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New report identifies lack of disaster preparedness for immigrants in Southern California

Posted by Elena del Valle on July 24, 2008

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Photo: PublicDomainPictures.net/Mark Coldren

According to a recently released report from the Tomás Rivera Policy Institute (TRPI) and the Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC), people with limited English abilities and immigrants are less prepared for disasters than other segments of the population. These group are sometimes excluded from educational efforts and emergency response plans.

To prepare the report, “Disaster Preparedness in Urban Immigrant Communities: Lessons Learned from Recent Catastrophic Events and Their Relevance to Latino and Asian Communities in Southern California,” the researchers observed Latino and Asian immigrant communities in Southern California for disaster education and response preparation plans. The long term goal of the study is to improve disaster awareness among immigrant community members, and assist emergency personnel to improve the service they provide to limited English speaking populations.

The researchers found: it was difficult to locate disaster preparedness materials in languages other than English; insufficient bilingual staff and volunteers among emergency response personnel and organizations who provide assistance during emergencies; although there are plenty of ethnic media outlets that could facilitate emergency preparedness and educational efforts, they are not being used widely; and there is concern that immigrants may refrain from requesting assistance in an emergency for fear of revealing their illegal immigration status.

The researchers recommend in the report that federal and state governments establish basic secondary language resources; and that local agencies create informational materials and response plans to meet the language needs of the communities they serve.

The Tomás Rivera Policy Institute is one of the premier policy institutes that seeks to advance insightful thinking on key issues affecting Latino communities. The Institute is an independent, nonprofit organization that is an affiliated research unit of the School of Policy, Planning, and Development at the University of Southern California.

Founded in 1983, the Asian Pacific American Legal Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advocating for civil rights, providing legal services and education, and building coalitions to positively influence and impact Asian Pacific Americans and to create a more equitable and harmonious society. APALC is affiliated with the Asian American Justice Center (formerly NAPALC) in Washington, D.C.


Target Latinos effectively by anticipating changes in the market with

“Hispanic Projections with 2007-08 update” audio recording

Roger Selbert, Ph.D.

Presenter Roger Selbert, Ph.D.

Find out

  • About Latino buying power growth in the future
  • How Latino market growth compares with other markets in the U.S.
  • What drives the rise of Latino economic clout
  • Who should target the Latino market
  • What is the size of the Hispanic affluent market
  • If the luxury Latino market is growing

Stay ahead of your competition with “Hispanic Projections”


Cultural knowledge important when marketing vision health care to multicultural audiences

Posted by Elena del Valle on July 23, 2008

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Photos: Public Domain Pictures/Anna Cervova, Braille Institute, RL Public Relations

According to a Greenfield Online/Mintel April 2008 report, ethnicity affects the type of glasses survey respondents wear. Of those surveyed half of whites, blacks and Hispanics use bifocals while most Asians use regular glasses. These findings can be explained in part by the higher average age of whites and blacks.

It is also related to differences in household income: According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average household income for Asians is $64,000 but only $48,000 for the average United States citizen. The higher income makes other vision correction options available and more likely for Asians like contacts and vision correction surgery.

The Mintel study also indicates more black and Hispanic consumers use colored or tinted contacts compared to other ethnic groups. These individuals are more likely to take advantage of colored contacts as a fashion accessory offering them hazel, blue or green eye colors. At the same time, Asian and Hispanics respondents expressed greater interest in corrective surgery.


“Segmentation by Level of Acculturation” audio recording

Miguel Gomez Winebrenner

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”


As Latinos age the rate of vision loss among adults over 40 increases. Many vision loss diseases prevalent among Hispanics, like glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy, can lead to blindness if left untreated. At the same time 41 percent of Hispanics in Los Angeles have very little knowledge about vision health or vision-loss diseases, according to a Survey of Public Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAP) Related to Eye Health and Disease conducted by the National Eye Institute in 2002.

Looking at the number of individuals in the communities it serves, the Braille Institute, a California non profit organization, realized it was necessary to focus closely on under served groups who need assistance and may not be aware it’s available. The organization has plans to reach out to Spanish speaking elderly Latinos in the Los Angeles metro area to draw their attention to issues of eye health care and vision loss prevention. To accomplish this goal the organization hired an independent agency, RL Public Relations (RLPR).

