Top 10 U.S. Web Brands in 2011

As 2011 comes to a close, Nielsen reviewed the top online destinations, social media sites, and smartphone devices. Google was the most-visited U.S. Web brand, while Facebook held its lead among social networks and blogs. Smartphones were popular in 2011, making up the majority of new phone purchases with Apple as the top smartphone manufacturer and Android as the leading OS.

Leaders of the pack include (To nobody's surprise...):

1. Google
2. Facebook
3. Yahoo

For the full list and original article, click here.

New Lingo for Marketers Targeting Hispanics

Today's U.S. Hispanic millennials are more bilingual and bicultural than ever. They make up 21% of America's millennial generation of 18-34 year-olds and are 14 million strong. These individuals see themselves as 100% Latino and 100% American often moving between several cultural experiences with ease.

Today's Hispanic millennials are the ultimate multi-tasker or as some put it 'fusionistas'.

They watch football and futbol and live in a world where options for cultural expression are numerous. Think of it as the ultimate experience in customization. It's a lot like creating your own class in Call of Duty where individuals have numerous options to create the perfect offensive package and compete in a battlefield for the ages or perhaps more closely resembling an open canvas where individuals are armed with the creative potential for unique cultural expression.

No matter how we describe this cultural fusion the truth of the matter is that individuals, organizations, and brands must pay attention to the changing dynamics of today's audiences and the terms that attempt to define them. Of course, we all know that no single population can be locked in a categorical box but it's the important elements of recognizing unique characteristics that help drive effective communication.

Meet the first Hispanic Majority Team Owner in the History of the NBA

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Update: Alex Meruelo terminates plan to buy NBA's Atlanta Hawks

When the reports that Alex Meruelo was purchasing the Atlanta Hawks hit the newswires on Aug. 7 last summer, a reader named Steve Brown posted this comment under a story about the prospective owner in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "My boycott is over."

Brown's comment was typical. Atlanta fans are clearly dissatisfied with the current ownership of the Hawks, and many likely will embrace the transaction for two reasons: 1) Meruelo said with sincerity in the interview that he wants "to bring a championship to the city of Atlanta;" and 2) Meruelo is part of a new, pioneering era of ownership in professional sports.

In case you missed it: Meruelo is about to become the first Hispanic majority team owner in the history of the NBA. And the only thing missing on the back end of his comment about wanting to "bring a championship to Atlanta" that could have sold Atlanta fans further on him might be the tag line made infamous by Malcolm X: "By any means necessary."

In a 2004 BusinessWeek cover story headlined "Hispanic Nation," Brian Grow wrote: "It boils down to this: How much will Hispanics change America, and how much will America change them?"

Meruelo is stuck right in the center of that question.

Read the full article.

Reading Material for Today's Hispanic Market Insider

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Staying on top of today's growing Latino market is a must for individuals and organizations focused on reaching new heights in audience engagement, market savvy and brand affinity. We are in the midst of a directional shift where astute brand managers and market researchers alike move full speed ahead on the path towards fully grasping the growing influence and dynamic activity of what is termed the Hispanic market. Following are a few articles that are sure to serve as relevant reading material on this continual journey towards audience understanding...

Hispanics’ Digital Dexterity Defies Stereotypes
Hispanics in this country have a duality. They’re trying to meld their American life with traditions and culture from their country of origin. It makes for an interesting dynamic of someone living in and balancing two worlds. Within that, we really wanted to uncover how Hispanic consumers think about themselves.

Get Ready for the Battle of the Latino Basket
How one company wanted to go to market with "an open mind" and, through innovation, bring Latino flavors to mainstream products.

Multicultural Marketing Is Very Much Alive
As the voice of the Hispanic-specialized marketing industry, we know that cultural relevance remains the trump card in marketing, regardless of the population segment you are trying to reach. Therefore, it is vital to have marketing practitioners who not only reflect the target market but also understand these cultural nuances.

Multicultural Is the Wave of the Future
Changes in demographics, marketing tools and corporate expertise have made multicultural marketing more relevant than ever. In fact, multicultural marketing, particularly targeting Hispanics, has grown at a faster rate than overall marketing in the past 10 years .

