Reaching Spanish Preferring Hispanics on Facebook

In February, I co-authored a blog post with Dr. Felipe Korzenny entitled The Multicultural World of Social Media Marketing. That articled focused on qualitative research demonstrating that ethnic minorities, including Spanish preferring Hispanics, visit social networking sites more frequently than non-Hispanic whites. Our theory was that this behavior is a result of demographics (ethnic minorities are young), culture (ethnic minorities tend to be more collectivistic) and market forces (there is a dearth of culturally relevant content online).

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Reaching Spanish Preferring Hispanics on Facebook

In February, I co-authored a blog post with Dr. Felipe Korzenny entitled The Multicultural World of Social Media Marketing. That articled focused on qualitative research demonstrating that ethnic minorities, including Spanish preferring Hispanics, visit social networking sites more frequently than non-Hispanic whites. Our theory was that this behavior is a result of demographics (ethnic minorities are young), culture (ethnic minorities tend to be more collectivistic) and market forces (there is a dearth of culturally relevant content online).

There are several social networks that can be used to reach this audience including MySpace Latino, Starmedia's Páginas Personales, Telemundo's Tu Mundo, Terra's Espacio Terra, Univision.com's Mi Página, and QuePasa.com. Today, let's talk abut Facebook, and how marketers can reach Hispanics there in a powerful and cost effective manner.

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Goal.com Launches US Latino Edition

Are you for Chivas or América?
Are you crazy for el Tri?

Maybe you want the very latest news from the Argentine Priméra Division or the latest results from the Copa Libertadores.

If so, then Goal.com’s new US Latino edition is for you.

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Google Strengthens Its Leadership Position Among Hispanic Online Audiences

According to March 2009 ComsCore data, Google’s Hispanic online audience increased by 17% to 16.4 million unique users compared to March 2008. Reflecting the strong growth of Hispanic online users (which topped 20 million uniques in March) overall, all the three top destinations, Google, Yahoo! And Microsoft sites grew by 5% or more during March 2009.

Visitors to specifically Hispanic targeted websites, including MSNLatino, Yahoo en espanol and MySpaceLatino are included in the total unique visitors number of respectively Microsoft, Yahoo and Fox Interactive Media online properties (see table below).

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Analysis: Univision Interactive’s Latest Moves

Univision Interactive in partnership with AdReady announced the launch of a new interactive platform to serve small and medium sized advertisers. The self service display (banner) advertising platform is aimed to “lower the barriers to entry for traditional marketers and opening up display advertising to many more marketers”, Mark Feldman, SVP of Sales and Business Development of Seattle based AdReady tells Portada. AdReady, which has a revenue share agreement with Univision Interactive, is a Seattle based firm that specializes in providing media companies white label platforms for online display advertising. Its clients include MSNBC, Yahoo, Boston Globe and Readers Digest.

The new platform is targeting advertisers who have budgets smaller than $15,000 a month. These smaller advertisers will be able to choose from more than 800 fully customizable banner templates in Spanish and English that can be tailored to deliver their marketing message and, therefore, avoid the expense of creating their own banners (typically $3,000-$5,000).

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New Appointment at Telemundo

MIAMI: Effective immediately, Borja Perez will serve as VP of integrated solutions and digital media for the Telemundo Communications Group.

Perez will report to Jacqueline Hernández, the COO of Telemundo and Peter Blacker, executive VP of digital media and emerging businesses. In this new role, Perez will be working across Telemundo and mun2's production studios to develop integrated content solutions for advertisers across all platforms. He is responsible for overseeing Telemundo’s digital programming as well as content and audience strategy. Perez will be key to the integrated team in implementing and executing TV 360 franchise platforms while creating, aligning and managing the new multiplatform revenues.

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Warner/Chappell Latin Launches Digital Initiative

Warner/Chappell Music Latin America has partnered with Warner Music Group's recorded music division on a digital initiative to benefit its artists and songwriters globally.

The publisher has joined with Warner Music Latin America in order to connect with fans via digital platforms in Latin America, U.S. and other worldwide markets.

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Hispanics are using the web more, especially for entertainment

Growth in the online U.S. Hispanic audience outpaced that of the total U.S. online audience over the past year, in number of visitors, time spent online and pages viewed, with a concentration of activity on entertainment sites, according to new data from comScore Inc.

Between February 2008 and February 2009, the U.S. Hispanic online population grew 5.8% to reach a record 20.3 million visitors, which represents 11% of the total U.S. online market, the report says. By contrast, the total U.S. online audience grew by 3.9% during that same time.

