Posted by Elena del Valle on April 18, 2012
El Jimador tequila bottles – click to enlarge
Photos: El Jimador
El Jimador, a premium Mexican tequila brand, announced it hired Alexi Lalas, a former United States soccer player, to strengthen brand awareness by making special appearances and supporting the brand’s social responsibility initiative this year.
“Alexi brings more than just soccer knowledge to the table. He exhibits real passion, something that we value in our tequila production as well,” said said Jesus Ostos, tequilas brand marketing group manager. “Additionally, we wanted to work with someone who could promote our corporate social responsibility initiative and Alexi’s background affords us a level of credibility, while simultaneously increasing awareness of our presence in the sport.”
El Jimador is available in three varieties: Blanco (white), a clear tequila that is bottled after distillation. It is said to have “subtle cooked agave taste and hints of citrusy sweetness” that make it a good choice for tequila cocktails; Reposado (rested) adopts a “golden color” after sitting in white oak barrels for two months. It is said to have “hints of vanilla and caramel, a smooth and mellow taste;” and Añejo (aged), made from 100 percent tequilana weber blue agave and aged 12 months in toasted white oak barrels. It is said to have flavors of “vanilla and oak, balanced with subtle cues of cinnamon and caramel.” The tequila is available in 750 milliliter bottles at 80 proof. Bottles range in price from $19.99 to $29.99.
“We activate on a variety of levels from games on-site advertising, commemorative soccer bottles, to an experiential component for consumers. As part of our soccer platform, we will have a strong presence at all of the Mexican National Team’s games throughout the 2012 U.S. tour and will activate at various Major League Soccer (MLS) events, as well,” said Ostos when asked about promotional efforts for the brand.
“For example, we recently activated at the Mexico vs. Colombia match at Miami’s Sun Life Stadium. Consumers were invited to participate in a shoot out game to determine the fastest and most accurate kicker; consumers received autographs from soccer icon Jared Borgetti, signed up for a chance to win an autographed barrel, and took photos alongside brand ambassadors holding a giant bottle of el Jimador. In addition, in February of 2012 el Jimador launched a series of commemorative soccer bottles featuring soccer ball motifs blended with the brand’s iconic graphic designs, and highlighting the logos of Mexican Soccer, U.S. Soccer and MLS. The brand aims to distribute the packaging once a year for a limited two-month period, to kick off the soccer season in key markets nationwide.”
Alexi Lalas will make special appearances for El Jimador
Marketers for the brand seek to leverage agency partners to support the spokesperson launch through public relations and digital marketing with ESPN.com and MLSsoccer.com. Plans are to promote certain campaigns using social media on Facebook to reach customers and prospects through a two-way dialogue while other campaigns will be promoted via broadcast media.
“We measure success by an increase in brand recognition and preference among our target audience and continuous and relevant consumer programming with retailer partners,” said Ostos when asked how the brand will measure results. “Success also means that el Jimador Tequila as a brand will be identified as being socially responsible and passionate about soccer.”
Lalas is a sports analyst and a retired American soccer player and former member of the United States National Team during the 1998 and 1994 World Cups, as well as a member of the 1996 and 1992 United States Olympic Teams. In 2004, after a 10-year career, he retired from soccer. In 2006, he was elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame.
Part of Casa Herradura, established in 1870, el Jimador is a 100 percent blue agave tequila named for the men who harvest the agave in Mexico. The tequila is produced in the tiny town of Amatitán, Jalisco in the heart of Mexico’s tequila region, and crafted using traditional methods, such as cooking the agave in clay ovens and fermenting the beverage naturally with wild yeast designed to create “a rich, smooth and unexpected taste.” According to Ostos, El Jimador is the top selling tequila in Mexico.
Posted by Elena del Valle on April 16, 2012
Patricia Quijano Dark, editor, Okespanol
Photo: Thatcher + Co.
A podcast interview with Patricia Quijano Dark, editor, Okespanol, is available in the Podcast Section of Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations, HispanicMPR.com. During the podcast, she discusses her publication with Elena del Valle, host of the HispanicMPR.com podcast.
Patricia was raised in New York City and her family hails from Argentina. A graduate of Columbia University she worked at publications in London, England and at El Clarin, the Argentine daily, before moving to Salt Lake City. In Salt Lake City, she worked in journalism as a freelancer and edited translations of Newsweek for the Spanish language edition.