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How someone with an eye illness might see an eye chart

“El Poder Sin Ver is a program Braille Institute created to specifically target the need for low vision services in the Latino community. We are planning a monumental community outreach effort to spread the word about our free services, all of which help people learn how to live a fulfilling life, even if their vision isn’t as good as it used to be,” said Courtney Goines, media relations manager, Braille Institute of America, Inc.

Difficulties with communication, lack of insurance, low income and cultural differences in health behaviors make the Hispanic population especially vulnerable to poor access to vision care. With the help of RLPR the institute hopes to increase awareness about the high incidence of vision loss among Hispanics in the Southern California community, and educating Hispanic elders about ways they can prevent and treat eye disease.

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Roxana Lissa, CEO and founder, RL Public Relations

“We believe in spearheading public relations campaigns for socially-responsible organizations, especially if the good intention is geared towards the Hispanic community,” said Roxana Lissa, chief executive officer and founder of RLPR

The Braille Institute campaign will target Spanish-dominant Latino seniors (the group most affected by vision loss) in Los Angeles as well as those who influence their decisions, adult children, relatives and health care providers. The account will be led by Yanka Burgos, vice president out of the company’s Los Angeles office.

The agency plans to conduct a media outreach initiative focusing on outlets that reach Hispanic seniors in Los Angeles and those who influence them. As part of the campaign’s grassroots efforts agency representatives plan to reach out to community based organizations to promote Braille Institute services and provide information about eye health care in Spanish.

Braille Institute services are free and many of their counselors are already bilingual; some classes are provided in English and Spanish. The mission of the Braille Institute is to eliminate blindness and severe sight loss as a barrier to a fulfilling life.

Founded in the United Kingdom 35 years ago, Mintel is a supplier of consumer, media and market research. The company, with offices in Chicago, London, Belfast, Sydney and Shanghai, has been studying the United States Hispanic market since 2003.


Hispanic Marketing and Public Relations Understanding and Targeting America’s Largest Minority book

Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations 1932534083

“A must resource for practitioners/professionals expecting to reach US Hispanics; also valuable for college programs in marketing, public relations and communications. Highly recommended.”

Choice magazine

Click here for information on the Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations books


Database management company releases Spanish language fundraising software

Posted by Elena del Valle on July 17, 2008

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John Moore, CTO and vice president of development, eTapestry

Photos: eTapestry

In 2006, eTapestry, an Indianapolis-based company, began creating a multilingual version of its on-demand fund raising software at the request of Spanish-speaking clients in San Diego, Miami, and Houston. After receiving positive feedback from early adopters, the developers made changes necessary to expand the eTapestry software into broader domestic and international markets allowing eTapestry to release a Spanish language version of the fund raising software in early July 2008.

“With eTapestry users accessing their data from points all over the globe, it was plain to see that eTapestry’s on demand software was opening up new opportunities for organizations everywhere,” said Jay Love, chief executive officer, eTapestry.

The Spanish language software was initially developed to help organizations who have some users who want to use the database in English, and other users who prefer Spanish. Company representatives believe the new Spanish language version is also ideally suited for organizations in Mexico, Latin America, and other Spanish speaking locales.

The target audience for the software is nonprofit organizations. According to a company representative, customers range from very small organizations with just a few hundred records to large organizations with hundred of thousands of records.

This is the first time company representatives have targeted the United States Latino market. The company promoted the new software by distributing a press release recently; and showcasing it during seminars, shows, and presentations.

“The need for automation and data segmentation is universal, but from the very beginning, eTapestry was architected with an eye toward offering the product on an international scale,” said John Moore, chief technology officer and vice president of development, eTapestry.


Target Latinos effectively by anticipating changes in the market with

“Hispanic Projections with 2007-08 update” audio recording

Roger Selbert, Ph.D.

Presenter Roger Selbert, Ph.D.

Find out

  • About Latino buying power growth in the future
  • How Latino market growth compares with other markets in the U.S.
  • What drives the rise of Latino economic clout
  • Who should target the Latino market
  • What is the size of the Hispanic affluent market
  • If the luxury Latino market is growing

Stay ahead of your competition with “Hispanic Projections”


“This framework allows eTapestry to concentrate on how nonprofit organizations run their business rather than the traditional maintenance overhead of maintaining multiple versions of the software. Being a Software as a Service (SaaS) offering, we are positioned to rapidly evolve the product in a new market. We don’t have the limitation of client-installed software so our release cycle can be very aggressive. The customers will realize the benefits much quicker because their suggestions are incorporated into the product within a few weeks rather than months.”

