Tag Archives: multicultural marketing

Blog Notes: Celebrating Black History Month

Posted on February 4, 2013 by | Leave a comment

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In observance of February’s Black History Month, PR Newswire’s multicultural team profiled some notable blogs. We took a close look at a number of diverse African-American blogs that cover a range of topics, from urban automobiles and travel adventures to beauty and relationships.

BrownGirlsFly is a  self-proclaimed “melanin-infused perspective on travel.” It details the travel adventures of sisters Chelle and Crystal, who worship the chance to experience as many new languages and cultures as they can firsthand. They’ve produced the blog with hopes to “encourage as many people as possible to leave their comfort zones and see the world for themselves.” Read the full review from PR Newswire for Bloggers here.

If you’ve got a great new product for women of color that needs a review, you should consider pitching Gregorie Guillaume, founder of HUEKNEWIT. HUEKNEWIT is a beauty, hair, and skin care blog, highlighting the latest in trends and gifts. It also features a weekly e-newsletter and a “Your Man” section for guys who could use a little help with their fashion or beauty regimen. Read the full review here.

A Black Girl’s Guide to Weight Loss is an extremely popular blog with 108,000+ likes on Facebook, more than 8,000 Twitter followers, and 123,000 email subscribers. It appears many want to know the secret of how Erika Nicole Kendall went from weighing 330 pounds to becoming a personal trainer. Read the full review here.

MadameNoire is an upscale site geared toward black women. Since 2007, MadameNoire has built a solid following, and on Facebook, the site has garnered around 15,000 followers.  Not too shabby. Blog topics include business, love, entertainment, hair, beauty, health and living.  MadameNoire has an edgy yet affectionate tone. It’s clearly geared toward strong, independent women as video sections like “Mommy in Chief” and “She’s the Boss” can attest. Read the full review here.

Welcome to the candy shop of urban automobiles, Automotive Rhythms. Founded by Kitmatni D Rawlins in 2002, Automotive Rhythms hooks up the urban car buying market to manufacturers.   The site is testament to living the lifestyle with sections on fashion, sports and entertainment, and celebrity auto, to name a few. The site also features auto safety, auto care, information on auto shows and reviews. Read the full review here.

Dalia Paratore is PR Newswire’s director of Multicultural Products and Services.

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Black History Month Captures History in the Making

Posted on January 29, 2013 by | 2 Comments

As part of PR Newswire observance of Black History Month, we contacted multicultural communications experts to asked them if they would like to share their views and insights about the significance of Black History Month. We asked them to share their views on the historical significance and how the annual observance has changed and evolved over the years. Christina Steed, Senior Vice President with the Flowers Communications Group shared her perspective.

Black History Month is observed in February in the U. S. and Canada, and October in the United Kingdom. It began as a marked calendar opportunity to celebrate the achievements, key historical moments, and impact that African Americans and those of the African Diaspora have had on America and the world. And, while for many years, educational institutions have dedicated time and resources to teaching Black history and celebrating Black History Month, over time, these efforts have not fully captured the countless contributions of Black history, and how these are interwoven into the quilt of American history.

Discussions often arise regarding whether Black History Month is still relevant. Some question the need for the entire month, arguing these achievements and contributions should be celebrated, recognized, and talked about throughout the year, not tangentially. While it is true that Black culture is a year-long intangible experience, oftentimes, the discussion of history is not. Thus, moments-in-time like Black History Month provide an opportunity for consumers and marketers to recognize the impact of ancestry and cultural advancement, and the fortitude of ethnic segments on the world.

Black history and culture are very unique and pervasive as seen throughout the fabric of this country, from hot topics to industries including technology, science, mathematics, literature, arts, entertainment, fashion, sports, architecture, design and innovation. We continue to reap the benefits of Black pioneers who navigated uncharted territories to make major contributions to the foundation and infrastructure that exists today. Thus, Black History Month captures more than historical contributions, but also history in the making. The spotlight in February encourages continued dialogue and elevation of Black history and culture. It represents the springboard effect that is felt by some of the world’s most influential, multi-faceted, multi-generational trendsetters.

