Happy New Year!

Posted by Elena del Valle on January 3, 2012

As we start another year we are thankful for the years passed and for you our readers and listeners of the HispanicMPR articles and podcast interviews.

We wish you a very healthy, happy and prosperous New Year!

Entertaining, vacation, cooking, alcohol, chocolates popular this holiday season

Posted by Elena del Valle on December 16, 2011

Emanuel Andren’s Monte Enebro chocolate

Photo: Emanuel Andren, Mars, Elizabeth Arden, Edward Marc Chocolatier

More consumers (13 percent) regard cell phones as appropriate gifts for children ages 6 to 11, up from 4 percent earlier this year. About one in three (32 percent) shoppers expect stores to offer boxes although at the same time 21 percent of survey takers said they don’t bother with wrapping paper relying instead on gift bags. More than 20 percent prefer to browse the stores then shop online to save money. A similar number say they plan to reduce the number of people they gift. These estimates are based on the 25 Stocking Stuffers from Mintel, Holiday Shopping U.S. July 2011 and Seasonal Chocolate U.S. August 2011 Mintel survey reports.

On the positive front, 27 percent of survey respondents said that when they shop for the holidays, they often buy something for themselves. Christmas decorations and cards remain popular; 42 percent of survey takers said they bought Christmas decorations in the past year while 64 percent bought a Christmas card and 67 percent received one in the past year. Even pets were involved; 11 percent of respondents said pets sent a card or gift.

White Diamonds Elizabeth Taylor Holiday Gift Set, for those who wish to wear or gift the top selling celebrity fragrance

Many (29 percent) of domestic consumers said they bought someone a fragrance and 28 percent bought candles for Christmas. That’s not surprising since winter holidays have been the high season for fragrance sales in past years, according to Mintel.

Celebrity endorsed fragrances are among the most popular, according to a Forbes.com April 2011 article (Top-Selling Celebrity Perfumes by Dorothy Pomerantz). Elizabeth Arden sold $54 million worth of White Diamonds by Elizabeth Taylor in the United States last year. The perfume, according to the article, has been a favorite of the public since it was launched in 1991. Other notables peddling fragrances with success, includes Derek Jeter (Driven), Beyoncé (Heat), P. Diddy’s Sean John (Unforgivable), Sarah Jessica Parker (NYC), Jessica Simpson (Fancy) and Gwen Stefani (Harajuku Lovers).

MMs packaging for 2011 end of year holidays

Entertaining, vacations, cooking, chocolates and alcoholic beverages during the holidays remain popular; 18 percent of Mintel survey respondents said they “absolutely have to entertain guests for the holidays.” Almost one of every four Americans said they take time off for the end of year holidays, making Christmas like holidays the second most popular family vacation.

Absolut Miami, a passion fruit and orange blossom flavored vodka, was launched in time for the holidays

Winter holidays motivate 58 percent of Americans to cook gourmet or elaborate meals requiring three or more hours to prepare. Americans are most likely to buy alcoholic beverages for New Year’s Eve (37 percent) and Christmas (28 percent), according to survey responses.

In the last year, 61 percent of survey takers bought chocolate in seasonal packaging. Blacks and Hispanics, the two largest emerging markets, have the highest average spending on seasonal candy of any race or ethnicity. This may explain why “Christmas chocolate” sales are forecast to peak in 2011, surpassing $400 million in sales, an increase of 42 percent, according to Mintel researchers.

Chocolate sellers offer special products for the season. For example, Swedish gourmet chocolate maker Emanuel Andren announced a line of 2011 holiday gift guide specials including the Passion and Glamour chocolate collection. The collection retails at $69 (regular price $98) for a four four piece box and $230 (regular price $328) for the 16 piece box between November 1 to December 31, 2011. Made in Sweden, these chocolates are all individually handmade by Emanuel Andren himself, according to a press release.