Prior to working at OKespañol she was executive director of the Utah Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. She has served on several boards of local non-profits and is one of the co-founders of the Dual immersion Academy, a dual immersion school in Utah. She is highlighted in volume I of the book Utah Latinos and was named one of 30 Women to Watch by Utah Business magazine.
To listen to the interview, scroll down until you see “Podcast” on the right hand side, then select “HMPR Patricia Quijano Dark” click on the play button below or download the MP3 file to your iPod or MP3 player to listen on the go, in your car or at home. To download it, click on the arrow of the recording you wish to copy and save it to disk. The podcast will remain listed in the April 2012 section of the podcast archive.
Posted by Elena del Valle on April 13, 2012
The Cancer Dancer book cover
Photos: San Pedro Productions
“You have breast cancer.” Those dreaded words are heard by many women in the United States and world wide. Among them was Patricia San Pedro, a Miami publicist. With the help of friends and loved ones she kept track of her four year journey of treatment and recovery. She shared photos, her findings and 400 patient-to-patient tips in The Cancer Dancer Healing: One Step at a Time ($14.99), a 148-page softcover book self published in 2011. The book was among the items in this year’s 54th Annual Grammy Awards Gift Bag.
“From the moment I was diagnosed, I felt a need to document my healing journey. My hope and goal was to share as much information as I could, in order to ease the journey for others who would follow. My book include more than 400 patient to patient tips that I gathered in the midst of my journey. My hope is also to inspire others to see the blessings and accept the gifts that come from every situation in our lives…even the difficult ones,” said San Pedro by email when asked why she wrote the book.
She set up English, PositivelyPat.com, and Spanish language, PatriciaPositiva.com, websites and found volunteer translators to assist her in spreading the message to speakers of other languages. Not content with just publishing a book the positive thinker approached the Discovery Channel to share her video journal and message with a television audience. The 60-minute documentary, produced by Discovery Channel, Imagina U.S. and the author, aired on Discovery Familia in the United States and Discovery Home and Health in Latin America October 2011.
Patricia San Pedro, author, The Cancer Dancer in 2010
“I am on unofficial nonprofit. Everything I’m doing is a public service, but I haven’t formed an official non profit yet. I’m actually hoping to raise funds so I can keep doing more of this. It’s not easy to fund it all yourself. I’ve done lots with volunteers. Right now I need sponsors to be able to distribute the book for free to patients. And to print the Spanish and Portuguese versions, which are only in ebook format at the moment. I receive requests every single day asking for the book in a variety of languages,” said San Pedro when asked about funding for her projects.
San Pedro, a three-time Emmy Award winner, is owner of San Pedro Productions. She is also a photographer and contributing author of Dish & Tell: Life, Love and Secrets written with five other women.
Click to buy The Cancer Dancer
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Posted by Elena del Valle on April 11, 2012
Piratas, a new series airing on Vme – click to enlarge
Photos: Vme
There is good news for Spanish speaking United States audiences left hungering for more pirate fun after the last of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. In 2010, Telecinco of Spain produced a pirates series set in the eighteenth century. Thanks to Vme Spanish speakers in the United States will have an opportunity to see 10 60-minute episodes beginning April 19 at 10 p.m.(ET/PT).
The cast of Piratas – click to enlarge
Piratas (Spanish for pirates), filmed in coastal Spain with a budget exceeding $1 million per episode, showcases the adventures of an “unabashed and philandering member of the nobility” forced to infiltrate the pirate crew of the legendary Captain Bocanegra.
Described as light-hearted and peppered with humor in promotional materials, the series follows Álvaro Mondego, a privileged member of the noble class as he is captured by Captain Bocanegra pirates, along with Carmen, his daughter, and crew. The programs are said to be filled with gorgeous ships, stinking dungeons, brave rescues, fierce battles and a daring race for riches.
Vme, a 24-hour Spanish language network partnered with public television stations, is available in 10 million homes possibly reaching as much as 80 percent of the Spanish language market.
Posted by Elena del Valle on April 9, 2012
Click to enlarge
Photos: MamásLatinas
Hoping to expand the reach of CafeMom, founded in late 2006 by Andrew Shue and Michael Sanchez with the support of lead investors Highland Capital Partners and Draper Fisher Jurvetson, earlier this year the company launched MamásLatinas targeting the Hispanic mom market.
