Fall: Latino Style

Posted on September 14, 2012 by
Fall

Pencil dress
$155 - vanmildert.com

Gucci dress
gucci.com

Jimmy Choo nude pumps
forwardforward.com

JouJou stud earrings
$40 - johnlewis.com

Nixon watch
tillys.com

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Hispanic Heritage Month kicks off in St. Louis

Posted on September 14, 2012 by

ImageOrganized by Belas-Artes, The Latino Legacy will kick start celebrations for Hispanic Heritage Month with an opening ceremony this Saturday, Sept. 15 at the Missouri History Museum located at 5700 Lindell Boulevard in Forest Park.

The month-long celebration, which begins Sept. 15 to October 15, celebrates Hispanic history and the cultures and traditions of Hispanics of all Latin American nations including countries in the Caribbean and Spain.

To commemorate the month, Hispanic organizations have organized events around St. Louis to showcase cultural music, dance and even trivia. Yes, trivia!

If you want your Latino-fix, here are the following events:

 

Sept. 14: Los Amancays at Club Dantes Dantes Lounge

Doors Open at 7 pm

Cover charge $10/person

Dantes Lounge is located at 3225 Olive St in St. Louis, MO near the SLU campus.

 

For more information, contact Jaime Torres at  sonmelao@yahoo.com.

 

Sept. 15: “Making Sense of Census”

The Belas-Artes Latino Legacy Project presents a cultural, educational, and entertaining event with presentations by community stakeholders who will discuss the recent census stats about the 50 million Hispanics in the U.S.

Cocktail Reception: 5:30-7pm $35 per person.

Keynote presentation and entertainment: 7-9pm. This latter portion of the event is free and open to the public.

For more information, please click onto the link below:

 

http://www.mohistory.org/files/[field_directory-raw]/event_brochure/making%20sense%20of%20the%20census%20l.pdf

 

 

Sept. 15: Mexican Heritage Celebration

The Mexican Society of St. Louis will host a Mexican Heritage Celebration Saturday, Sept. 15 at the Sheraton Lakeside Hotel in Westport Plaza. The event, held in the Zurich Ballroom will be held from 6-9pm. The dinner reception is $50 per person with cash bar. For more information, contact Gloria Hansen at (636) 795-8854 or at gloria63367@gmail.com. 

 

Oct. 5-6: Third Annual St. Louis Salsa Congress and Bachata Festival

Almas del Ritmo gets caliente with their the Third Annual Salsa Congress and Bachata Festival. The event will be held at the St. Louis Union Station Marriott Hotel, located at 1820 Market Street in St. Louis. Whether you got what it takes to get in the hot competition or enjoy the cultural upbeat music, this event is open to everyone of all ages and cultural backgrounds.Image

For more information, visit stlsalsacongress.com.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oct. 13: Hispanic Trivia Night

The Puerto Rican Society in conjunction with the Venezuelan Society will host a Hispanic Trivia night on Oct. 13 from 6 to 8pm. The event will be held at Brown Shoe, located at 8300 Maryland Ave St. Louis, MO.

 

Cost: $15 per person or $120 for table.

 

For more information, please contact Fran Morales-Neufeld at (860) 490-5703.

 

October 14: Mi Pueblo

Belas-Artes and the Missouri History Museum will host “Mi Pueblo” a family event from 1 to 4pm at the Missouri History Museum, located at 5700 Lindell Boulevard in Forest Park. The event, which is free and open to the public, will include activities for the whole family. Music, entertainment and food will be provided. For more information, visit belas-artes.net.

 

October 15: Latino Legacy Honors Contributions of Latinos in the Midwest

Belas-Artes and the Missouri History Museum will conclude the Hispanic Heritage festivities by honoring various Latinos and Latinas who have made significant contributions in the St. Louis region. The Latino Legacy event will be held Friday, Oct. 15 at 6:30pm.

 

The event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit belas-artes.net.

 

http://www.mohistory.org/files/[field_directory-raw]/event_brochure/Latino%20Legacy%20LR.pdf

 

Are we missing any events? Please contact us and let us know! 

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“Where There’s Growth, There’s Opportunity”

Posted on August 28, 2012 by

By FRAN MORALES-NEUFELD

Picture provided by the Associated Press The short documentary, “Where There’s Growth, There’s Opportunity,” sets out to educate individuals on the significance of Hispanic population growth and how Hispanics in St. Louis are altering the cultural landscape and supplementing economic and demographic growth in a city where population has declined in the past decade.

