Posted by Elena del Valle on October 5, 2007
Latino College Dollars Scholarship Directory
Photo: Tomas Rivera Policy Institute
The Tomas Rivera Policy Institute (TRPI) recently expanded its Latino College Dollars Scholarship Directory, available online and in print, with national scholarship information for students. Response to the organization’s first Latino scholarship published last year prompted the Institute to produce a national guide in 2007. Last year’s directory of California scholarships was viewed online an average of 7,000 times a month.
The 2007 directory contains 84 pages of information including 62 pages on 329 scholarships available to Latino high school, undergraduate, and graduate students in the United States. The Directory can be downloaded free of charge at LatinoCollegeDollars.org. Hard copies of the guide are available for a postage and handling fee of $5.
The directory, made possible with grants from the John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation, The Sallie Mae Fund and The Walt Disney Company, follows recommendations from a TRPI study that showed Latino students often are misinformed or unaware of scholarship opportunities.
“Our research has shown that Latino families aspire to send their children to college but are critically lacking in awareness of how to pay for it. We’re working to be sure Hispanic parents and students are not caught in a financial aid information divide,” said Kathleen deLaski, president of The Sallie Mae Fund, which last year awarded $2.6 million in scholarships to more than 1,000 students nationwide. The directory is aligned with the charitable organization’s mission of increasing access to higher education for America’s students.
“Latino Family Dynamics” audio recording
Brenda Hurley and Liria Barbosa
Discuss
- Latino purchasing habits and products they favor
- Latino family characteristics
- Latinos and extended families
- Division of duties, responsibilities within the family
- Who is the decision maker in the Latino family
- Who is the information provider in the Latino family
Click here to find out about Latino purchasing habits and “Latino Family Dynamics”
Scholarship listings are categorized by education level, deadline, minimum grade point average, citizenship requirements and region. In addition to information on 329 scholarships, the 2007-2008 directory includes a guide to applying for scholarships, in English and Spanish, “Get the Money You Need!” and “Padres: ¡Ayuden a sus hijos a obtener el dinero que necesitan para asistir la universidad!“
“We can think of no better investment to make than in future talent,” said Efrain Garza Fuentes, director of Multicultural Programs for The Walt Disney Company. “The Latino college community is very important to The Walt Disney Company, and since we had such great success with the directory at the local level, the next logical step was a national effort.”
The online directory is searchable by grade level, grade point average (GPA) and citizenship requirements. Organizers hope the search functionality makes the online directory user-friendly.
According to a study conducted by the Institute and commissioned by The Sallie Mae Fund in 2006, the directory is a much needed resource for the Latino community. The study also found that often scholarship information is conflicting, out-of- date and not actively disseminated to people who need it. The study also indicated 94 percent of Latino parents believe college education is an important part of success in life, but more than half could not name a single source of financial aid.
Harry Pachon, president and chief executive officer, Tomas Rivera Policy Institute
“This project has been very valuable to Latino students and their parents in California, and now the positive impact will be nationwide,” said Harry Pachon, president and chief executive officer of the Tomas Rivera Policy Institute. “We are very excited about encouraging the pursuit of a higher education, about giving Latino students the information they need to help start and finish college by making it more affordable. We expect demand this year to surpass the pace set last year.”
As part of the project the Institute will mail 6,000 scholarship guides to guidance counselors at low-income schools in the five states with the largest Latino populations in the country, California, Florida, Illinois, New York, and Texas. Another 2,500 scholarship guides will be distributed to Latino students during The Sallie Mae Fund Paying for College Bus Tour. An additional 1,500 guides will be distributed to community based and direct service organizations such as The Mexican American Legal Defense Fund, Parent Institute for Quality Education, and the Hispanic Scholarship Fund.
Founded in 1985, the Tomas Rivera Policy Institute (TRPI) advances informed policy on key issues affecting Latino communities through research contributing to the betterment of the nation. TRPI is an affiliated research unit of the University of Southern California School of Policy, Planning, and Development and is associated with the Institute for Social and Economic Research and Policy at Columbia University.