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Study asks "What Latinas want"

Latina consumers are the main decision-makers or share that role with their spouse and view themselves as take-charge types who are confident in their abilities and are in-the-know users of digital cameras and iPods, a study found. The research, by OTX Research for Meredith Hispanic Ventures and NBC Universal's Telemundo Group, is based on video interviews conducted in the homes of 13 young Latina women in four cities and a poll of 1,004 Hispanics and 500 non-Hispanics. Advertising Age

Hispanic Consumers Should be on the Minds of Major Marketers In the United States

(NAMC) - It's Friday April 17, 2009 and it's time for me to dive a little deeper into a certain topic. Back in 2005 I did a write up on the topic of how marketers were really missing the mark as it relates to the Hispanic market, and just reviewing the current situation I decided to revisit this topic and just expanding on my current views on it.

Over the past twenty-five years the buying power of the Hispanic community has almost tripled, even in this current economy those numbers continue to escalate. For the first time the U.S. Census has indicated that Hispanics have become the largest minority group in the United States today. They have reached this point five years earlier than reports projected eclipsing African Americans. Advertisers and their agencies have taken notice of this but will they really be able to connect with the Hispanic community.

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U.S. Hispanic Internet Audience Hits 20 Million

The U.S. Hispanic online population reached a record 20.3 million users in February 2009, representing 11 percent of the total U.S. online market, according to comScore. During the past year, the growth of the U.S. Hispanic Internet audience outpaced that of the total U.S. online population in terms of number of visitors, time spent and pages viewed, as Hispanic online adoption and engagement accelerated.

"It's well known that the Hispanic market is a growing and increasingly important segment to advertisers and marketers," said Jack Flanagan, executive vice president of comScore Media Metrix.

"However, any business attempting to effectively reach this segment needs to understand the behavior of the U.S. Hispanic online consumer as a fundamental component of their marketing and media strategies."

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comScore: US Hispanic online population reaches milestone

February 2009 marked a first for the online marketplace. For the first time the US Hispanic online population reached 20.3 million unique users; that is 11% of the total US online population. The Hispanic audience segment is now growing faster than the total US online population by half.

by Kristina Knight

"It's well known that the Hispanic market is a growing and increasingly important segment to advertisers and marketers," said Jack Flanagan, executive vice president of comScore Media Metrix. "However, any business attempting to effectively reach this segment needs to understand the behavior of the U.S. Hispanic online consumer as a fundamental component of their marketing and media strategies."

Year over year (February 2008 through February 2009) the total online audience increased by almost 4% but the Hispanic audience increased by nearly 6%; Hispanic users also more than quadrupled the time spent online over other demographics as well as average minutes per usage day. There was a 4.4% increase for the total online audience but the Hispanic audience increased their daily online time by 7.7%.

However, the smart marketer will go where Hispanic users are to target them, not randomly throw out the net. So, where are Hispanic users going online? According to the report Hispanic users are highly into entertainment. Hispanic consumers are likely to be found in community spaces, gaming hubs or 'other' entertainment - multimedia sites, chat/discussion boards, instant messaging interfaces or music sites.

Frontline Launches A Multiplatform Examination Of Life In The Digital Age

April 7, 2009, Boston, Mass.—PBS FRONTLINE today announces the launch of a new multiplatform initiative exploring the impact of the Web and digital media on life in the 21st century. The year-long project, Digital Nation: Life on the Virtual Frontier, will unfold through a series of online video reports and user-submitted stories that will springboard to a national television broadcast to air in winter 2010. The Web site, broadcast and companion educational outreach initiatives are funded by a $1 million grant from the Verizon Foundation.

"The sweeping magnitude and speed with which digital media has permeated nearly every facet of our culture prompts us to take a long, hard look at the implications," says FRONTLINE Executive Producer David Fanning. "The Verizon Foundation’s commitment to exploring these issues has been very encouraging. An initiative of this scope would not have been possible without the Foundation’s generous financial support."

The Digital Nation Web site will include online video reports on how the Internet and technology are changing cultures, reshaping workplaces and creating new approaches to the way we solve problems. Issues to be examined include the Web’s impact on education, how social media has changed the way individuals interact, and Internet safety and privacy. Central to the site will be a mosaic of user-generated content designed to let visitors participate in the documentary process. The site will also feature a producers’ blog, embeddable video and other sharable content, and a schedule of live online events with expert guests.

"Our children are growing up in a digital world. It’s how they communicate, learn and share ideas," says Verizon Foundation President Patrick Gaston. "Online technology has had a tremendous impact on our society, and its role will continue to grow with further advances. Verizon is proud to partner with FRONTLINE on this important and innovative project."

Digital Nation will be supported by an extensive promotion and outreach campaign to encourage participation in the Web site’s user-generated video initiative, live online forums and a special collection of interactive educational resources. Internet safety workshops for teachers and parents as well as curriculum for middle and high school students will be available through the Digital Nation Web site, the Verizon Foundation’s free educational Web site Thinkfinity.org, and WGBH’s Teachers’ Domain. Additional national outreach partners include the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Library Association’s Young Adult Library Services Association, Classroom 2.0, Common Sense Media, Family Online Safety Institute, National Association for Media Literacy Education and PBS Teachers. Organizations interested in partnership opportunities should contact FRONTLINE.

