‘Ft. Worth Star-Telegram’ Merging Hispanic Papers Into One Home-Delivered Pub

Source: Editor & Publisher

By Mark Fitzgerald

CHICAGO Betting that the key to the success of a Spanish-language paper is targeted home delivery, the Fort Worth (Texas) Star-Telegram is merging its two Spanish-language newspapers into one publication dropped on doorsteps.

“I think as much as think as much as we focus on content — and content is king — we lose focus on distribution, and here in this case distribution is the prince,” Star-Telegram Publisher Gary Wortel said in a telephone interview Thursday.

The Star-Telegram publishes two free Spanish-language papers during the week.

La Estrella is a traditional newspaper with hard news and sports coverage of Dallas-Fort Worth and Mexico. The 14-year-old newspaper, which was briefly a five-day daily and returned to weekly publication last year, is distributed almost entirely through racks.

La Estrella En Casa is an entertainment-oriented, eight-page publication that is delivered on weekends to 100,000 households in Hispanic neighborhoods of Dallas-Fort Worth. The paper was launched last May, and has been a big hit with advertisers, Wortel said.

Continue here.

General Market PR Agency Hill and Knowlton Focuses on Hispanics

Source: Portada 

Taking stock of the growing opportunity that the U.S. Hispanic market presents, H&K is expanding its diversity group to facilitate a greater focus on the U.S. Hispanic market.

H&K’s Hispanic marketing division will deliver strategic counsel and expertise in the Hispanic market to a cross-section of industries including consumer, healthcare, food and beverage, sports and entertainment, retail, travel and tourism, retail, corporate, financial services, telecommunications/wireless, and entertainment.

According to MaryLee Sachs, Hill & Knowlton’s U.S. chairman, H&K’s Hispanic marketing division will now offer bicoastal Hispanic teams focused on developing and implementing culturally appropriate, fully-integrated, national and regional communications programs.”

Claudia Mejía-Haffner, formerly at The Axis Agency, is joining H&K as vice president and head of the agency’s East Coast Hispanic marketing division. She will be based in New York and handle business development in the region.

Marketwire Launches North America Hispanic Newsline

Source: Press Release 

TORONTO–(Marketwire – March 26, 2008) – Marketwire, a full-service newswire and communications workflow solutions provider, today announces an expanded news distribution circuit targeting the 160 million Hispanics living in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico. At its core is NoticiasFinancieras, Latin America’s largest, most prominent news distribution and syndication system, and now a Marketwire company gained from its recent acquisition of International Media Services (IMS) Companies in January 2008. News distribution partners EFE (Spain), Associated Press, Notimex and Agencia El Universal (Mexico) are also part of this expanded distribution circuit.

“As Hispanic influence and buying power extend beyond traditional US metropolitan areas and states, we saw a need for an efficient, effective way to reach this powerful and influential population group,” said Hector Botero, vice president, emerging markets, Marketwire. “North America Hispanic newsline gives our clients an integrated and complete approach to reaching Hispanic audiences in the US and Canada as well as in Mexico and Puerto Rico, two regions with influential Hispanic media outlets boasting loyal followings of Hispanics living in the US and Canada.”

According to the US Census Bureau, the Hispanic population in the US alone, now at almost 44.5 million, is estimated to increase by more than 1.7 million each year, and the group’s collective purchasing power of $700 billion is expected to reach $1.2 trillion by 2012 — triple that of the overall US population.

Marketwire’s North America Hispanic newsline reaches more than 5,000 journalists and editors through the NoticiasFinancieras news syndicate, generating news for print publications exceeding 3 million daily, and readership, including web properties, exceeding 10 million. The newsline includes the following services:

— Distribution to thousands of leading Hispanic cable/satellite, TV and
  radio stations, Hispanic newspapers and magazines, websites and Internet
  portals in the US, Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico that feature or cover
  Hispanic news.

— Direct feeds to major databases such as Factiva, Lexis-Nexis and ProQuest.