“We have seen the demand grow for chocolates more than ever before. Right now instead of buying big luxury items people are able to spend a reasonable amount on chocolate and have a beautiful gift. We say that our chocolates are an affordable luxury,” said Chris Edwards, chief marketing and development officer, Edward Marc Chocolatier, a Pennsylvania based chocolate seller with brick and mortar and online shops.

Edward Marc Chocolatier Vanilla Salt Caramel

Edward Marc seasonal items such as Holiday Pops, Chocolate Santas and Pretzel Bites (broken pretzels pieces covered in milk, dark, white and peanut butter) are very popular in the company’s retails stores while the most popular gift item is the Tower of Sweets which includes Vanilla Salt Caramel or Pecan Caramel Terrapins, also the most popular year round. Most sales are in the retail stores, three in Pennsylvania and one in Virginia.

Video viewing online at all time high

Posted by Elena del Valle on December 12, 2011

Photos: YouTube, Hulu, Vevo

In October, 184 million people in the United States spent an average of 21.1 hours per person watching 42.6 billion videos online, the highest number to date, according to comScore Video Metrix data released November 28, 2011.

The top place went to Google Sites and YouTube.com with 161 million unique viewers spending about 7.1 hours per view and 20.9 billion videos viewed. On YouTube, in general, 48 hours of video are uploaded every minute resulting in almost eight years worth of content uploaded daily by 800 million monthly visitors 18 to 54 years old.

YouTube visitors watch three billion videos a day. These estimates are so large because YouTube is available is available in 25 countries and 43 languages and 70 percent of the site’s traffic originates outside the United States.

On a broad scale, YouTube is monetizing 3 billion video views per week globally. According to the company website, 98 of AdAge’s Top 100 advertisers have run campaigns on YouTube and the Google Display Network and the number of advertisers purchasing display ads increased 10 fold in the last year.

Next on the comScore list was Facebook.com with 59.8 million viewers, Vevo with 57 million, Microsoft Sites with 49.1 million and Viacom Digital with 48.2 million.

With videos came video ads. Some 7.5 billion video ads were displayed in October. Hulu generated the highest number of video ad impressions, 1.3 billion. Tremor Video, with more than 1 billion, was second for the first time. Next in descending order were BrightRoll Video Network (756 million), Specific Media (512 million) and CBS Interactive (415 million).

ComScore staff estimate video ads reached 53 percent of the U.S. population an average of 47 times during the month and that viewers spent 3.2 billion minutes watching video ads in October. Tremor Video ads reached the top spot with 614 million minutes. Hulu delivered the highest frequency of video ads to its viewers with an average of 46.5.

Dogs, cats favorite pets in U.S.

Posted by Elena del Valle on December 7, 2011

Cats were the second most popular pet

Photos: HispanicMPR

Although the percent of households with children (45 percent in 2010) across the country is leveling off and this trend is unlikely to change given the economic situation, homes with children are more likely to have a pet than childless households, according to America’s Pet Owners U.S. September 2011, a Mintel report.

At the same time, some people are acquiring pets in lieu of having children perhaps due to the high cost of child rearing. More than half (54 percent) of respondents to a 2011 online survey of 1,250 pet owners aged 21-30 by Flexcin International said they preferred to have dogs instead of children.

Who owns pets and what kind of pets do they own? Young adults, 18 to 24 years of age, are the most likely to own pets, according to the Mintel survey responses. They may be in search of companionship if they are living alone and these pet owners, researchers believe, are less likely than older pet owners to be aware of the long-term consequences of having a pet. The most common pets were cats, dogs, fish, birds, guinea pig, hamster, ferret, rabbit, snakes and rodents in that order.

Black respondents to the Mintel survey were less likely to own dogs or cats than Hispanics and whites; as residents of densely populated urban areas blacks had less space for pets, according to the Mintel analysis. Many of the Hispanic respondents indicated they lived in a home with a large number of members where space was also limited; this group had a higher ownership of fish and birds than non Hispanics.

Tasha, a chow chow, and her puppies

Mintel researchers believe that since many whites live in suburban or rural areas with ample space to accommodate dogs and cats this group owns cats and dogs in greater numbers than other ethnic and racial groups.