From our perspective, companies who do it best are ones which include the diverse perspectives of consumers into their overall business strategy – making it a priority to acknowledge, support and celebrate these unique interests. Not only do companies like McDonald’s, AT&T, Wells Fargo, and many others engage with the African-American segment year-round, but they also amplify their efforts during Black History Month.

This year marks the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation and the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Movement. The significance of these (and other) historical events must continue to be passed on – not only to the next generation of African Americans, but to the next generation of Americans.

When brands celebrate Black culture, they educate, bring awareness to, and improve the lives of their total consumer base. Thus, Black History Month remains important not just because of the month, but because of the concept of celebrating Black achievements and doing so in a concentrated, scheduled, purposeful moment in time that can be rallied around.

Local networks of business leaders, clergy, educators, economic empowerment champions, and general consumers who represent the African- American community at-large collectively own what the celebration should be about and what it can evolve into. Highlighting business opportunities, leaders in the Black community, telling stories of triumph or adversity — all framed with a historical perspective — leads to advancing the Black community and speaks to the spirit of America. Brands that earnestly listen and are engaged will be acknowledged as integral parts of this community that deserves both continual and highlighted recognition. In turn, these are the brands that will be deemed deserving of recognition and support during Black History Month and throughout the year.

Author Christina Steed is a Senior Vice President with the Flowers Communications Group based in Chicago, Illinois. http://www.flowerscomm.com

In observance of Black History Month, PR Newswire is offering special pricing on our array of African American-specific communications offerings - ranging from press release distribution and targeted media lists to multimedia syndication and strategic placements – enable you to increase your organization’s visibility among key African American media, influencers and consumers, providing the opportunity to share your organization’s story, spark new relationships and cultivate your audiences.

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U.S. Latinos’ growing influence — from piñatas to presidentes

Posted on August 14, 2012 by | 1 Comment

From the Children’s Parade of Latin American Flags / Desfile de los niños de las Banderas de América Latina

“Se habla espanol: Presidential campaigns using Spanish to woo a fast-growing block of voters” reads the headline of an Associated Press story published in the Washington Post, which highlighted the significant expenditures being made by both presidential candidates to produce campaign ads in Spanish.  In a similar vein, “Yo Decido” was the headline of Time Magazine’s much buzzed about article published earlier this year attesting to the growing power and influence of U.S. Latino voters and speculating that Latinos could decide the outcome of this year’s presidential elections. The news reports and commentary go on and on.

Aside from the media, many political experts are making equally bold calls declaring that the U.S. Latino vote will be the “swing vote” that decides who occupies our nation’s highest public office. “In the 15 states that are likely to decide who controls the White House and the Senate in 2013, Hispanic voters will represent the margin of victory,” declared former Florida Governor  Jeb Bush in a Washington Post op-ed earlier this year.

Why is so much attention being paid to the U.S. Latino electorate?

  • According to the U.S. Census, at 50.5 million, the U.S. Latino community is the largest minority group in the United States constituting 16.3%of the nation’s population.
  • In 2008, President Obama won 67 percent of the Hispanic vote, while Senator John McCain won only 31 percent, according to the Pew Research Center. In 2004, former president George W. Bush earned 44% of the Latino vote helping him to win reelection. This year, there are approximately 22 million eligible Hispanic voters, a number that could go much higher given the concerted efforts being carried out by organizations like NCLR, NALEO, LULAC and Voto Latino to register new voters.
  • The Hispanic community’s share of the nation’s total population is projected to double, from 15 percent to 30 percent by 2050, according to U.S. Census projections. By then, nearly one in three U.S. residents will be Hispanic.

For communications professionals, the message is crystal clear. This is a large and growing community that no longer can be considered an add-on, or a supplementary component of a national and comprehensive communications campaign.  Communications campaigns that leave out 50.5 million U.S. consumers, small business owners, professionals, workers, voters, moms, and students cannot be considered national and comprehensive.

Given the compelling and widely publicized business case, the only question remaining in the minds of communications professionals should be “how do I do this?”

The short answer is culture and language. Campaigns that reflect the fully bilingual and bi-cultural lifestyle of U.S. Latinos resonate with more potency and impact among this audience. Hispanic Americans live in two worlds. They consume American pop culture like everyone but are also interested in what goes on in in Latin culture and Latin America. They are as American as apple pie and their presence and influence have made tacos, carnitas, and piñatas as American as apple pie.