— Distribution through all the major wire services and Hispanic news
  agencies such as AP, EFE, Notimex, Agencia El Universal, SFP, La Nacion, and El Nuevo Dia.

— Translation into Spanish, with guaranteed 24-hour turnaround.

— News Dashboard web clip report that provides complete details about a
  press release’s online path after wire distribution.

Hawaii Hispanic News Returns In Time for Cinco De Mayo

Source: HispanicTips

The Hawaii Hispanic News, a free monthly newspaper, is being re-launched May 1, 2008 – just in time for Cinco De Mayo. It will fuse Hawaii content and advertising with local, national, and international, material about Hispanics.

The 16-page publication will address the unique needs and interests of Hawaii’s 100,000 Hispanic resident community. Its coverage will range from serious matters — such as religion and immigration — to lighter topics, such as entertainment and lifestyles.

The newspaper was originally published from 1994 – 1999, but publisher José Villa says: “We were ahead of our time. Corporate Hawaii had not realized the tremendous growth of the Hispanic community in Hawaii. Now, with 100,000 residents — roughly 9% of the state’s population — it’s a new ballgame and now Corporate Hawaii wants to play.”

Villa adds: “By distributing our newspaper free through the various venues our Hispanic community congregates in: Hispanic restaurants; Latin dances; churches; store fronts; universities; military bases; Hispanic organizations; private and public school Spanish clubs; etc. – it is now easy to reach Hawaii’s Hispanic community with just one buy.”

Hawaii’s highly-diverse Hispanic community extends from the more densely-populated areas of Honolulu, Waikiki, and Oahu’s major military base communities, to the less densely-populated areas in Kauai, Maui, and the Big Island.

10 Things Never to Say to Latino Executives (or any Latino)

Source: Diversity Inc.

Diversity Inc., a leading publication that covers diversity issues and their impact on U.S. business and society, just provided a list of ten phrases to avoid when interacting with Hispanic professionals:

1. “Don’t worry you’ll get the promotion, you’re Latina.”
2. “When did you arrive in this country?”
3. “Hola! Habla Ingles?”
4. “Do you live with your parents?”
5. “You’re not like them.”
6. “Can you show me your knife?”
7. “Why don’t all you Latinos stop doing that?”
8. “You’re not white.”
9. Butchering a Latino’s last name.
10. “Do you speak Spanish?”

Read more.

¿Hablas Español? – BBC Mundo team sets out on a US road-trip raising Hispanic issues, speaking only Spanish

Source: Press Release  

MIAMI, 24 March /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — The BBC’s Spanish multimedia service, BBC Mundo, is launching the second part of its US Hispanic initiative ¿Hablas Español?, as part of its coverage of the US election campaign. During a three-week road-trip which starts in Seattle, Washington, on Friday 28 March, the BBC Mundo team will travel across the northern part of the US, discussing key issues affecting the Hispanic communities, while speaking only Spanish.

BBC Mundo correspondents, Jose Baig and Carlos Ceresole, will document their entire experience via daily blogs, videos and pictures which will feature on the new US Hispanic page, Mundo USA on the BBC’s award-winning website bbcmundo.com. The journey, which will end on Monday 14 April in Washington DC, will explore the Hispanic community’s attitudes on a range of issues taking centre stage during the election year.

Jose Baig, Hispanic Affairs Correspondent, BBC Mundo, said: “¿Hablas Español? is a classic example of BBC journalism – unbiased reporting and in-depth analysis of issues that affect our audiences.

“In the beginning of our ¿Hablas Español? project, in 2007, we focused on the impact of the Spanish language on the everyday life of Hispanic Americans – from the differences in dialect, to how Spanish-speakers get by in an English-speaking country, to how English-speakers react in areas with a strong Hispanic presence.

