business matching services to their members. But, not all Hispanic business owners are members of chambers of commerce, allowing an opportunity for other groups to create networking opportunities. Such is the case for a small, but growing group out of San Francisco, California called "Hispanics Mean Business" (HMB).

Launched by Sofia Keck, a principal of Sell It In Spanish.com, HMB has grown legs among the many professionals and business owners seeking ways of staying in business. The organization meets, informally, on a regular basis and each member is encouraged to conduct a 20 minute discussion about their business or expertise and sharing what has and has not worked for them with those in attendance. The discussion leads to additional ideas and options that the presenter may not had thought of, including teaming with like businesses where mutual growth is promoted.

"The economy is pushing us to look for ways to remain successful," says Sofia. "Through referrals, teaming and self-promotion, we will find an effective way so you can implement your product or service continuously, and that is our goal."

HMB has become an exclusive resource for Hispanic professionals around Northern California to build connections and receive event invitations, receive presentations from experts in different industries and create opportunities to generate more business.

HMB members are leaders, business owners, entrepreneurs and influencers who are proactive in achieving personal growth, community improvement and business success.

The informal sessions allow the members to:

Promote themselves or products as needed, discussing "Why people should afford to work with you right now?"
Promote themselves or products as a solution, focusing on "Right now people need to survive and want to see fast results so they might not be thinking about long term investments."
Promote themselves or products as a support, understanding that having new ideas is great but right now people may not have the time and budget to "explore" those ideas, making it necessary to maximize time and effort invested.

"When you network you get a chance to shake hands with potential clients, potential partners and potential friends. To me, this sounds like a good investment," adds Sofia.

For more information, contact Sofia Keck by visiting www.sellitinspanish.com."

Spanish-Language TV Ratings by TeleNoticias

The latest news about Univision dominance in the 18-34 year-old demographic is another reason to be paying attention to the Hispanic market, if you’re not already doing so.

For the week of June 15, Univision beat out all other broadcast networks, English and Spanish, for ages 18-34 on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday nights. In the highly coveted Thursday 10 pm slot, Univision’s “Mujeres Asesinas” (“Ladykillers”) beat out the top English competitor CBS by 72% for adults ages 18-34. For primetime, Univision was #1 on Friday among adults ages 18-49. This week wasn’t the first time Spanish programs have beaten ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox and the CW. In fact, Univision has been #1 on 33 Fridays during the 2008-2009 television season! Yes, 33 times!

Spanish-language programming has dominated ratings in the past, but it is happeing more frequently and its current success is a stark contrast with other major networks.

This season, English language broadcast networks are having some of their worst ratings ever. Meanwhile, this week brought Telemundo its highest novella ratings ever. These results extend to news as well: Spanish local news at 6 and 11 pm is averaging higher viewership than ABC, CBS and NBC`s local newscasts combined among Adults 18-34 in major U.S. markets.

Why is this happening? Go to complete post

The Value of Clothing to Hispanics - A Clothes Call

“Dress for success” is a popular saying in America, but if you have ever wondered what Hispanics dress for it is “acceptance.”

In Hispanic culture what you wear and how you wear it says a lot about you. A low income family might not be able to afford expensive clothing but their shirts are ironed and their shoes are polished. Middle to high class Hispanics in Latin American may save money to come to the U.S. for a shopping spree and purchase American brands that ironically, if not made in China were probably made in a Latin American country like Guatemala (my birth place.)

No matter their economic status, accessories and jewelry are a must for girls starting from a very young age. Little girls get their ears pierced almost at birth and might let their hair grow to pull it back in a sleek and polished pony tail. Their socks will have ruffles and their outfits will match.

Appearances are very important in Hispanic culture. First impressions hold high value and sometimes are very hard to erase if the outcome is negative. You don’t want to start off on the wrong foot. “El que dirán” (what will they say.)

In America clothes have become a way to express yourself. T-shirts with, “Go Green” or, “Vote for Obama” speak for themselves. Among Hispanics clothes are not to express, but to impress. The reason for this could be that they are worried about being judged and not accepted. And since social circles tend to be very small in Latin countries it is important to give the right impression even though “las aparencias engañan” (appearances can be deceiving.)

I remember the comment of my mother-in-law, when she visited Guatemala for the first time. She said, “Everybody dresses like they are always ready to go to an event.”