ETapestry users pay a monthly rate based on the size of the database and number of concurrent users. It starts at $36 per month for one user and up to 1,000 records. The cost for 1,000 to 5,000 records is $112 per month and the pricing increases accordingly depending on the number of records. Additional services are offered a la carte, allowing each organization to add extra services at their discretion.

The Spanish language software launch complimented the international development plans of Blackbaud, eTapestry’s parent company. Now the two companies are working together to introduce eTapestry Espanol to Latin America.

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Andrew Mosawi, vice president, Blackbaud

“The nonprofit community in Latin America is rapidly growing and needs software to better manage donor relations and overall accountability,” said Andrew Mosawi, vice president of international business development, Blackbaud. “It is a market that has been under served by the nonprofit software industry thus far, and we are pleased to provide an on-demand solution that is tailored to the unique needs of these growing organizations.”

Founded in 1999, eTapestry is a web-based donor database and communications management system that delivers software over the Internet, allowing access from desktops, laptops and mobile devices. The company offers its 3,000 customers website development, e-commerce and advanced email tools.


Hispanic Marketing and Public Relations Understanding and Targeting America’s Largest Minority book

Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations 1932534083

“A must resource for practitioners/professionals expecting to reach US Hispanics; also valuable for college programs in marketing, public relations and communications. Highly recommended.”

Choice magazine

Click here for information on the Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations books


Business Wire targets Latino market with new service

Posted by Elena del Valle on July 15, 2008

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Cathy Baron Tamraz, president and CEO, Business Wire

Photos: Business Wire, impreMedia

Last week, Business Wire launched LatinoWire, a multi-channel service targeting United States Latinos in English and Spanish. Business Wire executives hope an exclusive distribution relationship with impreMedia, a major player in the market, announced at the same time will boost the service.

Business Wire representatives estimate tens of thousands of individuals and 1,200 media across the country, including 30 impreMedia online and print outlets, will receive their LatinoWire press release materials.

“LatinoWire is reaching the publications and media that the market relies on,” said Tom Becktold, senior vice president, Marketing at Business Wire. “We know that there is a large amount of interest because of past distribution through third parties. We think this is going to be extremely well received, especially with impreMedia.”


“Best in Class Hispanic Strategies” audio recording

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Presenters Carlos Santiago and Derene Allen

  • Find out what makes 25 percent of the top 500 Hispanic market advertisers out perform the remaining companies

  • Discover what questions to ask, steps to take to be a Best in Class company

Click here for more about “Best in Class Hispanic Strategies” audio recording


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Arturo Duran, chief executive officer, impreMedia Digital

“We are extremely pleased to partner with Business Wire and to bring Business Wire’s LatinoWire content to our online readers on an exclusive basis,” said Arturo Duran, chief executive officer of impreMedia Digital. “Through our unique partnership, impre.com users will have the ability to receive news directly from the companies making announcements, all with one convenient click. We believe that this is a significant benefit for those who come to impre.com for the latest in business and financial news affecting the Hispanic community.”

Although Business Wire staff have blanketed as many Spanish language publications as possible, the majority of the reach of the new service will be to English language publications. The idea, said Becktold by phone from California, is to reach consumers of English and Spanish language media. In Los Angeles, for example, LatinoWire reaches the Los Angeles Times in English and La Opinion in Spanish.

Business Wire has received much positive feedback in relation to LatinoWire. From a resources perspective the company’s interest is evidenced by the assignment of a dedicated team to the new service launch. Not all Business Wire services receive that kind of support. Four full-time staff will work on LatinoWire and between eight and ten staff will dedicate part of their time to the new Latino oriented service.


“Moving Beyond Traditional Media Measurement: measuring conversations and social media” audio recording

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Presenter Katie Delahaye Paine, founder, KDPaine & Partners

Find out about

  • Issues affecting online public relationships today
  • Testing relationships as part of a survey
  • Measuring ethnic group relationships
  • Measuring foreign language communications in a similar ways to English
  • Biggest challenges measuring conversations and social media
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Click here for information on “Moving Beyond Traditional Media Measurement”


“ImpreMedia has quickly established itself as the nation’s premier Hispanic multimedia company, providing unparalleled access to a highly desirable demographic audience,” noted Cathy Baron Tamraz, president and chief executive officer, Business Wire. “We are extremely proud to be affiliated with the dominant leader in a market destined to grow in importance.”