Hispanics are Americans, and they are Latino. They read the New York Times and El Diario/La Prensa. They eat peanut butter sandwiches and tortillas con queso. They watch NFL football and enjoy international fútbol.

The line is getting blurry isn’t it? What is American and what is Latino? The cultural overlap is so deep that it is making some ask if it less about multicultural marketing in America and more about marketing to a multicultural America?

The secret is out. Latinos are mainstream. The dividing line is there for convenience. It’s a label. In reality la línea no existe.

Translation: The days of having a communications general market approach versus a multicultural marketing approach are over.  To be effective and comprehensive, communications should –must- be infused, fully integrated and seamless. Communicators need to fully realize and acknowledge that the United States is a multicultural nation.

PR Newswire has been named the Official Newswire of both the Republican and Democratic National Conventions. Leverage our 2012 Elections News packages to reach key media, voters, plus online and social media channels following the 2012 elections, candidates, issues and conventions. For more information about the various offerings available, such as the Elections News + Multicultural packages,  which include outreach to Latinos and African Americans, please click here: [Elections News Service + Multicultural packages]

Carlos G. Giron is a PR Newswire multicultural marketing consultant and an experienced U.S. Latino communications strategist.

Image courtesy of Flickr user Cliff1066(TM)  .

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Desperately Seeking Latino Viewers

Posted on August 10, 2012 by | 2 Comments

“Desperately seeking Latino viewers” or “Yo quiero Latino viewers” or “Mi ABC es su ABC,” could have been more interesting and entertaining headlines for a recent New York Times article (“Networks struggle to appeal to Hispanics”) that is currently the talk of the town in the U.S. Latino advertising and public relations industry.

A quote from the article: “Despite her [Sofia Vergara's] popularity, ‘Modern Family’  is not a hit with Hispanic viewers. Out of its overall viewership of 12.9 million, ‘Modern Family’ drew an average of only about 798,000 Hispanic viewers in the season. That audience accounts for only about 6 percent of the show’s viewers — less than half of what you might expect given the 48 million Hispanic television viewers that Nielsen measures. “

The leading U.S. Spanish language TV networks are actively posting on Facebook and LinkedIN, Twitting, and even investing in costly email blasts and ad buys to ensure this story gets maximum visibility.

Univision, the “Lion King” of U.S. Hispanic media, not surprisingly, is roaring the loudest. The network purchased an email blast from HispanicAd, a leading Hispanic advertising marketing trade group, to ensure this message reaches Hispanic ad buyers and media planners.

In addition to that, Univision surely will buy ads in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and other mainstream publications reaching the country’s top marketing decision makers to, in essence say, the English language networks have big numbers, yes, but they have only a tiny fraction of the 50.5 Latino consumers in this country. We have them. To get them you must come to us.

As you know, Fox is not taking this sitting down on their manos. They are launching MundoFox soon to capture some of those marketing dollars. They also launched Fox News Latino, an online news web site. NBC launched NBC Latino. Univision will partner with ABC News to create a news channel. We have not heard from CBS, at least not yet.

Smaller players are getting in the game as well given that the market is too big and it is still being under-served. For example, former Univision and Telemundo executive, Carlos Barba, is about to launch BuenaVisionTV, a new channel designed to serve the NYC Latino community this fall.

Key Takeaways:

-        This market is too big. It has the critical mass needed to generate ROI from a dedicated marketing program. If it is big enough the warrant the creation of a new Fox network, is big enough to help anyone’s bottom line.

-        Yes, this market is bilingual and does consume English language media of all kinds. Se habla inglés, but…

-        These consumers -old and young, foreign-born and U.S. born- remain attached to the Spanish language and to Latin culture. Yes, carnitas, tacos and Salsa, both, the eating kind and dancing kind, are here to stay.

-        Therefore, any communications program that intends to reach them in a meaningful and impactful way must have a bicultural and bilingual component. Think communications program on chimichurri. Or go corporate and “Sazón Goya it!”

-        In all seriousness, the influence of U.S. Latinos is strong now, and it will only get stronger and broader. The combined total of more than 100 million Latinos, African Americans, Asian Americans and other multicultural communities, has reached critical mass. The fact is that the United States has become a multicultural nation. Professional communications programs need to reflect that in order to optimize results.