Talking about events, Latina Style Magazine will be having a great event this upcoming Thursday, July 23 at the Doubletree Hotel in San Jose, CA. Their Business Series includes Macy's Inc. as their sponsor and presenter of "Look Successful - Be successful: An integral part of being a successful Latina entrepreneur is a consistent and winning image. From what you wear to your body language to your attitude, these are tell-tale signs of your success. Learn how to always present our best possible self others."

For more information about this event you can visit Latina Style Business Series

© 2009 Sofia E. Keck

Hispanic Cultural Differences - Hispanic Hospitality Aboard the High Seas

The Consulate General of México in San Francisco and México’s Tourism Board invited me for a fantastic event on board the Mexican Navy Tall Ship “Cuauhtémoc.”

The event was part of the “Vive México” campaign. Out of curiosity I wrote an email to the Health & Cultural Liaison of Community Affairs from the Consulate General of Mexico, Mónica Felix and asked her the following question, “Mónica,the invitation reads ‘Vive’, but shouldn’t it be ‘Viva’?”

Mónica replied, “Actually, ‘Vive México’ is the ongoing campaign to celebrate Mexico’s Bicentennial Independence Anniversary and its Centennial Revolution Anniversary, so that’s the whole story behind that name.” So now we know.

The event was incredible, and the boat is magnificent. The crew looked sharp in their white uniforms and was extremely attentive. This reminded me of one of the cultural differences between Hispanics and Americans. Mexicans are one of the most hospitable people I know, they truly make you feel like family no matter whom you are or where you are from.

There are many cultural differences between Hispanics and Americans. One of my American friends once told me “Hispanics tend to invade people’s space;” it was a cultural shock to learn about the importance for Americans of “their space.” When I first came to the U.S. one of the hardest things I had to learn was to shake hands. When I met someone my instinct was to immediately “invade their space” as I leaned over to try to give the person a kiss on the cheek. The Americans I met all reacted in the same way. They took one step back as they saw me getting close and gave me a look that said, “What are you doing?” I always felt the need to apologize because the moment was so culturally awkward you could feel tension in the air.

After four years of being in the U.S. I have learned to shake hands; I don’t try to kiss people on the cheek anymore, but every now and then if I meet someone who I feel an instant connection with I tell them, “I hug” and then I lean forward to embrace them. It’s part of Hispanic culture to be affectionate even among strangers. I think this is great so I am willing to compromise with a hug.

Cross-cultural observations such as this one are vital when marketing to Hispanics and need to be taken into consideration in order for your marketing efforts to be effective and affective.

The Latino Coalition: Fostering Hispanic Businesses

San Francisco - July 15, 2009. The Latino Coalition (TLC) is a non-profit organization based in California, with offices in Washington, DC and Mexico. The organization was established in 1995 to address policy issues that directly affect the well-being of Hispanics in the United States.

TLC came to San Francisco for an executive briefing with panels of discussion about finding new customers in tough times and about strategies for improving Latino healthcare in America.

Hector V. Barreto, Chairman of The Latino Coalition and Jose Gonzales, Co-Chair from The Latino Health Care Task Force served as moderators and contributed with great remarks about economic empowerment, healthcare and education.

“You can’t do anything important by yourself” – Hector V. Barreto

By the end of the event we had learned about how accidental entrepreneurs are our new competition, about how with every problem there is an opportunity and about how winners are the ones that don’t quit.

Some of the vendors present at the event were HP, American Airlines, Intuit, PG&E, Empyrean Insurance and Newtek Insurance. It was an exciting and informative event.

For more information about TLC you can visit their site http://www.thelatinocoalition.com/

The Hispanic Market in Today’s Economy

Now more than ever Hispanics represent an influential force in the United States. The Hispanic presence in America can no longer be ignored. With millions in purchasing power Hispanic consumers have become not an alternative market, but a primary source of business. As Hispanics have experienced American culture, the U.S. has also absorbed new cultural patterns from Latinos, creating an environment of cultural exchange and cross-cultural marketing.

Hispanic marketing has become a must since general marketing efforts lack cultural relevance and are less effective for today’s diverse array of consumers. Hispanics are buying. The question is: who is effectively inviting them to buy?

It is important to know the difference between selling and inviting to buy. The latter has long term benefits that can be seen in many aspects such as customer loyalty. Businesses that are aware of this difference and proactive in their Hispanic marketing efforts are ahead of the curve and will generate more business even during these tough economic times.

