Condo.com, Terra Networks partner to target Spanish speakers

Posted by Elena del Valle on September 4, 2007

Richard Swerdlow, chief executive officer, Condo.com

Photos: Condo.com, Terra Networks

Condo.com and Terra Networks signed a partnership agreement to launch a bilingual real estate website. Bienesraices.terra.com, the co-branded website, features a Spanish language condo marketplace designed for real estate buyers and developers from Latin America, Spain and Hispanics in the United States. The companies hope 10 percent of the website visitors will be from Spain, 50 percent from Latin America and 40 percent from the United States.

English dominant visitors to the website will also find a small news section and blog at the bottom of the page. Visitors to Condo.com have the option of searching in English or Spanish.

The co-branded site will be promoted on Terra.com’s network of sites. Project marketers plan to promote the site on the web and in print. Eleven of the top 16 markets listed on the website are in the Caribbean and Latin America: Argentina, Barbados, Belize, Brazil, California, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Las Vegas, Mexico, Miami, New York, Panama, Puerto Rico, Uruguay, Texas, and Venezuela. 

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Fernando Rodriguez, chief executive officer for Terra Networks

“This strategic partnership will set a precedent for how U.S. and Latin American developers, real estate agents and individual sellers communicate with each other,” said Richard Swerdlow, chief executive officer, Condo.com. “Serving the Hispanic and Latin American communities has become increasingly important to the real estate industry and Condo.com is proud to be leading the way. Our relationship with Terra will transcend the language barrier and impact the real estate community in an extremely positive way, facilitating condo transactions across all borders.”

“Terra leads the U.S. Hispanic and Latin American online market, so it makes sense for us to partner with the leading online condo marketplace,” said Fernando Rodriguez, chief executive officer for Terra Networks. “We anticipate our relationship with Condo.com will have a significant impact on the Spanish speaking real estate community and look forward to building an online real estate portal, unrivaled around the world.” 

Condo.com is a privately held company headquartered in Miami, Florida. According to the Condo.com website, the Company lists 300,000 condos from the U.S. and 70 countries valued in excess of $100 billion and the site is visited by over 15 million viewers per month. Terra Networks is a global Internet group with a presence in the U.S. and Latin America. The group operates websites in the United States, Spain and Latin America.

Listen to song – teenage pop rock Latinas release first album

Posted by Elena del Valle on August 31, 2007

“First Sight” cover

Photo: HardKandy Records Inc.

Latina vocalist and guitarrist Florencia Bourdin and her music partner keyboardist Diana Dulanto, Alphafemes, like pop rock. Inspired by the likes of Gwen Stefani, Pink, and Guns N’ Roses they are about to see some of their dreams come true with the release of their first album, “First Sight,” by Record Label HardKandy Records Inc. Coincidentally it’s the New Jersey record label’s tenth album and its tenth year in business.

Live Alphafemes perform as a trio or a quartet. In the studio they are a duo. The album “First Sight” was produced by veteran independent producer Brother Noyze the Mad Musician (G.L.Hines).

The teenagers, Bourdin, a native of Uruguay, and Dulanto from Peru, met at a high school history class and hit it off. While Bourdin likes to sing, Dulanto’s love is song writing. They each grew up with music in their lives and developed the passion for music that eventually brought them together.

To listen to the single “A Moment” from the “First Sight” album click the button to hear the podcast:

“Emotional Branding: How to capture the heart and mind of the Hispanic consumer” audio recording

“Emotional Branding” was recorded January 2007 during the Strategic Research Institute 13th Annual Blockbuster Marketing to U.S. Hispanic and Latin America conference in Miami, Florida. Receive a free downloadable copy by completing our Visitor Survey.

Click here for your free copy of Emotional Branding

Latina radio host popular among New Yorkers

Posted by Elena del Valle on August 30, 2007

Photo: Spanish Broadcasting System

Since 2004 Gloria Broussard, known to her listeners as Gloria B, has called WPAT AMOR 93.1 FM, a New York radio station, home.  Nearly 600,000 Latinos in New York listen to her show from 10 am to 3 pm every week. 
 
According to promotional materials, one of the main attractions to the show is Gloria B’s real life close relationship with her listeners many of whom call in daily to speak with her. She created “La encuesta del día,” a daily segment that airs everyday at noon. During the show Gloria B corresponds through e-mail and fax with her fans while she is on air. Listeners can also get in contact with Gloria B through her private cell phone and when they leave her voice messages she plays them on the air throughout the show.
 
The Gloria B show was ranked 15 during its first two years. According to the Arbitron Radio Market Ratings for New York Spring 2007 (New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut), her show has skyrocketed to the top third spot in the tri-state area. It is also the second most popular among women overall.

