Billy Barnes — One of the Triangle’s Movers & Shakers

Aug242010
Stephanie Styons

Congratulations to Billy Barnes who was just named one of the Triangle’s Movers and Shakers! This award honors up-and-coming business leaders in the Triangle community — individuals who have made an impact on both their company and the community.

Throughout Billy’s 17-year career, he’s worked on a wide variety of accounts in just about every industry there is. This exposure to so many types of products and services has made Billy incredibly versatile and given him a unique perspective on business, which our clients truly appreciate. His creative strengths are new product launches, knowing what’s funny and what’s not, the ability to tap into people’s emotions, integrated campaigns, and making user experiences on the web engaging and effective. Continue Reading >

19. Where Do They Live?

Jul272010
Jim Stevens-Arce

Up through the 1980s, some 50% of all Hispanics in the U.S. lived in a mere handful of places: California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Florida, and New York.

ContinentalUS&SelectedStates_1a Continue Reading >

18. Se habla español – Part 5

Jul62010
Jim Stevens-Arce

26_Composite_SpanishAdsNow that you’ve decided you should advertise to Hispanics in Spanish, you just need to get someone to translate your English-language campaign, right? Continue Reading >

17. Se habla español – Part 4

Jun12010
Jim Stevens-Arce

√HispanicThreeIn previous posts, we’ve seen how Hispanics prefer to be addressed in Spanish by advertisers.

But hang on a minute.

If you’re targeting assimilated or highly-acculturated English-dominant Hispanics, shouldn’t you go with English instead? Continue Reading >

16. Se habla español – Part 3

Apr272010
Jim Stevens-Arce

LatinFlags_3As we mentioned in Post Number 15, Hispanics prefer to be addressed in Spanish by advertisers.

But what kind of Spanish are we talking about?

Don’t cubanos and costarricenses and colombianos and chilenos speak different versions of the language?

To say nothing of  panameños and paraguayos and puertorriqueños and peruanos?

Continue Reading >

15. Se habla español – Part 2

Mar302010
Jim Stevens-Arce

LatinoFamily_20In answer to the question of which language is more effective in reaching Hispanics — English or Spanish — we pointed out in our previous post that most consumers make their decisions based on emotion and that for Hispanics, the language of emotion is Spanish.

Why is this important?

Continue Reading >

14. Se habla español – Part 1

Mar162010
Jim Stevens-Arce

Telenovela_1Say you’ve decided to go after the Hispanic market.

Should you advertise in English or Spanish?

Let’s think about it.

Most consumers make their decisions based on emotions.

And for Hispanics, Spanish is their language of emotion.

So it helps if you speak their language.

The interesting thing is that even when Hispanics speak only English, Spanish still speaks to them.

It speaks to them of home. It speaks to them of family. It speaks to them of culture.

Continue Reading >

13. There’s More than One Way to Skin a Gato – Part 3

Mar22010
Jim Stevens-Arce

UnivisionDishSpanish-language television.

Small potatoes ratings-wise, right?

Well, you might want to consider this.

As early as 2002, the Spanish-language television network Univision was beating out all other stations in the New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles markets in 18- to 34-year-olds throughout the day.

That’s all other stations —

English and Spanish.

And in all three markets, Univision’s early evening local news drew more 18- to 34-year-olds than ABC, CBS, and NBC.

Combined.

By 2004, Univision’s North Carolina station, WUVC-TV, beat ABC and NBC outright and tied with CBS for the Number One spot in the highly desirable 18- to 34-year-old male segment.

Which means that as many men 18 to 34 were watching telenovelas on WUVC as were watching Everybody Loves Raymond or CSI: Crime Scene Investigation on WRAL.

In October 2004, the final episode of a Univision telenovela delivered more 18- to 49-year-old viewers than ABC, CBS, FOX, WB, or UPN.

Nationwide.

14_Composite_TVLogos

And in July 2006, Univision scored another impressive landmark.

Its 18- to 34-year-old viewership in prime time beat every network but FOX.

For an entire week.

Top-rated English-language shows may not even register among Hispanics.

In fact, in 2005 only four English-language shows made it into the top 40 among Latino viewers: American Idol ranked highest at 29, with Desperate Housewives, CSI, and The Simpsons trailing behind.*

15_Composite_TVShows

And Univision is not alone.
Spanish-language television is expanding and targeting specific niches within the larger Latino market.

In fact, today more than 70 cable and dozens of local independent stations offer Spanish-language programming.

Which is good for advertisers.

Because it means we can target Latinos more precisely for you.

:: :: ::

Next time we’ll talk about whether you should advertise in English or Spanish.
And why it makes a difference.
Stay tuned.

*Source: International Communications Research, 2005.

12. There’s More than One Way to Skin a Gato – Part 2

Feb162010
Jim Stevens-Arce

12_Composite

From Omaha to Atlanta to Lexington to Milwaukee — and points in between — Spanish-language radio stations have been proliferating across the U.S.

(I probably don’t need to tell you that radio stations don’t pop up until after there’s an audience for them.)

Not only is Spanish-language radio enjoying rapid growth — it’s also enjoying dominating ratings.

Take Atlanta in 2004, for example.

In response to the rising Hispanic population in the area, Clearwater Channel’s radio station WWVA converted from general market English-language programming, which was eking out a barebones 1.6 share among the 18- to 34-year-old listener group, to a Spanish-language format.

The result?

Its share of that coveted demographic shot up to 11.3 – a 700% increase.

Overnight.*

Not bad.

But perhaps not surprising.

The fact is that 87% of adult Latinos access Spanish-language radio, television, or newspapers on a regular basis.

They spend 18 hours a week watching television — approximately 50% of it in Spanish. And 15 hours a week listening to radio — of which 50% is also in Spanish.

That’s double the time non-Hispanics spend. Oh, and 29% of them also prefer their newspapers in Spanish.**

So if you’re planning to target the Hispanic market, the Spanish-language media is something you shouldn’t overlook

:: :: ::

Next time we’ll talk about Spanish-language television.
And some data points that may surprise you.
Stay tuned.

*Source: Arbitron. **Source: Bendixen & Associates.

11. There’s More than One Way to Skin a Gato – Part 1

Feb22010
Jim Stevens-Arce

BillboardsInSpanish_1aMother.
Family.
Education.
And success.

These are some of the core emotional touchstones an advertiser would do well to keep in mind when targeting Hispanics.
So, okay, let’s assume you’ve done that.
Now, how do you reach them?
(Outside of traditional media, which we’ll touch on in future posts.)

1. Hispanics tend to be group oriented.
They enjoy group outings such as soccer games, street fairs, and festivals.
So outdoor ads with simple messages located at or en route to these activities can generate large reach and frequency numbers at low cost.

2. Hispanics tend to shop in groups.
At the auto dealer, at the department store, at the supermarket, at the mall — you’ll often see Hispanics traveling in couples, trios, quartets, entire families.
That translates into more potential customers.
And more potential sales.
For example, “Buy One, Get One Half Off” deals can target both the shopper and the companions.

3. Hispanic families are often three-generational.
That means kids, parents, and grandparents.
So including the grandparents in ads targeting Hispanic families can be a wise marketing strategy.

4. Hispanics tend to place great stock in word-of-mouth.
When someone they respect speaks, Latinos listen.
So such a person’s endorsement of a product or service can be a powerful motivator for purchase or trial.

11_Composite_2

5. To Hispanics, relationships matter.
Latinos like to feel like a friend, not just a customer.
So in your advertising — and in your place of business — it pays to treat them as such.

:: :: ::

Next time we’ll talk about some other effective ways to reach Hispanics.
And why they work.
Stay tuned.