Company executives are convinced that MamásLatinas fills a major gap in the mainstream digital and social environment. Before launching the new venue CafeMom staff conducted a major national study. According to a spokesperson, the study revealed that 92 percent of Hispanic moms across the acculturation spectrum believed there was no website that clearly met their needs. Anticipating that by 2014 one in four moms online will be of Hispanic heritage they moved forward.
Lucía Ballas-Traynor, co-founder and executive vice president, MamásLatinas
“With the right Hispanic leadership and Hispanic lens, in the trails of the Census 2010 disclosing of Hispanic population exponential growth, launching a Latina-centric brand seemed like a win-win solution, both from a business and consumer standpoint,” said Lucía Ballas-Traynor, co-founder and executive vice president, MamásLatinas, by email.
“MamásLatinas goal is to super serve Hispanic moms across the total spectrum –languages spoken, nativity and country of origin, age, or geographic location. Our site is the first online bilingual destination for Latina moms with two core offerings, an online community and a content platform called ¿Qué Más?. The online community consists of broad-appealing groups, where conversations cover a wide array of topics (Bienvenidas, LaPlaza); and groups that specifically target moms by country of origin (Mamás Mexicanas, etc.), or by the age of their kids; or even by passion touch points (Beauty, Puro Español).”
MamásLatinas relies on 10 full-time staff writers and editors as well as freelance writers, bloggers and columnists who write 35 original English and Spanish articles a day for ¿Qué Más?, according to Ballas-Traynor who indicated that the channel provides a venue for Latina moms to find opinion pieces about topics of interest to them and what people are talking about including news and culture, fashion/beauty, food, and parenting from their cultural perspective and sensibility, in English or Spanish, or both. Twenty-one writers including two mean are listed on the site as of this writing.
To spread the word the company plans to promote the site on Google and Facebook. Additional marketing efforts being implemented include offline media partnerships, public relations and paid marketing strategies.
“We are poised to become one of the leading online destinations dedicated to Latinas by the end of the year and the leader among Latina moms. We are aggressively marketing the site and encouraging our members to tell their friends. Our number one goal for this year is to push brand awareness and new members. We know there is tremendous opportunity for growth, but we don’t yet have a firm projection for the first year,” said Ballas-Traynor.
CafeMom employs 140 people and MamásLatinas shares many of the CafeMom resources especially those in areas of Product (technology, developers and design), Research, Marketing, PR and Sales and Sales Operations.
The new New York based site has the following founding sponsors: Chevrolet, General Mills, K-Mart and Sears. CafeMom boasts a reach of 20 million at CafeMom.com, MamásLatinas, CafeMom Studios, and the CafeMom Plus Network.
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Posted by Elena del Valle on March 30, 2012
Confessions of an Ecoterrorist film poster
Video, photos: Peter Jay Brown, Blue Rage Media & Ignition Creative, Kelsey Stevens
Where documentaries often adopt a slow pace side by side with a serious and even somber tone Confessions of an Ecoterrist, a 90-minute docu-homage to the Sea Sheppard, its captain and crew and their exploits, manages to address a topic the film makers are obviously passionate about (30 years of activism attests to that) with a light tone, self deprecating humor and an undertone of incredulity, is fast paced and action packed, for a documentary. Completed in 2011, Confessions of an Eco-Terrorist Nature Needs a Mother Like Him is dedicated to journalist Bob Hunter and contains footage from 1977-2010. SnagFilms, a distributor of independent films on digital platforms, is releasing the feature documentary in the United States for pay-on-demand purchase on Earth Day, April 22, 2012. Click on the play button below to watch a trailer of the film.
The organization’s seaborne positive activism activities over 30 years are summarized and shared in a first hand one sided, account, by Peter Jay Brown, director, activist and longest serving Sea Shepherd crew member. He tells of the exploits, successes and disappointments of Captain Paul Watson and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, the stars of Whale Wars, Animal Planet’s Emmy-nominated series. The narrator’s admiration for Watson and the crew is evident.
Baby seal scene from the film
He peppers his narration with humor. For example, early on he explains that the organization relies on the work and support of volunteers aboard including many vegans. “A race of highly dedicated people; healthy, strong and perpetually pissed off,” he says of them. At the same time, he explains volunteers are not on a pleasure cruise and illustrates the hardships they endure such as constant seasickness and limited access to comforts such as showers (once a week). Watson he says is “a brilliant tactician and strategist with uncanny good luck.”
“Many young people today are losing hope. ‘Why bother? Nothing changes!’ they might say. Well I am here to say that change starts with everyone of us and those of us who are determined actually get things done. Get off the couch and get out there and make a positive difference. I did, so can you,” said Brown when asked to comment on the goal of the film.