LatinoWire news will reach reporters through a direct publication feed via the company’s proprietary annex system. Major wire services like Associated Press and Notimex also will receive the updates. As part of the partnership with impreMedia, LatinoWire news releases will have guaranteed placement on impreMedia websites. This placement will be distinct from the publications’ editorial content.

ImpreMedia is a leading publisher of Spanish language newspapers in the country. The company owns publications in 17 cities and has 26 online and print properties targeting the United States Hispanic population.

Business Wire, a Berkshire Hathaway company, is utilized by member companies and organizations to transmit their news releases, regulatory filings, photos and other multimedia content to journalists, news media, trade publications, institutional and individual investors, financial information services, regulatory authorities, Internet portals, information web sites, business-to-business decision-makers and consumers.

Job growth among for Latino immigrants dropping

Posted by Elena del Valle on July 10, 2008

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Photo: Simon & Baker

Latino labor growth has slowed down due to America’s economic woes and the construction industry recession, and working age immigrant Latinos represent a lesser percent of the overall Hispanic labor pool than in the recent past. These are the findings of a recent Pew Hispanic Center report on labor and Latinos trends in the United States.

In spite in the decreasing growth opportunities, there are no indications that immigrant Latino workers are leaving the country, according to Latino Labor Report, 2008 written by Rakesh Kochhar, associate director for Research, Pew Hispanic Center. Latinos represent 14 percent of the United States labor pool and more than half, 52 percent, of working age Latinos are immigrants.


Target Latinos effectively by anticipating changes in the market with

“Hispanic Projections with 2007-08 update” audio recording

Roger Selbert, Ph.D.

Presenter Roger Selbert, Ph.D.

Find out

  • About Latino buying power growth in the future
  • How Latino market growth compares with other markets in the U.S.
  • What drives the rise of Latino economic clout
  • Who should target the Latino market
  • What is the size of the Hispanic affluent market
  • If the luxury Latino market is growing

Stay ahead of your competition with “Hispanic Projections”


As a result changes in the Latino working population may have a limited impact on the overall working population. Nonetheless, it is noteworthy that Hispanic unemployment in the first quarter of 2008 was much higher than non Hispanic employment, 6.5 percent versus 4.7 percent. This data is in marked contrast with labor statistics of less than two years ago.

In late 2006 the difference in unemployment between Latinos and the mainstream was only .5 percent, 4.9 percent for Latinos compared to 4.5 percent for non Latinos. Immigrant workers have been affected more than most. For example, for the first time in five years more foreign more born Latinos than native born Latinos were unemployed.

In the last year, changes in the construction industry caused a drop of 250,000 jobs among Latinos and eliminated existing job growth within that working group. This is significant because for years construction represented the largest growth industry for Hispanic workers, especially among immigrants. Of the 221,000 Latino workers who left jobs in construction last year, 152,000 were people who had migrated from Mexico.

In 2007, Latino women suffered in greater numbers than their male counterparts, leaving the labor force in great proportion and showing more unemployment than Latino men. There were 130,000 Latino women who became unemployed last year and unemployment among Latino women increased from 5.6 percent to 7 percent.

The report was based on the Pew Hispanic Center’s analysis of recent Bureau of Labor Statistics and Census Bureau data, mainly the Current Population Survey. The Pew Hispanic Center, an initiative of the Pew Research Center, is a non-partisan, non-advocacy research organization based in Washington, D.C. The Pew Hispanic Center is funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts.


Hispanic Marketing and Public Relations Understanding and Targeting America’s Largest Minority book

Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations 1932534083

“A must resource for practitioners/professionals expecting to reach US Hispanics; also valuable for college programs in marketing, public relations and communications. Highly recommended.”

Choice magazine

Click here for information on the Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations books


Watch video – Beer company launches first bilingual multimedia ad campaign

Posted by Elena del Valle on July 9, 2008

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Tecate Light store floor ad

Photo, video: Tecate Light

Mexican beer maker Fomento Economico Mexicano, S.A. de C.V. (FEMSA) and Heineken USA, importers of Tecate Light, hope to attract acculturated Mexicans and Mexican-American adults in the United States with a newly released two-language multimedia ad campaign. The brand’s first dual-language ad campaign was launched June 30, 2008 in general market and Spanish language media outlets and will run through the end of 2008. Scroll down to watch a Tecate Light video ad.