Carlos G. Giron is a PR Newswire multicultural marketing consultant and an experienced U.S. Latino communications strategist.

Learn more about reaching multicultural audiences on our Multicultural PR resource page.

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PR Joins Advertising at AHAA Conference

Posted on June 6, 2012 by | Leave a comment

PR takes center stage at AAHA.

The Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies (AHAA) held its annual conference recently in Miami, drawing participation from a number of notable brands, including Diageo, The Clorox Company, Nielsen and GM.  Hispanic advertisers and marketers gathered together to discuss tactics and strategies for successful integrated marketing programs.

Although the conference’s sessions have historically focused on advertising, this year, AHAA also offered a compelling PR-focused session entitled, “Hispanic Public Relations: Creating Brand Evangelists with Engagement and Trust.” As a PR professional, it was great to see public relations being spoken about in a room mostly filled with advertising professionals.

During this session, we heard from prominent PR professionals including: Rosanna Fiske, the first Latina president of PRSA;  Manny Ruiz, CEO of Hispanicize (and former PR Newswire VP of the Multicultural Division); Natalie Boden, President and Founder of BodenPR; and Solomon Romano, Head of Hispanic Marketing at Delta Dental.

One point of emphasis was the importance of bloggers because, as Manny Ruiz described, they are “mini-celebrities” or “mini-influencers.” Just a few years ago, brands were not very keen about working with bloggers. Today, they are embracing them because they realize the importance of these brand ambassadors in our communities. These are people who care about an issue, brand or topic, and make others care. Consumers nowadays don’t want to be talked to and instead want to be part of the conversation. Brands realize that bloggers are connecting with their consumers in the way consumers want to be engaged and they want to be a part of that phenomenon.

Research presented indicated that the Hispanic consumer is much more social than their black or white counterpart.  Rosanna Fiske noted that 30% of Hispanics are using social media six (6) hours per day. This compares to 20% for blacks and less than 10% for whites. That leads to the inference that Hispanics are early adopters of social media, are thirsty to engage and are conversationalists. This statistic alone makes a great case for why brands need to reach Hispanics through social media.

Yosmay Valdivia is an account manager with PR Newswire’s Multicultural Division.

Photo by Maggie Hernandez, PR Newswire.

PR Newswire’s Hispanic PR Wire:  El principal servicio de distribución de noticias dirigido a la prensa y los líderes de la opinión pública.

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The Hispanicize 2012 Re-cap: SXSW meets Latino

Posted on April 18, 2012 by | 1 Comment

This year’s Hispanicize event (Manny Ruiz, founder of Hispanicize and of Hispanic PR Wire: “We can’t call it a conference, that’s wayyyy too boring,”) which took place in Miami on April 10 -13, brought out crowds of Latino leaders from social media, entertainment, marketing and the blogosphere. After only three years in existence, this event managed to become one of the largest Latino gatherings in the industry, with more than 700 people attending.

Inspired by SXSW (Ruiz: “SXSW meets Latino”), this year’s event focused on Public Relations, Advertising, Social Media and Bloggers, but also grew to include a Latino Film Showcase as well as Latinovator Awards which recognized Latino celebrities and business professionals who have become crossover successes or whose stories are remarkable or inspirational.

With about 80 different expert panels with tons of insights and sharing of ideas and information, to celebrity spottings, to mommy bloggers networking with brands like mad, this year’s “Hispanic trends” event was buzzing with excitement. You could feel the energy in the crowds of Latinos arriving from all parts of the country, greeting with besos y abrazos (hugs and kisses), burning through stacks of business cards, buzzing about who was going to be there, where the fun was, and what was the hottest panel. This growing event is truly indicative of the ever-increasing presence of Hispanics in all areas of business and entertainment, and it was inspiring to be at a venue that embraces the power and influence of Latinos.

Monica Talan, SVP of Corporate Communications at Univision, shared the insight that, “we are connecting non-Hispanics with our culture. It’s the new America reality.” The growing Hispanic influence on American culture can be seen in everything from food, music, sports, beauty standards, fashion and so much more – it truly is the new America reality. How exactly will this cross into an election year, where immigration is a much spoken about issue by politicians yet not necessarily a major concern for Hispanic voters?

