Friday, March 29, 2024

Microsoft supports small Hispanic owned businesses through BIC partnership

Posted by Elena del Valle on October 21, 2008

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Jose Pinero, director of Multicultural Marketing, Microsoft

Photo: Microsoft Corp., BIC

Relying on a 2002 U.S. Census Bureau study that indicates that close to 70 percent of all Hispanic-owned businesses make less than $50,000 a year in gross sales and close to 70 percent have fewer than four employees; Microsoft Corp. recently announced a two year sponsorship of the National Hispanic Business Information Clearinghouse (BIC) to promote opportunities for Hispanic entrepreneurs and businesses in the United States through the use of technology.

In addition to monetary support Microsoft will also provide content and software solutions for Hispanic entrepreneurs visiting the BIC Technology website. Microsoft promises a host of software and information specifically targeting Hispanic business owners.

According to the Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy, nearly one-third of all Hispanic-owned businesses fail to survive four years. Microsoft executives hope to affect the statistics by supplying technology support.

Microsoft teamed with BIC as the founding technology partner of an online initiative for Hispanic business owners and entrepreneurs. A spokesperson for Microsoft indicated the company’s executives expect the program will “assist thousands of Hispanic entrepreneurs.”

“Technology is a critical tool that will help Latinos advance in both their life and career,” said Jose Pinero, director of Multicultural Marketing, Microsoft. “At Microsoft we are very excited to provide content for the BIC’s technology section and empower Latinos to succeed in their business enterprises.”


Reach Hispanics online today with

“Marketing to Hispanics Online” audio recording

Identifying and characterizing the booming Hispanic online market

JoelBary Alex Carvallo Matias Perels

Joel Bary, Alex Carvallo and Matias Perel

Find out about
• The millions of Latinos online
• Latino online users by gender
• What they do online
• Their language preferences
• How to reach Hispanic urban youth online
• What affects their online behavior
• What influences their purchases

Click here for information about “Marketing to Hispanics Online”


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Sal Gomez, founder and CEO, BIC

“The BIC is a unique, multilingual Web site that provides Latino entrepreneurs and small-business owners with top-rated business resources,” said Sal Gomez, founder and chief executive officer of BIC. “At nhbic.org, you will find a wealth of information on starting, marketing and managing your business, as well as local resources and training to help you succeed.”

The BIC website is a free, bilingual online service for entrepreneurs, offering business solutions in English and Spanish about technology, business articles, videos, templates, tools and resources, small business search engine, demographic reports, and including geographically based content.

National Hispanic Business Information Clearinghouse, a not-for-profit organization, launched its bilingual website in 2007 to provide information to Hispanics starting or expanding a business. Its purpose is to empower new and established entrepreneurs, build wealth in the Latino community, and boost Hispanic contributions to the U.S. economy.

BIC’s lead corporate sponsor is Western Union, to date contributing $2 million through its “Our World, Our Family” global economic opportunities program. BIC is also funded by a $3.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor. Founded in 1975, Microsoft is a leader in business software and services.


“Segmentation by Level of Acculturation” audio recording

Miguel Gomez Winebrenner

Presenter Miguel Gomez Winebrenner

Discusses

  • Assimilation versus acculturation
  • Factors that affect Latino acculturation
  • How to know if someone is acculturated
  • Number of years necessary for acculturation
  • Effects of immigration debate on acculturation
  • Three main ways of segmenting Latinos

Click here for details about “Segmentation by Level of Acculturation”


Listen to song – Colombian electronic duo releases new album

Posted by Elena del Valle on October 20, 2008

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Monareta’s new album Picotero

Photos, song: Nacional Records

Earlier this month, Monareta, a Colombian duo that divides its time between New York City and Bogotá, launched Picotero, its latest album. In the past two years, the group released two digital albums on the Nacional Records label; and placed songs in films La Mujer de Mi Hermano and Warner Pictures’ upcoming Pride and Glory, and on Chicas Project, a mun2s television program. Scroll down to listen to Me Voy Pal Mar from the Picotero album.

Picotero is described in promotional materials as “intelligent and danceable, a unique fusion of styles refined over several years.” Andres Martinez, Monareta’s composer, producer and vocalist, mixes break beats and hip hop flows with live keyboard performances by Camilo Sanabria. The two became popular in clubs and electronic music festivals in their hometown of Bogota, Colombia. They named the band for the brand of BMX bike they rode as children. The music they perform is influenced by much of what they enjoyed in their formative years.

