Posted by Elena del Valle on June 30, 2010
By Hilda Luisa Díaz-Perera
Hilda Luisa Díaz-Perera*
I knew it was the 4th. Yesterday had been the 3rd, so I was positive today was the 4th. I thought about the American Embassy in Caracas and regretted I had not yet registered there. They were probably hosting a celebration for American citizens living in the capital. I couldn’t explain why today my vocal chords had locked themselves on the words of Home on the Range quietly singing them away in my throat. The day had started out very early as it usually did for me: I had brought the dog down to the yard where he began to bark back at another invisible barking dog hiding somewhere in the dawn’s early light.
I had had my breakfast, not with my American Folgers, since I had had no time before I left the States to buy some to bring with me. I sat down at my sewing machine and got busy finishing the kitchen curtains. The 4th faded slowly away into the stitches, the minutes, the hours, the barking dog and my cat Maggie. Home on the Range had survived my busy-ness and indeed, the skies had not been cloudy all day. At 5 pm my oldest sister in-law called to invite us for dinner at a wonderful restaurant in Playa El Agua that stands right on the sand. From the terrace, you can see the wide expanse of ocean and your ears become full of the sound of the waves.
Click here to read the entire article My Venezuelan 4th of July
Posted by Elena del Valle on June 28, 2010
Victor Parada, vice president, Advertising Sales, Discovery Networks U.S. Hispanic Group
Photo: Discovery Networks
A podcast interview with Victor Parada, vice president, Advertising Sales, Discovery Networks U.S. Hispanic Group is available in the Podcast Section of Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations, HispanicMPR.com. During the podcast, Victor discusses Discovery Familia with Elena del Valle, host of the HispanicMPR.com podcast.
Victor oversees sales for Discovery’s portfolio of Hispanic networks in the United States, Discovery en Español and Discovery Familia. He has led the portfolio’s strategy since 2005. Under his leadership, the portfolio has surpassed objectives and increased advertising revenue. Victor first joined Discovery in 1999 as account manager for Discovery Networks in Mexico. Two years later, he was promoted to account director and over time he was promoted to regional director of advertising sales for Discovery Networks Latin America/Iberia.
Prior to joining Discovery, Victor was an account executive at Galavision. He began his ad sales career as an account executive at American Radio, Inc. in Boston. He is a native of Mexico City and currently resides in Miami.
To listen to the interview, scroll down until you see “Podcast” on the right hand side, then select “HMPR Victor Parada” click on the play button below or download the MP3 file 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 it to disk. The podcast will remain listed in the June 2010 section of the podcast archive.
Posted by Elena del Valle on June 25, 2010
A scene from The Last Airbender – click on image to enlarge
Photos, video: Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon Movies
The Last Airbende is an avatar able to manipulate the four elements, Air, Water, Earth, and Fire in the hopes of restoring balance to his war torn world. That’s a heavy burden for a young boy to carry. It is no wonder the story is from children’s television. M. Night Shyamalan wrote, produced, directed and converted an animated Nickelodeon TV series into an action film starring Dev Patel, Jackson Rathbone, Nicola Peltz, Cliff Curtis, Shaun Toub, Aasif Mandvi and Noah Ringer. The Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies film opens in theaters nationwide July 1, 2010. Scroll down to see a trailer.
A scene from The Last Airbender – click on image to enlarge
In this first film of the story Aang (Noah Ringer) is caught in the middle of a struggle between his world’s four nations when the Fire Nation declares war against the others. After a century without hope Aang discovers he is the lone Avatar who can manipulate the four elements. The hairless young boy teams up with Katara (Nicola Peltz), a Waterbender, and her brother, Sokka (Jackson Rathbone), to find a way toward peace.
Manoj Nelliattu Shyamalan, known professionally as M. Night Shyamalan, is an Academy Award-nominated Indian American film writer, director, and producer. He is best known for the 1999 film The Sixth Sense, starring Bruce Willis and Haley Joel Osment, which grossed $600 million worldwide.
Posted by Elena del Valle on June 23, 2010
By Harald H. Vogt
Founder and chief marketer, Scent Marketing Institute
Harald H. Vogt, founder and chief marketer, Scent Marketing Institute
Photo: Scent Marketing Institute
Information transported via our perception of scent does not require translation. There is no “Press 1 for English, 2 for Spanish” when it comes to recognizing the scent of fresh baked bread, ultimately drawing us to it’s source, the bakery on the corner or in the supermarket. Scent can be a guide, or it can create a desire, even an emotion without a word being spoken.
Scents are processed in the limbic system of our brain, which happens to be responsible for the decision-making process and for our emotions. With that “internal wiring” already in place it takes fairly little to trigger a person to react in a certain way.