The power of the Latino vote in the 2012 elections was one of the hot topics covered. Several sessions discussed this burning hot topic, as we have all heard over and over again that it is likely that this year’s election will be called by the Hispanic voters. So, what keeps the Latino voter up at night – surprisingly, not immigration – although that is what politicians want to talk about.  Verena Sisa VP at Conill/Saatchi & Saatchi, presented a study conducted with Karl Weiss, President of Market Perceptions and Latino Perceptions – it’s actually the same issues that other voters are concerned with: the economy, unemployment, gas prices and affordable healthcare.  Will the candidates be able to correctly capture the Latino mindset and speak to them on their true issues of concern, or will the disconnect continue?

Elaine del Valle, Founder of blog Political Cortadito, recommends to Latinos: “Be engaged in conversations before you vote – talk to people. Post about issues on your Facebook page, tweet. And be involved all year, not just during election time.” Ultimately this will result in a smarter voter and greater respect from political parties.

One of the big issues will be Latino voter turnout – motivating them to actually vote.  David Puente of CNN AC360 and curator of Latino in America blog on CNN.com thinks the media hot topics covering Latinos in the elections will be:

  • Why aren’t Latinos as motivated for this election?
  • Will Latinos come out to the polls?
  • Will a Latino running mate be chosen for the Republican party?
  • How will Romney speak to Latinos? Will he change his tune on illegal immigration?

Ruben Navarrette (@RubenNavarrette), nationally syndicated columnist, believes the #1 issue for Latinos is respect: “Candidates need to show they respect this demographic, and Latinos should be loyal to their fellow Latinos, not to any particular party. Latino journalists have to decide who they work for.”

Another much buzzed about topic was maximizing social media for Return on Relationship (“RoR”) . How does a company get it right? How much is too much or too little? What is the right approach for marketers? A key highlight speaker was Ted Rubin, Chief Social Marketing Officer of collectivebias, who spoke on ROR – the value accrued by a person or brand due to nurturing relationships through loyalty, recommendations and sharing.

“Social credibility is the best insurance you can buy for your company,“ said Rubin. “If a company is open with you, you will trust them.” Through his Jet Blue case study, he shared that companies can build this through:

  • Interaction
  • Consistency
  • Being true to their word – authentic and genuine

Rubin’s five steps to successful ROR:

  1. Listen but don’t just listen, “HEAR!” – respond to questions with answers that make sense.
  2. Make it about them.
  3. Ask, “How can I Serve you?”
  4. Aim for ongoing engagement.
  5. Know the people in your audience.

Rubin had many tweetable quotes to share, and this “King of Twitter” had #HISPZ12 trending: “Connect, don’t network.” “Be social in social media. Invest in your personal brand. Use your name in social media. Create conversations.” “Relationships are the new currency – honor them, invest in them.” His advice for Latino outreach: “Do not simply market to the Latino Community… immerse yourself and understand their diversity.”

The impact of social media on conventional Hispanic media was also buzzing at Hispanicize, with so many changes happening in the industry. Some key things to consider:

  • Although Hispanic media has lost reporters due to the financial downturn, reporters are now using many more avenues to report because of Facebook, blogs, Twitter, etc – so their news is getting much more exposure. PR professionals should connect with reporters through all of these platforms to understand reporter beats and use social media opportunites to connect and build relationships with reporters.
  • “Language barriers have been crossed and much of reporting is done bilingual, particularly in social media. Our reporters are now multimedia reporters,” said Monica Talan, SVP of Corporate Communications, Univision.
  • Cross sharing of content and conversations between reporters and readers is much more prevalent because of social media.
  • Hispanic media is looking for stories not being covered or reflected from a Latino perspective.

My biggest takeaway from Hispanicize 2012 was the affirmation of the ever-growing power of social media – it has undoubtedly seeped into every aspect of business and personal life, from the way we are consuming our news, to how we are networking, to new conversations and idea sharing platforms. The message is the same for marketers and PR professionals, entertainers, bloggers. If as an individual or a brand you have not embraced and indulged in social media at this point, then today is the day to begin!

Maria Elena Salinas during an award presentation at Hispanicize 2012.

