40 Hispanic Digital and Marketing Resources You Need to Know

Everywhere you look there's probably a very talented individual or organization providing insights and quality perspective into the arena of engaging today's $1.3 trillion Latino market. A recent post on the term "post-cultural" by Giovanni Rodriguez is just one good example of how the discussions around Hispanic marketing have evolved into a collection of very dynamic perspective that transcend the boundaries of language, culture, digital ethnography, communication, social engagement, and public influence.

Hispanic Marketing vine.co/v/bXrivqidwMF
— Vista Hispano (@VistaHispano) March 7, 2013

The following is a list of some of the leading resources and providers of insights, tips, and strategies in the field of Hispanic Marketing: 

1. AdAge Hispanic Insights into the Hispanic marketing arena as provided by AdvertisingAge.
2. AHAA The voice of Hispanic marketing.
3. BodenPR Blog Insights and information on developing and rolling out U.S Hispanic strategies from the team at BodenPR.
4. Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication at FSU authoritative source of knowledge, production, education, and professional training in Hispanic Marketing Communication in the United States.
5. CEO Blog Perspective and insight provided by Geoscape CEO Cesar Melgoza.
6. Circulo Creativo Promoting creative excellence and communication among professionals focused on the U.S. Latino market.
7. Engage:Hispanics Perspectives provided by MediaPost.
8. Hispanic Business Top news resource for Hispanic entrepreneurs, professionals and small business owners.
9. HispanicAd The tool for the Hispanic advertising and media professional.
10. Hispanicize Leading social media resource for Hispanic marketers and influencers.
11. Hispanic Digital Consumers Report  A IAB and BIGinsight report covering Hispanic Consumers’ purchase intent, media influence, consumer confidence, language preference, top online and mobile activities, video usage and a look at device ownership and usage.
12. Hispanic Digital Media News and insights from LatinVision.
13. Hispanic Market Advisors Information on tapping into Hispanic internet users.
14. Hispanic Marketing Blog by Claudia "Havi" Goffan of Target Latino.
15. Hispanic Marketing and Online Media Facebook Group 
16. Hispanic Marketing and Public Relations News and information by Elena del Valle.
17. Hispanic Market Info A blog for Hispanic marketers.
18. Hispanic Market Weekly Authority on news and events moving the Hispanic market.
19. Hispanic Online Marketing Captura Group's blog featuring best practices, case studies, and research for Hispanic online marketers. Contributions by Lee Vann.
20. Hispanic PR Blog Your guide to Hispanic Public Relations and Social Media News & Views.
21. Hispanic Trending The original Hispanic marketing blog by Juan Tornoe. Documenting Latinos' imprint in America.
22. JoeKutchera.com Official website of Joe Kutchera, a leading social marketing advisor and speaker and the author of Latino Link: Building brands online with Hispanic communities and content.
23. LATISM Blog Latinos in Tech Innovation and Social Media.
24. Más Wired  For, by, and about Latinos in Tech focused on showing the incredible contributions Latinos are making in the digital space.
25. Media Rumba Online Hispanic marketing and media ecology blog by Frankie De Soto.
26. Marketing to Latinos (ClickZ) Provides trends, insights, and practical tips on how to reach, engage, and profit by marketing to Latinos.
27. Marketing Trends in a New Multicultural Society Cultural understanding in marketing is a growing branch in the study of consumer behavior. Perspective by Dr. Felipe Korzenny.
28. Mercury Mambo Hispanic Marketing Blog Information on Hispanic Shopper Marketing, Event and Experiential Marketing, Sales Promotions, and Branding.
29. Multicultural Marketing News Information on how to market to multicultural (ethnic and niche) consumer markets.
30. PewResearch Hispanic Center Founded in 2001, the Pew Hispanic Center is a nonpartisan research organization that seeks to improve understanding of the U.S. Hispanic population and to chronicle Latinos’ growing impact on the nation.
31. Pinterest Pins related to the Hispanic market.
32. Portada Leading source of news and analysis on the Latin Marketing and Media space.
33. Reach Hispanic U.S. Hispanic and Latin American resource.
34. ReachHispanics.co Hispanic online marketing blog by Martin Ramirez.
35. Think Multicultural Covers the multicultural marketing and advertising world through the transformative lenses of the digital media. Co-contributors Jose Villa and Danny Allen.
36. Think with Google Consumer trends, marketing insights and industry research provided by Google.
37. The New American Consumer: Trends in Hispanic Consumer Demographics Report Experian offers this informative report, which identifies key trends among Hispanic-American consumers. 
38. Twitter Search An active stream of conversation around the #HispanicMarket hashtag.
39. Univision Insights Research and perspective from Univision delivered to your inbox.
40. Zubi Nation Erasing stereotypes.

Who did we miss? Suggestions are definitely welcome!

About Vista Hispano
Vista Hispano is the official Hispanic marketing blog of Hub 81 providing insights into the trends and changing demographics of the U.S. Hispanic market.

About Hub 81
An integrated marketing communications agency based in Santa Maria on the beautiful Central Coast of California. Forward-thinking strategic partner helping clients navigate today's multicultural digital engagement and Hispanic marketing landscape.

Best Practices: US Hispanic Search Marketing

A recent video released by Google offers insights into using search marketing to target Hispanics online. The recorded training provides useful tips for increasing user intent with relevant content.

US Hispanics are very active information seekers. Bilingual and bicultural tendencies make them a very appealing audience to target through search platforms. Learn about account basics, lifestyle targeting, basic translation traps, cultural nuances best practices and getting started. This training is recommended to help day-to-day account teams, campaign managers, and strategic thinkers enter, expand and optimize their online Hispanic search presence.

Here's the video: 

Key takeaways:

• One of out every 3 new suburbanites is Hispanic.
• 93% of US Hispanics report using Google as their primary search engine.
• Spanish queries remain important and demonstrate year over year double sometimes triple growth.
• Hispanic campaigns demonstrate improved campaign efficiency.
• Hispanic search marketing is still relatively new and less crowded.
• Test two campaigns as a way to capture user intent.
• Include accented and unaccented keywords.
• Language pathways impact performance.
• Best-in-class clients tend to allocate roughly 10% of their overall marketing budget to Hispanic investments.

Join the Conversation

Tweets by @VistaHispano

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.

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.”

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.

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

(Image credit)

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.