From the get-go, Puerto Rican director Àngel Manuel Soto understood the responsibility and pride of making history with "Blue Beetle" (in theaters Friday), DC's first Latino-led superhero movie.
"We never get this chance to tell stories like this," he says. "Much less, to show us as heroes to the world (and) in a cinematic universe that's so followed and in a genre that includes us as sidekicks at best." READ MORE AT USA TODAY
Radio is immensely popular among US Latinos. According to Nielsen, broadcast radio leads all other platforms in reaching Latino audiences on a monthly basis. In 2022, 97 per cent of US Latinos tuned in to radio each month, compared to 92 per cent of the general population. From 2017 to 2022, live TV viewership declined 13 per cent among Latinos to 84 per cent.
Spanish is also the US’s most common non-English language, spoken by nearly 50mn people in the country — 12 times greater than the next four most common languages, according to Census Bureau data. READ MORE AT FINANCIAL TIMES
Despite making up nearly 19 percent of the population, Latinos continue to be underrepresented or misrepresented in Hollywood, news and book publishing, according to a new report released by the Government Accountability Office. "Latinos are effectively excluded or sidelined from much of American media," says Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, which requested the report. READ MORE AT NPR
Latinos are more likely to subscribe to multiple streaming services than the average American, according to a recent report but Latinos are rarely depicted on screen despite being avid TV consumers and outspending other racial and ethnic groups in movie ticket purchases. Two recent cancellations illustrate how the television and film industry fails Latino-led productions, advocates say. READ MORE AT AXIOS
YouTube TV now offers a streaming plan featuring only Spanish-language channels and is also beefing up the lineup of Spanish-language content with a new add-on for the virtual MVPD’s base package.
The new option, called Spanish Plan, costs $34.99 per month (with an intro rate of $24.99 per month for the first six) and features 28 channels in Spanish including ESPN Deportes, Fox, Cine Latino, CNN Español, Discovery en Español, Tastemade en Español, Nat Geo Mundo, and Estrella TV, among others. Users of the Spanish Plan don’t need to subscribe to a basic YouTube TV plan. READ MORE AT FIERCE VIDEO
Will Roberto be able to carry the heavy boxes his job requires if he donates a kidney to his brother, Jorge? How will his family pay their bills if Roberto has to take several weeks off from work to recover from the surgery?
Will Mama consider a kidney donation from her daughter, Carla, or turn her down, worried the procedure will keep Carla from having another baby?
These two telenovela plots have gripped some viewers in the past few months. But don’t expect to see the Spanish-language dramas on a network or streaming service. They’re customized for Infórmate, a new bilingual website dedicated to using culturally familiar methods to educate Latinos about options for living kidney donation. READ MORE AT PBS
There is no doubt the digital media universe continues to shift and evolve with the constant introduction of new platforms and ways for consumers to engage.
Marketers looking for a massive demographic embracing this shifting landscape needs look no further than U.S. Hispanics. A community 52 million strong, representing 17 percent of all Americans, Hispanics are a marketer's dream: digitally savvy, young and socially connected.
Indeed, it's no secret that Hispanics are tech-forward. Digitally, Hispanics far over-index non-Hispanics. For example, smartphones are indispensable to their lifestyles, with the vast majority (72 percent) owing at least one device, according to a recent Nielsen Mobile Media Marketplace study. Web video? Hispanics watch 62 percent more digital video than non-Hispanics, according to Nielsen’s Cross-Platform Report. READ MORE
A new report released by Social Lens Research and MocoSpace, Latinos on the Road: A Mobile and Social Ride Study, found that when it comes to planning road trips, Latinos heavily rely on their mobile phones and social media networks. The online survey found that during every stage of planning for a road trip, Latinos are using mobile phones and seeking more relevant location-based deals, rewards programs and mobile accessible travel content to assist with their trip planning.
“The study indicates that among Hispanics who are leading the way on mobile adoption, the willingness to use mobile phones has outpaced what functionality and content companies offers. Companies are in catch-up mode on the type of customer experience offered. I think travel planning is just one example of the more advanced mobile functionality needed”, said Julie Diaz-Asper, founding partner, Social Lens Research. READ MORE
Nely Galan, the media dynamo and one of the entertainment industry's savviest and firebrand talents, will keynote the Latina Empowerment Breakfast at USHLI's 31st national conference. Her address is scheduled for 7:30am, Friday, February 15, at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers, located at 301 E. North Water Street in Chicago.
Nely Galan has done it all, going strong, and is still doing more. As the former President of Telemundo, she was the first Latina to head a television network. Since 1994 she has operated her own media company, Galan Entertainment, which has helped launch 10 groundbreaking television channels in Latin America, produced an amazing 600 episodes of programming ranging from reality shows to sitcoms and telenovelas to talk shows. And, for 15 years Nely has owned a real estate development and investment company, which has residential and commercial holdings in multiple states.