Digital Nation is created by the award-winning FRONTLINE producer Rachel Dretzin (Growing Up Online, The Lost Children of Rockdale County), with correspondent Douglas Rushkoff (The Persuaders, The Merchants of Cool). FRONTLINE is produced by WGBH Boston and is broadcast nationwide on PBS. Funding for FRONTLINE is provided through the support of PBS viewers. Major funding for FRONTLINE is provided by The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Additional funding is provided by the Park Foundation. Digital Nation is brought to you by the Verizon Foundation.

The Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon Communications, supports the advancement of literacy and K-12 education through its free educational Web site, Thinkfinity.org, and fosters awareness and prevention of domestic violence. In 2008, the Verizon Foundation awarded more than $68 million in grants to nonprofit agencies in the U.S. and abroad. It also matched the charitable donations of Verizon employees and retirees, resulting in an additional $26 million in combined contributions to nonprofits. Through Verizon Volunteers, one of the nation’s largest employee volunteer programs, Verizon employees and retirees have volunteered more than 3 million hours of community service since 2000.

For more information on the Foundation, visit www.verizonfoundation.org

U.S. Marketers Say Hola! to Hispanic Consumers

What do Procter & Gamble (PG), Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), Verizon (VZ), and General Mills (GIS) have in common? All are pouring more advertising dollars into marketing aimed at Hispanics. Last year, General Mills tripled its spending on commercials on Spanish-language TV to more than $35 million, according to ad tracker TNS Media Intelligence. "We've gone aggressively into Hispanic marketing," explains the food company's Chief Marketing Officer Mark Addicks, "because we're getting double-digit sales gains."

That may seem counterintuitive. After all, America's 45.5 million Hispanics have been particularly hard hit since the U.S. economy went off the rails. Unemployment among Hispanics shot up in March to 11.4%, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports, compared with 8.5% for the U.S. population as a whole. But Hispanic consumers are less likely to be hobbled by mortgage or credit-card debt, and tend to have two or more income earners in a household, according to market researcher Experian Simmons. What's more, Hispanic consumers typically like to buy products and services from brands advertised on TV, according to a consumer survey that Experian conducted last year for the Hispanic television and radio company Univision Communications.

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When They Go Online, Hispanics Download

Adoption of broadband, digital downloads high.

More US Hispanics are going online than ever before, and most are using broadband.

According to Scarborough Research, 54% of Hispanics were online in 2008. While that is up slightly over the previous year, it still trails the 69% penetration rate of total US users.

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Forecast: Web share of total ad spend to hit 15% by 2013

The online segment's cut of ad spending is projected to get close to 10% this year and surge past 15% by 2013, eMarketer is reporting. The economic downturn is likely to drive a fast growth rate, as marketers take a new look and where and how they're spending their ad dollars, according to this article. Mediaweek

Boost Mobile Targets Latinos by Adding Texting Option to Monthly Unlimited Plan

Boost Mobile, the prepaid division of Sprint Nextel, has launched International Connect, a $10 per month add-on for Monthly Unlimited customers which includes unlimited international text messaging and Walkie-Talkie in and between the U.S., Canada, Baja California (Mexico) and to select areas of South America from the U.S., Canada and Baja California (Mexico) for one flat charge.

Why Social Media Is the 'Fabric' of Hispanics Online

Sixty five percent of Hispanics online are now using social media, according to Manny Miravete, vp, sales and strategy, MySpace and MySpace Latino. Speaking at the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies’s 2009 Media and Account Management conference in Las Vegas last week, Miravate stressed social media can be used as either a tactical or strategic medium.

“You bring what you do in your daily life online and social media is enabling that. You can run a simple banner or create a brand profile,” he said. “You can put your brand in that social arena. Social media has mass reach. It’s the fabric of Hispanics online.”

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Marketers Increased Hispanic Media Spending Just 2.5% in '08

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Marketers increased their spending on Hispanic media a modest 2.5% in 2008 but cut spending 5.7% in the fourth quarter as the recession deepened, according to a ranking of the top 100 Hispanic marketers compiled with data from TNS Media Intelligence.

Of those 100 advertisers, 43 spent less last year than in 2007, and 51 cut their fourth-quarter ad spending, often by double digits, compared with the same period last year

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MiGente Hispanic Social Network Strikes Ad Sales Deal

Hispanic-focused Web portal Terra USA has joined forces with Interactive One—a media company that manages the social networking property MiGente.com—in a three-year ad sales and content partnership.As part of the deal, Terra will take over all ad sales responsibilities for the MySpace-like MiGente.com, which is aimed primarily at bilingual second and third generation U.S. Hispanics.