Developed as a “True-Life” style documentary, the six-minute clip reveals stories and testimonials of the city’s Hispanic Americans and their professional development. This documentary avoids the cliché of struggling immigrants but that of American Hispanics who are making a positive impact as they attempt to build a stronger cultural presence in St. Louis, an otherwise non-Hispanic city.

Special thanks to those who participated in this mini-documentary.

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Dominos, Pernil and Musica! Join SPR for their annual Summer Picnic Next Saturday, Aug. 18th

Posted on August 11, 2012 by

The annual SPR summer picnic gets caliente next Saturday, August 18th from 1-6pm.

The event, which benefits the Puerto Rican Society of St. Louis’ scholarship fund, will include music, entertainment, food and much more. The summer festivities are scheduled to take place at the Blanchette Park, located at 1900 West Randolph Street in St. Charles.

Be a part of this exciting summer event.

For more information, contact Fran at francesmorales27@gmail.com or visit http://www.sprstlouis.com.

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Catch Fran Morales on ‘Ahora San Luis’ with host Gilberto Pinela this fall on STL-TV!

Posted on July 25, 2011 by

‘Ahora San Luis’ returns to STL-TV for another season! Gilberto Pinela and Fran Morales seek out the best and brightest of the Hispanic community in St. Louis, and brings them into your home with insightful interviews. Coming soon, only on STL-TV!

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It’s all about Consumer Engagement!

Posted on February 1, 2011 by

The market is undergoing a dramatic change. That’s a no-brainer. But Interbrand’s Report on Best Global Brands reminds us that in order to maintain an organization’s survival and ultimate success, a company should go back to its roots of consumer engagement.

Whether it’s using social media channels to forge deeper relationships with consumers or building brand awareness through sponsoring events, brands should speak and reach out to its MANY audiences — that’s right, I’m talking about Hispanic Market folks.

The report reminds us that Return on Investment (ROI) shouldn’t be the sole focus. It goes onto list the 10 principles that make a strong brand — commitment, protection, clarity, responsiveness (which means adapting to market changes) authenticity and relevance, to name a few.

These all come to play when capitalizing on social media to drive consumer interest. With that said, social media should be more than a means to communicate rather a, “successful brand should monetize the channel to drive business success in a measurable way” (50).

It also reminds us that customer services shouldn’t just be about solving problems rather the conversations with consumers should be listened, learned and gathered, allowing consumers to shape the brands in a way that is meaningful to them ultimately winning their loyalty (50).

The Interbrand’s study provides a perfect example.

During this year’s FIFA World Cup, Coca-Cola milked its sponsorship in more ways than one, not only plastering itself all over the World Cup premises in South Africa, but it co-owned the un-official anthem of the World Cup “Waving Flags” sung by Somali-Canadian artist K-Naan. The song hit #1 on iTunes in 17 countries. Coca-Cola in turn used those profits into a $30 million “Replenish Africa” initiative, winning the hearts and minds of its target audience. This brand campaign provides consumer engagement but also speaks to its target consumers.

Another perfect example was Telemundo’s fully integrated U.S. Hispanic Marketing platform for Post Food’s Honey Bunches of Oats.

The “Think Positive” campaign, or “Pensemos Positivo” is a competitive attempt as Post and its rivals General Mills and Kellog Co. pour new marketing dollars into the Hispanic Market. JenCarlos Canela, Latin music sensation and star of last year’s Telemundo hit, “Mas Sabe el Diablo” or “The Devil Knows Best” will appear on four million Honey Bunches of Oats cereal boxes this spring. The campaign has also worked with Telemundo’s music division and included songs about positive thinking written and recorded by Canela, which was made into three district versions: Spanish, English and a dance mix. While “Honey Bunches of Oats” was not mentioned within the song’s lyrics, this feel good anthem connects with the brand emotionally while maintaining the taste appeal.

Taking the non-traditional route has helped “Honey Bunches of Oats” to connect with modern-day U.S. Hispanics. This initiative provides the connection points with the Latin consumer from content offerings to in-store value.

To look at this interactive presentation on the success of this marketing campaign click onto the picture below.

To get more information on “Honey Bunches of Oats” Brand strategy, click here.

So what are your thoughts? I would like to know.

Posted in Hispanic Marketing, Latino Media Blog | Leave a comment

The Four R’s to being successful in the Hispanic Market

Posted on January 26, 2011 by

Courtesy of elpais.com, a Spanish online newspaper. What does this ad tell you?