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Posted by Elena del Valle on October 4, 2007
Alexandra Galindez, director, multi-cultural marketing Burger King Corporation
Photo: Burger King Corporation, Hispanic Youth Foundation
In support of Hispanic heritage, Hispanic culture and National Youth Soccer Month, Burger King Corporation sponsored six Soccer Immersion programs in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Dallas and Houston, reaching 150 Latino youth. The company’s support will continue in November with a free community-wide outdoor event in conjunction with the 2007 MLS Cup in Washington D.C.
As part of the promotion, Burger King aspiring athletes were able to compete in MLS ¡Futbolito!Tournaments. Numerous clinics and games were scheduled to raise awareness and educate the public about youth soccer as part of the Fifth Annual National Youth Soccer Month. Marketing staff at Burger King believe soccer has regained popularity during recent years among athletes because of the superstars that have joined the game and the “sport’s positive, character-building lessons.” The hamburger maker declined to share budget numbers or details about its efforts to reach Latino consumers.
“Burger King Corporation recognizes the importance of physical activity and team sports, like soccer, as part of a child’s healthy upbringing,” said Alexandra Galindez, director for multi-cultural marketing. “Our desire is to help young athletes further develop their soccer skills and passion for the game by providing them with unique opportunities to compete in tournaments and meet some of their sports heroes.”
“Latino Family Dynamics” audio recording
Brenda Hurley and Liria Barbosa
Discuss
- Latino purchasing habits and products they favor
- Latino family characteristics
- Latinos and extended families
- Division of duties, responsibilities within the family
- Who is the decision maker in the Latino family
- Who is the information provider in the Latino family
Click here to find out about Latino purchasing habits and “Latino Family Dynamics”
Burger King sponsored several soccer initiatives in conjunction with MLS W.O.R.K.S. Throughout the year, the company sponsored teams’ registration fees, uniforms and other soccer gear to facilitate Hispanic adult and youth teams in 14 cities to be part of the MLS ¡Futbolito! Tournament. Additionally, Burger King sponsored some youth and their chaperones from local community organizations with enhanced treatment that included special recognition at select SuperLiga games, reserved seating during the game, and access to post-game meet and greet opportunities with soccer celebrities.
Rick Castillo, board member, Hispanic Youth Foundation
“As the demographic landscape continues to grow and change, so do the needs of communities and the kids that live within them,” said Rick Castillo, board member, Hispanic Youth Foundation. Physical and economic restraints often limit the reach and development of youth and it is great to see that companies like Burger King Corporation are taking an initiative to reach out to organizations like the HYF. With the help of BKC and its resources, more opportunities are made available to local children.”
The Burger King system operates more than 11,200 restaurants in 50 states and 69 countries and U.S. territories worldwide. According to promotional materials, 90 percent of Burger King restaurants are owned and operated by independent franchisees. No information was available on the number of Hispanic owned franchises.
According to the Burger King website, the company supports the Hispanic Heritage Council, Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility (HACR), League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), National Council of La Raza (NCLR), and the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC). Since 1989, Bromley Communications has been the company’s agency of record for Hispanic market issues. The Hispanic Youth Foundation (HYF), a nonprofit organization, funds educational programs and other initiatives for at-risk Hispanic children and youth.
Posted by Elena del Valle on October 3, 2007
Click on image to enlarge
Photo: GuessNow.com
Predictive website GuessNow.com added a new category, Vida Latina, on Latino culture topics to its pages. The new section allows GuessNow members to guess the outcome of future Hispanic market events, in English. The website tests subscribers’ predicting skills and rewards them with points which can be converted into money.
Florida based GuessNow launched the Latin category recently to increase Latino visitor traffic to its website. Executives see English speaking Latino consumers as such an essential market in the prediction arena and their website that they are spending 30 percent of their budget to market to Latinos.
“GuessNow.com will continuously fill their Vida Latina section with questions relevant to the Latin market. The company knows the importance U.S Hispanics give to events related to their ethnic group whether is politics, entertainment or business related so creating a category solely dedicated to these group is for sure the best way to attract the fastest growing minority group in the country,” said Gabriela Nunez on behalf of GuessNow.