According to Terra USA CEO Fernando Rodriguez, the combination of Terra’s 2.5 million unique U.S. users and MiGente’s one million monthly uniques and 3.2 million registered users will help attract advertisers interested in scale. “That should put us ahead of most in the category,” Rodriguez said.

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HipChicas.com, Latina-themed virtual world for tween girls, added Emmy-Award winning animation Producer and Zookazoo.com virtual world Founder Sherry.

HipChicas.com, Latina-themed virtual world for tween girls, added Emmy-Award winning animation Producer and Zookazoo.com virtual world Founder Sherry Gunther to its Advisory Board today. The Company also announces that Maciej Miechowicz, formerly the Lead Architect of Barbiegirls.com and currently CTO of MegaPlayer, a premier virtual world development company based in Atlanta, will oversee the architecture for HipChicas.com and assist in the development of the site and of the operational team through the launch and beyond.“We are taking an important step to ensure the quality of the virtual world by adding Ms. Gunther as an advisor and enlisting the help of Mr. Miechowicz,” stated Lazaro Fuentes, Founder and CEO of HipChicas.com.

“Ms. Gunther’s animation and virtual world experience, coupled with Mr. Meichowicz’s experience as the Lead Architect for the Barbiegirls.com site bring strong virtual world fundamentals and know-how to the HipChicas.com team as the Company prepares its launch. Both have built and launched successful virtual worlds that are counted among the top tween worlds today and are both at the forefront of their respective fields.”Among her many accomplishments, Ms. Gunther counts heading up Hanna Barbera Cartoons as Senior Vice President of Production, running Klasky Csupo for five years prior to that and leading divisions for Nickelodeon, Fox’s prime-time animation studio and Warner Bros. Pictures, among others. Titles she has been associated with include “The Simpsons”, “Duckman”, “Rugrats“, “Dexter’s Laboratory”, “Johnny Bravo”, “The Powerpuff Girls”, “Family Guy”, and many more.

Most recently, Ms. Gunther shifted her focus to new media where she created, co-founded and launched www.ZooKazoo.com, a well-known virtual world for kids ages 6-12. Mr. Miechowicz brings significant virtual world architecture, development and launching experience to the HipChicas.com team, having been the lead person for Mattel’s Barbiegirls.com, a site with over 4 million girls registered to play when it launched.

He is the CTO of Megaplayer, a premier virtual world consulting company and developer helping clients to maximize the effectiveness of their virtual worlds and offering marketing agencies innovative ways to meet the business demands of their clients. He has won accolades from his peers and the industry, where he is considered one of the world's premier virtual world architects. He will assist HipChicas.com by ensuring the scalability and modularization of its architecture, as well as in the development of its team.

This help is crucial as the Company readies its launch of HipChicas.com, a highly differentiated site that is positioned as the alternative to existing tween girl content, currently marred by valueless hyper-consumption and what it calls “bling-bling morals”. The HipChicas.com multicultural, socially-conscious and fun characters will serve as enriching role models to which tween girls can relate.Ms. Gunther joins an impressive Advisory Board at HipChicas.com, which includes former HBO President and Time-Warner Cable COO John K. Billock, TriBeCa Film Festival Founder and New York Times’ best selling children’s book author Craig Hatkoff, City University of New York’s Borough of Manhattan Community College President Dr. Antonio Perez, former World Bank Advisor on Women’s Micro Loans Maria Sanchez-Smith and various, equally impressive, legal and financial Advisory Board members.

"The first wave of virtual worlds proved that the technology works, that you can build an audience around the technology and that you can make revenues with that audience," added Fuentes. "With Maciej helping to create a scalable architecture and team coupled with Sherry’s creative experience on our Advisory Board, we will be poised to launch the next wave of sustainable virtual worlds, adding a narrative and characters that allow for monetization beyond the virtual world with music, animation and merchandise that will carry the message on multiple platforms.”

Is Argentina starting to gets its online mojo back?

Argentina, which was an early leader in the online ad market, has fallen behind. But there are signs of progress, including an estimated 25% jump in online ad spending for 2009 and the prediction broadband penetration will reach 61% by 2013. Advertising Age

Revised forecast calls for U.S. Web ad market to reach $24.5 billion

The U.S. online ad spend this year will grow by 4.5% to $24.5 billion, over 2008, according to a revised estimated from eMarketer. The research firm's November forecast called for $25.7 billion in Web ad spending for 2009. Adweek

Latin America not up to speed with digital side of ad equation

Although Latin America is known for its strong creativity, the region has yet to fully embrace digital as an integral part of a multiplatform campaign, according to this post. The reasons for this digital lag reportedly include smaller budgets from marketers for digital and a smaller percentage of mobile and broadband users than in overdeveloped nations. Advertising Age