Click here to read the entire article Scent communication – no language barriers apply!
Posted by Elena del Valle on June 22, 2010
Tonya Scholz host of Social Chats, an online video program of the Association for Women in Communications South Florida Chapter, interviewed Elena del Valle, editor HispanicMPR.com, at the recent Public Relations Society of America PRSA Sunshine District Conference in Jupiter, Florida. During the six-minute recording they discuss HispanicMPR. Click here to watch the interview
Posted by Elena del Valle on June 21, 2010
Sifting the Data – click on image to enlarge
Charts, photo: GlobalHue
A Michigan multicultural advertising agency, GlobalHue, invested a substantial budget on a survey last year to find out what America’s cultural and lifestyle profile looks like. As a result agency executives believe there is a blurring of ethnic boundaries in our country. Based on the 2009 survey conducted by an outside company, the agency has concluded bicultural Hispanics are among the most successful and optimistic groups.
The survey of four major population segments was designed to create a comprehensive cultural map of the country to provide marketers updated information. Based on the findings the researchers believe that thanks to bicultural Hispanics’ option to select the elements they prefer from various cultures this group is among the most successful and optimistic groups of those surveyed.
The study indicates the nation is increasing complex and is made up of distinct segments; that the population is splitting into a Bifurcation Chasm of the Engaged/Optimistic and the Disengaged/Pessimistic; that to predict consumer behavior, marketers must understand consumer groups by their current situation and by how they will be prepared to deal with the bifurcation, believed to be growing, in wealth and possibilities.
Specialists identified eight subsegments for each of the four segments surveyed resulting in 32 subsegments the result of the rapidly changing and diversified consumer market. Although they are aware of the cultural differences between people in the four segments, the researchers identified mixed-cluster groups of like-minded Americans in seven macrosegments with common mindsets, beliefs and values that impact consumers’ feelings of optimism and pessimism and influence the degree of engagement in their communities.
For example, the macrosegment they called Haves represents 20 percent of the U.S. population, or 71 million people. It is the most optimistic and engaged group and enjoys the best economic and educational level. This segment, which they consider the most attractive initially for marketers, is also the most balanced across the different groups: Asian, 31percent ; Hispanic, 16.5 percent; African American, 21.5 percent; and non-Hispanic Whites, 16 percent.
Don Coleman, chairman, GlobalHue
“To understand the New America today requires more than a single cultural lens,” said Don Coleman, chairman, GlobalHue. “Instead, it is as meaningful to look for cross-ethnicity similarities as it is to acknowledge cultural differences. With this report, marketers can clearly see a path for connecting with consumer segments from different groups simultaneously through cultural relevance.”
According to the study, the most successful and optimistic Hispanic segments, as self-identified, are bicultural and feel empowered to pick and choose from multiple cultures. At the same time, the most acculturated Hispanic segments are the least successful and most isolated. These are Hispanics who are also the least likely to identify with a community, be bilingual or have strong ties to a country of origin. Many optimistic Hispanics are disengaged, young and like technology.
“The Hispanic segment of the study upends commonly held notions of acculturation,” said Laura Marella, vice chairman, GlobalHue. “The message to marketers is that greater acculturation is, in fact, not a proxy for high-value consumers.”
If Bifurcation Continues – click on image to enlarge
To complete the study interviewers contacted 8,309 people online and by phone, in a nationally representative sample, between June 22 and July 15, 2009, broken down by ethnicity as follows: Africanics: 1,777 respondents; Asian: 1,381; Latino: 1,994; non-Hispanic White: 2,748; and other: 409.
A questionnaire with 287 questions covered demographic information, lifestyle habits and attitudes, behaviors regarding media consumption and usage, and technology reliance and usage, as well as shopping, traveling, and entertainment habits. It included Trompenaars Hampten-Turner’s seven cultural dimensions and a modified Myers-Briggs personality profile.
GlobalHue, a marketing communications agency, has 390 employees and offices in Detroit and New York. It has four divisions: GlobalHue Africanic; GlobalHue Latino; GlobalHue Asian; and GlobalHue Next. In 2009, GlobalHue’s capitalized billings were $833.7 million. GlobalHue clients include Verizon, Walmart, Chrysler Group LLC, U.S. Navy, Bermuda Department of Tourism, U.S. Census Bureau, FedEx, MGM Grand Detroit and Merck.
Posted by Elena del Valle on June 18, 2010
Bicycle Tire by Julio Figueroa Beltrán
Photos: Accentmarketing
Driven by a former agency principal turned artist a Miami ad agency established Accent Alternative Art Space, a not-for-profit art initiative focused around real estate dedicated to non-commercially driven artwork by emerging and mid-career artists. Those behind the project hope it will foster “ideas that are outside of the mainstream scope of artists’ commercial galleries while harnessing local talent and culture.”