Hispanic respondents to the survey seemed to be most interested in pet friendly accommodations. Black respondents to the survey appeared to be the most likely to hire dog nail trimming, grooming/washing, and teeth cleaning services. At the same time, Hispanic dog owners who participated in the study said they enjoy the fun side of dog ownership, although they appeared less likely to pay close attention to their dog’s health or be willing to make personal sacrifices for their dog.

“Our hispanic (Hispanic) market is very low, only 2%, this is due to the reason that we don’t have this kind of business in our countries, our business is personalized in home pet sitting, so this requierd (required) to owners to give us a key of their house, alarm codes etc. to enter inside the house, hispanic (Hispanic) costumers call us ‘are you crazy? i’m not giving you the key of my house!'” said Oswaldo Cuadros, owner, Pet Sitting at Weston. ” Again hispanic (Hispanic) costumers needs to learn the benefit of professional pet sitters.”

More whites, often living in larger homes, said they have large and extra-large dogs than other groups. Hispanic survey respondents said they favor toy and small dogs. According to a 2009 Mintel survey, 11 percent of Latinos (compared to 6 percent of non Hispanic households with dogs) who own dogs have Chihuahuas (Mintel’s America’s Pet Owners U.S. November 2009).

Starbucks tops list of shops for coffee drinkers

Posted by Elena del Valle on December 5, 2011

A cup of Starbucks coffee

Photo: Starbucks

Many coffee drinkers prefer to buy coffee from Starbucks, according to a November 15, 2011 poll among 1,170 voters. Hispanic respondents to the survey by Poll Position, were almost evenly divided between Starbucks (34.6 percent) and McDonald’s (34.7 percent); while 29.7 percent of whites and 27.6 of blacks preferred Starbucks. Among women 34.2 percent preferred Starbucks compared to 25.7 percent of men.

The question respondents answered was: “Among Caribou Coffee, Dunkin’ Donuts, McDonald’s, Seattle’s Best Coffee, Starbucks or some other place that sells coffee,  which is your favorite retail outlet for coffee?”

Starbucks was most popular among those aged 30 to 44 (37.9 percent) and 18 to 29 (35 percent) while respondents 65 and older (26.7 percent) preferred McDonald’s. There was little difference between political party affiliations: 30.9 percent of Independents, 30.8 percent of Democrats and 28.6 percent of Republicans demonstrating a preference for Starbucks.

Even in down economy Americans remain loyal to their pets

Posted by Elena del Valle on November 30, 2011

Bone Appetite Seat, a highchair for dogs

Photo: Talin Tropic Co., Cathy Ahles

Every day since 2005 Oswaldo Cuadros, owner, Pet Sitting at Weston or one of his staff walk, play, feed, drive or just hang out with somebody else’s pets. They look after 690 animal clients, 460 dogs, 165 cats, 39 birds and 26 other types of lovable creatures. The affluent human, 98 percent white and 2 percent Hispanic between 40 and 50 years of age, clients pay his company between $7,000 and $1,000 a year, depending on their needs, to provide pet care.

These expenditures are not surprising when we take into account that 76 percent of dog/cat owners consider their pet to be part of the family, according to America’s Pet Owners US September 2011, a Mintel report. At the same time pet ownership is growing. In the past 20 years the number of American families owning a pet has increased 10 percent.

In 1998 56 percent of households owned a pet. By 2008, 72.9 million homes or 62 percent of households in America owned a pet (APPA 2011-12 National Pet Owners Survey). And, consumers are spending money on their pets.

Fancypants, a Jack Russell Terrier who was “copilot” for 13 years

This holiday season, more than half of Americans plan to spend $46 on average to buy gifts for their pets such as toys (68 percent), food (45 percent), new bedding (8 percent), clothing (6 percent), a leash, collar or harness (3 percent) or new grooming products (3 percent), according to a new AP-Petside.com poll.