Guessnow.com entices subscribers to participate within 15 seconds of logging on by providing short multiple choice questions about the possible outcome of upcoming events. In addition to Vida Latina, Guessnow.com categories include business, finance, people, entertainment, sports, news, and politics.
“Segmentation by Level of Acculturation” audio recording
Presenter Miguel Gomez Winebrenner
Discusses
- Assimilation versus acculturation
- Factors that affect Latino acculturation
- How to know if someone is acculturated
- Number of years necessary for acculturation
- Effects of immigration debate on acculturation
- Three main ways of segmenting Latinos
Click here for details about “Segmentation by Level of Acculturation”
“Prediction markets fundamentally work on the wisdom of crowds,” said John Ferber, chief executive officer, Guessnow.com. “We are taking the concept of predictive markets to the masses, including the Latin community. The Internet makes it possible for anyone’s prediction to be known. We want every person’s voice to be heard which helps shape our future.”
Website promoters believe the site will draw people seeking clues on how to advance their business objectives, invest their money, pick winners in sports, choose winning stocks and who will win the 2007 Latin Grammy Awards. Common questions include: Why would you buy a Hybrid car? Will the print news media become obsolete within the next five years? Are the new music videos trivializing the political races? Do you think that immigrants that are in the U.S. illegally should have the right to stay in the U.S.?
Some of the questions in the Vida Latina section include: At this year’s Los Premios MTV Latin America, which artist will receive the Video of the Year Award? Who will be the Best Independent Artist at Los Premios MTV Latin America awards? Which Urban Artist will win the award at Los Premios MTV Latin America? At this year’s Los Premios MTV Latin America, which artist will receive the MTV Tr3’s Best New Artist Award?
Established in July 2007, GuessNow is owned by Vandelay Industries and managed by Ferber, described as the creator of Advertising.com; as well as Jason Ellin as chief financial officer, Erik Simons in business development, Jason Boshoff as chief operating officer, and Nicole Hollander in marketing and business development. Just 60 days after the GuessNow website was launched it reported 15,000 users.
Posted by Elena del Valle on October 2, 2007
Click on image to enlarge
The National Hispanic Business Information Clearinghouse (NHBIC) launched a website, NHBIC.org, designed to provide information for minority entrepreneurs wanting to start their own businesses. The project was funded by a $3.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor and start-up capital from Denver-based Western Union.
Western Union will also assist in publicizing the program to small business owners and merchants through its network of 50,000 U.S. agent locations. The Latino Coalition and other national, state and local groups, as well as community and faith-based organizations, also plan to promote NHBIC to their members.
Western Union’s “ethic of empowering our consumers to achieve sustainable economic stability. These BICs, when available in multiple languages, will reach millions of immigrants and minorities with information to start, grow and maintain successful businesses in the U. S. The rewards will be felt nationwide,” said Fred Niehaus, senior vice president of public affairs for Western Union, of his company’s interest in supporting NHBIC.
Site organizers promise bilingual information on how to finance, manage and market a new or existing business. The website is published in English and Spanish and is expected to include other languages and ethnic groups in the future.
“The NHBIC website focuses on the three m’s of business, money, markets and & management. It empowers aspiring business owners by providing critical information on financing a business, selling products and services and running a company,” said Salvador Gomez, program project director, NHBIC. “As a bilingual resource, it will be especially useful for those who have traditionally been underserved because English is not their first language.”
“Best in Class Hispanic Strategies” audio recording
Presenters Carlos Santiago and Derene Allen
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Find out what makes 25 percent of the top 500 Hispanic market advertisers out perform the remaining companies
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Discover what questions to ask, steps to take to be a Best in Class companies
Click here to learn about “Best in Class Hispanic Strategies” audio recording
According to promotional materials, the NHBIC website includes pre-screened and categorized business-related content; a specialized and business-specific search engine; personalized user features; localized, culture-specific community resources; and updated news related to minority small businesses.