7 Hyper Relevant Facts on the Hispanic Market

Back in May 2011, comScore reported that 787,000 Hispanics visited Tumblr, making up 9% of total U.S. traffic. (Tweet)

In the past 12 months, Tumblr's total U.S. traffic grew 218% while Tumblr's U.S. Hispanic traffic grew 312%. (Tweet)

Latino digital getting lots of alone time these days because of its surprising status in the digital marketing food chain. (Tweet)

Early experiments in the most promising sector of the Latino marketing world - digital - will pay off big. (Tweet)

Latinos, in the aggregate, out-index all other ethnic groups on public social networks. (Tweet)

12% of US Hispanic mobile users use social networks on their mobile vs. 10% of the general market. (Tweet)

87% of Hispanic households have multiple mobile phones... Tweet)

Quick Facts About Latinos in the Tri-Counties

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The following are a collection of quick facts helping to paint a better picture of the Hispanic population in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura counties. Insights that matter...


San Luis Obispo County

Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin - 55,973

21% Share of the population.

Within the county, 7.9% businesses are Hispanic-owned firms.

Santa Barbara County
Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin - 181,687

43% Share of the population.

Within the county, 13.9% businesses are Hispanic-owned firms.

Ventura County

Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin - 331,567

40% Share of the population

Within the county, 15% businesses are Hispanic-owned firms.


More facts about Latinos in California:

Between 2006 and 2008, the number of Latinos who earned undergraduate degrees in California grew by 13 percent, while other groups increased by just eight percent.

Among the top 10 states enrolling Latinos, California had the largest increase in degrees conferred to Latinos over three years.


However, college completion among Latino students in California still lags behind their Non-Hispanic White counterparts.


Sources

David, E. (2011). Despite progress, California Latinos lag behind others in college completion. Retrieved from http://www.edexcelencia.org/newsroom/pressreleases/2011/08/despite-progress-california-latinos-lag-behind-others-college-complet

Pew Hispanic Center. (2011) Retrieved from http://pewhispanic.org/data/census2010/ 

The End of the PC Era

For nearly 30 years, personal computers as we have known them have been the drivers of the technology engine. From Intel to Microsoft to Dell to HP to Micron Technology — many fortunes were made on the back of the PC. But the rise of mobile computing is upending the technology business and is simultaneously redefining what is a personal computer and how we use it.

On Thursday Hewlett-Packard, one of the oldest companies in Silicon Valley with deep connections to the PC ecosystem (they paid $25 billion for Compaq in 2002) and the world’s largest seller of PCs, confirmed it is looking to sell off its personal computing business. It’s also getting out of the hardware game altogether, ditching its tablet and smartphone operations too. But if HP does eventually find a buyer for its PC division, it will only be catching up with IBM, which in 2004 decided that the low-margin PC business wasn’t worth pursuing.

HP is not the only company that is finding itself on the wrong side of PC history. Earlier this week Dell reported its earnings and acknowledged that its bread-and-butter PC business isn’t what it used to be.

Read the full article or learn more about how Hispanics are a key driver of this trend through the increased adoption of tablets.

Excellence in Multicultural Marketing

Teams of all shapes and sizes place an importance on quality results. From the breakroom to the boardroom, the pursuit of perfection itself is oftentimes given a backseat to seemingly more pressing matters such as additional statistics, more research, bigger charts, prettier infographics, and flashier marketing swag.

Many marketers and communication specialists are on the fringes of a vicious cycle. Have we traded innovation for familiarity or creativity for consistency?

Consider this a signpost.

Not talking smack...we're talking SMAC. (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Challenging objectives.)

There's a time and place for actionable insights and refined direction. However, the pattern of normalcy across various departments, markets, and varying industries is in itself a detriment to the pursuit of excellence.

We act on certain things because of the status quo without taking the time to observe the sea of possibility.

There's an ocean of opportunity just waiting for the willing.

The pursuit of excellence is not just a goal...but rather it is the goal.

Let's break this chain and cycle of business as usual in every aspect of marketing and communications.

After all, isn't that where the real meaning and success lies?