Not many events can gracefully pull off mariachis, a flash mob performance to JLo and Pitbulls “On the Floor,” an appearance by Andy Garcia at a screening of his soon to be released film “For Greater Glory,” fireside chats with Latinovators Maria Elena Salinas, Nely Galan, Emilio Estefan and Cesar Millan, a screening of “Scarface” at a Miami Beach island mega mansion, and SO MUCH MORE – but Hispanicize did. Amidst the 80+ professional development sessions and numerous networking opportunities, conference organizers Manny Ruiz and Angela Sustaita Ruiz and their team managed to pull off an event which was totally worth 4 full days of any marketers time, totally worth a trip to Miami, totally worth the investment. We can’t wait for Hispanicize 2013!.

PR Newswire is proud to be official wire of Hispanicize 2012 and excited to have had a chance to exhibit, participate and make history at this Latino trendsetter event of the year.

Margarita Hernandez is a bicultural & bilingual media and communications professional with more than 12 years of experience in working with corporate clients in helping strategize their Multicultural Marketing and Public Relations campaigns. She is currently a Senior Account Manager for PR Newswire’s Multicultural Division. Connect with her on Twitter,  LinkedIn or via E-Mail

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Reaching & Engaging US Hispanics Online

Posted on April 17, 2012 by | 1 Comment

When it came to reaching U.S. Hispanics in the digital space, things were pretty tough early on.

In the 1990s, only 24 percent of Hispanics had Internet access, so there definitely was a digital and computer gap, said officials with Ogilvy who spoke during Social Media Week DC about reaching U.S. Hispanics online.

“Today, the Latino community is playing and engaging in social media,” said Kety Esquivel, vice president of digital influence at Ogilvy PR Worldwide.  Esquivel mentioned this provides a tremendous opportunity for those interested in reaching this growing audience.

Starting in 1997, things changed pretty quickly for the Hispanic audience with the popularization of instant messaging.  Two years later, Terra was launched and it became a very popular portal in Latin America, said Julio Valeriano, who oversees cause advocacy with Ogilvy.

Hispanics in the marketplace today represent $1.2 trillion in purchasing power. There are 6.4 million Hispanic homeowners, and Hispanics have the largest households with 3.6 people per home.

Contributing to this increasingly tech-savvy audience were huge milestones, including Friendster’s launch in 2002, MySpace and hi5 in Latin America in 2003, and Facebook in 2004.

Ogilvy officials said these factors really led to a boom of Hispanics in online media – a social revolution that led to iconic meetings like Latism and Hispanicize.

Esquivel pointed to SXSW, which this year has added a new award to Latinos in technology that “honors this very revolution.”

Nowadays, the numbers are growing by leaps and bounds:

  • There are 30 million Hispanics online. By 2014, it’s expected that 39 million Hispanics will be online.
  • Hispanics spend an average 29 minutes per day in social networking activities.
  • Seventy percent of online Hispanics are using Facebook.
  • Fifty-nine percent of online Hispanics are on YouTube.
  • Eight million Hispanics are on Twitter.
  • There are more than 1,900 Latina bloggers, compared with just 159 in 2009. (Source: Mamiverse, blogs by Latinas.)

The digital divide now resides between native-born and foreign-born Hispanics.

“Engage with the community,” said Esquivel. “Don’t just send messages out or just find out who to contact … we need to understand where the opportunities are.”

Phones are among the critical points of access to the Hispanic community, they said. Seventy-six percent of Hispanics own a mobile phone.

Valeriano said that five years ago, the recommendation would have been to reach Hispanics in Spanish. Now, it’s important to reach them in both English and Spanish.

Christine Cube is a media relations manager for PR Newswire and freelance writer. You can follow her @cpcube.

Need help developing engaging multimedia content for your Latino audiences?  Multivu Latino is here to help offering broadcast and interactive services and media training designed for reaching the Hispanic marketplace.

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The Power of Latina Voices

Posted on September 28, 2011 by | 1 Comment

Author Margarita Hernandez

Kicking off Hispanic Heritage Month at the Hispana Leadership Summit in Aventura, Florida last week definitely impressed me with the strength and variety of the Latina voice. For any Latina woman in the business field –whether an entrepreneur or a corporate executive- this conference offered great advice and inspiration for how to succeed not only in your career but in your life.

The event was energizing, after all, fill a room with Latin business women and there is no doubt that the energy level will go through the roof.

We heard from an exceptional panel of Latina entrepreneurs titled Passions to Profits who shared their messages of success, which can be applicable for anyone in the business world – work hard, be authentic, learn from mistakes, take risks, find your voice, seek balance, and my favorite: love what you do, and do what you love. Easier said than done, but hearing from strong voices such as Ivette Mayo (@ivettemayo), President of Yo Soy I Am, tell her story of achievement truly had us all walking out the door feeling inspired to follow our dreams, break barriers and find passion in business. Ivette’s advice to finding balance as a career woman was to learn to say “No” – you can’t say yes to everybody – your own quality of life needs to come first. Alternatives to “No” for those who have a hard time: try “I can’t right now” or “Let me think about it.”

When Nati Soto, President of Ferguson Glasgow Schuster Soto, Inc. , a South Florida architecture firm, was asked how she can do it all – family, work, successful career – she said that she finds that the more you do, the more you can do – she feeds on it. “You figure it out, things do get easier, relationships with your family and your career change.”

These are women who have achieved what many may perceive as unachievable, who have surpassed multiple challenges and marched right past nonbelievers.
Maria Marin (@maria_marin), Motivational Speaker, Radio Personality and Bestselling Author, gave a fun and laugh-out-loud “charla” about the multiple roles Latinas play in life: wife, mother, friend, sister, career woman, nurse, chef, psychologist, accountant, teacher.  She talked about the beauty of living in a bicultural world, and how some of the key personality traits of Latina women are what make them stand with such pride – their independence, confidence, authenticity and passion give them a strong purpose and voice. She introduced the latest campaign by Procter & Gamble targeting Hispanic women titled “Orgullosa” (in English means “Proud”) (www.orgullosa.com), for which she is the spokesperson.  Orgullosa is a new initiative that celebrates the diverse collective beauty of Latina women. The movement encourages Latina women to promote not only their own beauty standard, but also their accomplishments as daughters of the new world.

In another session, Meet me Halfway, the Art of Negotiation, Dr. Yasmin Davidds (@YasminDavidds), Founder of the Women’s Negotiation Institute, gave useful tips on negotiating your way to achieving your goal, whether it be closing a deal, or getting a raise. She shared her insights on the important cultural differences you have to consider depending on who you’re negotiating with: what works with a male vs. female; Hispanic vs. Caucasian, etc. For instance, with women, it is important to connect on some level. With men, you must prove your professional competence to set the stage.

Eighty percent of the work in a negotiation is preplanning – set the systematic framework for the negotiation:
1)      Build a strong case – tie it in to the bottom line of what you’re asking for
2)      Conduct a barrier audit – every possible way they “won’t” or “can’t” do it
3)      Create a strategy to counter each barrier – in other words, solve their problem.

Another workshop consisted of Julie Stav (@tweetconjulie), financial guru, author and radio host, giving sound, practical and valuable financial advice on how to invest to set the stage for a financially stable present and future, for both young and old. Her advice on raising financially savvy children: “Teach kids it’s better to have a share of Nikes than a pair of Nikes.” Gotta love it – so true, talk about getting your kids started on the right foot when it comes to learning how to save!

The recurring message throughout the event was clear – Latina women have strong voices and are amazing business women.  The Hispana Leadership Summit was a great event to fuel your passions and creativity and gain inspiration and knowledge that help you at work and at home.  And as a corporation, marketer or small business owner, reaching this coveted demographic has never been more important – with the number of Hispanics in the US at 50.5 million and growing, and Latinas making up 48% of that number. Targeting this key demographic, who has disposable income, often makes the financial decisions at home, has larger than average household size, and loves to shop should undoubtedly be on your agenda.  Some of the top sponsors of the event, companies and organizations that truly embrace the Latina opportunity, were Yum! Brands, State Farm, Macy’s, Susan G. Komen, Walt Disney, and of course, PR Newswire.  How will your brand connect with the Latina market in the U.S.?

Author Margarita Hernandez is a bicultural & bilingual media and communications professional with over 12 years of experience in working with corporate clients in helping strategize their Multicultural Marketing and Public Relations campaigns. She is currently a Senior Account Manager for PR Newswire’s Multicultural Division.

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