The pet industry is expected to generate $50.8 billion U.S. 2011 spending, according to American Pet Products Association (APPA) figures. This year’s revenues should represent a record for the industry which has been growing steadily between 2002 and 2011. The increase in sales of pet products and services that has overcome one of the country’s worst recessions demonstrates customers strong bonds with their pets which in some cases appear to serve as surrogate family members. Mintel researchers estimate a 33 percent growth for this market segment to a high of $67.7 billion in 2016.

An example is the Bone Appetite Seat, a customized seat that allows pets 30 pounds or less to join their owners at the dinner table within their own space. The poplar product was developed by Talin Lyman, president, Talin Tropic Co. of Boca Raton, Florida.

“There is really no target age market, I get people of all ages who have pets who love the chair! I believe it is for a more high end audience, as it is a piece of art and is a higher price range. All hand made by me. I offer custom pillows and cushions out of my fabric line for the chairs. People can buy the chairs and or all of my products directly from me, My websites, and also there are a few stores who carry my products as well,” said Lyman by email in response to a question about the seat and her other pet products.

The highchairs, hand painted to the customers specifications and sometimes with their dog’s portrait, retail for $950 to $1,500. The back of the seat opens allowing the dog to climb up little steps through the rear of the chair. Custom chairs are available for larger dogs, according to the Bone Appetite Seat website. It takes two weeks for a chair to be completed plus shipping time for out of town orders.

Hispanic immigrant men more likely to marry natives post Sept. 11

Posted by Elena del Valle on November 16, 2011

Le Wang, assistant professor, economics, University of New Hampshire

Photo: University of New Hampshire

Marketers targeting Hispanic immigrant men take note. A change in immigration policies after September 11 at federal and state levels and heightened immigration enforcement efforts may have changed the living conditions of Hispanic immigrants and increased their incentives to marry natives. A recent study indicates Hispanic immigrants, men specifically, have become more likely to marry natives post 9/11 than before that date.

According to the study, marriages between Hispanic immigrants and natives increased by more than 2 percent in the decade following the attacks of September 11. In the first two years after 9/11 there was a small increase in marriages to natives while in the years after that the increase became yet more noticeable.

These marriages helped offset the deterioration in job prospects for Hispanic immigrants that resulted from discrimination following the attacks, according to new research from the University of New Hampshire.

“Being married to a native increases employment rates by 1.2 percent and earnings by 21.8 percent,” according to researchers at the University of New Hampshire and the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth. “The offsetting effect may not be particularly large, given the estimated effect of Sept. 11 on intermarriage being about 2 percent. Nevertheless, this result highlights the possible importance of the labor market incentives that are associated with the increased rates of intermarriage among Hispanics.”

The researchers believe their results reflect the actions of undocumented immigrants, Hispanic immigrants marrying Hispanic natives, immigrants who were married before arrival, or new immigrants; and call for further research to better understand the intermarriage behaviors of Hispanics.

An article about the research titled The effects of 9/11 on intermarriage between natives and immigrants to the U.S. was published September 2011 in the Review of Economics of the Household and was the work of Le Wang, assistant professor, economics, University of New Hampshire, and Chunbei Wang, assistant professor, economics, University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth. The researchers analyzed the March Current Population Survey 1995-2010 and relied on a difference-in-differences approach to estimate the impact of 9/11 on intermarriage among Hispanic immigrants.

Many voters dislike smokers, smoking

Posted by Elena del Valle on November 14, 2011

World No Tobacco campaign ad

Photos: vi.sualize.us, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids

Some 400,000 people die each year from their own cigarette smoking and another 50,000 adult nonsmokers die each year from exposure to secondhand smoke; there are six million children under 18 alive today who may eventually die from smoking; and 8.6 million people in the United States currently suffer from smoking-caused illness, according to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, a Washington, D.C. based nonprofit advocacy organization that strives to save lives by advocating for public policies that prevent kids from smoking.”