The mission of the project is to bring unknown, local talent to the forefront of the community’s art scene. Participating artists spend no monies to exhibit and receive all the proceeds of any sales, according to a project spokesperson. Killing and Salting, the premiere exhibit, opened last week featuring the work of seven local Cuban-American artists.
Astronaut by Julio Figueroa Beltrán
“There is so much unique art outside of the mainstream art scene that goes unnoticed,” said Esteban “Steve” Blanco, founding partner, Accentmarketing. “Our goal is to catapult these talented artists into the thick of it- no competition at all. In fact, we welcome all art galleries to come and pick up our featured artists.”
Blanco retired in 1993 and dedicated himself to art. When the warehouse adjacent to his art studio became available, he invested in the space to offer it to promising artists as a platform to build their work. According to an agency representative, artists of all creeds and races are encouraged to submit their work for consideration. Blanco will be the official decision maker on all artists to be selected for inclusion in exhibits. Agency executives hope the initiative will promote an artistic culture among its staff and contribute to Miami’s art scene.
“Accent Alternative Art Space is truly a passion project that is 110 percent committed to enriching Miami’s local art community as well as helping fellow artists,” said Diana Ocasio-Fant, executive vice president and creative director, Accentmarketing. “As an agency of creative individuals we want to reach out to the community regarding the importance of the arts, so this is a win-win for us because we can develop our own art while helping others do the same.”
Door Collage by Miguel Angel Báez
Accentmarketing, an ad agency based for 20 years in Coral Gables, a ritzy municipality in Miami, has painters, graphic art designers, creative writers, musicians and performing artists within the company ranks. Established in 1994, the Hispanic marketing communications agency has offices in Miami, Los Angeles and Detroit. Clients include the American Heart Association, Dunkin Donuts, Farmers Insurance, GobiernoUSA.gov, Chevrolet, the California Association of Realtors, Kaiser Permanente, Brown-Forman and the U.S. Navy.
Posted by Elena del Valle on June 16, 2010
Better Communication for your Clients with Hearing Loss
By
Martha E. Galindo, language translations provider
Lauren E. Storck, Ph.D., founder, Collaborative for Communication Via Captioning
Karen Yates, certified CART provider
Karen Yates, certified CART provider
Lauren E. Storck, Ph.D., founder, Collaborative for Communication Via Captioning
Martha E. Galindo, language translations provider
As people age, they often face changes in their abilities. One such change is the likelihood that they will develop hearing loss. Although hearing loss affects approximately 12 percent of the general U.S. population, that number rises to over 65 percent in the elderly. In any ethnicity. In any gender. Loss of hearing can interfere with a person’s enjoyment of his or her current and former activities, leads to isolation, and creates communication challenges in family, work and social settings.
Broadcast captioning – written text of the spoken word that scrolls at the bottom of television programs and movies – has gained acceptance and is much appreciated by people with hearing loss. In any language. What many people don’t know is that that same type of service is available out in the community, too. Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) is a word-for-word speech-to-text instantaneous interpreting service provided by trained professionals using machine shorthand (or sometimes voice recognition software) and computers equipped with special translation software. Many of these CART providers were first trained as court reporters, professionals very familiar to many who work in the legal system for example.
Click here to read the complete article
Posted by Elena del Valle on June 14, 2010
A HispanicMPR podcast is listed on Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia. See
Posted by Elena del Valle on June 14, 2010
Thinking about a domain for your organization or business? I always thought .com was king. The most recent Internet Systems Consortium Internet Domain Survey of April 2010 says otherwise. Worldwide there were 264,382,845 network (.net) domains compared to 147,031,831 commercial (.com) domains, making .net domains the leader by a wide margin.
The rest of the top 10 domains are all country designations, in descending order: Japan (54,067,517), Italy (22,804,359), Germany (21,462,183), Brazil (18,848,263), China (15,309,629), France (15,006,654), Australia (13,126,248), and Mexico (12,677,932). The Netherlands came next followed by educational (.edu) domains which accounted for the largest number of generic domains.
The Japanese domain .jp has the most hosts, more than twice as many as the Italian domain. Among the Latin American countries Mexico was in tenth place, Argentina was eighteenth (6,012,497), Colombia thirty-fifth (2,535,022) and Chile was forty-ninth (1,043,420). In case you are wondering there is a United States (.us) domain which appeared in the fortieth slot (2,169,238). What about organization domains (.org)? Right below domains for United States with 2,139,268 hosts.
