Posted by Elena del Valle on September 21, 2006
Samsung digital camera
Photo: Terra.com
Samsung digital camera has launched its first online campaign “imagine NV A New Voyage Awaits.” This is the project’s first venture online as well as Samsung Digital’s first campaign targeting U.S. Hispanics via an online outlet. The campaign, called “imagina NV ¡Un nuevo viaje te espera!” in Spanish, can been seen online only at Terra.com and targets the young Hispanics online audience.
The campaign includes 728×90, 160×600 and 300×250 flash banner ads and newsletters to drive awareness to FotoGenios, a content hub on Terra.com. Content modules on the Terra.com home page will direct online users to the FotoGenios hub and Samsung retail partners.
FotoGenios provides visitors instructions “from click to print” and includes photography tips such as avoiding red eye. The section also features a guide of photo editing software, digital album or Internet upload image storage instructions.
In addition to advice on taking pictures with a digital camera, FotoGenios showcases new features available in the Samsung NV series (NV3, NV7 and NV10). The FotoGenios mini-site and all creatives were designed by Terra Networks in conjunction with Samsung. To see it go to Terra.com
Posted by Elena del Valle on September 6, 2006
Colonel Al Rodriguez
Photo: You Don’t Speak For Me
For many Latinos May 2006, when numerous immigration related rallies and walkouts took place, will be remembered for the solidarity and determination of the Hispanic community. Different generations of Hispanics, and non Hispanics, took part in the demonstrations, from high school walkouts to retired immigrants marching in one of the many rallies throughout the country. Among the reasons they took a stand was to protest the criminalization of immigrants. Many demonstrators were against undocumented immigrants being labeled felons which would happen if some of the proposed legislatin is approved. More immigration related events are scheduled this month as a reminder to the rest of the country of the value and contributions of Latinos to America and a way to urge Congress to take immigration reform seriously. As additional demonstrations surface another Latino voice, albeit a much softer one, has risen with an opposing point of view.
You Don’t Speak For Me (YDSFM), a self described national coalition of concerned Americans of Hispanic heritage brought together by Colonel Al Rodriguez, charges that individuals and groups claim to speak on behalf of the Hispanic community in the United States as a whole without making homeland security a priority. The group is said to include first and second generation Americans as well as recent legal immigrants who believe illegal immigration harms America and guest worker amnesty will do the same.
According to the group’s website its members espouse five main principals: All immigration should be legal; undocumented immigrants should receive no benefits or privileges; amnesty should not be allowed; securing national borders should be a priority and immigration laws should be enforced; and immigrants should learn English.
“Homeland security is not a racial or ethnic issue, nor is it a partisan one. It is a matter of life and death, as current events have once again demonstrated how vulnerable our nation remains to fanatic Islamic terrorists,” said Rodriguez. “Our southern border is a sieve, a dangerous, life-threatening sieve. Criticism of the failure to control that border is, by no stretch of the imagination, an attack on any particular ethnic group. It is a legitimate criticism of the failure of the Bush Administration to protect the nation and of the people who violate our laws.
Rodriguez believes homeland security is at great risk due to the government’s failure to protect the nation’s borders. Rodriguez and his followers want to make it clear that the Hispanic community does not have a unanimous opinion on immigration issues. The organization’s members, scattered through out the country, are predominantly first generation American citizens. Coalition officers are Rodriguez, chairman, and four vice chairs, Mariann Davies, Claudia Spencer, Justin Rangel, and Maria Chojnowski.
“American Hispanics stand shoulder to shoulder with other Americans as our nation and our people face unprecedented threats to our security. If the terrorists succeed in breaching our borders and carrying out another attack, they will not discriminate in their campaign of mass murder. Pointing out that our borders are out of control is not offensive. The failure of either party to do anything about it is offensive, reckless and inexcusable,” said Rodriguez.
There are unconfirmed rumours that You Don’t Speak for Me has ties to FAIR, the Federation for American Immigration Reform, a national, nonprofit, public-interest, organization claiming 198,000 members dedicated to immigration reform. A You Don’t Speak for Me spokesperson didn’t respond to HispanicMPR.com questions on the subject. — Melissa Gonzalez contributed to this article.