Perhaps what attracts fans is her humanity and willingness to share painful and embarrassing aspects of her life. During the show, Gloria B has shared her struggles with life from a hangover to ovarian cancer. She apologized on the air for failing to make her credit card payment on time.

Broussard’s radio career began in 1993. She first worked as an assistant program director for WSKQ 97.9. She rose to Metro Traffic’s news and traffic reporter for radio stations WADO, WSKQ, WXLX, and WLIR from 1994 to 1996. In 2000, Broussard worked with “Al Despertar,” a Univision Channel 41 news program. In 2002, she shared entertainment news and  gossip from New York as part of “Cotorreando” on Telemundo.

Spanish Broadcasting System, Inc. is one of the largest publicly traded Hispanic-controlled media and entertainment companies in the United States. SBS owns and operates 20 radio stations located in Hispanic markets such as New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, San Francisco and Puerto Rico.

“Emotional Branding: How to capture the heart and mind of the Hispanic consumer” audio recording

“Emotional Branding” was recorded January 2007 during the Strategic Research Institute 13th Annual Blockbuster Marketing to U.S. Hispanic and Latin America conference in Miami, Florida. Receive a free downloadable copy by completing our Visitor Survey.

 Click here to receive a free copy of Emotional Branding

Aligning Social Responsibility and Multicultural Marketing

Posted by Elena del Valle on August 29, 2007

By Stephen Palacios, executive vice president, Cheskin

 Stephen Palacios, executive vice president, Cheskin

Hispanic Business Magazine just ran a typical announcement regarding the appointment of a senior executive to a new position at Countrywide Bank to administer the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) lending and community development requirements. 

The article caught my eye not for the news it reported, but instead because it reflects assumptions  that often impact Hispanic marketing programs  – basically, that the consumers served by mandated social responsibility initiatives like CRA are often seen as the same as multicultural markets. 

Click here to read the complete article. 

Target Latinos effectively by anticipating changes in the market with

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Presenter Roger Selbert, Ph.D.

Find out

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DolEx Dollar Express, Construmex partner to target Mexican immigrants

Posted by Elena del Valle on August 28, 2007

Andres Montalvo, general director of Construmex

Photo: Construmex

In spite of a slump in bank remittances to Mexico in the last few months, two companies are confident in continued growth. Construmex, a United States housing project supported by Cemex, and DolEx Dollar Express, Inc., an electronic money-transfer agency, recently announced a strategic alliance to facilitate their marketing efforts to reach Mexican immigrants in the United States. They believe many immigrants want to invest in a family home or small business in their country of origin.

Under the new alliance, DolEx promises to promote Construmex at is branches and ensure funds sent for Construmex building materials and monthly payments for a new home are used by beneficiaries and family members specifically for those purposes. Additionally, regular monthly housing credit payments can be made at all DolEx locations. Construmex and Dolex plan to install toll free hotlines at DolEx locations in the U.S. to respond to DolEx client interests in the Construmex service.

“We are thrilled to join forces with a company as reputable as Cemex’ Construmex and are confident that Mexicans in the U.S. will take full advantage of the services of both companies from our combined networks throughout the U.S. and Mexico,” said Salvador Velazquez, general director of DolEx’s operations in Mexico. “Now our clients can both send money home and invest productively in their futures. No other similar program exists in the U.S.”

“Latino Family Dynamics” audio recording

 Brenda Hurley and Liria Barbosa

Since it was established in 2001, Construmex has provided Mexicans working in the U.S credit and financing services to facilitate investments in building materials, self-construction, remodeling and new home purchases in Mexico. The program allows Mexicans who may not be creditworthy the opportunity to own a “dream home” in their motherland. According to the Cemex and Construmex websites, Houston based Construmex has assisted more than 30,000 Mexicans and 8,000 Mexican families living in the United States to build or buy homes in Mexico.

The Construmex program is designed to be comprehensive and is meant for Mexican immigrants to the United States wishing to purchase or have work done in homes in their country of origin. According to promotional materials, Construmex offers interest rates and payment options commensurate with the financial needs of Mexican immigrants.

DolEx has a network of over 875 branches in the U.S. and 10,000 distribution points in Mexico. Cemex, a 100 year old company, is a building solutions company with operations in more than 50 countries.

Listen to podcast interview with KR Jones, author, Ghosts of Guantanamo Bay novel

Posted by Elena del Valle on August 27, 2007

KR Jones, author, The Ghosts of Guantanamo Bay

Photo: KR Jones

A podcast interview with KR Jones, author, Ghosts of Guantanamo Bay, is available in the Podcast Section of Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations, HispanicMPR.com. During the podcast, KR discusses her fiction novel with Elena del Valle, host of the HispanicMPR.com podcast.  

