As the number of Hispanic mothers in the US grows, so does the demand for Spanish cards. Gone are the days of the tacky cards with the cheesy translations of the 80’s and 90’s. I recently read that Mother’s Day is the third-largest card-sending holiday in the United States, but ranks as the number one card-sending season for Hispanics, even higher than Christmas and Valentine’s Day.

Arlette Torres, Editorial Director for the Sinceramente line explains the role of mothers which are the latest inspiration for Hallmark Cards designs.

“Mothers are beloved, deeply respected, revered figures in the Hispanic community,” she says. “Her children view her as the source of goodness and love, affection, warmth and forgiveness. She is the idealized female figure, unequaled by other women.”

Read the rest of this entry »

On April 21, Miami based Burger King Corporation launched Tu Ciudad, Tu Música in Harlingen, Texas which will conclude June 23 in Miami, Florida. This is the latest Hispanic marketing platform from the fast food giant who is enjoying great success in the general market with their strategic shift in target.

Kudos to Brommley (Hispanic AOR) for fighting and developing an autonomous communication strategy that is significantly different, but not conflictive with that of the general market. Not that BK’s general market advertising is not genius because it is…and I’m a big fan. It’s just that the tone and manner of the general market campaign is much too “in your face” and arrogant for the Hispanic masses. But it’s awesome and if sales are any indication…the communication shift has made a huge impact on the business. So was going public which they did last year as BKC in the NYSE.

Read the rest of this entry »

DISCLAIMER: This is a WDW Press Release with my color commentary (ala Dave Barry) and 2 years worth of first hand knowledge working at WDW Marketing. Please know that I mean these things lovingly as I hold Disney to a different standard.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla., May 2 /PRNewswire/ — (if they are sending out a release to Latinos, why would then not use the “tilde”…hello!! I will fix it for them for them from here on out) Quinceanera parties, the traditional Latin coming-of-age celebrations, have arrived at Walt Disney World Resort.

From a fully customized celebration based on a family’s ideas to pre-designed, themed Quinceañera events that take away all the worry of planning, Disney is offering these tradition-steeped extravaganzas for girls turning age 15 — a passage from flat-soled shoes and dolls to high heels, elaborate gowns and young womanhood. (LOL Spaceship Earth sounds like a perfect setting for the “bird and the bees” conversation with Mama don’t you think? I can see Cubanitas - and I’m Cuban-American so I can- from nearby Miami wanting to come out of the fountains atop the Swan and Dolphin Hotels. After all, Latinas dream big.)

Read the rest of this entry »

Tomorrow is May 5th, which to many Mexican-Americans commemorates the Battle of Puebla - the site where Mexican troops defeated the French army in 1862. Nothing really to celebrate since Mexicans celebrate “El Grito” - Mexican Independence Day on September 16th from Spain right?

Wrong, cinco de mayo has become big business for American companies especially in the general market. This Mexican holiday has joined the ranks of other “not-so-holidays” like St. Patrick’s Day and Fat Tuesday with American party-goers overindulging on Tex-Mex food and themed drinks. The holiday has become an urban legend of sorts which people celebrate, but don’t really know why. A great excuse to party. So again I ask the question…who is the party for?

Read the rest of this entry »

The Billboard Latin Music Conference & Awards, now in its 18th year, took place April 23-26 in Miami. The conference had a reported attendance of over 1000 sponsors, press and powerful music industry executives, and features showcase performances by over 20 artists, panel discussions on important industry issues.

Parties, educational sessions, cocktail receptions, networking events and the 5th annual Billboard Bash, which features awards presentations and performances all make up what they are now called Latin Music Week. The move to make this a week long event allow for more sponsorship opportunities which I’m sure is welcome. This is very similar to the strategy employed by the Latin Grammies with their street parties.

The Billboard Latin Conference ended in style with the Billboard Bash, the official pre-awards show party was on April 25, followed by the prestigious Billboard Latin Music Awards on April 26, which aired live at 8pm EST on Telemundo.
Read the rest of this entry »

‘La Fea’ Meets ‘Ugly Betty’ In The Month Of May.- A month-long parade of Spanish television stars on ABC’s “Ugly Betty” will culminate with the May 17th appearance of Angélica Vale - none other than the star of Univision’s “La Fea Más Bella.”

Vale’s presence in the season finale of “Ugly Betty” features the actress as Angélica, the assistant to Diane (played by Kristin Chenoweth). Angélica is an orthodontic technician who loves romantic comedies and becomes overly involved in her patients’ lives - including that of Betty (played by América Ferrera).

Other guest stars include telenovela star Cristian de la Fuente, appearing in tomorrow night’s episode.

BY LAURA WIDES-MUNOZ

AP HISPANIC AFFAIRS WRITER

MIAMI — Indie rocker Eric Monterrosa checks his ElHood.com Web site at least three times a day, answering fans, surfing for other new Latin artists and keeping in touch with friends from his native Colombia.

Elhood is sort of a bilingual MySpace page mixed with a the latest in Latin music, and for Monterrosa it has become a personal and professional lifeline. It is also the latest in a wave of Hispanic social networking sites building connections across the U.S., Latin America and Spain, all hoping that they can capture a slice of the millions of dollars in advertising being purchased.

“A lot of Latin artists are plugged in. So if you want to find them it’s easy. If you go to sites like MySpace, you have to go through all sorts of genres, types of music and languages,” Monterrosa said. “It’s cool that we can break the boundaries and reach out to other countries and have so many people sharing music and talking across international borders.”

About 56 percent of Hispanics in the U.S. use the Internet, compared to 71 percent of non-Hispanic whites and 60 percent of non-Hispanic blacks, according to study released last month by the D.C.-based Pew Internet and American Life Project. But the number of Hispanics online jumps to 67 percent for 18 to 27 year olds, who also happen to be the group most likely to visit social networking sites and a plum advertising demographic.
Read the rest of this entry »