Many young Americans, whites and Hispanics may be opposed to smoking. More than half of respondents to a national telephone survey of 1,110 registered voters conducted October 23, 2011 disapproved of people who smoke; 52 percent of respondents asked whether they frown on people who smoke said yes, 31 percent said they did not and 17 percent had no opinion. Young survey participants, in the 18-29 year old age group, were the most likely, at 63 percent, to say they frown on smokers.

Although 54 percent of white respondents and 48 percent of Hispanic respondents said they disliked smokers, 51 percent of African-Americans said they do not frown on people who smoke. Among women respondents 53.2 percent said they frowned on smokers compared to 50.5 percent of men who said they frowned on smokers.

Two-thirds of voters polled supported increasing the state tobacco tax – click to enlarge

Curiously political orientation had little influence on opinions about smokers among respondents of that survey. The difference between Republicans, 54 percent, and Democrats, 53 percent, not happy with smokers was only 1 percent while fewer Independents, 48 percent, said they frowned on smokers. The survey was conducted and paid for by Poll Position, a non-partisan news, polling, and social media company.

A January 2010 national telephone survey of 847 registered voters conducted through an International Communications Research Excel study indicated that two-thirds of voters polled supported increasing the state tobacco tax by $1.00 per pack.

An older national survey, from 2006, of 1,000 likely general election voters with an oversampling of black and Hispanics voters found Hispanics to be the most supportive of smoke-free laws. In the Mellman Group survey 69 percent of respondents said they favored smoke-free laws; 69 percent of whites, 65 percent of blacks and 78 percent of Hispanics favored such laws. More women, 74 percent, than men, 64 percent, more Democrats, 73 percent, than Republicans, 67 percent, favored the smoke-free laws.

Nestle targets U.S. Spanish speakers with new efforts

Posted by Elena del Valle on November 9, 2011

Juan Motta, head, Nestlé’s Emerging Markets

Photo: Nestlé USA

Executives at Swiss owned Nestlé want to reach Spanish dominant Hispanics in the United States with Construye el Mejor Nido (Spanish for Create the Best Nest), a new communication platform that offers Nestlé’s nutrition, health and wellness resources to Spanish speakers. The program was announced at the end of September 2011 in time to mark the year’s Hispanic Heritage Month.

According to promotional materials, elements of the program, which marks several firsts for the company, include efforts on Spanish language television, Facebook, a bilingual website, in store marketing, and product sampling packs. It is the first time the company launches an integrated multi-brand platform for consumers and shoppers in the United States; the first time Nestlé USA plans a corporate branded TV campaign; the first time Nestlé iconography of the nest concept is leveraged as a concept domestically; and the first time Nestlé USA plans to leverage its equity and drive associations between the Nestlé brand and individual brands.

The company released three television ads designed to demonstrate how Nestlé products “fit into Hispanic consumers’ everyday life and help them to nurture their family’s lives.” The ads are also designed to leverage and reinforce Nestlé’s iconography of the nest in the Nestlé corporate logo which executives hope conveys family, trust and well-being to Hispanics.

“Hispanic Heritage Month is the perfect time for Nestlé USA to reaffirm its strong history of awareness, trust and expertise among Hispanic consumers,” said Juan Motta, head, Nestlé’s Emerging Markets. “This awareness and trust stems from a strong emotional connection with authentic Nestlé brands in consumers’ home countries such as Nescafé, Abuelita, Nido and La Lechera. Construye el Mejor Nido provides consumers with information on familiar brands, as well as with other Nestlé brands available in the U.S. such as Juicy Juice and Stouffer’s.”

Believing that Facebook reaches 98 percent of Hispanic women 35 to 49 who go online Nestlé USA established Facebook.com/ElMejorNido. The page, which features contributions from Hispanic bloggers, is meant to provide a brand and cultural connection, and a place where visitors can share recipes and tips. To further its online reach the company established ElMejorNido.com, a bilingual website that promises blogger contributions, tips, articles, food videos and information on wellness, culture and parenting. The site also offers Nestlé the means to build a marketing list by providing visitors the option to receive information from the company.

