Is Hispanic Advertising Dead? No, es muy bueno

Donde esta el aqua? Yo no se. — LD

Hispanic Marketing Agencies
Face Their Demons and Confirm
Industry Is Vibrant

MCLEAN, Va., and NEW YORK -- At the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies (AHAA) 23rd Semi-Annual Conference for creative and account planning, there were no skeletons in the closet to reveal only cutting-edge creative and strategic, skill-building discussions. The ghosts that haunt this thriving industry are the misperceptions that Hispanic advertising and marketing is old-school and somehow lagging behind its general market counterpart when in fact it is the only segment of the industry that is growing year after year. And Hispanic marketing is growing in sophistication as well which conference organizers intend to demonstrate during the two-day conference of workshops, panel discussions and presentations being held November 1st and 2nd at the Crowne Plaza Times Square Manhattan.

The conference theme is more than just a kitschy phrase or concept that makes sense creatively with the conference's Halloween timing.

"It's an absolute misperception really that corporate marketers, and some in the advertising industry, would even consider Hispanic advertising dead," says Jackie Bird, chairwoman of AHAA and president of Wing Latino in New York.

"Corporate advertisers are being misled. Hispanic agencies and the marketing campaigns we deliver are more alive than ever before. Our strategies for reaching this evolving market segment must be as dynamic as the consumers with whom we are trying to connect.

"Reaching and influencing the diverse population of Latinos in the U.S. today means more than simply a 30-second commercial on Spanish-language television," Bird continues. "It requires deep cultural and Latino consumer understanding as well as creative, strategic, savvy marketing that speaks the consumers' language -- linguistic and beyond -- and builds trusted relationships between brands and consumers that transcend Spanish or English."

Keeping a step ahead of this rapidly changing marketplace means challenging traditional thinking and conference co-chairs Aldo Quevedo and Gustavo de Mello expect marketers attending the three-day event to come away revitalized and energized to step outside of the box. The conference kicked off with a networking reception on Halloween, and concludes with a gala awards celebration on Friday evening to honor the best creative in the industry.

Highlights of the conference include:

-- Today's Keynote speaker Edoardo Chavarin Chavarin, co-founder of NaCo, will discuss strategy and concepts behind inspiring creative campaigns with a fascinating personal reflection of his journey as a Latino in the U.S. and as a talented creative marketer. NaCo is Chavarin's unique apparel and accessory company. The name NaCo is based on the derogatory term used by upper- and middle-class Mexicans to describe people and things they felt were beneath them. Chavarin and partners have turned T-shirts that started as gifts for family and friends into international best-sellers and made tacky...cool.
http://www.usanaco.com/news/default.asp?contentID=572

-- Alternative Media: Creating and Planning for Today's Consumer Jonas Hallberg, Partner/Creative Director, Kirschenbaum Bond + Partners and Liron Reznik, Co-Director, Brand Strategy, Kirschenbaum Bond + Partners shared their approach to developing over-the-top creative that works ... no matter what the medium. Highlighting their work on Don Julio Tequila, the duo explained how they focus on delivering value to the consumer first and then create a way for the community of users to interact with the brand.

With the increasing number of Hispanics adopting and using new media, sometimes faster than the general market, creating and planning for this opportunity is critical for Hispanic agencies.

-- Executive Chat
Joe Uva, Chief Executive Officer, Univision, and an executive marketer from Sprint will discuss the future of Hispanic marketing from their unique perspectives -- brand marketing and media. An interactive moderated discussion with questions from the audience will offer important insight into the next steps for Hispanic marketing.

For a complete agenda visit:
http://www.ahaa.org/meetings/newyork07/conferenceagenda.htm

"Latino agencies are proven change agents for clients and the brands they serve," says Ald Quevedo, conference co-chair and president and chief creative officer of Dieste, Harmel & Partners in Dallas. "We want to spark creativity, opinion and discussion that will keep our industry moving forward."

"We want this conference to be a call to action to inspire our agencies to remain on top of their game, driving the industry and continuing to answer the tough questions about how to creatively and effectively communicate our brands' messages beyond the traditional methods," says Gustavo de Mello, conference co-chair and senior vice president of strategic planning for Lapiz Integrated Marketing Communications. "It's about taking marketing out of the comfort zone and coming up with great ideas. Not great ideas for the Hispanic market, but great ideas that happen to be created by an Hispanic agency - in Spanish or not."

For additional information about the conference or the Hispanic advertising industry or to schedule interviews, contact Elinor Kinnier, AHAA Communications, 703-610-0204 or ekinnier@cmgresults.com.

About AHAA:
The Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies (AHAA) is the national organization of firms that specialize in marketing to the nation's 46 million Hispanic consumers: the most rapidly growing segment of the American population. AHAA promotes the strength of the Hispanic marketing and advertising industry to the private and public sectors. AHAA agencies offer a unique blend of cultural understanding, market intelligence, proven experience and professionalism that deliver Hispanic market success for clients. AHAA agencies help organizations gain market share, increase revenue and grow profits by building the bridges and delivering the messages to reach America's Hispanic consumers, who together have an estimated buying power of more than $930 billion. Visit http://www.ahaa.org for more information.

SOURCE: Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies