Miami Beach SRI Hispanic conference focused on need for creative break throughs
Posted by Elena del Valle on January 25, 2007
Sonya Suarez-Hammond, director, Multicultural Marketing Insights, Yankelovich, Inc. discussed “What’s the next big idea for Hispanic marketing?”
Photo: Angelica Willard/Four Seasons Media
Marketers, communicators and other professionals gathered in Miami Beach for this week’s 13th Annual Blockbuster Marketing to U.S. Hispanic and Latin America conference organized by the Strategic Research Institute. More than 200 people and 15 sponsors attended the conference seeking new business, marketing updates and networking opportunities. They came from California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Washington, D.C., Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela.
“It reiterates the growing importance to businesses of this market,” said Rupa Ranganathan, ethnic strategist and senior vice president, Strategic Research Institute. “The magic and aha moments come with break throughs.”
The focus of this year’s event was marketing creativity and next steps. Some thirty speakers discussed a number of topics such as immigration, government websites, marketing to youth, emotional branding, beauty brands, remittances, relationship building and viral marketing. Presenters included representatives from MTVTr3s, The Florida Marlins, Pew Hispanic Center, Yankelovich, Inc., Latin Pulse, GTM Latino, Captura Group, Maybelline, and Sony Electronics.
During her presentation during the first day of the conference, Sonya Suarez-Hammond, director, Multicultural Marketing Insights, Yankelovich, Inc. discussed “What’s the next big idea for Hispanic marketing?” She indicated the importance of individual relevance for Hispanics and reciprocity that leads to a two-way dialog.
“The propensity for brand loyalty continues to be high among Hispanics,” said Suarez-Hammond. “Cultural adaptation is now the norm. Today it’s about cultural relevance.”
Presidential nephew George P. Bush, vice president of Acquisitions of Charter Holdings, was a last minute addition to the program. On the second day of the conference, he addressed attendees as part of a sponsored luncheon presentation by ADS Direct Media. He discussed the increasing business opportunities Latino markets offer marketers.
SRI is scheduled to hold a similar event in June in Los Angeles, the 8th Annual US Hispanic Boom.
“A Snapshot of the U.S. Hispanic Market” audio recording
Presenter Michele Valdovinos, vice president, Phoenix Cultural Access Group
Learn from this veteran the essentials to get you started today about the size and composition of the U.S. Latino market; top Hispanic markets in the U.S.; Latino market race and age characteristics; major Hispanic groups; Latino buying power and lots more!