Posted by Elena del Valle on August 31, 2006
Jeremy S. Jennings, principal attorney at Jennings Immigration Law Office
Photo: Jennings Immigration Law Office
Knoxville, Tennessee — Jennings Immigration Law Office recently launched the first Spanish-language version of its immigration oriented website. Although the English and Spanish version of the firm’s website are similar, the Spanish version includes information of particular interest to Spanish speakers from Central and South America.
“One of the challenges that the Latino community faces is easy access to reliable immigration information. By offering the JenningsImmigration.com website in Spanish, I hope to help bridge this gap,” said Jeremy S. Jennings, principal attorney, Jennings Immigration Law Office. “Immigration law is filled with difficult legal terms and concepts. It also involves many different government agencies. Our first version of the Spanish site provides links to Spanish-language websites offered by the different government agencies, where they are available, and provides a glossary of immigration terms in the Spanish language as well. Future versions of the Spanish site will offer immigration news updates and commentary as well.”
The Spanish language version of the website includes information on hiring an attorney, types of services the law firm offers, a list of resources including links to websites with content in Spanish, and how to become involved in the political process by contacting legislators.
JenningsImmigration.com and espanol.jenningsimmigration.com, the firm’s two website versions, were developed by the Nashville-based Website Strategy Company, MediaJolt. Jennings Immigration Law Office is a Knoxville-based immigration law firm.
Posted by Elena del Valle on August 29, 2006
Ileana Oroza, director, University of Miami Spanish-language Masters in Journalism Program
Photo: Ileana Oroza
The Pew Hispanic Center recently released the “Cuban Fact Sheet” with updates on the 1.4 million Cubans in the U.S. The information in the Fact Sheet is based on Census data, Pew, Institute for Public Opinion Research, and Cuban Research Institute of Florida International University opinion polls. Pew researchers indicate Cubans represent 4 percent of Latinos in the U.S. and are distinct from other Hispanic groups. In general, they are older, have a higher median household income, a higher educational level and a higher rate of home ownership than other Hispanic groups.
“I’m not surprised by most of the information; not even by the significant increase in the number of Cubans who favor a dialogue with the Cuban government. That is part of a healthy trend we have been watching for the past few years,” said Ileana Oroza, director, Spanish-language Masters in Journalism Program, University of Miami. “Clearly Cubans in the United States are becoming more comfortable with the notion that it’s more productive to discuss issues and try to reach consensus that it is to build walls. The higher poverty rate among older Cubans is a cause for concern.”
According to Pew’s findings Cubans are more likely to think of themselves as white than are other Latinos. They are also more likely than other Hispanics to think of the U.S. rather than their country of birth as their real homeland. More than half of Cubans (52 percent) who responded to the Pew Hispanic Center 2006 National Survey of Latinos thought of the U.S. as their real homeland. Only 33 percent of Puerto Rican respondents, who are U.S. citizens by birth, considered the U.S. their real homeland. Mexican and Central and South American respondents, at 36 percent and 35 percent respectively, showed slightly higher rates than Puerto Ricans.
“It’s interesting to note the high number of Cubans who say they consider the U.S. to be their real homeland; again, not surprising. It brings to mind the contributions that Cubans have made to U.S. culture, Pulitzer Prize winners, Obie award winners, top dramatists, novelists, scientists, business leaders. We’re not quite 1.5 million, but we’ve made a home here and put our talents to work for this country,” said Oroza.
Pew also highlights that there are almost twice as many foreign born Cubans, (912,686) as U.S. born Cubans (535,998). At the same time, U.S. policy, according to the Fact Sheet, has been more welcoming to Cubans than to any other group from Latin America. Virtually all Cuban migrants who touch American soil are allowed to remain in the country.
Florida is home to more than two thirds of Cubans (990,000) and 70 percent of Florida Cubans are U.S. born. Other states with large Cuban concentrations are New Jersey, New York, California and Texas. More information is available online at the Pew Hispanic Center.