The participation of Hispanics in today’s economy has become vital for the growth of America. From hard working illegal immigrants to successful Hispanic CEOs, Hispanics represent one of the major driving forces of economic success for millions of people in and out of the U.S.

In 2008 we witnessed the making of history with Barack Obama as the first African American U.S. President and Hillary Clinton as the first female presidential candidate. It might not be long to have a Hispanic president of the U.S. Sotomayor’s appointment to the Supreme Court is proof of Hispanic participation and importance in the United States.

My involvement in the Hispanic community allows me to see the potential and progress of our people, and how we make a difference in America. Struggle is always present in our lives and our journey is not easy. But our hard work has allowed us to build a pathway to our culture and gain respect in what was once a foreign land, which has become our home away from home.

I am fascinated with the opportunities that are out there not only for Hispanics but for those who are interested in our community. I am the founder and organizer of a professional group call “Hispanics Mean Business” and it is always a pleasant surprise when a new member registers that is not Hispanic.

Hispanic culture is rich in many aspects. Millions of non-Hispanics become part of our community every day by doing business with us, eating Spanish food, learning Spanish language or by “trying” to dance salsa! The important thing to know is that we are an elemental part of the whole enchilada that makes the world go around and that defines the U.S. as the land of the free and the home of the brave.

The Hispanic market is open for business; we are not only consumers but providers. Our powerful community is built upon values of perseverance and survival, our dreams are our goals and we stay strong.

To understand the Hispanic market takes time and effort but it is necessary in order to gain a successful presence within this community. Businesses that do not market effectively to Hispanics are losing money by not taking advantage of a healthy and wealthy market that is only getting bigger and better.

© Sofia E. Keck 2009 – sofia.keck@sellitinspanish.com

How to Send You the Perfect Referral in 3 sentences

In order for people to send you the perfect referral you have to make it clear to them who is your perfect client. To achieve this you have to narrow down the possibilities and step away from the idea of, “my service or product is perfect for everybody.” A good way of knowing who your perfect client is would be to look at your current client base.

Your perfect client is one who is enjoyable to do business with and one of the clients that buys from you the most. Let’s look at some sample customers from a hypothetical database to determine which one would be the ideal client:

Joe buys from you $10,000 a month, but he is very difficult to deal with.

Brian almost never buys from me, but when we actually do business together he is a pleasure to interact with.

Michael buys less than Joe but more than Brian and he is great to work with.
- Michael might be your perfect client.

Now that you know that you want more clients like Michael try to describe Michael as a customer. Michael is a male, in his mid 40’s; he owns a small business and caters to high-end customers. There are many Michaels out there and you want to make sure that if your friends or colleagues run into a Michael they send his contact info your way. To achieve this first double check that you know your perfect client:

So who is your perfect client? Take a moment and fill out the following information, to clarify your description of your perfect client.

Gender:

Age Range:

Financial Status:

Occupation, etc:

When you get a chance to ask for referrals make sure to communicate these characteristics. Of course you can always remind referral sources that you would be more than happy to work with anyone who might be interested in your services.

By providing a quick and detailed description of your perfect client you will save not only your time but the time of the potential referral source and the referral.

Since people retain 50% or less of the information that they are presented each day you have to be efficient in getting your message out.

When it’s time to ask for referrals deliver your speech in three sentences. Sentence number one will talk about who you are and your type of business. Sentence number two will talk about your perfect client and sentence number three will extend a “thank you” and ask “what can I do for you?” Here is some further detail about asking for referrals in this way.

About sentence one: present yourself only with your first name, this will automatically allow the listener to feel more comfortable around you. The name of your business is not important (yet) after all, the recipient will probably walk away with your business card and see the logo there.

About sentence two: describe only the three main characteristics of your perfect client, and be sure to repeat the most important one at least once. This way you will help the recipient remember at least one important thing.

About sentence number three: mention how much you appreciate future referrals and ask how you can help them.

Here is an example of what I might say when asking for referrals to my business:

Sentence 1: Hi. I’m Sofia. I help companies generate more business by marketing to Hispanic customers.

Sentence 2: Small to medium size retail companies in California find my services extremely beneficial. Working in California is great.

Sentence 3: Allow me to thank you beforehand for future referrals that you might send my way and please let me know how can I be of service.

