Posted by Elena del Valle on November 15, 2010
Click to enlarge
Photo: Nestlé
Americans consume a respectable amount of coffee although if we look at the big picture the amount of coffee the typical person in the United States drinks per capita is modest compared to that of many consumers in Western European nations. The top consumers by far are the Scandinavians. In 2002, Norwegians drank an average 10.7 kilos of coffee per person per year. Finland and Denmark were close behind with consumption around 10 kilos in each country. Dutch, Swiss, German, Austrian, Belgian, French and Italians were all ahead of the United States in coffee drinking, according to the Global Market Information Database by Euromonitor.
In 2009, in the United States daily consumption of coffee beverages among consumers remained consistent with 54 percent of the overall adult population partaking; cups-per-drinker and cups-per-capita held at the 2008 level and that of the previous four years, according to the National Coffee Association. While coffee consumption has held steady during the recession there are some consumption and purchasing trends worth noting.
Most people buy their coffee at the supermarket, according to the recent findings of Mintel, a research company. In the last five years this venue has grown 18 percent, reaching $3.4 billion this year. Another significant venue for retail sales are mass merchandisers and dollar stores. These venues grew 19 percent and reached $3.8 billion in 2010. The expectation for the immediate future is that the lower consumer confidence the greater the growth in these stores.
As people worry about the economy they migrate toward roasted coffee and other products they can brew at work and at home. If the worries deepen they are likely to seek value brands like Folgers and Maxwell House. FDMx sales of roasted coffee led overall market growth and grew 3.8 percent between June of 2009 and 2010. Folgers, part of J.M. Smucker Co. and seen by many as a strong United States brand, also had strong growth during those months. Kraft brands Maxwell House and Yuban also showed gains.
Sales of Nescafé Clasico increased 10.9 percent
In addition to the over 45 and over 55 market segments which exhibit the largest growth (see Baby Boomers biggest coffee drinkers, Emerging Markets likely to drive future growth), another segment expected to continue exhibiting high demand is Hispanics. FDMx sales of Nescafé Clasico, sometimes sold in bilingual packages, increased by 10.9 percent during the period examined by Mintel leading researchers to conclude that bilingual packaging may drive growth in instant coffee products which they found to be very popular among Spanish-speaking Latinos. Some marketers believe coffee sellers should enhance bilingual messages and packaging for instant coffee products popular among Spanish-speaking Hispanics. Nescafé Clasico, also available in Decaf and Suave flavors, is described on the Nestlé website as “the leading coffee for Latinos in the U.S.” and “the fastest growing brand in the instant coffee category with distribution nationwide in the U.S.”
Hispanics are more likely to drink coffee than non Hispanic whites, blacks and Asians. Among Asian coffee drinkers almost half buy whole bean coffee compared to 29 percent in the general population. According to Mintel, the research suggests that representations of Latinos should “often be included in advertisements as this helps to create brand relevance within the segment.” While among the general population 29 percent of buyers choose whole bean coffee, nearly half of Asian coffee-consuming households prefer whole bean coffee. Mintel researchers believe marketers should include Asians in advertising campaigns for whole bean coffee.
Fifty four percent of Latino Mintel survey respondents indicated they like non-sweetened instant coffee compared to 28 percent of the general population. About 70 percent of Spanish dominant Latinos (those who speak mostly or only Spanish), especially in Los Angeles, California and El Paso, Texas, like instant coffee.
Posted by Elena del Valle on November 12, 2010
Un Puente Al Derecho book cover
Photo: Blacker Publishing Inc.
Oregon attorney Frank de la Puente believes the people with the least economic and political power, and the most vulnerable to abuse are those who do not know their rights. To address this issue he wrote Un Puente Al Derecho, Spanish for a bridge to the law (Blacker Publishing, Inc., $24.95), a book in Spanish with information about legal issues for Hispanics, especially those who do not speak English and the undocumented. He estimates there are eight million undocumented Hispanics many of whom could benefit from the information in his book.
The 205-page softcover book is divided into four main parts: Abogados, Jueces y Cortes (lawyers, judges and courts); La Ley del Divorcio (divorce law); Bienes Raíces (real estate); and Inmigración (immigration). His goal is to provide information about what for many people is a complex topic in easy-to-read Spanish illustrated with case examples.
He includes information about the process of divorce, child custody, support, distribution of property, and the rights of unmarried and homosexual partners. The section on real estate informs the reader on the aspects of buying and selling a house, including appraising, financing, escrow and insurance. A section on immigration provides information about the legislative proposals for immigration reform, and obtaining a resident visa through a family member.