“While we will further explore language issues, during this year’s tour we will focus primarily on the forthcoming elections, asking the Hispanic community what they consider key to this election. The resulting emails, videos and letters will be captured on a special segment on bbcmundo.com, called Dear Presidente, and will be delivered to the presidential candidates – and to the White House, in a big bag labelled ‘For the next presidente of the USA – Do not open until January 20, 2009’.”

Starting in Seattle, WA, ¿Hablas Español? will make stops at Pasco, WA; Boise, ID; Salt Lake City, UT; Rawlins, WY; Denver, CO; North Platte, NE; Lincoln, NE; Montezuma, IA; Chicago, IL; Detroit, MI; Pittsburgh, PA; New York, NY; ending in Washington, DC. The ¿Hablas Español? 2007 itinerary covered southern US states: Florida, Alabama, Texas, Louisiana, Arizona, New Mexico and California.

In addition to reporting on¿Hablas Español?, the Mundo USA index on bbcmundo.com will offer a targeted look at the issues affecting the community, providing news that is both local and national in scope. To deliver this output, bbcmundo.com capitalizes on an online content agreement with ImpreMedia, the largest publisher of Spanish-language newspapers in the US.

Julia Zapata, Head, BBC Mundo, said: “The launch of the Mundo USA index on our website reflects the growing political and economic weight of US Hispanics. A diverse and vibrant community, it maintains very close links with Latin America, through family ties, culture and its contribution to the economy of the region. Mundo USA will provide a first-class news service to and about this community – through its news, interactivity, audio and video output.”

BBC Mundo will extend its existing dialogue with and about US Hispanics by engaging with audiences via various social networking websites.

MultiVu Launches New Division to Deliver Multimedia Services to U.S. Hispanic Market

Souce: Press Release

New York, March 17, 2008 /PRNewswire/ — MultiVu™, PR Newswire’s multimedia and broadcast PR company, today announced the launch of MultiVu Latino, a new division dedicated to providing broadcast public relations and multimedia services to the U.S. Hispanic market.

MultiVu Latino extends the already successful Hispanic services that MultiVu offers by creating a full suite of media solutions for television, radio and the Internet targeted at the complex and fast growing U.S. Hispanic market. Clients of MultiVu Latino will gain access to customized services that expand upon MultiVu’s industry-leading expertise, products and services, which include the production and distribution of multimedia news releases (MNRs), video news releases (VNRs) audio news releases (ANRs), satellite media tours (SMTs), public service announcements (PSAs), media training and b-roll video footage.

MultiVu Latino will also leverage the global distribution network of Hispanic PR Wire and Hispanic Digital Network, both of which were acquired by PR Newswire in January 2008. The services provide the most targeted, comprehensive and accurate distribution to the Hispanic market, with outreach to more than 3,000 unique Hispanic news outlets and guaranteed placement on over 100 Hispanic media websites.

“MultiVu Latino combines the talent, resources and technology that have been the hallmark of MultiVu, with PR Newswire’s ability to target cultural communities within the U.S. and around the world,” said Manny Ruiz, president of Multicultural Markets & Hispanic PR Wire for PR Newswire. “The Hispanic population not only represents the largest minority demographic in the U.S., but it also has an increasing presence in online and mobile communities. This rapid growth and emerging reliance on technology has made multimedia and online campaigns targeted to the Hispanic community an essential component of marketing and public relations activities for a growing list of companies. MultiVu Latino will provide our clients with all of the tools that they need to reach this very important cultural audience.”

MultiVu Latino will be led by Ruiz who will oversee the operations of the division and spearhead its growth initiatives, helping to ensure the division is closely integrated with PR Newswire’s multicultural and Hispanic efforts.

Working with Mr. Ruiz to build MultiVu Latino will be co-directors, Manny Santos and Nadia Fiorello. An award-winning media professional with over 15 years of experience in bilingual television and radio production, marketing and advertising, Mr. Santos arrives at MultiVu Latino after having served as director of the Hispanic Media Division at MediaLink. As director of MediaLink’s Hispanic Media Division, Mr. Santos spearheaded all broadcast operations for the unit, helping to create communications programs for a wide variety of Fortune 500 clients.