The perfect time to hand out your business card is during the first sentence. This allows the recipient to quickly check your name to make sure he/she heard it correctly and pay close attention to what comes next.

Don’t be afraid to ask for referrals. Referrals are an important part of doing business. Be clear about the type of person that is a relevant client to you and about what you can offer to this person.

Try to give the first referral and be sure to follow up with a thank you note to people that send you referrals.

Effective Promotions to Hispanics - How to Craft Them

When marketing to Hispanics it is important to keep the offer simple. The offer should be so simple that the value of it is obvious, making it almost impossible to question. Your call to action should also be simple, “call now” tends to produce positive results but if for you “now” does not mean 24/7 you might want to come up with something else since callers may not call twice if your representatives don’t pick up, and that would be a lost sale.

It is recommended to focus on one offer at a time to highlight the value of it. A fantastic offer can stand alone and does not need sub-offers to sound appealing. Remember the offer has to be simple and the more you talk about it the less simple it gets. Multiple promotional offers at one time tend to be confusing.
Another important aspect of a great offer to Hispanics is to try to make it unconditional. An offer such as “Get 20% discount on your first purchase over $50” may not sound inviting since what you are saying is: we will give you the discount if you give first.

Hispanics know that there is no such thing as a “free lunch” so probably the majority of them assume that there is a catch. The purpose of your offer is to invite them to come into the store to find out what the catch is. Take into account that a simple offer should carry a simple catch in order not to be viewed as a rip-off.

Hispanics respond to a broad range of offers, particularly those that are family-related. It is up to you or your marketer to find a strategic way to make your product or service family-related.

This does not mean that every offer has to talk about family in order to be relevant to Hispanics, but try to present the value of your offer as something that benefits more than one person even if the service or product is meant to be used only once or by one individual at a time.

Even though Hispanics like to shop and purchase the latest trends they are careful about their expenses. Having the opportunity of investing their money in something that brings value to others besides themselves makes an offer more inviting to Hispanics.

Before putting your next offer out there for the Hispanic market, take some time to evaluate the content of it. Generic offers do not apply to non-generic markets.

Hispanics Mean Business - Professional Group

Hispanics Mean Business (HMB) is projected to be the number one resource for Hispanic professionals around the Bay Area to network and learn from others.

As a member of HMB you will:

Receive and Provide

- Referrals and Leads
- Information about Job Openings
- Discounted Products and Services
- Networking Support
- Seminars on topics such as: Self Promotion, Social Media, Networking and More

Every meetup will have featured members. As a featured member HMB will provide you with the opportunity to promote your business beyond your 30 second pitch.

Build connections, build awareness, boost your business and improve the community.

Join Now! FREE!

AT&T Park Business Expo Follow-up / Raffle Winner

One of the most popular questions visitors asked me at the business expo was, “Does my marketing campaign have to be in Spanish in order to reach Hispanic customers?”

Quick answer: Not necessarily. No matter the language that you adopt to promote your product or service, the most important aspect of a successful marketing campaign is relevancy. Speaking your Hispanic customers' language does not necessarily imply speaking Spanish. Spanish language alone will not drive Hispanic customers to your business.

Your message will be more relevant to Hispanic customers if:
- You inform yourself about your business and product in relation to the Hispanic market
- You craft your message specifically for a Hispanic audience, and
- You clearly provide the value of your service or product to the Hispanic market.

That being said, even though English fluency is rapidly increasing among Hispanics, it can be harder to reach bilingual Hispanics with generalized marketing efforts based on the fact that they speak English. There are many benefits of marketing in Spanish to Hispanics, but if you decide to market in Spanish be careful with literal translations.

Thank you very much for stopping by the “Sell it in Spanish” booth. You are invited to leave more questions on the "Post a comment" box or contact me directly at sofia.keck@sellitinspanish.com

Congratulations to Eddy Vanrenterghem, General Manager of Carnelian Room, who is the lucky winner of a Canon SELPHY CP770 – Compact Photo Printer! Soon, we will be having an online raffle of a fantastic Pre-Civil War Map of North America by J.H. Colton (1855) authenticated by MappaGrande Antique Maps. Be sure to subscribe to our blog to participate.

Obama nominates 1st Hispanic to Supreme Court

President Obama has nominated the first Hispanic jurist, Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court. Obama highly praised Sotomayor’s credentials and fascinating personal story of growing up in a low income Latino family.