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Monareta is Andres Martinez and Camilo Sanabria

“Growing up, even as young as 11, I was really involved in the local freestyle street bike scene. All the street bikers in Colombia were heavily influenced by the break dance and electric boogaloo arriving from the U.S.,” said Martinez. “We heard groups like the Beastie Boys and Public Enemy and they completely changed our lives. And so that’s how we got the name for our group: It’s a homage to the`80s break dance, hip hop, BMX and the fashion scene that came from abroad to influence us in South America.”

With Monareta sounds to prove his potential Martinez received a Fulbright scholarship to pursue a Master of Arts in composition and film scoring at New York University. He moved from Bogotá to New York City and immersed himself in the local music scenes. Soon after that Martinez began integrating what he was learning with his studies into the group’s cinematic sound.

Monareta mixes electronic music with cumbia and champeta, the Afro-Colombian genre native to the streets of Colombia’s Caribbean coast. They also incorporate the reggae, dub and calypso sounds popular in the coastal cities. According to promotional materials, the track Llama in the new album especially illustrates this fusion, where the cumbia upbeat flows with a reggae groove and dub vocals. Recently, the group has split time living in Colombia and Brooklyn, while performing across the United States. In 2008, Monareta performed at South by Southwest and North by Northeast in Toronto.

Click on the play button to listen to Me Voy Pal Mar from the new album Picotero.


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Click here to buy Picotero


Florida practitioner offers do it yourself public relations kit

Posted by Elena del Valle on October 17, 2008

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Do-It-Yourself Public Relations Kit

Photo:  Zable Fisher Public Relations

In the third edition of the e-book Do-It-Yourself Public Relations Kit A Step-By-Step Guide to Conducting Your Own Public Relations Campaign Margie Zable Fisher shares detailed insights for business owners, executives and anyone interested in getting the word out about his or her product or service to the public.

The 165-page PDF file, available for purchase online for $97, is divided into three sections: Preparing for Your Public Relations Efforts included the first three chapters; Getting Publicity included chapters 4 through 22; and Additional Public Relations Techniques in the remaining chapters.

In 2003, she wrote the first edition of the e-book while she was pregnant. Prior to writing the book, she had been offering do-it-yourself workshops in South Florida several times a year for business owners and executives who wanted to learn how to promote their business. The book, she thought, would expand her reach to the national level.


Hispanic Marketing and Public Relations Understanding and Targeting America’s Largest Minority book

Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations 1932534083

“A must resource for practitioners/professionals expecting to reach US Hispanics; also valuable for college programs in marketing, public relations and communications. Highly recommended.”

Choice magazine

Click here for information on the Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations books


In the first chapter of the e-book, Zable Fisher begins by defining advertising, public relations and publicity and explaining how each one is distinct from the others. In the following chapter, she explains how readers can identify their Unique Selling Proposition by answering three questions.

She dedicates a lengthy chapter to the development of a public relations plan; discusses how to get publicity; over the next few chapters shares case studies in detail; provides information about the usefulness of editorial calendars; outlines the contents and steps to create a press kit; shares her thoughts on pitching the media; provides interview tips for different types of media as well as guidelines of what to expect and how to interact with media representatives.

In chapters 23 and 24, she talks about the value of free public speaking, seminars and workshops as public relations tools. In the following chapters, she discusses special events; writing a column; being an expert on radio programs; volunteering in the community as well as business groups and non profit organizations; the value of e-newsletters and how to start one. She also discusses letters to the editor and op-eds; public relations online and related issues; useful options few take advantage of; and in the final chapter she addresses crisis issues illustrated with case studies and comments from two practitioners.

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Margie Zable Fisher, author, Do-It-Yourself Public Relations Kit

Zable Fisher is the president of Zable Fisher Public Relations, a public relations firm based in Boca Raton, Florida. She is also the public relations columnist for WomenEntrepreneur.com.