De la Puente, a trial attorney for 20 years, spent four years of night and weekend work to research the laws of states other than his home state and write the book. According to a representative from the publishing company the book is gaining momentum. In October 2010, the Library Journal Online reviewed the book which is listed as a new release on AmericaReadsSpanish.com.
Promotion of the book has been primarily by press releases and review submissions. The author, who has been a guest on Spanish language radio talk shows in Dallas and Eugene Oregon for 16 years, has made two TV appearances on Univision Television in Portland, Oregon; and appears once per month as a guest of Nelson Zepeda’s Spanish radio talk show, 1520 AM, Portland, Oregon, fielding legal questions from listeners.
De la Puente was born in Callao, Peru in 1957. When he was nine he and Ines Arimborgo Bondy, his single mother, emigrated to Los Angeles, California where he grew up. From 1969 to 1971 he served in the United States Army. During that time, he served one year in active combat as an infantryman with the First Cavalry Division in the jungles of Vietnam. After the Army and graduating with a degree in mathematics from University of California, Irvine he worked as an aerospace engineer in California for Hughes, Northrop and Rockwell. In 1990, he graduated with a law degree from Willamette University College of Law in Salem, Oregon.
He started his law career as a special prosecutor in Marion County, Oregon, before becoming a federal criminal defense attorney for 13 years. Today, he primarily practices civil litigation including contract disputes including real estate and foreclosures, federal civil forfeiture, divorce and child custody, and actions for damages arising out of personal injury.
Click to buy Un Puente Al Derecho (Spanish Edition)
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Filed Under: Books
Posted by Elena del Valle on November 10, 2010
By Larry Thomas
Chief Executive Officer
Latergy, LLC
Larry Thomas, chief executive officer, Latergy, LLC
Photo: Larry Thomas
Rather than fill this space with statistics about the growing population of U.S. Hispanics with Internet access, watching online video and using social media, I’ll simply mention that there are:
– 500 million active Facebook users spending 500 billion minutes per month
– 50 million Tweets per day on Twitter
– 2 billion videos watched daily in the U.S. alone
The two fastest growing components of the Internet, social media and online video, are fueling each other’s growth. According to a recent study about online video usage and drivers, referral traffic from Facebook and Twitter lead to the longest video viewing times and it’s growing faster than traditional search engines as a source of video views. At current rates, Facebook will surpass Yahoo! within the year to be second only to Google in referral traffic to online video content for media companies. For a deeper look at what I call Social Video please read my recent column in Bulldog Reporter’s Daily Do, BP Takes U.S. For a Slick Social Video Ride — Viral Lessons for Paranoid PR Pros.
Click here to read the entire article Social Video and Webcast Communication
Posted by Elena del Valle on November 9, 2010
ANA banner near the meeting room
Happy anniversary! The national economic slowdown, registration fees between $1,195 and $1,395 and exorbitant parking fees at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach notwithstanding this year’s Association of National Advertisers (ANA) Multicultural Marketing & Diversity Conference sold out. Six hundred people with an interest in diversity market segments registered for the ritzy event at the posh Florida hotel.
It is not the first time the organization’s diversity conference does well. Attendance, like the emerging markets profiled and discussed at the conferences, seems to grow every year. In 2007, the event held in Boca Raton, Florida had record attendance of 430 (for more on the past ANA events see ANA 2007 multicultural conference has record attendance and National advertisers association recognizes members’ multicultural TV ads).
Beatriz R. Perez of The Coca-Cola Company answered questions
The 2010 conference began Sunday, November 7, 2010 at 2 p.m. and concludes today at 3:30 p.m. Monday morning when Beatriz R. Perez , chief marketing officer, Coca-Cola North America, The Coca-Cola Company shared insights on her company’s strategies to reach multicultural markets the large meeting room appeared to be near seating capacity. After she answered a few written questions submitted by the audience and selected and posed by a moderator Mark Addicks, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, General Mills discussed his company’s diversity goals and efforts to target Hispanic and African American consumers. Outreach to Asian American audiences is on the wish list he said in response to a question from the audience.
Rick Wion, director of Social Media at McDonald’s Corporation, outlined his company’s four year old social media efforts and emphasis on authenticity and brand reputation management immediately before lunch. The near full lunch room was buzzing and the conversation was so loud at times it was impossible to hear the presentation (or see the bottom of the two giant screens) about workforce and workplace changes in the year 2020 by Tanya M. Odom, director of Innovation and Social Media and Coach, The FutureWork Institute.
Posted by Elena del Valle on November 8, 2010
Dunkin Donuts Hot Coffee and Iced Coffee Silo
Photos: Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, Nespresso
If you are 45 and older and a coffee aficionado you are in good company. Fear not that your cup of jobe will disappear anytime soon. The number of coffee drinkers and the amount of coffee they drink has remained about the same in the last few years. Adults 45 and older, especially those 55 and older, are where the highest demand for coffee is today. This market segment is likely to drive coffee sales between 2010 and 2015.
Think the price of good old coffee has skyrocketed? You are right. Growth in the coffee market lately has been driven mostly by the higher prices paid for coffee. A more modest percent of the growth is from coffee lovers’ increase in consumption.
Starbucks Mocha Light Frapuccino
It is true that the economic downturn has resulted in a reduction of ready-to-drink (RTD) coffee purchases. As Americans watch their wallets and their waists demand for some sugary RTD products and heavily processed related products that are expensive and high in calories may continue to wane.
Before adjusting for inflation, retail sales of coffee including ground, whole bean, instant and RTD products grew 19 percent in five years, from $6.1 billion in 2005 to $7.2 billion in 2010, according to recent data from Mintel, an international research company.
An example of this has been the United States invasion by Swiss coffee maker Nespresso. In the last years the company which tightly controls sales of its coffee making machines that only accept Nespresso capsules sold exclusively at brand boutiques and by mail has made significant inroads in the luxury coffee market. Nestlé owned Nespresso has 190 boutiques in 50 countries, according to the company website.
“While we have grown exponentially in the United States over the past few years, there is still a large, un-tapped coffee-loving population that is not engaged in the Nespresso brand,” said Frederic Levy, president, Nespresso North America, in a press release. Company representatives did not respond to requests in writing and phone calls to the multinational’s Swiss headquarters and North American offices.
Nespresso machines only work with Nespresso capsules sold exclusively by Nespresso
There are 13 Nespresso stores in North America. Of those, there are 10 company operated boutiques in the United States, including Nespresso’s flagship Boutique Bars in New York City and Miami, and one in Boston as well as a Boutique-in-Corner location at Sur La Table in Scottsdale, Arizona, and five Boutique-in-Shop locations at Bloomingdale’s in SoHo, New York, Chevy Chase, Maryland, Chicago, Illinois, and San Francisco and Costa Mesa, California.
In the first half of this year Nespresso’s sales in the United States and Canada increased 45 percent. Levy indicated in a Reuters interview in September 2010 that his company is targeting annual growth of 35 percent in the region for the next five years, hoping there is continuing demand for high end coffee products.
Mintel experts expect coffee sales growth to continue steadily over the next five years. Notable exceptions are instant coffee (except among Hispanics), which has exhibited a decline in the past five years and RTDs which are expected to show only minimal growth in the next few years.
As older adults’ consumption wanes today’s young coffee drinkers and their preferences will become more attractive to coffee sellers. According to the Mintel study, young adults and teens consume much less coffee than older adults often preferring energy drinks to coffee. When they drink coffee they do so at cafes where they often select cream and sugar enhanced coffee drinks like Starbucks’ Frappuccino. Tea, especially among Asians, is another competitive product. Forward planning coffee companies may wish to launch products to target these desirable market segments.
Hispanics, according to popular belief and the Mintel study, love coffee. Because this market segment is booming, along with other emerging markets (Asians, African-Americans and Hispanics account for 80 percent of the growth in the United States according to the Geoscape 2010 American Marketscape DataStream report), it will probably be behind a significant part of the anticipated coffee products growth in the next five years.
Posted by Elena del Valle on November 5, 2010
The Wealthy Freelancer book cover
Photos: Alpha, thewealthyfreelancer.com
Freelancers or workers without long term ties to a single employer often work in journalism, book publishing, writing, editing, copy editing, proofreading, indexing, copy writing, computer programming, graphic design, web design, consulting, tour guiding, public relations and translating.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2005 10.3 million people in the United States (the equivalent of 7 percent of the working population) earned their living as free agents (see Wikipedia.com). For some it is a way to make ends meet in between jobs and for others it can be a liberating way to work on a regular basis.
Co-author Ed Gandia
Copywriters Steve Slaunwhite, Pete Savage and Ed Gandia believe working as freelancers is ideal as a permanent way to earn a living. So much so that they teamed up to write The Wealthy Freelancer 12 Secrets to a Great Income and an Enviable Lifestyle (Alpha, $16.95), a 274-page book about the merits of working freelance published this year. They start by explaining that being wealthy isn’t just about the money; instead it’s about “the life you build- and the kind of person you become in the process.”