The ad makes up two distinct executions under the same tag line, “Para los que quieren más,” Spanish for “For those who want more.” The English-language ads invite Mexican-American men to “break the habit” of drinking less-flavorful light beers in favor of Tecate Light.

To achieve this, two separate 30-second TV spots present men acting out their favorite guilty pleasures, such as watching telenovelas (Spanish language soap operas) and talking loudly on their cell phone, while drinking a generic light beer. In each spot, Marco Uriel, a Mexican actor chastises men for their bad beer drinking habits and invites them to try Tecate Light beer.


Make your ads resonate with Hispanics
Listen to C&R’s Research Director Liria Barbosa in

“Hispanics’ Perspective on Advertising” audio recording

Liria Barbosa

Liria Barbosa gives a presentation and participates in an extended Q&A discussion about

• Type of ads Latinos prefer
• Latino top media choices
• Percent of Latinos who tried products because of ads
• Percent of Latinos who purchased products because of ads
• What makes an ad “Hispanic”
• If ad language is important for bicultural Latinos
• What to keep in mind when targeting bicultural Latinos with ads

Click here for information on Hispanic Perspectives on Advertising


The Spanish-language Tecate Light campaign plays off the concept that Mexican men in the United States shouldn’t have to settle for a less flavorful beer than what they’re used to. The “Papás” 30 second TV spot features distraught Mexican parents who share a testimonial to their adult son in the United States and their disappointment in his choice of light, flavorless beers.

“As the most popular light cerveza in Mexico, we believe it’s important to converse with our consumers in the language that they feel most comfortable. With the continued growth of the U.S. Hispanic population, and especially the second and third generation Mexican-Americans populations, we wanted to create a campaign that addresses their intrinsic yearning for more flavor in their beer,” said Carlos Boughton, brand director for Tecate and Tecate Light.

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Carlos Boughton, brand director, Tecate and Tecate Light

The spots in Spanish will air in Tucson, Albuquerque and San Antonio while the two 30-second TV spots in English will air on ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC; as well as several cable channels including ESPN, History Channel, and Discovery Channel. Additionally, the Spanish-language counterpart ads will be seen on Univision, Telemundo and Telefutura throughout the 20 markets where Tecate Light is available. Print ads will run in the July issue of Maxim en Español. There will also be radio, out-of-home and point of sale components to the campaign.

The campaign work is divided between three agencies: the creative concept was developed by Adrenalina; MediaVest New York will place the ads; and Formula PR will handle public relations efforts to support the campaign.

“According to Census figures, the largest growth segment of the Hispanic population is not immigrants, but the children of immigrants who tend to be different beyond simply the language they speak,” said Manuel Wernicky, founder and principal of Adrenalina. “This is an innovative campaign because we recognized that there are two different types of consumers of Mexican descent, which is why we created two unique campaigns under one brand platform instead of simply translating the same work in English and Spanish. This is not a one-size-fits-all campaign.”


“Best in Class Hispanic Strategies” audio recording

Carlos Aantiago hmprDereneallenfeb07s.jpg

Presenters Carlos Santiago and Derene Allen

  • Find out what makes 25 percent of the top 500 Hispanic market advertisers out perform the remaining companies

  • Discover what questions to ask, steps to take to be a Best in Class company

Click here for more about “Best in Class Hispanic Strategies” audio recording


Since 2004, as part of an agreement with FEMSA Cerveza, Heineken USA is the exclusive importer, marketer and seller of FEMSA’s beer brands in the United States. Heineken USA handles the marketing, sales and distribution of Dos Equis, Tecate, Sol, Carta Blanca, Bohemia and the new Tecate Light.

Headquartered in White Plains, New York, Heineken USA Inc. is a beer importer and a subsidiary of Heineken International B.V., a Netherlands company. Heineken USA also imports Heineken Lager, Heineken Premium Light, Heineken Dark Lager, Amstel Light, and Buckler non-alcoholic brew.

Founded in 1890, FEMSA is one of the largest integrated beverage companies in Latin America. Its subsidiary FEMSA Cerveza is one of the leading brewers in Mexico with brands that include Tecate, Dos Equis and Sol.