As a public speaker Nely is well known for her powerful crowd-pleasing presentations on the Latino market, entrepreneurship, and Latina empowerment. In making the announcement, USHLI President Dr. Juan Andrade said, "Nely is the personification of Latina empowerment. We are excited to have her as our conference kick-off speaker and looking forward to her keynote address with great anticipation."
A firm believer in education and self-improvement, Nely recently completed her Doctorate in Clinical and Cultural Psychology.
For more information regarding USHLI's national conference please call 312.427.8683.
Join USHLI and HispanicPro for one of the most important nights of business networking in Chicago.Connect with top influential leaders in business, education, government & politics from the state of Illinois and across the country attending the United States Leadership Institute 31st National Conference.
Thursday, February 14
5 pm – 8 pm
Enjoy an open bar, hors d’oeuvres, raffles, and entertainment. Admission $10. Proceeds will benefit the USHLI Scholarship Fund.
Good news, the digital divide is closing for Hispanics. The Pew Hispanic Center recently published an encouraging report that indicates that the digital divide is shrinking due in large part to rapid Hispanic mobile adoption and strong usage of social networking sites. For marketers, the report should be another clear indication that it is time to get serious about investing in the U.S. Hispanic digital market.
Hispanic internet, smartphone and social media usage
From the highest level, the report finds that usage of the Internet among U.S. Hispanics jumped 14 percentage points between 2009 and 2012. Today, a full 78% of U.S. Hispanics use the Internet compared to 87% of non-Hispanic whites. When it comes to smartphone and social media usage, Hispanics are actually ahead of non-Hispanic whites. Today, 49% of Hispanic adults own a smartphone vs. 46% of non-Hispanics whites. What’s more, Hispanics are more active on their mobile devices with 76% of them accessing the Internet via mobile vs. 60% of non-Hispanic whites. In terms of social media usage, 68% of Hispanics use social networking sites vs. 66% of non-Hispanic whites. READ MORE
It’s no secret young people live on their cell or smart phones, but for Latino youth –that rings even truer. A new report written by Mobile Future and the Hispanic institute underlines young Hispanics and new generations of Americans spend heavily on mobile broadband technology – $17.6 billion on mobile devices and more than $500 million on mobile apps in 2012.
The report Hispanic Broadband Access: Making the Most of the Mobile, Connected Future notes that the legal immigration of people from all over Latin America has actually been a significant factor in American Hispanics’ embrace of mobile broadband.
As it turns out in many developing nations, infrastructure problems actually limit the ability for landlines to be used, as a result home internet is not common. This has actually fostered more creativity in how people engage with the internet. As a result accessing the internet using cell phones is actually much more popular. When legal Hispanic migrants arrive in the United States they do so having grown up accessing the internet on their mobile phones. Transitioning to smart phones and other similar devices is actually easier for this population of immigrants. According to the report this partly explains why immigrants are more likely to have mobile phones even if they have relatively lower incomes than the average U.S. resident. READ MORE
In my experience working with Fortune 500 companies, I have found 10 reasons why management teams fail to capture a significant share of Hispanic consumers.
1. There is no company-wide alignment on making the Hispanic market a strategic initiative
Halfhearted efforts result in failure because they lack the rigor and discipline applied to every other aspect of the company’s business. For example, when entering an emerging market for the first time, a company conducts qualitative research to uncover customer insights that leads to innovative new products and services, followed by quantitative research to confirm, clarify and measure results.
This is routine practice when deploying a high impact go-to market strategy in an emerging market, yet many U.S. companies today cannot get their minds around an emerging market within their own borders.
2. Companies fail to allocate a minimum level of resources including budgets, people and time
Making this a “nice to have” budget item won’t work.
3. Companies fail to treat Hispanics as a true emerging market
Many Fortune 500 multinationals have invested wisely in pursuing business in Brazil, Russia, India, and China – markets with large populations, growing economies and consumers starving for western products and services. Yet they ignore the U.S. Hispanic market, which will soon become one of the 10 largest economies in the world.
According to the U.S. Census, Hispanic purchasing power will exceed $1.5 trillion by 2015 – only nine economies in the world are larger. If Hispanic-America were a nation, it would be a member of the G-20. In fact, Hispanic-America's purchasing power per capita (at $20, 400) exceeds that of each of the four BRIC countries – Russia ($15,900), Brazil (10,800), China ($7,600) and India ($3,500).
That is an emerging market worth pursuing. READ MORE
ALTHOUGH the word “upfront” is English rather than Spanish, the broadcast networks and cable channels that aim programming at Hispanic viewers are again increasing their presence during the annual television upfront week.
There are nine presentations scheduled this week to brief advertisers on programming plans for the 2012-13 season (and yes, also woo them with shrimp and adult beverages). Last May, during the upfront week that preceded the 2011-12 season, there were five such presentations.