Posted by Elena del Valle on August 24, 2006
Scene from new Spam Spanish language ad
Photos: Hormel, San Jose Group
Chicago, Illinois — Hormel Foods Corporation will launch its first U.S. Spanish-language television commercial for SPAM®, its well known brand of canned luncheon meat. The 30-second ad, developed and produced by Hormel’s Hispanic advertising agency of record, The San Jose Group (SJG), first aired August 14, 2006. The commercial will be piloted in Los Angeles and supported with outdoor advertising and free-standing inserts.
According to promotional materials, the spot depicts two young professional men on their way home from work in a modern, downtown setting. One of them imagines SPAM® Classic for dinner. His antagonist steals the thought from above his head and runs away with it. After a gymnastic-filled chase scene, the “hero” reclaims his original thought. Upon his return home, his thought turns to reality, when his wife welcomes him with an enticing meal featuring SPAM® Classic. The slogan “Imagínalo. Saboréalo.” (Imagine it. Taste it.) plays against shots of meals that can be prepared with SPAM®.
“The mission of this execution is one of developing not only our brand, but also our category,” remarked Chris Durren, senior product manager, Hormel Foods Corporation. “This commercial will definitely get our target’s attention and help her connect with SPAM® in a culturally relevant way.”
From the Spam® commercial
Although SJG has been working with the SPAM® brand since 2004, this year marks the product’s entrance into Spanish-language television in the U.S. The brand has been in existence since 1937 and enjoys awareness among general market households. According to the company’s research, nearly 77 percent of U.S. Hispanics are non-users of the SPAM® Family of Products. Hormel and SJG hope win over Hispanic women to, especially heads-of-household, with the new commercial.
“We are positioning SPAM® to fit into our target demo’s busy lifestyle,” said George L. San Jose, president and COO, The San Jose Group. “As such, we leveraged a high-energy, urban approach to solicit a curiosity of SPAM® as an incentive to trial.”
George San Jose
Incorporated in 1981 and headquartered in Chicago, The San Jose Group is a consortium of marketing communications companies specializing in reaching the Hispanic and non-Hispanic markets in the U.S. and Latin America.
Hormel Foods Corporation, based in Austin, Minnesota, is a multinational manufacturer and marketer of consumer-branded food and meat products. For the past five years, Hormel Foods was named one of “The 400 Best Big Companies in America” by Forbes magazine.
Posted by Elena del Valle on August 8, 2006
Luis Baraldi, CEO, Baral
Photo: Baral Group Studios
Coral Springs, Florida – “Mexico Lindo y Futbol,” produced in the Baral Group Studios in Coral Springs, Florida and in Mexico City, covers soccer, the lives of Mexicans living in the U.S., their culture, and their interest in Mexican soccer. The program, which claims a viewer ship of 11 million homes, has been broadcast since May 2006 on GolTV Monday through Friday at 11 p.m.
“This program gives us a chance to show Mexico through various points of view. Soccer is a universal sport and the leagues in Mexico are among the most important in the world,” said Luis Baraldi, CEO, Baral. “However we don’t only show soccer since Producer Alina Baraldi and Exec Producer Julio Sonino from GolTV can be very creative in including the culture, and lifestyles from the major Mexican cities, and the beauty of Mexico and how they relate to soccer.”
The show anchor is Javier Vargas. Other staff include co-anchor Gerardo Ruiz, and Paloma Marquez from the studios in Coral Springs. Vargas reports on soccer while Marquez focuses on Mexicans living in the U.S., their cultures, and their continued dedication to Mexican soccer. Gustavo Ramírez España, Santiago Cortes, Víctor González, Guillermo Portillo, and Alfonso Hidalgo are the Mexican correspondents and Luis Arrieta is the reporter in Los Angeles, California.
Other programs produced by Baral Group include, “Tenis Con Clerc”-ESPN, “A Year in the Life of Lorena Ochoa” for ESPN and“Soccer Legends” for HBO and Canal+. GolTV is devoted exclusively to soccer, 24 hours a day, broadcasting over 1,500 games per year, in English and Spanish. Baral Inc. specializes in the production of programming for various networks in the U.S. and Latin America.