Ms. Fiorello assumes the role of co-director with MultiVu Latino following three years as a national account manager with MultiVu. During her tenure as national account manager, Ms. Fiorello was responsible for the development of multimedia and PR campaigns for clients focused on the Hispanic market.

“MultiVu Latino is fortunate to have three experts with extensive knowledge of the Hispanic market to lead this endeavor,” said Todd Grossman, vice president, Sales of MultiVu. “As an award winning communications professional and founder of Hispanic PR Wire, Manny Ruiz has been a trailblazer in the Hispanic media market for the past 15 years. His talent and intimate knowledge of the Hispanic community, combined with the experience and expertise of Manny Santos and Nadia Fiorello, provide the foundation for MultiVu Latino to seize on the rapid growth of the Hispanic population and the unique opportunities available to companies that are trying to reach this growing demographic.”

Hispanics are the largest minority demographic in the United States, with an estimated population of 41.3 million, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, one-eighth of the U.S. population. The Census bureau estimates this demographic will grow by more than 1.7 million people each year. U.S. Hispanic purchasing power has surged to nearly $860 billion and is projected to reach $1.2 trillion by 2012, nearly three times the growth of the overall national rate of consumer purchasing power over the past decade, according to The Selig Center for Economic Growth at the University of Georgia. According to eMarketer, the percent of U.S. Internet users who are Hispanic, which was 9.6 percent in 2006, is expected to increase to 11.6 percent in 2011.

Azteca America and DirecTv Sign Coast to Coast Distribution Deal

Source: Press Release

LOS ANGELES, March 20 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Azteca América, the only U.S. broadcaster with first-run access to content from Mexican giant TV Azteca and DIRECTV, Inc., provider of the nation’s leading satellite television service, have partnered to distribute Azteca América’s national signal on DIRECTV Más. Azteca América can be viewed on DIRECTV Channel 441 and will be identified in programming guides as AZA 441.

Azteca América airs Spanish-language programming from TV Azteca’s three networks in Mexico (Canal 7, Canal 13 and Proyecto 40) supplementing it with programs licensed from top international distributors and original series by the most innovative U.S. Latino producers. The network, through its exclusive agreements with eight of the sixteen Mexican soccer teams, airs more Mexican League soccer than any other broadcaster in the U.S. Azteca stars include “farándula” icon Pati Chapoy on Ventaneando América and radio legend Renán Almendárez Coello “El Cucuy,” on his Saturday night variety show Azte Pa’cá.

“This agreement allows Azteca América to be seen in more homes than ever before,” commented network president, Adrian Steckel. “This is a partnership that allows viewers and advertisers alike to experience the best of Mexico on television, along with top-quality original series, variety shows and more exclusive Mexican soccer than on any other broadcaster in this country. “

“DIRECTV is the premier destination for quality Spanish-language entertainment,” said John A. de Armas, vice president, WorldDirect(TM), DIRECTV, Inc. “The addition of Azteca América to DIRECTV’s Spanish programming packages allows the U.S. Spanish community to continue to experience the best television viewing available, while keeping up to date with news and events from their home country.”

The distribution agreement significantly expands the availability of Azteca América programming nationwide and will be accessible to DIRECTV Más customers at no additional charge.

Pitching to Hispanic Media

A couple of days ago, I helped prepare Natalia, a colleague, for her Hispanic media pitching debut. After a brief chat, I drafted the following email:

 As we discussed, the following are some personal recommendations when pitching to Hispanic media outlets.

1.-Double-check the name and info of the journalist you are sending. Do some research through Vocus (and Bacon’s) or by visiting the publication’s Web site, to make sure that you are sending the information to the right person and if possible read what he/she has published in the past. Look for topics, style, tone and interests, this will help you “sell” your story better.

2.-Send a personalized e-mail that briefly explains the press release and copy the text of the release in your message. Some journalists wouldn’t open a message from an unknown source if it contains attachments.