“When Sonia Sotomayor ascends those marble steps to assume her seat on the highest court of the land, America will have taken another important step towards realizing the ideal that is etched above its entrance: equal justice under the law,” Obama said.

Sotomayor grew up in a New York housing project where her parents had moved from Puerto Rico and now she will make history as the Supreme Court’s first Hispanic member. Around one million Hispanics immigrate to the United States each year and stories like this bring awareness to the contributions Hispanics make to the U.S. in many ways.

Spanish Translations: Good enough?

Last Thursday at the “Business After Hours Grand Expo” I collected a few brochures from various booths. I was glad to see that many businesses provide information in English and in Spanish; unfortunately a few of these brochures were literal Spanish translations from their English information.

I say unfortunately for two main reasons: one, a couple of translations did not make sense. The message generated from these translations was not consistent in both languages. The majority of the translations were of good quality – meaning that if they would be translated back into English after being translated into Spanish we would find the same use of English words from the original document - but some failed to communicate the actual value of the business itself. Even the jargon was translated, which made it even worse.

Many people asked me that evening: “how can I communicate with Hispanics if I don’t speak Spanish?” Based on these brochures I can confidently say that communicating to Hispanics in Spanish may not be the key to success per se. A translator is not necessarily a marketer, and in order for translations to be successful the translator has to have a keen sense of the intended audience.

Businesses should think of “conversion” instead of “translation” when marketing to Hispanics. Even though conversion and translation might be used as synonyms, the subtle difference between them is worth knowing. Conversion focuses on the message while translation focuses on the actual words. Obviously, the message is much more important. The best thing would be to create the messages in Spanish from scratch to be sure that the totality of the message is being delivered not only correctly but also in a meaningful way.

This brings me to my second reason why literal translations from English to Spanish often come up short. No matter how good a translation is, the majority of the time it is evident that Spanish was not the original language of the message. From a psychological standpoint, the message sent is that Spanish-speakers were not the intended recipients for the products or services offered by a particular business. If it is evident that the content is a mere literal translation, the Hispanic consumer might not feel as valued and conclude that the message does not apply directly to them. It is important to understand that the Spanish language –as any other language- carries cultural values and experiences making it extremely important not to think of words just as “words.” To grasp this concept, ask yourself how you feel when someone reads you a sonnet from Shakespeare, versus how you feel when someone writes you a poem inspired specifically by you.

Don’t make the same mistake others have, Sell it in Spanish!

"After marketing its Chevy Nova to the Spanish-speaking population, General Motors learned “Nova” literally translated into “It does not go.” Would you want to market an automobile as the car that “does not go”?

Hoping to highlight the elegance of flying with American Airlines, the company initially advertised its newly designed leather seats by asking Mexicans to “Fly in Leather.” Though the company delivered its message accurately to most people in Latin America, its “Vuela en Cuero” catch phrase had a different meaning in Mexico. In this country, American Airlines did not ask Mexicans to fly in leather, it asked them to “Fly naked.”

More recently, the California Milk Processing Board aired its catchy “Got Milk?” commercials to Spanish-speakers before realizing this phrase translated into, “are you lactating?” Most important, it learned that the dramatic skits that often accompanied its “Got Milk?” phrase were simply not funny for Spanish-speakers and that they considered comedy associated with the idea of running out of milk of poor taste. To reverse this message and to put a positive spin on its publicity, the California Milk Processor Board switched to a publicity campaign that revolved around “family, love, and milk.”

To avoid these types of mistakes in your publicity, contact Sell it in Spanish."

***********
ABOUT THE GUEST BLOGGER Julio Moreno, PhD., is an associate professor and Co-Director of the Center for Latino Studies in the Americas at the University of San Francisco. Dr. Moreno is the recipient of awards like the Fellowship for the Study of Advertising and World Culture from the Library of Congress where he received a position as a visiting scholar in 2003-3004. He is also the recipient of the 2009-2010 visiting scholar fellowship for the study of globalization at the Institute for Historical Studies at the University of Texas in Austin.

Dr. Moreno is author of articles and books, including Yankee Don’t Go Home!, a book on the impact of Mexican nationalism and American business culture in Mexico. He is currently writing two books: One looks at the fascinating history of Coca-Cola in Latin America and the other deciphers the nature of American business and diplomacy in Latin America during the Cold War.