During the society’s voyages the crew engaged in dramatic conflict including the boarding of ships, arrests (of the captain by the Canadian government, for example), being fired upon by a multimillion dollar vessel of the Norwegian Navy, boarding by an Ecuadorean admiral and successfully ramming and/or sinking illegal whaling and fishing vessels around the globe. According to promotional materials, the group is credited with stopping drift-netting worldwide and saving the lives of millions of marine wildlife.
Most of the film takes place on board or near a Sea Sheppard vessel, in the high seas and coastal areas of the United States, Canada, Antarctica, Faeroe Islands, Norway, Japan, and Galapagos islands of Ecuador. Among other things it includes images of the bloody killing of harp seal and the blood smeared faces of the seal “hunters.”
A scene from the film
The film was released in German speaking countries in December 2011 and is available there in cinemas and on DVD. In the United States, it is scheduled to become available in the VOD (video on demand) sections of cable networks, iTunes, Hulu-Plus, Amazon, and NetFlix in the coming weeks. The price is being determined. DVDs should be available in late April 2012, according to a spokesperson.
Established in 1977, the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS) is an international non-profit, marine wildlife conservation organization with a stated mission “to end the destruction of habitat and slaughter of wildlife in the world’s oceans in order to conserve and protect ecosystems and species.” Toward this end Sea Shepherd uses “innovative direct-action tactics to investigate, document, and take action when necessary to expose and confront illegal activities on the high seas.” SnagFilms features free, sponsor-supported, on demand viewing of more than 3,000 award-winning, fiction and non-fiction titles. SnagFilms’ curated collection is available on its own site and a digital network of more than 110,000 affiliated sites and webpages.
Posted by Elena del Valle on March 28, 2012
Andrés Oppenheimer in Oppenheimer Presenta on CNN en Español
Photo: CNN en Español
Starting on the first Sunday in April CNN en Español will air Oppenheimer Presenta, a weekly show hosted by Andrés Oppenheimer, in the network’s United States and Latin America feeds. Every Sunday at 9 p.m. Oppenheimer Presenta will examine “the major trends on current topics and how they affect people, families, and countries.”
The host will present a weekly topic and feature interviews with personalities including analysis and comments by special guests. In the first show, Oppenheimer addresses the legalization of drugs and Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos is the featured guest. The programs will also reflect the topics addressed by Oppenheimer in his weekly The Miami Herald column syndicated to 60 newspapers.
Oppenheimer was a 1987 Pulitzer Prize co-winner, along with the journalism team of The Miami Herald. In 1993, he received the Premio Ortega y Gasset of the newspaper El País in Madrid, and was selected one of the 500 most important journalists of the United States by the Forbes Media Guide. In 2001, he received the Premio Rey de España given by the EFE agency and the King of Spain. The following year, Poder magazine selected him as one of the 100 most powerful figures in Latin America.
CNN en Español, the first 24-hour television network of CNN independently produced in a language other than English, was launched March 17, 1997. The network provides continuous regional and world news coverage with context and in-depth analysis, and shows on the economy, finances, health, technology and entertainment. CNN en Español has a subscriber base up to 27 million households and hotel rooms in Latin America and 7 million households in the United States.
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Posted by Elena del Valle on March 26, 2012
As any South Florida communicator knows, we work in a diverse market. But whether or not you are bilingual, you can still connect with multicultural customers. Join Juan Carlos Fanjul from CBS 12 as he moderates a discussion on multicultural communication. Panelists will share advice, resources – and maybe even cautionary tales – to help us expand our message to a more diverse audience. Come prepared with questions, and say “hola” to new opportunities to connect.
Panelists:
Gretta Vitta – Ms. Vitta is the host of “ Spanglish con Gretta Vitta”, on “Hola Vision TV” an affiliate station with CBS 12 as well as a radio host for WPBR 1340am. Her articles and columns can be found in many prestigious magazines including “Hispanic in America Magazine,” “Latin Connection Magazine,” and “Sunset Drive Magazine,” which features her column “Destination South Florida with Gretta Vitta.”
Elena del Valle –Ms. del Valle is principal of LNA World Communications, a marketing and communications company, as well as the director and editor of Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations. She is the founding president of the Hispanic Marketing & Communication Association and a former member of PRSA. She served as chair of PRSA’s Multicultural Section and as a judge of its Silver Anvil Awards, and was a member of PRSA’s prestigious Counselors Academy and the organization’s National Advocacy Committee.