Miami Springs company launches website for Spanish speakers seeking attorneys

Posted by Elena del Valle on July 8, 2008

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BuscAbogados.com – click on image to enlarge

Photos: BuscAbogados.com

In May 2008, BGB Holding Group Corp launched BuscAbogados.com (Spanish look for a lawyer), a new website in Spanish for adults in the United States, Latin America and Spain, who have access to the Internet and are seeking the services of a United States attorney. It took two years of development work to design the website as a bilingual search engine able to recognize key search words in Spanish and English.

The newly launched website lists 7,000 Florida attorneys. BuscAbogados relies on seven employees in the United States and 50 in Argentina. In addition to English and Spanish press releases, company representatives are promoting the website with printed promotional materials distributed in markets with large Hispanic populations as well as advertising in Miami area Hispanic publications.


“How to Use Your Energy to Attract Clients and Customers” audio recording

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BuscAbogados.com marketers have concentrated their efforts on website optimization in the hope of positioning the portal among the most important Internet search engines, as well as regionally-focused search engines in Latin America where they believe their services will also be of interest.

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Luis Bregni, president, BuscAbogados.com

“We’re excited to be able to help the growing Hispanic market find the lawyers they need, and feel the Internet is our best medium for doing so,” said Luis Bregni, president and owner of BuscAbogados.com. “The Internet is actually more than perfect; it’s where millions of people first turn to for finding restaurants, jobs and even medical advice. So, why not give lawyers their own spot on the World Wide Web in this niche market and, at the same time, open up an easy avenue for the online Hispanic user to search for a lawyer.”

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Click on image to enlarge

The website allows visitors to browse free and invites law firms to place ads for a monthly fee. For example, the $39 Standard Package offers law firms a listing with a photo and a 500-word description. There are also Professional, Premium and Platinum packages.

Bregni, originally from Argentina, has 25 years of experience working with Argentine banks and other financial institutions. He holds a degree in Economic Sciences from the University of Buenos Aires and is director of Grupo NOP in Argentina.

Two other executives, Erwin Diaz-Solis and Julio Stieffel, are listed on the BuscAbogado pages in addition to Bregni. Diaz-Solis specializes in immigration law and is a graduate of Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Stieffel, a graduate of the University of Miami, founded Americas Rep International, an international consulting firm specializing in the Latin American market. BuscAbogados.com, a Miami Springs company, is managed by BGB Holding Group Corp., Grupo NOP Argentina’s North America division.


Hispanic Marketing and Public Relations Understanding and Targeting America’s Largest Minority book

Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations 1932534083

“A must resource for practitioners/professionals expecting to reach US Hispanics; also valuable for college programs in marketing, public relations and communications. Highly recommended.”

Choice magazine

Click here for information on the Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations books


Orlando, a burgeoning Latino center

Posted by Elena del Valle on June 26, 2008

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Downtown Orlando

Photo, charts: Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission

Partly because of Miami’s world renown as a Latino hub, and partly due to Orlando’s image as theme park destination, that central Florida city is often overlooked by marketers targeting Latino consumers. About 500,000 Latinos live in the Orlando, Daytona Beach and Melbourne area, representing about 21 percent of the market, according to the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission. Some are starting to take notice of this area’s diverse population.

As traditional media targeting mainstream audiences continue to slash staff in a seemingly never ending quest to survive, Orlando media, realizing almost a quarter of their audience is Hispanic, are beginning to pay attention to the growing demographic, reflecting a national trend.

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Hispanic Population in Metro Orlando – click on image to enlarge

From a media perspective, the metropolitan area ranks 19 in the Neilsen Media Research Designated Television Market Area (TV DMA) and 34 in the Radio Metro lists. In 2007, Entravision Communications bought an FM station, WNUE, marking the eleventh urban area where the company owns radio and television stations. Santa Monica based Entravision owns WVEN, the local Univision affiliate and operates WOTF, the Telefutra station, providing Spanish speakers in the area more than one viewing option.

WNUE’s popularity is starting to show. Last fall, the station tied with WRUM-FM, the Clear Channel station, for top Spanish station. It’s no wonder with half of the state’s 750,000 Puerto Ricans living near Disney, according to an online source. After Puerto Ricans, Latinos of Mexican, Colombian and Dominican origin are the most common.