STUDY: For Many U.S. Latinos Biculturalism is Key to Self-Identity

Many U.S. Hispanics feel culturally connected to both, their U.S. and Latino identities, according to Horowitz Associates’ annual FOCUS: Latino report. The study of U.S. Hispanics’ attitudes towards and viewing of TV, broadband, and alternative platform content and services finds that, when asked to rate on a scale of 1-5 whether they identified themselves as “completely Latino” or “completely American,” 18% of Hispanics identify themselves as “completely American,” 43% as completely Latino, and four in ten (39%) feel they are a mix of both.

Latinos comprise a population segment that's constantly on the move. We live and breathe the dynamics of biculturalism. Here's a link to a post with additional data on bilingual homes.

Sweeping Race Change and A Growing Age Divide - The New Majority

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WASHINGTON – For the first time, more than half of the children under age 2 in the U.S. are minorities, part of a sweeping race change and a growing age divide between mostly white, older Americans and fast-growing younger ethnic populations that could reshape government policies.

"The recent emergence of this cultural generation gap in states with fast growth of young Hispanics has spurred heated discussions of immigration and the use of government services," Frey said. "But the new census, which will show a minority majority of our youngest Americans, makes plain that our future labor force is absolutely dependent on our ability to integrate and educate a new diverse child population."

Source: Yahoo! News

Kraft Targeting Hispanic Market with Kool-Aid

This year, Kraft says it will triple spending on the Hispanic market. For the first time, Kraft will allocate a majority of its 2011 marketing budget to reach Hispanics in an effort to grow its Kool-Aid brand.

Almost 20 percent of Kool-Aid drinkers are Hispanic, while slightly more than 20 percent are African-American, according to the brand. Sales are split about evenly between powdered mixes and ready-to-drink versions.

The Kool-Aid campaign looks to help drive home the message that a fresh approach is needed to reach the powerful Hispanic market.

A Case for the Business-Critical Importance of the Hispanic Market

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Global communications leader Porter Novelli today released the latest issue of its popular Amplify report, “Census: It’s All in the Numbers,” which explores the dramatically increased buying power and influence of the Hispanic market in the U.S., as made clear by the recently released U.S. Census figures.

Examining information such as birth rates and population growth areas, as well as increasing Hispanic proficiency in digital and social media and mobile usage, the report makes a strong case for the business-critical importance of the Hispanic market for sustained growth and brand health. The issue studies the Hispanic impact on food and beverage marketing and health care providers—analyzing how Hispanics balance acculturation while maintaining strong traditions and community ties.

“Clearly, brands and businesses can no longer afford to ignore the Hispanic market,” said Julie Winskie, global president, clients. “It is a $1 trillion market that is growing not just in numbers, but in the all-important use of digital media. Despite the transformative impact that kind of buying power and digital sophistication could have on businesses, nearly 50 percent of U.S. brands still don’t include Hispanics in their marketing mix. That’s more than just a missed opportunity – ignoring this market could have serious consequences for the bottom line.”

Millennials and the Fear of Missing Out

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It’s not exactly news that the Millennial Generation (loosely defined as people born between 1980 and 2000) spend a lot of time on websites like Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter. But according to recent findings from a study conducted by MTV, for today’s young people, the constant social networking isn’t all fun and games. While more than half of the Millennials polled by MTV agreed with the statement “what I post online defines who I am,” a good percent of them also said they find it “exhausting to always be ‘on’.”

FOMO or the "Fear of Missing Out" is a huge part of why today's users spend so much time online.

Read the full "Social Media is Not All Fun and Games" article.

Use of Language in Media to Reach Hispanics

Check out this video by Newlink America featuring Dr. Felipe Korzenny of F.S.U.'s Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication.

The Use of Spanish vs. English Language Advertising to Hispanics

Interested in exploring the best model to connect with Latinos?

Newlink Conversations: Dialogue, Debate and Discovery, video commentary on topics that matter in the U.S. Hispanic, market just posted their latest vlog on the use of Spanish versus English to reach Hispanics featuring Dr. Felipe Korzenny, Founder and Director of the Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication at Florida State University and co-author with Betty Ann Korzenny of a new book: Hispanic Marketing: Connecting with the New Latino Consumer. In the vlog, available at www.youtube.com/newlinkamerica, Dr. Korzenny shares his research-based insights on what marketers need to understand when deciding whether to use Spanish vs. English to reach Hispanics. He also vlogs about when it is appropriate to consider a mix of both Spanish and English language when advertising to Hispanics. “Dr. Korzenny’s research and perspective on this and other topics is valuable to experienced and nascent marketers who are always debating and exploring the best model to connect with Latinos,” said Jorge Ortega, Managing Partner of Newlink America.