If you want to grow as a brand and have a presence in the market place, one has to think outside the box and think about the four R’s: Respect, Resonate, Relevancy, and Remarkable.

Respect — A company should always acknowledge Hispanic consumers need to communicate. That means Español folks.

Resonate — A company should create Spanish-Language (or like) advertisement that carries deep meaning to the consumer. This hilarious commercial which promotes the drink Kahlua is on point with this message.

Remarkable — Creative commercials almost ways stand out to its intended audience because it speaks to them. This Pepsi commercial featuring pop-artist Shakira is a perfect example.

There are a variety of viable ways to engage Hispanics whether its social media, mobile, television, radio, or print — we consume all forms of media. Here are some interesting facts, courtesy of my friends at Bauza & Associates, a Hispanic Marketing firm in Connecticut:

We are as connected, sometimes even more than most folks.


* Hispanics’ Internet use is growing two times faster than the general market
* 88% of Hispanics making more than $50,000 are online
* Hispanics are early adapters to mobile with 64% penetration at age 15
* Hispanics spend 14 hours per week (compared to 8 in the general market with a technology device
* Hispanics are 2x as likely to use their smartphone to research a purchase.
* The Hispanic population is generally younger and 67.6% own a smartphone compared with 57% non-Hispanics.
* Hispanics and African Americans lead mobile broadband use (53% and 58% respectively), with both communities far ahead of Whites (33%).
* Ethnic minorities visit social networking sites more frequently than non-Hispanic Whites
* 40% of Latinos are creators (333 Index vs General Market) creating their own content: publish a blog or own website, upload videos/music, etc.

Anyone who can successfully and properly tap into this Americana-loving Latino culture and its market can hit the jack pot, even in this tough economic climate.

What are your thoughts? I’m interested to know….

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Effective Communications: Tapping into the minds of U.S. Hispanics

Posted on January 26, 2011 by

Here's an example of a picture that can captivate a Latino audience

Hosted by the St. Louis Chapter’s Public Relations Society of America, the seminar “Effective Communications with the Hispanic Population” will show the how-to’s on successfully communicating with an ever growing population and the importance of investing and becoming culturally aware in the Hispanic market.

Wednesday, Feb. 16
Ces & Judy’s Catering
10405 Clayton Road
Saint Louis, MO 63131

Here’s a little blurb about the event posted on the PRSA’s website:

Understanding your audience can mean the difference between a communication boom or bust. That becomes more challenging with an ever-changing audience. In St. Louis, the Hispanic community has become a critical audience for businesses of all sizes to reach. But what messages resonate with the Hispanic population here? Jorge Riopedre, former executive director of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan St. Louis, will discuss reaching the Hispanic audience, cultural sensitivity and awareness at our Feb. 16 luncheon.

For more info, visit prsastlouis.org.

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Hispanic Marketing: A wake up call

Posted on January 4, 2011 by

Marketing to a Hispanic demographic should be a no brainer, according to Laura Sonderup, Director of Heinrich Hispanidad who writes in the Advertising and Marketing Reviewthis week highlighting the importance of the Hispanic Market.

A lot of this information she writes is not new. However, she does bring to light multiculturalism and the profitable success in catering to a new face in America today.

Think outside the box

To be successful in business especially in this economic recession, one has to think outside the box. In other words, in order to meet that monthly budget, one has to market outside their comfort zone.

Hispanics, particularly U.S. Latinos, are hands-on folks who are trend-setting and consume a high dosage of print, television, radio and online media. Sonderup found that in her study more than 50 percent of Hispanics surveyed watched television in Spanish while 40 percent watched English television — 30 percent of English dominant Hispanics also watch television in Spanish.

Sonderup says that marketing and media professionals have to let go of the idea that Hispanics are homogeneous — we are not. We are a culture that can easily assimilate but can also stay true to our customs — it’s called acculturation. We are a complex ethnicity with different tastes, customs and language — we float between Spanish or Spanglish. Not to mention that as U.S. Hispanics, we come from more than 20 different countries in Latin America, the Caribbean and Spain. In other words, an ad catering to a predominately Mexican region will not speak to someone of Puerto Rican identity.

As the U.S. Census results are revealed this year, it will show in numbers — Hispanics are the fastest growing ethnic group in the country. Marketers, ad folks, and media professionals take note.

Posted in Hispanic Marketing, Latino In STL, Latino Media Blog | Leave a comment