Businesses suffer as hard-hit spend less or return to Mexico February 13, 2009 By Dick Woodbury   For the price of $25, with a rebate coupon, the digital TV converters looked like a good buy. But there were few takers. In fact, there were no customers to be seen in the Radio Shack on South Federal [...]

February 11, 2009 By Luis Cabrera  Have you always wanted to interact and participate in an online discussion with US Hispanics but didn’t know how or were simply too afraid? Even worse, have you ever tried to engage them and been ignored? Here are a few things we’ve learned while engaging with US Hispanics in [...]

by Rakesh Kochhar, Associate Director for Research, Pew Hispanic Center  Complete Report The current recession is having an especially severe impact on employment prospects for immigrant Hispanics, according to an analysis of the latest Census Bureau data by the Pew Hispanic Center, a project of the Pew Research Center. The unemployment rate for foreign-born Hispanics [...]

February 9, 2009 By Vicente Arenas   At Mi Tienda H-E-B in Pasadena, the goal is to make customers feel like they’re in a different country.  “We built this as though you were going to different villages in Mexico,” Juan Alonso of H-E-B said. At a time when many businesses are struggling, Mi Tienda continues to [...]

February 7, 2009 By Al Carlos Hernandez Many drivers feel compelled to hang eclectic things from their rear view mirrors. This, I think, is a personal statement of identity like a signature or family crest. They painstakingly choose to hang a little symbol that makes the mass produced, faceless production vehicle an expression of self. [...]

February 6, 2009 By MERCEDES OLIVERA New technologies will certainly play a role in the upcoming 2010 census. Hand-held computers, Global Positioning System software and digital maps are a few of the devices to be used by census workers when they start counting heads in May of next year. But old-fashioned, person-to-person contact may still [...]

Jan 29, 2009

By NielsenWire

 Advertising in Spanish-Language media is growing, according to a new analysis of multi-cultural ad spending conducted by Brandweek parent the Nielsen Co.

 Total spending in Spanish-Language media climbed 2.7 percent to $4.3 billion through the first three quarters of 2008, compared to the same period in 2007.

 Procter & Gamble spent the most on Spanish-Language advertising through September 2008 with $133 million in expenditures.

 Of the top-10 advertisers in this category, DirecTV stood out with the most growth, spending almost five times as much as it spent through the first three quarters of 2007.

 The analysis also included a look at spending on African-American media, which dropped 5.3 percent through the first three quarters of 2008. P&G cut its ad spending in the category by 10 percent compared to 2007, but was still the top advertiser in African-American media with $63.3 million in expenditures through September 2008.

 There was some notable spending growth within African-American media. Walmart, the No. 3 advertiser on the list, expanded its expenditures by 130 percent over the same time frame in 2007. Overall, the top-10 advertisers spent 2 percent more on African-American media through the first nine months of 2008 versus 2007.

Source: BrandWeek

Jan 29, 2009 By NielsenWire  Advertising in Spanish-Language media is growing, according to a new analysis of multi-cultural ad spending conducted by Brandweek parent the Nielsen Co.  Total spending in Spanish-Language media climbed 2.7 percent to $4.3 billion through the first three quarters of 2008, compared to the same period in 2007.  Procter & Gamble [...]

Hispanic Media Offers More Bang for Buck

February 4, 2009

by Tommy Thompson

As the year begins, it’s hard not to have a conversation regarding the country’s economic situation. We see firsthand the slashing of budgets and brands by marketers looking for ways to weather the storm. As many in the industry know, when brands tighten their belts, Hispanic budgets are usually the first to go. I would argue that marketing to Hispanics gives a brand the most bang for its buck — which should sound pretty attractive in tough economic times.

 It seems that the ultimate goal for all brand advertising is to reach the maximum number of eyeballs. If we assume a dollar is a dollar, regardless of who gives it to you, and that a brand is out to get the most bang for its buck, then a great place to start is with Hispanic media.

Simply put, the Hispanic networks offer lower costs per point than general-market networks. This same model is consistent in all forms of media — radio, online/digital, outdoor and the list goes on. Moreover, if you factor in that within most major markets the Hispanic radio stations are among the highest ranked, the financial math is pretty easy to follow.

While it may be true that Hispanic media outlets have been fighting for years to increase cost per point in an effort to bring their rates to par with those in English-language media, a Hispanic eyeball today costs less than getting a general-market eyeball.

Another benefit of targeting various Hispanic segments is word of mouth. This often costs the brands little or nothing at all and has tremendous staying power within the Hispanic segment.

Many in the general market are pouring millions of dollars into social media and trying to create positive WOM. For Hispanics, WOM is as common as having experienced an astronomical phone bill as you try to stay in touch with your loved ones. Best of all, WOM is not limited to bad experiences. Within the Hispanic segment, especially for those that have not fully acculturated, there exists a community that is not afraid to pass on best practices or admit to making a mistake in order to help their neighbor better adjust to life in the U.S.

The power of Hispanic WOM becomes even more staggering when one considers that, according to a Pew Internet survey, 48% of Hispanics who are online are tied to social networks — more than any other ethnicity. As brands reallocate traditional media dollars to digital in an effort to gain cost efficiency, keep in mind that about almost 19 million Hispanics are regular users of the internet.

Last, but certainly not least, brands looking to reach mass audiences in person need to look no further than local events like Cinco de Mayo, Fiestas Patrias and the list goes on. This provides brands an opportunity to establish a personal connection with the target with a relatively low cost of entry. Case in point: Cinco de Mayo here in Dallas pulls nearly 120,000 people — and that’s just in one day.

The options for brands on a tight budget looking to make an impact on their bottom line are myriad. Let’s not forget, if you talk to Hispanics the right way, they will come.

Source: AdAge  

Hispanic Media Offers More Bang for Buck February 4, 2009 by Tommy Thompson As the year begins, it’s hard not to have a conversation regarding the country’s economic situation. We see firsthand the slashing of budgets and brands by marketers looking for ways to weather the storm. As many in the industry know, when brands [...]