Target Latinos effectively by anticipating changes in the market with

“Hispanic Projections with 2007-08 update” audio recording

Roger Selbert, Ph.D.

Presenter Roger Selbert, Ph.D.

Find out

  • About Latino buying power growth in the future
  • How Latino market growth compares with other markets in the U.S.
  • What drives the rise of Latino economic clout
  • Who should target the Latino market
  • What is the size of the Hispanic affluent market
  • If the luxury Latino market is growing

Stay ahead of your competition with “Hispanic Projections”


According to a 2007 report by Fishkind & Associates, Inc., Central Florida’s Latino population is growing at a faster pace than other segments of the population. The researchers project the Hispanic community will grow at a rate 2 to 4 percent higher than non-Hispanics by the end of the decade.

The researchers also believe that 41 percent of Osceola County’s population will have Hispanic roots by 2009. At the same time, over the past seven years personal income for the area’s Hispanics rose 64 percent and is projected to increase an additional 12 percent by 2010 to reach $10.5 billion or more.

Fishkind & Associates is an Orlando economic consulting firm that conducts market and demographic research. The 2007 findings were part of the company’s second dedicated Hispanic market study. A non profit, private/public partnership, the Economic Development Commission serves Orange, Seminole, Lake and Osceola counties and the City of Orlando. The organization staff try to attract new business investment and work with local companies to facilitate expansion plans.


Find out which Latino markets are booming with

“The Next Step: Secondary Latino Markets” audio recording

Dora O. Tovar, MPA

Presenter Dora O. Tovar, MPA

Click here for information on Secondary Latino Markets


Fewer diverse students enrolling in graduate programs

Posted by Elena del Valle on June 25, 2008

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Rodolfo de la Garza, project director

Photo: Rodolfo de la Garza

According to a recently released study,”African American and Latino Enrollment Trends among Medicine, Law, Business, and Public Affairs Graduate Programs,” funded by the Ford Foundation and conducted by researchers from the Tomás Rivera Policy Institute (TRPI), few Latino and African American students are enrolling in medicine, law, business, and public affairs graduate programs. This is due in part to a low number of high school graduates among these ethnic groups and the bachelor’s degree entry requirement of the programs. Affirmative action and law suits related to affirmative action have also been contributors, according to the report.

The report was prepared by Rodolfo de la Garza, project director, and Sepehr Hejazi Moghadam, research associate, of the Tomas Rivera Policy Institute office at Columbia University. The researchers selected disciplines “where policy makers go and come from” and those they believe most influence the nation. They approached the top 10 public and private schools and programs in each category to request interviews and information. The study took place over an 18 month period beginning in 2006.

“Many of the universities wouldn’t respond or said they don’t provide that kind of study,” said de la Garza about how the universities reacted to project. “Ford gave a rather handsome grant of more than $15,000.”


Target Latinos effectively by anticipating changes in the market with

“Hispanic Projections with 2007-08 update” audio recording

Roger Selbert, Ph.D.

Presenter Roger Selbert, Ph.D.

Find out

  • About Latino buying power growth in the future
  • How Latino market growth compares with other markets in the U.S.
  • What drives the rise of Latino economic clout
  • Who should target the Latino market
  • What is the size of the Hispanic affluent market
  • If the luxury Latino market is growing

Stay ahead of your competion with “Hispanic Projections”


The researchers believe the elimination of affirmative action has decreased the number of underrepresented students enrolling in medical schools. Based on the data they were able to gather, African American applicants who applied to the top 10 public and private medical schools declined by 25 percent from 5,379 in 1995 to 4,033 in 2001. Latino applicants to the same schools decreased 38.6 percent, from 2,769 in 1995 to 1,700 in 2001. Together, African American and Latino enrollment in the nation’s top 10 public and private medical schools declined by 11.2 percent and 27 percent respectively.

As an example of the drop in law school registrations because of California’s anti-affirmative action movement the report points to California law schools. From fall 1995 to fall 2006, the number of admitted African American and Latino students in University of California’s three law schools declined 28 percent.

While there was an increase in undergraduate business degrees awarded to African American and Latino students over the past nine years, these degrees rose from 9 percent of total degrees in the country between 1995 and 1996, to 15 percent between 2003 and 2004; the researchers point out that the growth in enrollment does not match the growth of the African American and Latino markets, currently 25 percent. There are more African Americans and Latinos graduating with MBA degrees than other master’s degrees and this number once again do not reflect the growth of the African American and Latino populations in the United States.

On the good news front, more diverse students are graduating with public affairs master’s degrees which train students for careers in government, business, media, nonprofit organizations, non governmental and international organizations. Master’s degrees in traditionally underrepresented groups have increased from 18 percent in 1996 to 25 percent in 2004. Once again the increase is inconsistent with the growth of the African American and Latino populations nationwide.

Founded in 1985, the Tomás Rivera Policy Institute (TRPI) advances informed policy on key issues affecting Latino communities through objective and timely 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.


Find out which Latino markets are booming with

“The Next Step: Secondary Latino Markets” audio recording

Dora O. Tovar, MPA

Presenter Dora O. Tovar, MPA

Click here for information on Secondary Latino Markets


Casio targets Houston, LA Latinos with first Spanish language billboard, online ads

Posted by Elena del Valle on June 24, 2008

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Casio Spanish language ad

Photos: Revolucion NYC

Casio executives recently decided to introduce one of their products to Spanish speaking Latinos in the United States for the first time. Revolucion NYC won the account with an ad campaign touting the benefits of the EXILIM EX-S10, a thin digital camera, and recruiting television celebrity Lili Estefan, known by her nickname La Flaca, as spokesperson.

“Why don’t we have La Flaca selling another flaca,” said Amy Gomez, managing partner and director, Account Services at Revolucion NYC about the brainstorming session where the campaign was born. “Two weeks after that thought we were shooting in Miami.”

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Amy Gomez, managing partner and director, Account Services at Revolucion NYC

To begin, Casio staff selected two markets, Houston and Los Angeles, to launch the campaign which began running May 6 and will conclude in early July 2008. The two-pronged campaign is appearing on 30-sheet billboards in Houston and 8-sheet billboards in Los Angeles and online.

Spanish speaking residents of Los Angeles and Houston who see the banner ads are driven to a microsite created by the agency. Consumers are invited to purchase the camera at retail stores, especially through Best Buy and La Curacao, two program partners.

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Casio Spanish language ad – click on image to enlarge

According to Gomez, after trying out the camera for the first few days, Estefan was so enthusiastic she requested 15 more cameras to give as gifts to her friends, and volunteered eagerly to assist in the public relations efforts for the camera.


Make your ads resonate with Hispanics
Listen to C&R’s Research Director Liria Barbosa in

“Hispanics’ Perspective on Advertising” audio recording

Liria Barbosa

Liria Barbosa gives a presentation and participates in an extended Q&A discussion about

• Type of ads Latinos prefer
• Latino top media choices
• Percent of Latinos who tried products because of ads
• Percent of Latinos who purchased products because of ads
• What makes an ad “Hispanic”
• If ad language is important for bicultural Latinos
• What to keep in mind when targeting bicultural Latinos with ads

Click here for information on Hispanic Perspectives on Advertising


The agency produced seven different ads, each one boasting about a different feature, according to Roberto Alcazar, executive creative officer at Revolucion NYC. It took three creative team members two months from beginning to end to create and develop the ads. The team members were Alcazar, Josefina Fuster, and Alberto Rodriguez. The photos were taken at Kikor Studio in Miami.

“Revolucion presented us with an integrated, turnkey approach to bring this unique product to the market,” said Sue VanderSchans, director of Strategic Communications and Marketing, Casio America.

Plans are to add Miami and one additional market and restart the campaign in October 2008 in time for the holiday season. The camera sells for $249.99 and is 3.71 inches wide by 2.15 inches tall and .59 inches thick. At its thinnest it is 0.54 thick, giving rise, according to Gomez, to the camera’s Spanish language nickname of la flaca. The weight, excluding battery and accessories, is 3.99 ounces.

Revolucion Hispanic Communications is a seven year old Hispanic-owned brand-communications agency based in New York City. The Japan based Casio Computer Company Ltd. was founded in 1957 and has 13,202 employees.


“Moving Beyond Traditional Media Measurement: measuring conversations and social media” audio recording

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Presenter Katie Delahaye Paine, founder, KDPaine & Partners

Find out about

  • Issues affecting online public relationships today
  • Testing relationships as part of a survey
  • Measuring ethnic group relationships
  • Measuring foreign language communications in a similar ways to English
  • Biggest challenges measuring conversations and social media
  • Measuring online relationships with little or no money

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