Hundreds of professionals, small and medium-sized business owners and managers have attended her workshops, purchased Do-It-Yourself P.R. materials, and worked with her one-on-one. With her assistance her clients have secured publicity placements, in USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times,The Associated Press (AP), the Today Show, Good Morning America, CNN, CNBC, Fortune Small Business, The Boston Globe, The Los Angeles Times, Inc. Magazine, and Money Magazine among others.

Zabler Fisher graduate from the Boston College School of Management and received a Masters in Business Administration degree from Florida Atlantic University. She is also a certified coach and a certified toastmaster.


“Best in Class Hispanic Strategies” audio recording

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Presenters Carlos Santiago and Derene Allen

  • Find out what makes 25 percent of the top 500 Hispanic market advertisers out perform the remaining companies

  • Discover what questions to ask, steps to take to be a Best in Class company

Click here for more about “Best in Class Hispanic Strategies” audio recording


Miami company targets parents, relatives of Latino babies

Posted by Elena del Valle on October 16, 2008

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Babyspot homepage – click on image to enlarge

Photos: Babyspot.com

In November 2006, Miami partners James Rivera and Zameer Upadhya established Babyspot.com, a website for parents and their families. By September 2007, they had launched Babyspotlatino.com, a related project and social networking site for Latino parents and their families. The website debut was announced on Despierta America, a Spanish language morning show on Univision. Within 15 minutes of the airing of the show, 100 families joined the site. The website now has 300 members and 5,000 visitors per month.

“Debuting on the leading Spanish language morning talk show as we are about to launch this new site is simply amazing. Our main goal is to provide an intimate, culturally relevant networking environment that allows for Latino parents and their families to safely connect on various levels with their family members and friends who are experiencing the same joys as they are,”said Upadhya, chief executive officer, BabySpotLatino.com.

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Zameer Upadhya, CEO and co-founder, Babyspot

“NacerSano.org , the March of Dimes’ Latino arm, is going to provide Babyspot Latino with rich educational material on pregnancy and baby health issues designed to help keep families and their children happy, healthy and safe.”


Discover from a new mom market expert how to reach Latino moms by listening to

“Marketing to New Hispanic Moms – a case study” audio recording

Cynthia Nelson

Presenter Cynthia Nelson, COO, Todobebe

Find out about

• New Latina mom market
• Baby demographics including market size, profile
• New moms’ language preferences
• Latino baby market trends
• Factors influencing Hispanic baby market
• Location of new Hispanic moms’ market
• Issues affecting new Latino moms
• Todobebe strategies

Click for information on “Marketing to New Hispanic Moms – a case study”


In making their business decisions they relied on research that indicates Hispanics surveyed were more likely (69 percent) than non Hispanics (42 percent) to watch, read or listen to online content. The Forrester survey led researchers to conclude that social media strategy can be an important tool for marketers trying to reach Latinos online.

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James Rivera, COO and co-founder, Babyspot

“The Latino families that are members on BabySpotLatino are having a great time with our site! They love to customize and really dress up their babies profile. Oh, and just like my wife they love to share their profiles, videos, photos with their family and friends on a safe and secure spot on the web. I am so happy to  offer families all over the world a place ‘a spot’ they can feel comfortable with. This is what BabySpotlatino.com offers,” said Rivera, chief operating officer and co-founder, Babyspot.

Babyspot Latino offers Latino parents and their families a free, “safe and secure” forum to celebrate the joys of becoming and being parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles. They can also network and share educational information, advice and their experiences with loved ones near and far. On the website, parents and their relatives can share their profiles privately or publicly, upload pictures and videos, blog and chat live.

Prior to BabySpot.com, Upadhya was founder and chief executive officer of AMR Consulting Services (AMR). AMR provided services for small businesses and leadership development for professionals and students. Prior to building AMR, he was an auditor with BDO Seidman, LLP where he handled financial audits. Upadhya began his career  as a financial analyst at the Johnson & Johnson Financial Leadership Development Program.

Before starting BabySpot.com Rivera was chief executive officer of South Dade Wireless, Inc. for three and a half years. He helped grow the company from two retail outlets and $300,000 in revenue to six retail outlets and $6 million in revenue. He began his career as an auditor with PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP in Miami. Rivera earned a Masters in Business Administration degree from Nova Southeastern University.