“The launch and operation of the National Hispanic Business Information Clearinghouse will have a tremendous ripple effect in Latino communities across the United States and the country as a whole,” said Hector Barreto, former administrator of the U. S. Small Business Administration. “Small businesses are the engine of our nation’s economy, and this program encourages and supports entrepreneurial success and is to be commended.”
The NHBIC website will be the organization’s first in a series of online portals providing members of emerging markets basic tools to start a business. Additional clearinghouses are planned in coming years for African-American, Asian and Native-American audiences. Organizers plan to offer business basics, legal requirements, licensing, permitting, accounting, employee management, paying taxes, marketing, sales and government contracting information to those groups.
Posted by Elena del Valle on October 1, 2007
César M. Melgoza, managing director and senior partner, Latin Force and David Perez, CEO, Latin Force
Photos: Geoscape International, Latin Force
A podcast interview with Cesar Melgoza, managing director and senior partner, Latin Force LLC (at the time of the recording Cesar Melgoza was president of Geoscape International, Inc.) and David Perez, CEO, Latin Force LLC is available in the Podcast Section of Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations, HispanicMPR.com. During the podcast, they discuss the Hispanic Marketscape Overview and Latin Force with Elena del Valle, host of the HispanicMPR.com podcast.
Cesar has been an innovator in the development of market intelligence data, systems and analytic services. In 1995, he formed Geoscape International to focus on the application of marketing intelligence services, data and technology towards the multicultural and multinational markets. He led growth at Geoscape by developing products and services that provide geo-demographic, marketing and media data, predictive database modeling, and information enhancement systems. Most recently, he launched the Geoscape Intelligence System (GIS) and the DirecTarget system for database enrichment.
Cesar’s career is a blend of information technology and market research. While completing his undergraduate degree at the University of California, Santa Barbara he helped build computer hardware for Information Magnetics Corp. While earning his master’s degree in at the University of Texas at Austin, César was a research associate at one of the first Hispanic market research companies and also at the University’s Center for Mexican American Studies.
Listen to Cesar Melgoza discuss
“Changing Latino Landscape” audio recording
Presenter Cesar Melgoza, managing director, Latin Force Group
Find out about
• How demographic, social, political and economic factors affect Latinos
• Number of Hispanics in U.S.
• Hispanics as a percent of the mainstream population
• Number of Puerto Ricans in Puerto Rico
• Hispanics, including Puerto Rico, as a percent of U.S. mainstream
• Number of Asians and African Americans
• Estimated size of Hispanic market by 2012
• Percentage growth of new Hispanics per year
• Number of counties where Latinos are majority
• Areas of significant Latino growth
• Area of U.S. with a 950 percent Latino growth
• Role of acculturation
• Hispanicity segmentation
Click here for information on the Changing Latino Landscape
In the late 1980s, he developed and led desktop mapping and workgroup computing initiatives at Apple Computer in Cupertino, California. He went on to lead marketing and international business development at venture-funded Strategic Mapping, Inc. where he was instrumental in achieving annual revenue growth from $2 million to $35 million in four years. Born in Michoacán Mexico, Cesar grew up in California and has been a resident of various rural and urban population centers in the U.S.
David has worked with Kraft Foods, ING, MTV, Nike, Colgate-Palmolive, the National Football League, Neiman Marcus, Nickelodeon Networks, Cranium, Virgin Mobile, and Wells Fargo among others.
Before starting Latin Force, David was president and co-founder of Lumina Americas a Hispanic and Latin American integrated marketing company financed with $25 million of institutional private equity. He is former chairman of the Cultural Access Group, a leading multicultural market research firm since 1986.
David is co-founder of the New Generation Latino Consortium, a non-profit industry advocacy group and founder of Silverlining, a non-profit internet-based community for families of terminally ill children.
To listen to the interview, scroll down until you see “Podcast” on the right hand side, then select “HMPR Cesar Melgoza, David Perez” click on the play button below or download it to your iPod or MP3 player to listen on the go, in your car or at home. To download it, click on the arrow of the recording you wish to copy and save to disk. The podcast will remain listed in the October 2007 section of the podcast archive.
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