Your comments are welcome.

Survival of the Hispanic Ad Agency: An Effective Model vs A Relevant Approach

Today’s students of new media and market experts are required to keep their finger on the pulse of the cultural and demographic shifts taking place across numerous audience segments. We must be responsive and equally proactive to handle these changing dynamics. Flexibility and the capacity to adapt to a dynamic marketplace are key characteristics of a successful approach in communicating effectively with today’s emerging markets.

The following two-part series on the end of the Hispanic Advertising Agency is good reading for those who are interested in exploring the current Hispanic marketing landscape and the important industry sustaining difference between a more effective Hispanic market business model and a relevant approach to reaching Latinos.

The question: Are we going to see the end of the Hispanic Advertising Agency As We Know It?

Part I
Part II

Your thoughts and comments are welcome.

Latinos Fuel Growth in Santa Maria | California

Santa Maria’s population increased by 28.6 percent over the past 10 years, with most of the city’s growth fueled by the Latino community, according to data released by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Santa Maria’s population climbed from 77,423 in 2000 to 99,553 in 2010, according to statewide data on the 2010 Census.

The city became the most populous in Santa Barbara County in 2006, reaching 89,917 and surpassing Santa Barbara for the first time.

The Latino community was responsible for most of the city’s growth, representing 70.4 percent or 70,114 of the city’s residents, compared to 59.6 percent in 2000.

Read the full article.

Are We Really Listening to Latinos?

The success of Univision's Soy Tu Dueña kind of went unnoticed. Nobody made a huge deal about it except for a few articles on the size of their audience which averaged 5.4 million total viewers.

Somebody took notice.

Comcast, the cable and entertainment company, is making a major push into Spanish-language TV with plans to roll out a website featuring hundreds of shows and movies for Hispanic audiences. It's good to know that there are indeed companies "fully comitted to the Hispanic market."

Well, let's define commitment.

Currently, $6 billion is spent on U.S. Hispanic media which amounts to approximately 5% of the $117 billion total U.S. ad spend. Five percent seems a bit low considering that Hispanics make up 15% of the total U.S. population. To echo the thoughts of David Chitel, chairman and founder of the New Generation Latino Consortium, "we as an industry can aim higher."

Yes, indeed.

The question we marcom pros and industry insiders should be asking: "What do Latinos want from us?"

The results of asking such a question will provide a plethora of insights into tapping in to the burgeoning Hispanic market and allow for an opportunity of true engagement.

Your thoughts and comments are welcome.

New Latino DMAs

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There is an need for marketers to rethink and move beyond traditional stereotypes in reaching today's Hispanic audience. An exploration into current demographic data released by the U.S. Census Bureau is providing some profound insight into the activity and geographic characteristics of Latinos in America.

Rethinking DMAs
Non-traditional Hispanic DMAs are experiencing dramatic growth driven by foreign-born Latinos. Markets such as Louisiana, Mississippi, and Virginia grew by 78.7 percent, 105.9 percent, and 91.7 percent respectively. Comparatively, the total population in these states only grew by 1.4 percent, 4.3 percent, and 13 percent. In Oregon, the Latino population grew by 64 percent, compared to the total population growth of 12 percent. Hispanics were also major contributors to population growth in other non-traditional Hispanic markets such as Iowa, Maryland, Oklahoma, Indiana, Arkansas, and Vermont.

For additional information and insights into important demographic shifts occuring in the Hispanic market, read the "The Super Bowl of Demographics" by Gustavo Razzetti.

Staying True to Your Roots: Key to Advocacy

As marketers and brand specialists strive for maximum affinity, few organizations recognize the value of origins. All companies regardless of industry start out with a unique story and then make every effort to share that story with the world.

A story is made up of unique characters who all work together to bring about a memorable collection of individual tales, singular characteristics, and dynamic experiences. Some stories transcend the boundaries of time.