Dropping real estate prices, weak dollar attract foreign investors searching online

Posted by Elena del Valle on October 15, 2008

By Brian Requarth,
Founder, VivaReal.com

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Brian Requarth, founder, VivaReal.com

Photo: VivaReal.com

Can you imagine buying real estate before actually seeing the property? Believe it or not, real estate agent in Miami, Ines Hegedus-Garcia has had multiple clients from outside the country do just that and she owes it all to the Internet (and her great service of course). “About 30% of our business is foreign nationals and we expect that number to grow.”

For international investors it is a perfect storm, dropping real estate prices and a relatively weak dollar against most major currencies is resulting in foreigners buying up single-family homes, condos and commercial real estate.

Click here to read the complete article


Target Latinos effectively by anticipating changes in the market with

“Hispanic Projections with 2007-08 update” audio recording

Roger Selbert, Ph.D.

Presenter Roger Selbert, Ph.D.

Find out

  • About Latino buying power growth in the future
  • How Latino market growth compares with other markets in the U.S.
  • What drives the rise of Latino economic clout
  • Who should target the Latino market
  • What is the size of the Hispanic affluent market
  • If the luxury Latino market is growing

Stay ahead of your competition with “Hispanic Projections”


New York entrepreneur launches website for tween Latinas

Posted by Elena del Valle on October 14, 2008

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Hip Chicas homepage – click on image to enlarge

Images: HipChicas.com

After extensive research Lazaro Fuentes created animated characters with young Latinas in mind. In 2007, he launched HipChicas, a website for tween Latinas. The new virtual world is open to English and Spanish speaking girls in the Americas. Still in beta trials organizers hope to entice 100,000 registered users to the site with a special promotion.

The first 100,000 people to register for the HipChicas.com Beta trial will receive a Hip V.I.P. membership and online badges to show that they are the pioneers to the HipChicas.com world as a reward.

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Hip Chicas – click on image to enlarge

In HipChicas.com, registered members follow the antics of the Hip Chicas, five Latina characters from different parts of the U.S. that are in a popular band on tour.  Their personal mission while on tour is to Help Improve the Planet [HIP] at each stop.

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Lazaro Fuentes, creator, Hip Chicas brand

“We felt that there was a need for content that kids would like that parents would approve of,” said Fuentes, creator of the Hip Chicas brand. “It’s as if somewhere along the line, someone decided that being hip meant that girls had to dress or act inappropriately, or had to fit into a specific mold and that their only interests are picking hair colors or shopping for clothes. They are far more than that and are looking for content that gets them; a higher level of engagement. These are kids that want to save the world, be in a band and start a blog all in one day.

Hip Chicas is a brand for the 21st Century, updated for a digitized, multi-screen and multi-lingual world, in order to be everywhere the audience is. We are proud of our efforts and feel confident that it will meet with the parents’ approval, and most importantly the users’. That is a must if you are going to succeed in digital media today.”


Hispanic Marketing and Public Relations Understanding and Targeting America’s Largest Minority book

Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations 1932534083

“A must resource for practitioners/professionals expecting to reach US Hispanics; also valuable for college programs in marketing, public relations and communications. Highly recommended.”

Choice magazine

Click here for information on the Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations books


Fuentes developed Hip Chicas to be an empowering brand option for tween girls; he hopes parents find the website smart and appropriate and young girls find the characters hip and fun.

The members of the Advisory Board are: Antonio Perez, president, Borough of Manhattan Community College; Maria Sanchez Smith, former advisor to the World Bank on Women’s Micro-lending; John Billock, former president of HBO and past chief operating officer, Time Warner; Jose Rodriguez, partner, Latin American Capital Partners private equity firm; Michael Barr, chief executive officer, iPromote.com and former managing director, Investment Banking at The Rothschild Bank; Walid Kamhawi, managing director, The Blackstone Group; Kenneth Lamb, partner, Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher; Dimitry Herman, partner, Hinckley, Allen and Snyder; Adam Pritchard, vice president, Yahoo, Inc.

Fuentes owns 100 percent of the shares of the Hip Chicas company. The Company is fully funded by him and he is the sole Board Member. Options for shares total 30 percent of the company and are held among the management team, partners and the advisory board.

In addition to Fuentes who is chief executive officer and director, the management team includes: Randy Baker, chief financial officer; Wendy DeMarco Fuentes, vice president, Marketing and Public Relations; Gabriel Magana , vice president, Operations, Mexico; and Hernan Sanchez, vice president, Operations, Argentina. The name of the vice president of Finance and Business Development was withheld “for privacy.”