Construye El Mejor Nido, an in-store effort, was designed to reach Hispanic shoppers in independent and mainstream stores through in-store circulars, bilingual door hangers, and recipe booklets. Nestlé plans to introduce new products and connect with Latino consumers by providing Fiesta Packs with new products, recipes, and party supplies to select Hispanic families. The company’s promotional materials indicate the Construye El Mejor Nido program has been well received by consumers, with traffic to the website and Facebook page exceeding expectations.

EEOC: Bass Pro allegedly failed to hire blacks, Hispanics

Posted by Elena del Valle on October 26, 2011

P. David Lopez, general counsel, EEOC

Photos: U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Bass Pro Outdoor World, LLC (Bass Pro), a retailer of sporting goods and apparel, in the United States and Canada, allegedly engaged in a pattern or practice of failing to hire African-American and Hispanic applicants for positions in its retail stores nationwide, and retaliated against employees who opposed the discriminatory practices, according to a lawsuit files recently by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The retailer retaliated against employees who opposed discrimination, and destroyed records, the agency said in a press release.

According to the EEOC’s suit filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division (Civil Action No. 4:11-CV-3425), Bass Pro has been discriminating in its hiring since at least November 2005. The EEOC’s suit alleges that qualified African-Americans and Hispanics were routinely denied retail positions such as cashier, sales associate, team leader, supervisor, manager and other positions at many Bass Pro stores nationwide.

The lawsuit alleges that managers at Bass Pro stores in the Houston area, in Louisiana, and elsewhere made overtly racially derogatory remarks acknowledging the discriminatory practices, including that hiring black candidates did not fit the corporate profile.

Jacqueline A. Berrien, chair, EEOC

“Excluding qualified individuals from employment because of their race or ethnicity or in retaliation for exercising protected rights are fundamental violations of the laws we enforce,” said Jacqueline A. Berrien, chair, EEOC. “The EEOC will diligently protect the rights of job applicants to ensure that hiring decisions are based on abilities, not on race or ethnicity.”

The lawsuit also claims that Bass Pro unlawfully destroyed or failed to keep records and documents related to employment applications and internal discrimination complaints. Agency representatives believe also, that Bass Pro punished employees who opposed the company’s unlawful practices, in some instances firing them or forcing them to resign.

This alleged behavior violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on race and national origin, and prohibits employers from retaliating against employees who complain about employment discrimination and requires them to keep certain employment records. In 2010, the EEOC was aware of 1,822 cases of discrimination based on country of origin, color or race and 511 cases of retaliation.

“As a law enforcement agency, the EEOC is uniquely positioned to challenge systemic hiring discrimination,” said P. David Lopez, general counsel, EEOC. “It is unlawful for employers to deny jobs to applicants based on their race or national origin and the EEOC will vigorously pursue such cases and require companies to reform their hiring practices and make victims of the discrimination whole.”

The EEOC’s administrative investigation culminated in findings of class-wide hiring discrimination based on statistical and anecdotal evidence, and retaliation. The EEOC attempted to reach a voluntary settlement with Bass Pro before filing suit. The lawsuit seeks a permanent injunction prohibiting Bass Pro from engaging in race discrimination, national origin discrimination, retaliation, and improper record destruction. It also seeks back pay on behalf of victims of hiring discrimination and/or retaliation, compensatory and punitive damages and other relief, including implementing fair recruitment and hiring procedures, and reinstatement or rightful-place hiring of mistreated job applicants and former employees.

“We will hold employers accountable for depriving qualified minority workers of good jobs simply because of their race or national origin,” said Jim Sacher, Houston regional attorney, EEOC. “Such behavior is always out of season.”

The agency is seeking the assistance of individuals who believe they may have been denied a position at Bass Pro because of their race (African-American or black) or ethnicity (Hispanic or Latino) or who have any information that would be helpful to the EEOC’s suit against Bass Pro through the EEOC toll free number at (855) 857-8747 or by e-mail at Basspro.lawsuit@eeoc.gov.