Posted by Elena del Valle on August 3, 2006
Elena del Valle and Martha E. Galindo
Photos: LNA, Galindo Publicidad
The Boca Raton News, a South Florida daily, recently published an article about HispanicMPR.com in the Business Section. Written by Staff Writer Corey Siggins, the article was entitled “Website helps PR firms reach out to Hispanic community.”
The article described the HispanicMPR.com website and its features such as email subscription, podcast and new Resources Section. Siggins interviewed Elena del Valle, HispanicMPR.com editor, and Martha Galindo, CEO, Galindo Publicidad and HispanicMPR.com subscriber for the article, which was published in the print and online editions of the Boca Raton News on July 28, 2006.
The Boca Raton News focuses on local happenings in Boca Raton and Delray Beach, Florida. The article is available online at Boca Raton News
Posted by Elena del Valle on July 11, 2006
Sergio Sanchez, director of Hispanic brand initiatives, Sallie Mae
Photos: Sallie Mae, USA Funds
Reston, Virginia — Sallie Mae® and USA Funds® recently unveiled 2Futuro, a new college-financing and outreach program for Hispanic students and their parents which will be available in the fall. According to Sallie Mae and USA Funds representatives, 2Futuro is the only fully bilingual college-financing and outreach program that enables Hispanic parents and students to apply for college loans in Spanish. The program, currently available in four states, offers dedicated Spanish-language customer service support to students, parents, and financial-aid administrators. It also offers access to scholarships, grants and financial-aid information through the Spanish-first fully bilingual 2Futuro website.
“2Futuro was created to help Hispanic students achieve their dreams of postsecondary education,” said Sergio Sanchez, director of Hispanic brand initiatives, Sallie Mae. “More importantly, 2Futuro helps to integrate parents of Hispanic students into the process and helps them make the best possible college-financing decisions.”
According to the non-profit Hispanic Scholarship Fund, Hispanics are the nation’s largest ethnic-minority group and the fastest-growing segment of our population, yet they have some of the lowest college graduation rates of any group (estimated at 10 percent). Figures from the National Center for Education Statistics indicate that in 2000 Hispanics accounted for 7 percent of students enrolled at four-year institutions.
Henry Fernandez, executive director
Scholarships, Outreach and philanthropy, USA Funds
“Providing better information to this community about the value of a college education and the steps families need to take to prepare for college is a key to increasing the college-going and graduation rates of Hispanics,” said Henry Fernandez, executive director of scholarships, outreach and philanthropy, USA Funds.
Proponents expect to facilitate the loan process work of higher educational institutions. By offering online loan applications in Spanish and English, 2Futuro may be a tool for schools to communicate with their bilingual borrowers. This in turn could assist schools to improve enrollment rates by raising their visibility in the Hispanic community. 2Futuro will provide access to loan benefits through Sallie Mae’s family of lenders. All 2Futuro loans will be guaranteed by USA Funds.
Sallie Mae’s philanthropic arm, The Sallie Mae Fund, recently concluded its second nationwide Paying for College Bus Tour. This year’s bus tour granted $164,000 in scholarships. Organizers estimate that the program provided college outreach and counseling services to 45,000 Hispanic students at 77 locations.
Sallie Mae is a leading provider of education funding, and USA Funds is a leading education-loan guarantor. Additional information about 2Futuro is available online at 2futuro.com
Posted by Elena del Valle on July 6, 2006
George L. San Jose, president and COO, San Jose Group
Photo: The San Jose Group
Chicago, Illinois – The San Jose Group’s “El cerdo es bueno” campaign earned a 2006 Bronze EFFIE® Award as the “best Hispanic marketing program of the year.” According to The San Jose Group representatives, the campaign increased pork consumption among Hispanics despite their initial misconceptions about pork’s health benefits and quality.
“Our office literally erupted in cheer when we were notified that we won an EFFIE,” said George L. San Jose, president and COO, The San Jose Group. “We pride ourselves on delivering results for our clients. To have our campaign judged as the year’s best in our industry is a career highlight for our team.”
“We are absolutely thrilled. It shows that we are not only capable of changing this by a margin, but we radically changed consumer behavior,” said Jennifer Woods, executive vice president, The San Jose Group. “We changed perspective and behavior which ultimately increases sales.”