K.R.  was born and raised on Long Island, New York, and called Northport her home. Creative at an early age, she acted in plays, sang in musicals, and even played the keyboard in an amateur rock band. She began her first novel when she was 14. Although she didn’t get beyond nine chapters, the project became a turning point in her life, helping her realize her true passion was telling stories.

Her years at Marymount College of Fordham University set the stage for the kinds of books she would later write. Her studies in political science and international relations included a year at Humboldt Universitat in East Berlin and the Universidad de Salamanca, Spain. Her adventures abroad made her long to bring what she learned and experienced to the pages of intriguing and suspenseful novels. She worked at the United Nations Social and Economic Council, and was a researcher for a major lobbying firm in Washington DC, where she learned about the political world.

Married to a Marine Corps officer, she spent the next several years at various duty stations around the country, before a final two-year tour of duty at U.S. Naval Base Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. It was this tour which inspired her to write her first novel, The Ghosts of Guantanamo Bay. Today she lives and writes in rural northern Virginia with her husband, and two children.

To listen to the interview, scroll down until you see “Podcast” on the right hand side, then select “HMPR KR Jones,” click on the play button below or download the MP3 file to your iPod or MP3 player to listen on the go, in your car or at home. To download it, click on the arrow of the recording you wish to copy and save to disk. The podcast will remain listed in the August 2007 section of the podcast archive.

Discover why so many readers are fascinated with KR Jones first novel, The Ghosts of Guantanamo Bay

New website offers quince party favors

Posted by Elena del Valle on August 24, 2007

Quince pedicure set

In May 2007, entrepreneur Jennifer Fallon launched Myquincefavors.com, a website targeting young Latinas getting ready to celebrate their 15 birthday with traditional quinceañera parties. Now there are 800 products, mainly quinceañera party favors, as well as accessories and gifts for the court, on the website. Company representatives indicate they pay special attention to personalization, offering tags for many of the party favors to be personalized as well as embroidered and engraved gifts.  

“I have experience in the reception party favor market and I am always looking for the trend-setting colors and styles. I noticed that today’s 15-year old girl dreaming of her perfect Quincenera doesn’t have many options when it comes to party favors and accessories,” said Fallon, owner of Smart Marketing, Inc. and Myquincefavors.com. 

Quince gown candles are among the website’s top selling items

“I saw an opportunity to market trend-setting and cool designer party favors and gifts that appeal to the modern 15-year old girl. I am always looking for unique and elegant products and carefully hand-pick each items we sell on My Quince Favors.com. Our goal is to help the new generation of Latinas who are comfortable blending old traditions with their own modern sense of style,” said Fallon.

Candles are very popular. Best selling favorites include happily-ever-after, orchid, ball of roses and quince gown candles, forever photo coasters, and a tiara place card holder.

The company has a staff of 15 including several Spanish speakers. Fallon markets the website via the main search engines and on sites reaching 14-15 year old girls such as quincegirl.com. She has also experimented with print advertising and trade shows.

“Latino Family Dynamics” audio recording

 Brenda Hurley and Liria Barbosa

Discuss

Water heater maker targets Spanish speaking Latinos

Posted by Elena del Valle on August 23, 2007

State Water Heaters Spanish language ad

Photo: State Water Heaters

State Water Heaters is targeting Spanish speaking contractors in some United States Latino markets with Spanish language and Hispanic-themed print advertisements, web enhancements, and a Spanish language television show sponsorship.

“There are a growing number of plumbing and HVAC contractors in the U.S. who are Spanish speaking,” said Jeff Storie, brand manager, State Water Heaters. “We are increasing our Hispanic marketing in order to partner with these professionals and to have a larger presence in the southwestern United States.”

According to promotional materials, there are plans for a sponsorship and link to the website of “De Casa a Hogar,” a new home improvement show on Spanish language television scheduled to air this fall. The company also plans to publish English versions of the new print advertisements to attract English dominant Hispanics. The exact extent of State’s Latino market efforts was unavailable. A State spokesperson indicated the company was “unable to disclose what percent of the overall marketing budget is dedicated to Latino efforts.”

Find out which Latino markets are booming with

“The Next Step: Secondary Latino Markets” audio recording

Presenter Dora O. Tovar, MPA

Click here to discover today’s booming Latino markets 

“De Casa a Hogar” is expected to feature home improvement segments, technology tips, and a peak into Hispanic celebrity homes. State’s sponsorship includes product demonstrations as well as website, print, and broadcast sponsor recognition.       

“The show will have tremendous impact among Latino communities, as there is currently no programming specifically speaking to Latinos about home improvement brands and services,” said Juan Escano, executive producer of “De Casa a Hogar.”

State Water Heaters is a manufacturer of water heaters for commercial and residential use. Based in Ashland City, Tennessee, State has seven water heater manufacturing plants and hundreds of distribution centers across the United States.

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Presenter Martha E. Galindo

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