Andre Varona – Mr. Varona is the Chief Executive Officer of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of the Palm Beaches, where he oversees the organization’s mission of developing and growing the area’s Hispanic market. The Hispanic population in Palm Beach County is now 17% of the total population, and Andre will share insights on how businesses can reach out if they haven’t before.
Wednesday, March 28
11:45 AM to 1:00 PM
Tickets
$20.00 Members of PRSA
$25.00 Guest Tickets
The Embassy Suites
1601 Belvedere Road
West Palm Beach, FL 33406
Register at http://prsapalmbeach.org/meetinginfo.php
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Filed Under: Media
Posted by Elena del Valle on March 26, 2012
Darin Gibby, author of Why Has America Stopped Inventing?
Photo: Planned Television Arts
A podcast interview with Darin Gibby, author, Why Has America Stopped Inventing (see Patent attorney explores reduction of inventions in America), is available in the Podcast Section of Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations, HispanicMPR.com. During the podcast, Darin discusses the declining innovations in the United States with Elena del Valle, host of the HispanicMPR.com podcast.
In addition to his legal practice as a patent attorney with Kilpatrick Townsend, Darin finds time to write about important issues facing America such as the innovation drain caused by the burdensome patent system. He has dedicated nearly two decades to obtaining patents on hundreds of inventions and building IP portfolios for Fortune 500 companies. He also helps clients enforce and license their patents around the world, and he has monetized patents on a range of products from computer disk drives to in-line skates.
A triathlete, he also enjoys back country fly-fishing trips and skiing in the Rocky Mountains. He lives in Denver, Colorado with his wife and four children.
To listen to the interview, scroll down until you see “Podcast” on the right hand side, then select “HMPR Darin Gibby” click on the play button below or download the MP3 file to your iPod or MP3 player to listen on the go, in your car or at home. To download it, click on the arrow of the recording you wish to copy and save it to disk. The podcast will remain listed in the March 2012 section of the podcast archive.
Posted by Elena del Valle on March 23, 2012
Banding Together for A Cause book cover
Photo: Newman Communications, Inc.
Nonprofit organizations are often in need of funding and public relations on a shoestring. Drawing the attention of the public and potential donors to their cause or organization requires time, effort and the right mix of positioning and branding. Ribbon and wrist band campaigns have become a common way to bring people together and catch attention in an easy and affordable way. For many people wearing wrist bands for a cause or as a reminder of something important to the wearer gained great momentum years ago thanks to the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
Lance Armstrong, the world famous cyclist, brought sympathy and attention to cancer and his race by wearing a yellow wristband in one of the best known awareness campaigns of the past decade. The Livestrong campaign, created to raise money for the Lance Armstrong Foundation and cancer research, reached its goal within six months and has raised more that $500 million for the cause.
“If I hadn’t personally been involved in the campaign. I almost wouldn’t believe it,” said Rachel Armbuster, former director of development for the Lance Armstrong Foundation (2000-2006), overseeing all fundraising and managing the Nike relationship that created the Livestrong gel bracelet campaign.
In her recently published book, Banding Together for a Cause: Proven Strategies for Revenue and awareness Generation (Wiley, $45), Armbuster set out to provide insights and pose questions to guide others who wish to embark on their own yellow wristband journey. Through her efforts she hoped to assist others seeking ways to generate funding through partnerships.
The 232-page hardcover book is divided into nine chapters: The Importance of Time in Moving Your Mission Forward, Reflecting the Essence and Spirit of Your Organization Through Banding, The Right Partnerships, Pinpointing Experts and Using Their Strenghs, The Role of Strategic Planning in Your Mission’s Success, Assembling the Perfect Team, Strategies for Integrating and Mobilizing, Creating Feedback Mechanisms, and What It Takes to Be a Visionary.
The author believes better branding can be accomplished by following the process, focusing on improvement and having passion for the relationships that pave the way for success. It is important to be a leader and to be discriminating in your use of resources, she says in the book.
Armburuster is an executive nonprofit strategist and founder for Armbruster Consulting. According to her bio, she has provided consulting services to hundreds of organizations seeking to improve goals actualization, program management, development and training, department integration, or corporate partnership program development. She lives with her husband and two sons in Austin, Texas and serves on the Fertility Advisory Committee at Livestrong.
Click to buy Banding Together for a Cause
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Filed Under: Books
