Press Release: The Power of Social Media, from The Defense Logistics Agency
Columbus, Ohio – DK’s own Natasha Pongonis was the featured speaker at a Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) workshop in October in which she talked about the strong influence of social media, especially when working with Hispanics.
The first workshop in the “Professional Enhancement Series” provided an overview of the positive and negative aspects of social media.
“The Power of Social Media,” held Oct. 11 as part of the DLA Land and Maritime Hispanic Heritage Month celebration, explained social media,
security settings to protect yourself, and the do’s and don’ts of personal and professional profiles.
Instructor Natasha Pongonis, a native of Argentina who is fluent in four languages, has been the social media director at DK Web Consulting
since 2009. The company’s mission is to provide clients with modern and creative web solutions in a sustainable way.
Pongonis said the term “social media” refers to the use of web-based and mobile technologies to turn communication into an interactive
dialogue. Social media and networking has become a versatile tool and can be accessed by anyone, she said, noting that one person can post or share information with hundreds, even thousands, of people across the world in a matter of seconds. Three out of four people in America use social media technology.
Some of the most popular social media forums are Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+. Other social media forums include Que Pasa, Orkut, Hi5, MiGente and Batanga.
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MLS Fútbol (Soccer) Teams With Spanish Online Presence
In the 4th minute of Saturday night’s game against DC United, Omar Bravo of Sporting KC was anxious to take the shot. Sporting KC, who had been in last place as recently as June had a chance to lock up first place in the Eastern Conference and a solid opportunity at a berth in the MLS Cup. And while Bravo’s shot missed the goal, Sporting KC went on to win the game and complete the turnaround securing home field advantage in the playoffs.
But playing good soccer is not all that Mexican international Bravo and Sporting KC does well. They also have proven to be the savviest MLS team when it comes to reaching out to Spanish speaking Hispanics.
As we reviewed the MLS team websites we had in mind that the MLS, being a soccer league with teams in major Hispanic markets such as New York, LA, and Chicago, would definitely have a huge presence of Spanish language media forums. We were surprised after reviewing all 19 MLS teams that only 3, (including Sporting KC), had Spanish language social media presence, while 4 US based teams had no Spanish presence at all. Below is our complete review divided in 3 sections:
A. We Habla Español (Spanish website and social media.)
B. We Habla Poquito Español (Spanish website only.)
C. We Don’t Habla Español (No Spanish website or social media.)
We Habla Español
1. The MLS
Spanish presence: The MLS has launched an often updated Spanish news blog on its site. It publishes several articles per day in Spanish on current MLS topics, as well as the Latino de la Jornada (Latino Player of the Week). Additionally, the MLS has a very active Spanish Twitter page with over 5,400 followers.
Website: http://www.mlssoccer.com/es
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/Futbol_MLS
Facebook: none
2. Sporting Kansas City
Spanish presence: El Sporting KC has the most socially interactive Spanish media of all MLS teams. They are active on both Twitter and Facebook in Spanish, and have 750+ fans and 300+ followers respectively. Every website section in Spanish is updated regularly including ticket, sponsor, league, and contact information.
Website: http://www.sportingkc.com/espanol
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ElSportingKC
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/elSportingKC
3. FC Dallas
Spanish presence: The team has a Spanish news blog that is updated occasionally. They also have a Spanish language Facebook page that is updated frequently during the season. They have gained 499 fans to date.
Website: http://www.fcdallas.com/es/news
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/somosfcdallas
Twitter: No
4. Portland Timbers
Spanish presence: Although in only its first season, the Portland Timbers have a deep Spanish website compared to the other teams. Website contains sections on news, sponsors, events, clubs and contact information in Spanish. In social media, there is a semi-active Facebook page, however it seems to be unofficial at this point. The Twitter page looks to be official, however, they have not tweeted yet.
Website: http://www.portlandtimbers.com/español
Facebook: has unofficial fan page–http://www.facebook.com/portlandtimbers#!/somostimbers
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/SomosTimbers
We Habla Poquito Español
1. Columbus Crew
Spanish presence: The Crew has a Spanish language news blog as well as event, club, sponsor, and news information in Spanish. While no official Spanish social media, they do have an informal presence in Spanish on Facebook.
Website: http://www.thecrew.com/espanol
Facebook: a Spanish language fan club tracks them: http://www.facebook.com/columbuscrew#!/TurbinaAmarilla?sk=info
Twitter: none
2. Chicago Fire
Spanish presence: Provides several Spanish language news articles per week.