The reason for the higher profile this upfront week is the growing interest among advertisers in reaching Hispanic consumers in light of the results of the 2010 census, which found that the Hispanic population had surpassed the 50 million mark. More demand among advertisers to reach Spanish-speaking consumers — and those acculturated Hispanics who are bilingual or speak English — means more efforts by media companies to sell commercial time during shows those consumers watch. READ MORE
Plus Three recently conducted a survey of social networking sites to determine the growth of this valuable media tool for Latinos. Among the more interesting findings, actress and singer Selena Gomez has passed a significant milestone on Facebook by surpassing Barack Obama with 22.5 million fans. A total of 32 Latino celebrities are among the top 1,000 Facebook fan pages, the survey finds.
"Latino Facebook users grew 167% compared to 21% among non-Hispanics from April 2010 to April 2011 according to comScore," said Juan Proano, President, Plus Three. " Latinos are using Facebook to stay connected with family and friends and to stay connected with their identity. Any organization that wants to stay in touch with a Latino audience will need to focus its outreach on using Facebook and social media in order to stay relevant today".
The triple digit growth provides the strongest indicator yet that Latinos are rapidly adopting Facebook and social media to connect with family and friends but also to advance common interests, issues, grassroots movements and social causes.
Plus Three surveyed the top 1,000 Facebook fan pages and found 32 Latino celebrities among the top 1,000. Only three Latinos broke into the top 100. Shakira was the top Latina celebrity with 35 million fans and ranked number eight on the overall list followed by Selena Gomez at number thirty-five and Enrique Iglesias at number forty-eight.
The Latinos with at least 2 million Facebook fans are mostly singers, athletes, and comedians. Athletes from the World Cup and Reggaeton artists dominated the list. Latino celebrities on the list include Daddy Yankee, Don Omar, Lionel Messi, Ricardo Kaka, George Lopez, Jennifer Lopez, Christina Aguilera, Ricky Martin, and Carlos Santana. READ MORE
It’s becoming difficult to keep track of how many media companies have made the same announcement lately: We’re launching a website/television network/social media campaign for a Latino audience, but in English.
Just in the last year-plus we’ve seen the launch of English-language digital ventures like Fox News Latino and HuffPost Latino Voices. A partnership between the latter and AOL has been involved in launching Spanish-English hyperlocal Patch Latino sites.
This week brought reports that Univision and Disney were working together to produce a 24-hour news channel for Latinos in English. It also brought the launch of Voxxi, a English-language website for “acculturated Latinos” headed by an editor from Spain’s EFE news agency. It’s one of a host of English-language sites, some more professional than others, that have launched in the past couple of years with the goal of reaching, well, acculturated Latinos.
There are other ventures in the works, most with an emphasis on digital content. What gives, and why now? Giovanni Rodriguez is a social-technology and marketing expert with Deloitte Consulting who studies and writes about the Latino media market. In a short piece last week for Forbes, he wrote about how media companies are “beginning to gain a finer grasp of the Latino population,” including their language and engagement preferences. Here, he provides details. READ MORE
Wow. Or should I say wepa? The first month of the year is not over, and already we have seen three big indicators that media companies and advertisers are chasing the Latino market, and language is the story. Last week, Fox announced that they will be launching a Spanish-language TV network. This morning, NBC Latino, an English-language operation, announced their launch on Facebook and Twitter. Also this morning is news from Ooyala that it is powering the introduction of cable network NuvoTV — whose audiences prefer English and a little bit of Spanglish — into a range of social and mobile environments.
I say that language is the story in each of these announcements because of an interesting experience I had a few days ago. I was in Pasadena to take part in a panel discussion at Southern California Public Radio and someone in the audience asked why so many media companies were confused about their Spanish language strategy. I replied that media companies are not at all confused but instead are beginning to gain a finer grasp of the Latino population and their preferences for language, content, and engagement. The three announcements throw the situation into sharp relief. READ MORE
Young Latinos—ages 14 to 34—are eager for bilingual, bicultural content, says a new study co-sponsored by Tr3s: MTV, Música y Más—a bilingual, bicultural channel.
The Máximo report, conducted by Latino media and marketing firms Motivo Insights, LLC and the New Generation Latino Consortium (NGLC), focused on U.S.-born Latinos and those who had been in the U.S. for at least 15 years. Like most consumers, it found, these “New Generation Latinos” want to see content in which “they are the star”—i.e., to have their lives and interests represented.
But they’re not so concerned about the language of this content. The study also found that these consumers are language-omnivorous: 50 percent said they sought out more bilingual/bicultural programming, and over 30 percent said they looked for 'mainstream' English-only content.
This, the marketers wrote, was in contrast to older Latinos, higher percentages of whom tend to prefer Spanish-language content.