Find out what multicultural kids across America think
Listen to Michele Valdovinos, SVP, Phoenix Multicultural in

“Marketing to Multicultural Kids” audio recording

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Michele Valdovinos gives a presentation and participates in an extended Q&A discussion about multicultural children based on a Phoenix Multicultural and Nickelodeon study of 1,300 multicultural children in 16 United States markets.

Find out about

• The Phoenix Multicultural Kids Study
• Relationship between children and their context
• Issues relating to family, technology and media, diversity, buying power, relationships in household, self perception, values, acculturation, cultural heritage, frequency of media activity, income and spending, brand preferences, the American Dream
• How many billions of dollars buying power multicultural kids children have
• Children’s spending attitudes, habits by ethnicity
• How much money a year Hispanic kids have available to spend
• Types of products Hispanic kids buy

Click here for information on “Marketing to Multicultural Kids” audio recording


Listen to podcast interview with Javier Farfan, multicultural marketing manager, Zune, about the website and targeting Latino youth

Posted by Elena del Valle on October 13, 2008

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Javier Farfan, multicultural marketing manager, Zune

Photo: Zune

A podcast interview with Javier Farfan, multicultural marketing manager, Zune is available in the Podcast Section of Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations, HispanicMPR.com. During the podcast, Javier discusses Zune and the company’s efforts to target United States Latinos with Elena del Valle, host of the HispanicMPR.com podcast.

Javier joined Zune in March 2007 and is responsible for marketing and communications efforts within the U.S. Hispanic market. He is familiar with Latino and Urban music, especially in marketing, music and entertainment, and artist promotion. His also brings knowledge of Latin alternative, rap, reggaeton and regional Mexican music.

Farfan has a musical background working with artists and industry insiders. Prior to joining Zune, he was the director of marketing for MTV Networks where he helped launch the Latino broadcast channel, MTV Tr3s. At MTV Tr3s he spearheaded consumer marketing and strategic partnership initiatives to drive brand awareness, programming launches and key Hispanic marketing efforts. At MTV Networks, Javier was also a part of the Spike TV and Nickelodeon unit and worked with senior programming and distribution executives to develop, implement and market to U.S. Hispanics.


Hispanic Marketing and Public Relations Understanding and Targeting America’s Largest Minority book

Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations 1932534083

“A must resource for practitioners/professionals expecting to reach US Hispanics; also valuable for college programs in marketing, public relations and communications. Highly recommended.”

Choice magazine

Click here for information on the Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations books


Before helping to launch MTV Tr3s with MTV Networks, Javier spent four years in the personal finances business where he developed and implemented tactical plans to increase online account acquisition. He was also a co-founder of Jump Nation, a mentoring program that promotes education inner-city youth. Javier, a New York City native, holds a Master of Arts from Columbia University and a Master of Business Administration from the New York University.

To listen to the interview, scroll down until you see “Podcast” on the right hand side, then select “HMPR Javier Farfan,” click on the play button below or download the MP3 file to your iPod or MP3 player to listen on the go, in your car or at home. To download it, click on the arrow of the recording you wish to copy and save it to disk. The podcast will remain listed in the October 2008 section of the podcast archive.


Find out what multicultural kids across America think
Listen to Michele Valdovinos, SVP, Phoenix Multicultural in

“Marketing to Multicultural Kids” audio recording

hb_michele_valdovinos.jpg

Michele Valdovinos gives a presentation and participates in an extended Q&A discussion about multicultural children based on a Phoenix Multicultural and Nickelodeon study of 1,300 multicultural children in 16 United States markets.