Reaching a point of maximum brand affinity and audience engagement in the Latinosphere is accomplished through careful research, strategic planning, and authentic insights. However, there is another plateau that only a few are able to reach. A level which exists where customers become raving fans and active advocates.

Advocates are more valuable than repeat customers.

Why? Because they are active constantly sharing your story helping your brand achieve tremendous return on investment.

How do you reach this point of advocacy? It's not easy but is made simpler when we remember our humble beginnings and stay true to our roots.

Take Pitbull for example.

He recently took home a 2011 Premio Lo Nuestro award for Artista Del Año in the Urbano category. While on stage, he made a special effort to thank those from the Miami 305 area code. Why? Because he knows where he came from and stays true to his origins. Some individuals attain a certain level of success and forget where they came from often falling short in the categories of retention and loyalty.

Sometimes...a little recognition is all it takes!

And remember...it's more expensive to capture new customers than it is to retain your existing ones.

Latinos + Smartphone Usage -- Story

Opportunities in the Hispanic Market

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"When the [census] data comes in, it’s going to be significant. The buying community psychologically is going to go ‘Wow.’ You’re going to see a tremendous shift.” [and] a “significant game changer in our country,” [which] will “signal to the world…that the economic power and force of Hispanics have arrived. Psychologically and practically, I think it’s going to be the biggest game changer in the history of media...” - Don Browne, President of Telemundo Communications Group

For savvy marketers, this comes as no surprise. The Hispanic market is a unique population segment with the potential to impact a variety of industries.

Why wait for census data? The time to connect with Latinos is now.

Restaurants Are Scrambling for Creative Ways to Pique the Interest of Latinos

Just last year, the top 500 advertisers allocated 5.4 percent of their budgets to connect with Hispanic consumers, according to the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies. The wave of this specific spending focus began in 2007, when Hispanic ad dollars hovered close to 5.6 percent.

Since then, a Spanish wave has washed over QSR marketing schemes. Major players including Wendy’s and Burger King have launched Hispanic-specific campaigns, Baskin-Robbins created a new role to head up the company’s U.S. Hispanic marketing efforts, and Carl’s Jr. developed a format to integrate the chain’s products into prime-time lineups of Univision and TeleFutura affiliates.

Among the best marketers for the Hispanic demographic – as acknowledged by the AHAA – are El Pollo Loco, Domino's Pizza and McDonald's. McDonald’s even got into the mobile marketing game early, launching a text message ad campaign geared toward the market in 2007.

Read the full article on Hispanic marketing strategies.

Join us on Facebook or Twitter for more Hispanic market insights.

How to Lead Engagement in the Latinosphere

The Hispanic market is ever-changing and it can sometimes seem hard to keep up but recent activity shows that social media offers a great alternative for reaching this unique audience. The question is not whether or not this audience exists but rather is how do we reach Latinos or better yet...

What can we accomplish when Latinos and social media collide? (Here are a few ideas...)

Build a Think Tank
The opportunity for collaboration and cooperation is crystal clear. Individuals from private and public sectors have the ability to join togethe and form unique think tanks leading to the development of an ideation hub. We see numerous opportunities for students and professionals alike from all over the Latinosphere to communicate and drive innovation. (Ex. Create your own facebook group.)

Share Golden Content
There's been a recent explosion of activity across various media outlets about an individual with a 'golden voice'. Someone posted a video of this man and boom! it took off from there. If an individual standing on the corner has this kind of opportunity...what kind of opportunities and stories do you think the Latinosphere has in store? Golden content is simplistic, moving, and original. Today's bloggers and content creators have an opportunity to share their own story. The key is to make sharing your story as easy as possible.

Engagement begins with knowing your target audience and bringing them something of value. A mission-driven approach to driving content creation and audience awareness can lead to lasting results.

Latinos in Social Media and the Power of Leverage

The explosion of social media has created a tidal wave of activity and Latinos are the driving force behind this momentum. Countless articles and blog posts are springing up providing today's interested parties with a unique perspective into how Latinos are using social media to lead, influence, and foster change.

However, as researchers and opportunists, we must move beyond this data and into the arena of action. The validation of the U.S. Hispanic market is expanding as are numerous opportunities to innovate and make full use of our resources, knowledge, and capabilities.