They suggest readers look closely at the projects, clients, income and lifestyle that they would like to have. According to them, “A wealthy freelancer is someone who consistently gets the projects, clients, income and lifestyle he or she wants.”
The book is divided into 12 chapters, one for each secret with titles such as Master the Mental Game, Cultivate Repeat and Referral Business, Bring Focus to Your Freelance Business, and Create Alternative Streams of Income; followed by a Where Do You Go from Here? section and an appendix.
Co-authors Steve Slaunwhite and Pete Savage
In addition to being a copywriter Slaunwhite is also a marketing coach and speaker. Prior to this title he authored The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Starting a Web-Based Business and The Everything Guide to Writing Copy, and Fast Track to Great Clients. Savage, a resident of Peterborough, Canada, is a marketing consultant, speaker and coach. Gandia, a resident of Marietta, Georgia, is also a marketing consultant, speaker and coach.
Click here to buy The Wealthy Freelancer
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Filed Under: Books
Posted by Elena del Valle on November 3, 2010
By Mark Sneider
Managing partner, RSW US
Mark Sneider, managing partner, RSW US
Photo: RSW US
In this brave new and ever-changing world of the marketing of marketing services, managing your new business program the same old way simply isn’t going to be sustainable. You have to be more aggressive and you have to get more of your agency’s team to embrace the spirit of new business.
In our most recent survey on agency new business (rswus.com/surveys/index.php – requires sign up), marketing services executives state that the top reason why they find it more difficult to obtain new business this year, relative to years past is because it is much more challenging to break through to prospects.
The real eye opener is the fact that this year 63 percent stated that this was a top reason – compared to only 46 percent in 2009 and 44 percent in 2008.
Click here to read the entire article It Takes A Village
Posted by Elena del Valle on November 1, 2010
Singer and song writer Martha Gomez
Photo, song: Martha Gomez, Hope Sings
Beth Blatt first approached Martha Gomez to ask her to write a song free of charge. Oh and by the way could she do it quickly because time was limited. Gomez obliged, writing the song within 48 hours and within less than a week they were in the recording studio.
So was born the theme song for Hope Sings, a new and ambitious company founded by Blatt, a New York resident planning to raise funds in the United States and abroad for microfinance for women around the world and to promote the work of little known musicians. Scroll down to listen to the song La Esperanza Canta in Spanish from the Hope Sings album.
La Esperanza Canta, Spanish for hope sings, is the theme song for the eponymous company. Singer and song writer Gomez wrote and recorded the song inspired by the stories of three women in Nicaragua who benefited from receiving micro loans.
In 2005, Gomez was nominated for the Billboard Latin Music Latin Jazz category with Paco De Lucia, Gonzalo Rubalcaba and Nestor Torres and according to promotional information The Los Angeles Times described her as “an exceptional talent with a sublime voice.” She has shared the stage with a wide range of music industry personalities including Mercedes Sosa and Bonnie Raitt, and recently released her fifth album.
“When I began Hope Sings, I knew I wanted a theme song for the project that captured the our spirit, musically and lyrically. We’d gotten lots of songs submitted for theme song, and they were great songs, but none were the right feel. I loved Marta’s work courtesy of the Putumayo collections, but I didn’t know anyone who knew her,” said Blatt who went on to email the Colombian song writer directly. Gomez responded with enthusiasm and traveled to Guatemala to help a micro-financing organization. The Hope Sings mission is “to help women around the world out of poverty by supporting micro-finance.”
Click on the play button to listen to La Esperanza Canta
Posted by Elena del Valle on October 29, 2010
HispanicMPR.com listed in fourteenth place of Top 100 PR Blogs at From PR to Eternity (http://www.fpte.co.uk/2010/01/12/worlds-top-100-pr-blogs-january-2010/), Matthew Watson’s blog.
Watson explains that “The list is by no means perfect since it only features blogs on the AdAge Power 150 with PR, Public Relations, Publicity or Flack in the title, and a few others that have been suggested to me by commenter’s. Although it’s just a bit of fun I think it’s still a fairly decent indicator of the world’s top PR blogs.”
A senior account executive at Speed Communications, Watson writes about online marketing and public relations. A while back he compiled a list of what he thought were the top public relations blogs listed on the AdAge Power 150. The list is, according to his site, still one of the most popular pages on his site.