Find out about

• The Phoenix Multicultural Kids Study
• Relationship between children and their context
• Issues relating to family, technology and media, diversity, buying power, relationships in household, self perception, values, acculturation, cultural heritage, frequency of media activity, income and spending, brand preferences, the American Dream
• How many billions of dollars buying power multicultural kids children have
• Children’s spending attitudes, habits by ethnicity
• How much money a year Hispanic kids have available to spend
• Types of products Hispanic kids buy

Click here for information on “Marketing to Multicultural Kids” audio recording


Communicator invites Spanish speaking women to look after themselves

Posted by Elena del Valle on October 10, 2008

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 A mamá le va de maravilla… y al hogar también book cover

Photos: Grupo Nelson

Hada María Morales works as a communicator for the State of Florida, providing employment information to Spanish speakers seeking work across the state. In her free time, she volunteers for an organization of women who promote human rights. She also  raises a family in Coral Gables, Florida with the help of her husband Roger. In spite of her busy schedule she has found the time to publish seven inspiration and self help books in Spanish. Her latest title, A mamá le va de maravilla… y al hogar también (Grupo Nelson, $12.99) was just published. The English translation of the title is Healthy Mom, Healthy Home.

In the 171-page hardcover book Morales invites women to appreciate themselves, seek a healthy lifestyle and enjoy their home life. She shares her belief that if the mother is satisfied her husband and children will likely be satisfied as well. The busy working mother dedicates 35 chapters to outlining a process readers may follow toward those goals.


“Latino Family Dynamics” audio recording

Brenda Hurley Liria Barbosa

 Brenda Hurley and Liria Barbosa

Discuss

  • Latino purchasing habits and products they favor
  • Latino family characteristics
  • Latinos and extended families
  • Division of duties, responsibilities within the family
  • Who is the decision maker in the Latino family
  • Who is the information provider in the Latino family

Click here to find out about Latino purchasing habits and “Latino Family Dynamics”


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Hada María Morales, author, A mamá le va de maravilla… y al hogar también

According to Morales, many women spend their time looking after their families, working in the unexpected roles of financial analyst, driver, maid, cook, lover, doctor, gardener and even become the emotional thermometer of the home. They take good care of everything except themselves and eventually find they are exhausted by the day to day grind. She suggests that women indulge themselves a little so that they may be satisfied and thrive along with their loved ones.

A native of Nicaragua, Morales graduated from the University of Miami with a degree in human resources. She works as an information coordinator for the Department of Labor of the State of Florida.

Grupo Nelson is the Spanish division of Thomas Nelson Publishers (founded in 1798), a publisher and distributor of books about business, culture, inspiration, Christian life, fiction and family value themes including distribution in Latin America and Spain. Thomas Nelson Publishers and Grupo Nelson are owned by Thomas Nelson, a provider of bibles, products, and live events emphasizing Christian, inspirational and family value themes.


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Click here to buy A mama le va de maravilla… y al hogar tambien


Washington non profit supports Latino educational exellence

Posted by Elena del Valle on October 9, 2008

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Sarita Brown, president and founder, Excelencia in
Education

Photo: Excelencia in Education

Department of Education statistics from 2007 indicate that Hispanics are one third as likely as whites and about half as likely as blacks to earn a bachelor’s degree. For some people it seems evident education needs to become a priority among Latinos. To further this goal Excelencia in Education representatives decided to highlight educational institutions their representatives believe set the standard for excellence in education.

A 2008 Department of Education update indicates 12 percent of Hispanics have completed a college degree compared to 19.5 percent for blacks and 35.5 percent for whites. Hispanics are still about one-third as likely as whites but now less than half (40 percent as likely) as blacks to complete a bachelor’s degree.

As part of a national initiative to identify and honor programs and departments boosting Latino college enrollment, performance and graduation, the 2008 Excelencia in Education Selection Committee identified institutions of higher education in California, Arizona, and Texas as examples of excellence. Excelencia  in Education representatives announced the winning programs during a recent event in Houston, Texas.


Find out what multicultural kids across America think
Listen to Michele Valdovinos, SVP, Phoenix Multicultural in

“Marketing to Multicultural Kids” audio recording

hb_michele_valdovinos.jpg

Michele Valdovinos gives a presentation and participates in an extended Q&A discussion about multicultural children based on a Phoenix Multicultural and Nickelodeon study of 1,300 multicultural children in 16 United States markets.