Dr. Moreno is a noted presenter of topics related to Latin America, U.S. business and diplomacy in the region, and the Latino community in the United States. He has granted numerous interviews to various television and radio stations that include CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, Univisión, and Telemundo. Dr. Moreno has also offered many interviews to U.S. and Latin American newspapers and news agencies like the Associated Press. Additionally, Dr. Moreno has worked as a business consultant in marketing for Harcourt Publishers and has served as a subject matter expert for the Coca-Cola Company.

Business After Hours Grand Expo 2009

You are invited to the best grand-scale business expo of the year- this Thursday, May 21 at the AT&T Park- 5:30pm.

Over 150 exhibitors (including Sell it in Spanish!), music, catered hors d'oeuvres from top restaurants and complimentary wine from premier wineries.

Make sure to stop by our booth to participate in our raffle for a great prize!

Don't miss out on the biggest networking event of the year!

More info

Providing a Small Business Service to Online Hispanics - by Hispanic Market Advisors

"Currently the largest minority group in the United States, Hispanics account for one of every five new workers in the United States economy. However, to describe them as a single minority group belies a complicated blend of various races, ethnicities, and cultures. Targeting this growing market can be difficult for the company uninitiated in the diverse set of needs and desires of the Latino community. This blog post will prove useful for those interested in finding new avenues of business and new opportunities to provide their product or service to an emerging spectrum of American society.

Providing a small business service, or even setting up a Hispanic online business, can be a daunting task with big rewards for the determined. Targeting Hispanic consumers involves more than the obvious language barrier. Employing a Hispanic market professional or agency, particularly in relation to setting up a Hispanic online business, can help point to those unexploited elements of the market. An easy example is the food market in the United States. Previously the Hispanic community was marginalized and fed mostly from its own secondary market of ethnic foods. However, with the increased influence of Latinos in American life comes a chance to market diverse food products not traditionally considered Hispanic. Additionally, Hispanic and Latino communities are increasingly becoming the object of government-subsidized endeavors. With increased political relevance has begun Spanish-language campaigns from Amtrak, the United States Postal Service and other government subsidiaries and affiliates. If your small business service is involved with government contracts, the expansion of your work into Latino and Hispanic communities can pay big dividends in renewed investment.

Perhaps the biggest factor to take into account when providing a small business service to online Hispanics is the increased disposable capital, as much as $45 billion, in the hands of Latino and Hispanic Americans. With their rise into the middle class has come an attendant desire for goods and services, such as luxury items, vacations, and electronics. Having a strategic partner who understands this factor can enable you to target your small business' services toward those segments of the minority markets that desire them most."

Read the complete article

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Hispanic Market Advisors is a boutique company focused on developing online Hispanic market-ready solutions to aid companies of all sizes to reap the growth of the Latin American and US Hispanic market.

By providing an unparalleled English to Spanish translation service coupled with a complete Spanish search engine marketing service designed to help small and medium businesses and professionals improve their online presence and position in the various search engines, Hispanic Market Advisors provides customers access to the online Hispanic market, specialized knowledge that is relevant to their businesses, and tips for saving your time and boosting their productivity.

U.S. marketers interested in the Hispanic market: Suggestions from our guest blogger Dr. José Alamillo

Our mystery blogger from “Cinco de Mayo Inc.” turned out to be Dr. José M. Alamillo, Associate Professor of Chicano/a Studies at CSUCI.

I asked Dr. Alamillo how marketers can take positive advantage of Cinco de Mayo and he was kind enough to share with us the following response:

“I agree ( with Sofia) that any Cinco de Mayo celebration needs to be culturally relevant and historically accurate. Many Americans falsely believe that this day represents Mexico's "Fourth of July." Very few understand the historical significance of the Battle of Puebla which took place on May 5th and the main lesson from this battle which is "Self-Determination." Unlike independence, self-determination means that despite overwhelming odds, Latinos and Latinas must continue to battle for education, political representation and social justice.

If U.S.marketers are interested in using Cinco de Mayo to reach the Hispanic Market and are considering an advertising campaign around this holiday, then let me make a few suggestions:

First, read Arlene Davila's "Latino Inc. the Making and Marketing of a People" to understand why media stereotypes about Latino/as continue to be very pervasive. This is a must read for anybody related to Hispanic marketing.

