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.