Find out about

• The Phoenix Multicultural Kids Study
• Relationship between children and their context
• Issues relating to family, technology and media, diversity, buying power, relationships in household, self perception, values, acculturation, cultural heritage, frequency of media activity, income and spending, brand preferences, the American Dream
• How many billions of dollars buying power multicultural kids children have
• Children’s spending attitudes, habits by ethnicity
• How much money a year Hispanic kids have available to spend
• Types of products Hispanic kids buy

Click here for information on “Marketing to Multicultural Kids” audio recording


The 2008 Examples of Excelencia are: Bilingual Nursing Fellows Program at South Mountain Community College in Phoenix, Arizona; Bachelor of Architecture Program at Woodbury University in Burbank, California; and Intellectual Entrepreneurship Pre-Graduate School Internship Program in the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement at the University of Texas at Austin, Texas.

“These programs are true examples of excellence and will provide a model for others to follow,” said Sarita Brown, president and founder of Excelencia in Education. “They equip students with the skills they need to  succeed in an increasingly demanding workplace and offer institutions and policymakers powerful ideas and strategies to tap this generation of Latino college-going students.”

In making their selection the committee members looked for programs and departments with a record of achievement in graduating Latino students; leadership with demonstrated commitment to accelerating Latino student achievement by measuring progress and implementing practices and policies to achieve the goal; strong networks with other stakeholders, including schools and colleges, clinics, other community-based organizations, practitioners, and professionals; professional staff focused on addressing the needs of Latino and other students; and services and programs that integrate Latino culture and enhance Latino students navigation between their homes, community, schools and their professions.

At the associate level, the Bilingual Nursing Fellows Program (BNFP) at South Mountain Community College developed a curriculum and system of support services to guide students through the nursing program with the ability to practice in English and Spanish. BNFP uses a cohort model for its classes, closely monitors student progress, and coaches students in areas that need improvement. Latinos comprise 97 percent of the participating students and 90 percent of graduates work in hospitals whose patients are majority Latino.


Hispanic Marketing and Public Relations Understanding and Targeting America’s Largest Minority book

Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations 1932534083

“A must resource for practitioners/professionals expecting to reach US Hispanics; also valuable for college programs in marketing, public relations and communications. Highly recommended.”

Choice magazine

Click here for information on the Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations books


At the baccalaureate level, the Bachelor of Architecture Program at Woodbury University provides a globally oriented academic experience for its students,  more than 40 percent of whom are Latino. The program integrates international study programs in Europe, Asia and Latin America. One of the program’s main focuses is embracing the cultural and academic diversity of its students. First-year retention rates for Latinos in the program surpass the university average by almost 5 percent, and 90 percent of Latino students graduate within five years.

The Intellectual Entrepreneurship  Pre-Graduate School Internship Program at University of Texas at Austin offers undergraduate students an internship experience designed to encourage graduate study and career development to complement their personal interests and commitments to community. The program aims to increase diversity in graduate education by bringing underrepresented  minorities and first-generation college students into the graduate school pipeline. Since 2003, the program has seen a dramatic increase in interns.  Latino students make up the largest group of interns in the program, more than half of whom subsequently enroll in graduate school.

A new study from Sallie Mae and Gallup shows that Hispanic college students and  parents believe in the value of a higher education. For example, 86 percent of Hispanic student respondents to the study strongly believe that college is an investment in  their future, and 54 percent of parents strongly agreed with the same statement. At the same time, there are indications that many Hispanic families are not planning adequately for college prior to the end of high school.

More than two-thirds of Hispanic parents did not receive any financial aid while their child was in K-12 and more than half (56 percent) of the young adults who were not attending college indicated that they had not received any financial aid information in K-12, according to a report from the Tomás Rivera Policy Institute and The Sallie Mae Fund.

“Sallie Mae congratulates these outstanding institutions for their leadership in developing innovative programs that engage the talents of this country’s fastest-growing population group,” said Maria Frias, senior vice president of Sallie Mae’s south region. Sallie Mae was the signature sponsor of the 2008 Examples of Excelencia. “Through sponsorship of this Excelencia in Education initiative and other programs, Sallie Mae is committed to ensuring Latino students can achieve their dreams of a higher education.”

Sallie Mae’s philanthropic arm, The Sallie Mae Fund, sponsors the “First in My Family Scholarship Program” in partnership with the Hispanic College Fund. Last school year, through scholarships ranging from $500 to $5,000, the program helped more than 150 Hispanic-American students, the first in their families to attend college and continue their education.

The 2008 selection committee members were: Estela Lopez, senior fellow, Excelencia in Education and chair of the Selection Committee; Margarita Benitez, director of Higher Education, Education Trust; Sarita Brown, president, Excelencia in Education; Jacqueline King, assistant vice president, Center for Policy Analysis, American Council on Education; Mark Lopez, associate director, Pew Hispanic Center; Stella A. Perez, vice president, Operations & Technology Programs, League for Innovation in the Community College; Bruce Vandal, director, Postsecondary  Education and Workforce Development Institute, Education Commission of the States; and Arturo Vargas, executive director, National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund.

Excelencia in Education is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that administers the initiative and works to accelerate higher educational success for Latino students.


“Best in Class Hispanic Strategies” audio recording

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Presenters Carlos Santiago and Derene Allen

  • Find out what makes 25 percent of the top 500 Hispanic market advertisers out perform the remaining companies

  • Discover what questions to ask, steps to take to be a Best in Class company

Click here for more about “Best in Class Hispanic Strategies” audio recording


Watch video – ESPN targets Latino boxing fans with new film

Posted by Elena del Valle on October 8, 2008

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JC Chavez DVD cover

Photo: ESPN Films

In an effort to capture the elusive market of young Latino men ESPN premiered its first Spanish language film September 27 on ESPN Deportes and ESPN Classic. The film, JC Chávez, chronicles boxer Julio Cesar Chávez’ rise in popularity. ESPN and Genius Products, L.L.C., planned to release JC Chávez on DVD September 30 for a suggested retail price of $19.95. Plans were also in the works for Red Envelope Entertainment to distribute the film digitally on Netflix on the DVD release date. Scroll down to watch a clip from the film in Spanish with English subtitles.

JC Chávez, part of the company’s Hispanic Heritage Month programming line-up, was scheduled to appear on ESPN Deportes in Spanish with Spanish graphics; and on ESPN Classic in Spanish with English subtitles and graphics.

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Eric Conrad, director of Programming and Acquisitions, ESPN Deportes

“Julio Cesar Chávez is one of the most beloved boxing icons of all times,” said Eric Conrad, director of Programming and Acquisitions, ESPN Deportes. “We are excited to have the opportunity to present ESPN Film’s first Spanish-language films in primetime. His story resonates not only with his countrymen, but with all who have worked hard to be the best at their craft.”

The film also represents Diego Luna’s directorial debut. According to promotional materials, the 78-minute film portrays an intimate account of the struggle and success of Chavez, considered by some a national hero, from humble beginnings in Culiacan, Mexico to a boxer of international renown. The film features interviews with Chávez’ family and friends, Mike Tyson, Oscar De La Hoya and Mexico’s former president. JC Chávez was produced by Canana, a film and production company based in Mexico City.

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A moment during the filming of JC Chavez


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Click here to buy J.C. Chavez


“The story of Julio Caesar Chavez is one of struggle and perseverance,” said Tori Stevens, vice president, Multi-Platform Development, ESPN. “Chávez was the first boxer to rise out of Mexico and for that, he will always be a national hero. ESPN Home Entertainment is excited work with ESPN Deportes to present JC Chávez as its first Spanish-language DVD project in the Hispanic marketplace.”

The JC Chávez DVD special features include fight highlights, interviews from the ESPN archives and two different ESPN Deportes Profiles episodes on Julio Cesar Chávez. Additionally, the special features include original Spanish language audio with English translations or optional English subtitles.

ESPN Home Entertainment, a division of ESPN Enterprises, provides home entertainment sports products, including movies, documentaries and instructional DVDs.  ESPN Home Entertainment is one of the business units within ESPN, Inc., a multinational, multimedia sports entertainment company featuring a portfolio of more than 50 multimedia sports assets.

Canana focuses on projects natured in Latin America with a worldwide perspective including the development of films in Spanish and English. It was founded in 2005 by Mexican actors Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna, together with producer Pablo Cruz.


Target Latinos effectively by anticipating changes in the market with

“Hispanic Projections with 2007-08 update” audio recording

Roger Selbert, Ph.D.

Presenter Roger Selbert, Ph.D.

Find out

  • About Latino buying power growth in the future
  • How Latino market growth compares with other markets in the U.S.
  • What drives the rise of Latino economic clout
  • Who should target the Latino market
  • What is the size of the Hispanic affluent market
  • If the luxury Latino market is growing

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