The company launched the campaign, which translates into “Pork is good,” in 2002 on behalf of the National Pork Board to promote “the other white meat” to Hispanics. Initial research revealed that Hispanics had misconceptions about pork. Many thought pork was unhealthy because of its fat and cholesterol content and that it posed health risks like trichinosis, a parasitic disease caused by eating raw or undercooked pork.
Utilizing television, outdoor, radio and print advertising, website development, retail promotions and public relations, The San Jose Group embarked on an integrated marketing campaign to convince Hispanics that pork is healthy and safe to eat. The public relations component included an intense media relations effort that enlisted sources to provide culturally relevant information about pork’s nutritional value as well as pork production and quality control practices in the United States.
The San Jose Group believes that the campaign resulted in a 75 percent increase in pork purchase among Hispanics. Company representatives estimate that the editorial coverage they secured approximated 31 million gross impressions, and the equivalent of $1.7 million in media value.
The EFFIE® Award, sponsored by the New York American Marketing Association, is said to honor results. The San Jose Group, one of the oldest independent Hispanic marketing agencies in the U.S., was the only Hispanic agency to receive an EFFIE® this year. The San Jose Group is a consortium of marketing communications companies specializing in reaching the Spanish-speaking Americas. — Sergio Carmona
Posted by Elena del Valle on July 5, 2006
Humane Borders volunteers fill water bottles
Photos: Kent Brodie
Los Angeles, California – Victor Favela, president of Delgada y 30, plans to place $60 bottles of his weight loss product throughout the Arizona desert. Why, you may wonder. According to Favela, due to drastic measures in areas of California and Texas by the Department of Homeland Security Border Patrol and civilian militias, more than 40 percent of undocumented immigrants crossing the border in the last weeks have been forced to cross through the Sonora dessert in Arizona.
The former surgical technologist is not alone in his resistance to U.S. border policy. Concerned members of local nonprofit organizations have been helping for years. Paisanos al Rescate has been using low-flying planes to drop water bottles in the desert; and Humane Borders, a nonprofit organization based in Tucson, Arizona, maintains water stations in the desert.
Faith motivated Humane Borders offers humanitarian assistance through more than 83 emergency water stations on and near the U.S.-Mexican border. Paisanos al Rescate, a volunteer driven nonprofit, drops water and information with parachutes along the Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California borders with Mexico. The chutes include methods for recipients to signal the aircraft in a life threatening situation. In those cases, Paisanos al Rescate will assist in coordinating rescue efforts with the U.S. Border Patrol Search and Rescue (BORSTAR).
“More than 2,000 undocumented immigrants have died in the desert since 1998,” said Favela. “It’s sickening to see so many people die unnecessarily. There is an all natural ingredient called pepino espinoso in every capsule of my product. It’s made from a cactus like plant discovered over 2,300 years ago by an ancient tribe of the Kalahari desert in South Africa. They’ve been using it for centuries to curb appetite and thirst while they trek across the desert.”
Painting water tanks
Water distribution has saved many lives. But according to volunteers, dropping drugs or other substances in the dessert could be dangerous to people and animals. Not everyone agrees that distributing weight loss products in the dessert is a good idea.
“We’ve given away over 75,000 gallons (of water) in five years and we know that people are alive today because they had water from our water stations. I would be against any kind of drug or substance that alters their perception of what their body needs,” said Sue Goodman, executive director of Humane Borders. “It’s very scary.”
The Humane Borders, a 501(c) (3) organization established in 2000 by Rev. Robin Hoover, water stations vary. Some consist of one 65-gallon barrel of water and others may have a dozen barrels, emergency rations, first aid kits and, in winter, warm clothes. Through collaboration with authorities, such as the U.S. Border Patrol and Consulate of Mexico, Humane Border representatives have a detailed map they use to determine the location of the stations on public and private lands.
Hundreds of volunteers, including 60 trained drivers, head out to the desert for 70 trips each week. They maintain the stations, refilling the water barrels, picking up discarded items and reporting vandalism. More information is available online at HumaneBorders.org and PaisanosAlRescate.org