Enter the dynamic element of leverage.

lev·er·age (According to Dictionary.com)
1. the action of a lever.

2. the mechanical advantage or power gained by using a lever.

3. power or ability to act or to influence people, events, decisions, etc.; sway: Being the only industry in town gave the company considerable leverage in its union negotiations.

4. the use of a small initial investment, credit, or borrowed funds to gain a very high return in relation to one's investment, to control a much larger investment, or to reduce one's own liability for any loss.

The biggest lesson in argumentation and persuasive writing (which is indeed a big part of advertising and public relations) is to use supporting material. Armed with tons of supporting material validating the size, impact, and sheer potential for return on investment in the Hispanic market, we must move into the dynamic arena of action and innovation.

Rather than participate in a continual spiral of information exchange and data sharing, we must embark on opportunities to leverage our efforts and focus on areas to change the game no matter what our 'game' happens to be.

What would you attempt to do if you knew you would not fail?

Innovate. Move beyond research into the realm of possibility and opportunity.

Top 5 Favorite Hispanic Market Insider Resources

Today's Latinos comprise a dynamic population segment making it somewhat difficult to keep up on important trends and relevant market activity. However, there is an increasing collection of great blogs and media outlets providing relevant content and quality insights into the fastest growing and youngest demographic in the United States.

Here are five of our favorites:

Engage:Hispanics (MediaPost)
MediaPost Communications is an integrated publishing and content company whose mission is to provide a complete array of resources for media, marketing and advertising professionals. Engage:Hispanics proves as a reliable resource for today's professional interested in the Hispanic market. 

ReachHispanic

Online destination providing news, information, and research about Hispanic marketing.

LatinVision Hispanic Digital Media

One of many LatinVision Media Inc. business portals targeting US Hispanic and Latin American professionals, entrepreneurs, executives and business owners in small and medium-sized companies.

HispanicPR Blog

A great resource for Hispanic public relations, social media, news and views. Want to know what today's brands are doing to reach Latinos? This blog has your answers. Founded by Multicultural PR veterans Manny Ruiz and Angela Sustaita-Ruiz.

Marketing to Latinos (ClickZ)

Powered by two very experienced and dynamic Hispanic market insiders, Giovanni Rodriguez and Gustavo Razzetti, this blog provides trends, insights, and practical tips on how to reach, engage, and profit by marketing to Latinos. Individuals can learn about cultural nuances and their impact on the way this audience behaves online, the roles of bicultural Latinos as online influencers, how to deal with language barriers (English, Spanish, Spanglish), and differences and similarities between Latinos and general market consumers.

Each of the above outlets provide tremendous insights into the Hispanic market and the truth of the matter is that there are many great online destinations offering quality content. 

A New Year Means New Opportunities for the Hispanic Market

Looking forward...Hispanic market in 2011.

The past year has seen some tremendous progress in terms of the growing Hispanic market and its influence. Advertisers and organizations of all types are taking notice. 2010 has truly been the year of explosive influence and true validation.

However, let's look beyond what was and explore the arena of what will and can be in 2011.

Continued Validation
Census results, blog posts, and various forms of media are confirming the obvious. The Hispanic market is a unique population segment with tremendous potential for growth, innovation, exploration, and unique opportunities. As more data becomes available and shared across various outlets, the fact remains that the Hispanic market is legit in terms of spending power, population growth, and impact.

Increased Influence
Hispanics are continuously over indexing in technology use and online participation. Today's conversational tools and communication silos are playing an increased role in the exponential growth of the Hispanic market.

Opportunity
The massive size of the Hispanic market and its continued influence across all industries and sectors make it important to take advantage of every opportunity to build resonance and win the trust of Latinos everywhere, especially online.

Increased participation in social media equals countless opportunities to capture the attention and interest of this growing market across social networks, micro-blogs, chat rooms, and online media. If anything, the growth of twitter confirms that there is room for tools that reinvent the concept and manner through which today's Latinos communicate.

Efforts to capitalize on these trends will indeed provide dividends.

Progress is not a myth and the need for true ambition is prevalent therefore providing substance and traction to any effort that offers Latinos a channel for expression, continued influence, leadership development, educational attainment, and beyond.