Website: http://www.chicago-fire.com/es/news
Facebook: No
Twitter: No
3. Chivas USA
Spanish presence: While sharing the same owner as the Mexican Chivas Club out of Guadalajara, Mexico, Chivas USA is limited to only Spanish news on its website.
Website: http://www.cdchivasusa.com/es/news
Facebook: No
Twitter: No
4. D.C. United
Spanish presence: The team keeps a regularly updated Spanish news blog.
Website: http://www.dcunited.com/es
Facebook: No
Twitter: No
5. Houston Dynamo
Spanish presence: The Dynamo maintain a well-updated Spanish news blog.
Website: http://www.houstondynamo.com/es/news
Facebook: No
Twitter: No
6. Los Angeles Galaxy
Spanish presence: The team seldom updates their Spanish news blog.
Website: http://www.lagalaxy.com/es/noticias
Facebook: No
Twitter: No
7. New York Red Bulls
Spanish presence: The team seldom updates their Spanish news blog.
Website: http://www.newyorkredbulls.com/es/news
Facebook: No
Twitter: No
8. Philadelphia Union
Spanish presence: The Union have an FAQ section, ticket information, stadium info as well as an occasionally updated Spanish news blog.
Website: http://www.philadelphiaunion.com/es/news
Facebook: No
Twitter: No
9. Seattle Sounders FC
Spanish presence: The Sounders have a frequently updated Spanish language news blog.
Website: http://www.soundersfc.com/Espanol/Noticias-en-Espanol.aspx
Facebook: No
Twitter: No
We Don’t Habla Español
The remaining MLS teams do not have known Spanish websites nor social media profiles. Interesting as several of the teams (Colorado, New England, San Jose) are in major Hispanic markets. Expansion Montreal has a French version of the site, of course.
1. Colorado Rapids
2. Impact Montreal
3. New England Revolution
4. Real Salt Lake
5. San Jose Earthquake
6. Toronto FC
7. Vancouver Whitecaps
Your Thoughts
What do you think? Do you think more teams will launch Spanish language social media like Sporting KC has? Should other teams in larger Hispanic markets expect to gain even more fans on a Spanish social media forum? Do you think most Hispanics would be satisfied with the ample English language social media? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Hispanic Marketing with ‘America’s Team’, the Dallas Cowboys
An interview with Victor Villalba, of the Dallas Cowboys
Victor Villalba, broadcasting for the Cowboys-Titans game in October 2010
The timing was perfect this week for a conversation about NFL Hispanic marketing. With the NFL kicking off full festivities for Hispanic Heritage Month including community events, Hispanic Heritage Leadership awards, and even mariachis performing outside of stadiums, the relevance of Hispanics to the NFL was on the tip of everyone’s tongue.
On Tuesday, I had the opportunity to catch up with Victor Villalba, Manager of Spanish Language Broadcasting for the Dallas Cowboys. I approached Villalba, as it was obvious of his qualifications to discuss the team’s marketing and community outreach efforts towards Latinos having worked for the NFL team over 10 years, during two stints.
Villalba most recently returned to the Cowboys in 2002 to work with the Spanish radio broadcast. Soon after, Villalba was given the opportunity to do the Spanish language play by play which he does for every game, including this past Monday night’s game against the Washington Redskins.
I wanted to know what we all could learn from the most well known NFL team about marketing to Hispanics, community integration and the importance of knowing your customers. I have laid out my findings in the subsequent categories. Please review and add your comments and questions to the end, and also consider reading a similar article about the NBA’s Hispanic Marketing efforts.
How does the NFL lend itself to the Hispanic community?
In a recent article in the Phoenix Business Journal, Villalba was quoted as having said that, “The NFL product lends itself to popularity among Hispanics in the U.S. because most games are on Sunday, which meshes with traditional Latino family get-togethers and social gatherings.”
When asked to expand on this topic, Villalba added that, “Hispanic fans are very passionate about sports; we can see this passion in other sports they play as well such as soccer and boxing. NFL Sunday brings together the Hispanic experience to American football.”
The Cowboys understand this well, and they embrace Hispanic fans of all levels of American acculturation and Spanish language skills.
“We want to translate that passion that Hispanics, as a colorful group, like to embrace all other cultures regardless if they speak Spanish or not,” notes Villalba.
Interestingly, Villalba noted that his broadcasts are done in proper Spanish, castellano. “This means, we don’t use Spanglish terms during the play by play, such as Touchdown. I say Anotación,” adds Villalba.