3.-Always include your contact number, Hispanic journalists always want to have a real and reachable person to answer questions.

4.-Use a catchy subject line that both grabs the journalist attention and provides him/her an idea of the content of the message. Avoid using simple or generic subject lines like: “Comunicado de Prensa” (Press Release) “Informacion importante de….” (Important information), you risk your message to be lost in the clutter, or confused as spam.

5.-Make a follow-up call.

-If you are fortunate enough to talk to the journalist, keep in mind that you will have between 30 to 60 seconds to catch his/her attention. Consider that a press release may not be a hot topic, so try to find angles for a possible story.-If you leave a Voice Message (VM) you will have to communicate everything in 30 seconds, let him or her know that you have sent an email with the information. For a VM, I would recommend using phrases like “This information would be of great interest to you readers” or “You can provide a valuable service to you readers”. Leave your phone an email at the end of the message (repeat it at least once)

-If you were able to talk to the journalist, send a follow-up mail thanking him/her for their time and letting them know that you can be available for questions or help while writing the story. This way you will have a contact you can rely on for future efforts.

6.-For some smaller publications, be prepared to talk for a long time. Some editors and journalist are real talkers, and will want to chat with you about topics that matter to Hispanics.

7.-Always smile while talking over the phone…and try to have fun!

Two hours later, Natalia had nailed down her first placement in Miniondas, a weekly newspaper in the Los Angeles DMA with a weekly circultation of 45,000 copies.

Adapting messages: Correct usage of Spanish Language (Part II)

Second and final part of Gonzalo’s presentation…enjoy!

III. Adapt the Message

A.-Remember “who” is your target market.
Be careful of cultural differences and regional sensibilities.

i.e., Salsa music is not Mexican, Chileans and Argentineans do not eat rice and beans, Burritos are not Mexican, and pupusas are not the same as arepas.

B.-Remember your demographics:

i.e., Miami Cubans, Newyoricans, Chicanos, Mexicanos and others. First generation, second generation….

C.-Think different! Hispanics are a different public. Do not try to use literal translations from English.

Quiz: How do you translate Got milk or Got eggs?
A: A direct translation could be interpreted in a different way. You have to adapt as “Tome leche” (Drink milk) or “Compre huevos” (buy eggs).

D.-Same words have different meanings.

Guagua: in South America means baby (from quechua); in the Caribbean it means bus (spanglish from wagon). Corn in South America is known as choclo, while in Mexico and Central America is known as elote.

E.-Watch out for double meaning. Some words may be interpreted as “dirty” by some Hispanics.

i.e., Bolsa (hand bag) in Dominican Republic means testicles; chaqueta in most Latin America means jacket while in Mexico means to masturbate. Pelotas (balls) En pelotas (to be naked) Pelotas (stupid) (Chile) Pelota (group C.R.)

F.-Do not rely on Internet translation pages or software (Altavista… etc.)

Example: “The Media Network is a full-service public relations, advertising, and social marketing agency” was translated in Altavista as:

“La red de los medios es relaciones públicas de un lleno-servicio, publicidad, y la agencia social de la comercialización,”which back in English reads as:

“The net of media is public relations of a full service, publicity and the social agency of the commercialization”

G.-Do not rely on Microsoft Office spell check. Microsoft HQ are not located within the Spanish Royal Academy building.

H.-Use simple language. Avoid “SAT” or “GRE” vocabulary. Yes, we already know you are very smart.

IV.- Where can I get more information?

National Association of Hispanic Journalist Style Book (recommended): Can be bought from: http://www.nahj.org/nahjproducts/stylebookrequest.pdf

Spanish Language Royal Academy (the final authority): http://www.rae.es/

El Mundo Newspaper Dictionary: http://www.elmundo.es/diccionarios/index.html

El Pais Style Manual: http://estudiantes.elpais.es/libroestilo/dic_a.asp