Some other insights:
• Respondents felt they were better equipped to deal with the recession compared to Caucasians. The report says this is “mostly due to culturally based realities that give NGLs a slightly different perspective on finances.”
"Latinos for generations have been having to make dollars stretch," explains Gonzalo Perez, Principal and Founder of Motivo Insights. "And they have a history of not being too proud to take a job—or two or three jobs—to keep the family going."
• Seven out of 10 “think that seeing an English language commercial on Spanish language TV is a good thing.” (Translation: Bring on the advertising money, honey!)
• Peer-to-peer recommendations are important to this group. In fact, the study says, these young Latinos “are more likely to forward opinions and info about a brand compared to their Caucasian counterparts.” (translation: Bring on the social media advertising money!) READ MORE
Telemundo Chicago, the fastest growing Spanish Language station among Adults 18-34, welcomes Meteorologist Maricela Vazquez, Reporter Yolanda Vasquez and Political Editor Alejandro Escalona as contributors to its 5pm and 10pm newscast. Telemundo Chicago is fortifying its award winning news team with individuals adding vast experience, tenure and news savvy.
Maricela Vazquez, an Emmy Ward Winner in 2005, is the first Latina Meteorologist in Chicago. Ms. Vazquez’s resume extends to general assignment reporter, covering politics, crime, education, immigration and other stories. Ms. Vazquez has covered President Bush’s visit to Chicago in 2006 and Mexican President Felipe Calderon’s visit in 2008. Ms. Vazquez has presented weekly women’s segment, “Para Ti Mujer” from 2003-2010. Presented two-part special series on tornadoes in Chicago (July, 2008). Ms. Vazquez will be the Meteorologist M-F at 5pm and 10pm news.
Yolanda Vasquez, comes to Chicago by way of New York, NY where she held the position of News Producer and reporter for Telemundo, N.Y. In her tenure Vasquez has held various international and national positions, including Press Advisor, Correspondent, News Producer and Anchor. Notable accomplishments include coverage of the death of Pope John Paul, the death Celia Cruz and The Staton Island Ferry Crash in 2010, Ms. Vazquez was a back fill for national correspondence. Yolanda will focus her reporting on M-F at 5pm and 10pm news.
Also joining Telemundo Chicago as Consulting Political Editor, is veteran Chicago journalist Alejandro Escalona. Mr. Escalona is the Latino Affairs Columnist for the Chicago Suntimes, where he writes a weekly column focused on the Latino Community in Chicago. Mr. Escalona will be providing in depth analysis in the political arena, specifically the Chicago Mayor Candidates and their election platforms. Escalona is the former editor of Hoy Chicago, the Tribune Company’s Spanish language daily. During his tenure the publication won numerous awards for coverage and design. During his distinguished career, Mr. Escalona has interviewed numerous leaders, including Mexican President Vicente Fox, Cuban President Fidel Castro, Chilean President Patricio Alwyn and Nobel Peace laureate Rigoberta Menchu. His articles and interviews have been published in leading publications and has consistently appeared on Television as a political news commentator.
All members join Telemundo Chicago at a time of major accomplishments for the station. . “Noticiero Telemundo Chicago at 5pm” continued a steady growth trend in the November Sweeps 2010. The newscast achieved a +46% increase from September 2010 among Adults18-34 and +42% among Adults18-49. In addition, Telemundo Chicago increased the share of Spanish Prime time viewer ship to 25% in the November Sweeps 2010, an increase of 8% compared year over year.
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Source: Nielsen Media Research - Chicago NSI Live +3 data
A new Northwestern University study says minority youth ages eight to 18 spend more than half their day consuming media content – a rate that's 4.5 hours greater than their white counterparts.
The Children, Media and Race: Media Use Among White, Black, Hispanic and Asian American Children report released Wednesday says that minority youths are more likely to spend up to 2 hours more per day watching TV, one hour more per day listening to music, 90 minutes more per day using a computer, and up to 40 minutes more per day playing video games than do their white counterparts.
Reading for pleasure in pre-teens and teens was equal across races, averaging at 30 to 40 minutes a day. But for children six and under, it was more likely that children of white parents were reading or read to every day.
Multitasking among youth has been adopted as equal rates; around four in ten white, black and Hispanic 7th to 12th graders said that they use another medium “most of the time” they’re watching television.
Surprisingly, parental structures did not predict total media exposure. The study found that most parents do not set limits on the amount of time children can spend interacting with media for pleasure.
Within the use of these media, however, white parents were more likely to set rules for what their children could consume, including television programs watched, internet sites used, and their visibility on social networking sites like Facebook.
Co-author Ellen Wartella, head of Northwestern University’s Center on Media and Human Development, says the study is not meant to blame parents but should serve as a wake-up call. She says increased parental involvement could mitigate potential problems, including child obesity. READ MORE
Find study here.