Second, avoid the direction of the U.S. beer and alcohol industry has taken with the Cinco de Mayo. Their “Drinko de Mayo” campaigns have only served to perpetuate stereotypes about Latinos and Latinas. There are aslo many examples of sexist billboards located in Latino communities throughtout the United States.

Third, colloborate with community organizations on how best to present your products and images so as not to offend consumers and attendees. Let me give you an example: Portland annual Cinco de Mayo celebration does a good job at balacing the commercialism with cultural celebrations. Although they do have company sponsors they do not dominate the scenery especiall the alcohol advertisements which are located in the periphery along with the beer garden. At this event they also present college scholarships for Latino/a students and stage a swearing in ceremony for new U.S. citizens. This festival is organized by the sister-city organization, Portland and Guadalajara, Mexico.

Although commercialism has made Cinco de Mayo (Mexican and Latino culture ) more popular and visible to non-Latino/as, it is the responsibility that we use this event as an opportunity to debunk myths and stereotypes about the Latino/a community and show off the long history of contributions that Latino/as have made to this country”.

ABOUT THE GUEST BLOGGER Dr. José M. Alamillo, Associate Professor of Chicano/a Studies at CSUCI. Dr. Alamillo earned his M.A. and Ph.D. in Comparative Cultures at University of California, Irvine. After completing a postdoctoral fellowship at University of California, Los Angeles’ Chicano Studies Research Center, he taught courses in Chicano/a Studies, Ethnic Studies, Immigration and Labor for nine years in the Department of Comparative Ethnic Studies at Washington State University.

Dr. Alamillo’s research focuses on the ways Mexican immigrants and Mexican Americans have used culture, leisure spaces, and sports to build community and social networks to advance politically and economically in the United States. His family’s experiences in the lemon industry inspired his first book, Making Lemonade out of Lemons: Mexican American Labor and Leisure in a California Town, 1900-1960. His current research includes a transnational history of Mexican American athletes and the commercialization of Cinco de Mayo in the United States.
THANK YOU PROFESSOR.

Cinco de Mayo: Culturally relevant marketing?

As you know, Cinco de Mayo is coming up. This Mexican holiday represents the victory of Mexican peasants over French soldiers on May 5th of 1862 on the battle of Puebla.

Many advertisers take advantage of this day to reach the Hispanic community. Unfortunately, the Word “advantage” here might have a negative connotation.
Some people have suggested that this holiday has become a “beer holiday,” and with major advertising beer campaigns from brands like Corona and Dos Equis their concerns are very well founded. Cinco de Mayo has even been called the Mexican St.Patrick’s Day.

I found a 2008 blog called “Cinco de Mayo Inc.” that was dedicated to this holiday and to the controversy around it. Here is the description of the blog from their site:

“This blog is dedicated towards documenting and critically examining the commercialization of Cinco de Mayo. This Mexican holiday has become more popular in the United States than Mexico in part because of corporate America's desire to make millions off the Latino consumer market while perpetuating damaging stereotypes about Latinos and Latinas and not educating the American public about the historical significance of this day.”

Their last post was May 4th 2008. They included a video of a comedian talking about Cinco de Mayo (I didn’t watch the video.) Ironically, there is no post for the next day.

I had some questions for the blogger but was unable to find a his/her contact info so I wrote a comment on his/her last post:

Dear blogger,
I plan to blog about "Cinco de Mayo Inc." Let me know if you are still around to answer some questions.
Thanks,
Sofia

I’ll let you know if he/she writes back.

What do I think? I think that smart businesses should take advantage of this holiday. After all, one of the most important things about marketing to Hispanics is to be culturally relevant. BUT when I say “take advantage” I mean support and enhance the actual values of this important day for the Mexican culture.

Cinco de Mayo is a great day to create market presence but you have to do it right. Marketers should only have one important goal, and that is to celebrate with the Mexican population a day that matters to them.

Forget about trying to sell your products. This is a day to enter their culture. If you accomplish this, sales will come not only May 5th but May 6th, 7th, etc.

If you want to make a positive impact in the Hispanic community on Cinco de Mayo, think of great advertising slogans that support Mexican culture and values instead of campaigns that scream “buy my product.”

Here are some good examples:

- Celebrating with you!
- Becoming part of your culture!
- Proud to celebrate Cinco de Mayo!
- Honoring Mexican heroes!

Want more ideas? Contact me.

Live in San Francisco? Click here for information about the Cinco de Mayo Festival