The role of Hispanic Marketing with the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys fans before Monday night’s game between Dallas and Washington. (Photo Credit - AP Photo/LM Otero)
When asked about the Dallas Cowboys marketing plan toward US Hispanics over the past few years, Villalba had much to say.
“Hispanic marketing with the Dallas Cowboys goes back to the ‘70’s when president Tex Schramm decided that it would be a good idea to broadcast games in Spanish,” comments Villalba, confirming the Cowboys reputation as having one of the longest running Spanish language broadcast histories of any professional American sports team.
Over the years, the Cowboys Spanish language broadcast has grown to the current position where regular season games are broadcast in 20 markets to reach Hispanic Cowboys fans living outside of Dallas, including those in certain parts of Mexico.
Additionally, the Cowboys can be found on Spanish TV. “There was a decision during the Jerry Jones era (current Cowboys owner), which began in 1989, in which to bolster radio with TV,” comments Villalba about the various TV Spanish programming which can be viewed for the Cowboys. Cowboy’s preseason games currently can be found in 15 markets regionally.
Villalba says that Mexico is also a very important part of their strategy. He concluded by saying that what is most important, is that the Cowboys give their fans an option to view and listen in English or Spanish.
A Mariachi dancer performing outside Cowboys Stadium, part of the festivities to mark Hispanic Heritage Month at Monday night’s game between Dallas and Washington. (Photo Credit - AP Photo/LM Otero)
Hispanic Heritage Month with the Dallas Cowboys
This past Monday night football game against the Redskins kicked off NFL Hispanic Heritage Month. We discussed further what activities the Cowboys do during the month which runs from September 15 to October 15.
It seems that for the Monday night victory against archrival Washington, the community relations department was indeed busy. “They had mariachis, bailes folkloricos (folk dances), Los Lonely Boys, and Grupo Intocable whom are huge around here. In addition we had former Cowboys Marco Rivera and Tony Casillas for the coin toss. Even standing room was packed, it was a full house!”
Villalba went on to discuss the Rookie Club, which is a program run by the Cowboys in which rookies on the team perform outreach in the community. The rookies make appearances at community events, hospitals and other locations throughout the season. “Rookies get a chance to learn about the importance of the community,” comments Villalba. “During Hispanic Heritage month there is a focus on interacting with the Hispanic community.”
Adelante Program
The Cowboys support other Hispanic community programs during Hispanic Heritage month as well. One of which is the Adelante program in which the Cowboys team up with Miller Lite for the good of the community. “The Adelante program is geared towards guiding students to continue on to college, and pursue higher learning,” mentions Villalba.
Through the program, Miller Lite donates 25 cents from each case of Miller Lite purchased at participating retailers to the organization. Former Cowboy and two-time Super Bowl champion Tony Casillas serves as a motivational speaker making appearances statewide to inspire parents to make wise choices for their children. All of these actions contribute to the Adelante program, which is dedicated to developing the next generation of Latino leaders.
Spanish Website or Social Media in the Future for America’s Team?
Not unlike most other NFL teams, the Cowboys do not have Spanish language social media forums or a website to cater to Latinos preferring Spanish.
Villalba explained that this is simply a function of not having the specific need for such forums so far. “For us to create these channels there would have to be clear cut demand from our fans as well as support from our internal and external partners. At this point, there is not the business need for these channels,” summarized Villalba.
The NFL itself does have a Spanish language website which is run in partnership with Univision Interactive Media. It will be interesting to see if in the near future the Cowboys do determine there is a valid business reason to establish Spanish language digital forums.
I think that the Cowboys could definitely expand their engagement with their Hispanic fan base through social media activities, as by their extensive broadcasting area we know there are fans that prefer Spanish. Also, Hispanics are on Social Media: we know of the extensive use of Facebook by US Hispanics as well as that there are over 8.1 million US Hispanics on Twitter. Social media marketing to these fans could allow the Cowboys to bring an even more enthusiastic Latino fan to their stadium as they would be connected on an additional level. The Cowboys are no stranger to social media either as the Cowboys own English Facebook page has over 3.6 million fans to date.
Fan Favorites among Hispanics?
There have been many great Hispanic players that have come through Cowboys home stadiums in the past 50 years, including Tony Romo, Marco Rivera and Tony Casillas. I asked Villalba if there are fan favorites among Hispanic fans and the answer was not unexpected.
“Hispanic fans gravitate to excellence,” commented Villalba. “When the Steelers were on top in the 70’s they were very popular among Latinos as they were very good. When you win, you’re going to get fans, including Hispanics.”
Hispanic Fans different from non-Hispanic Cowboy fans?
The most interesting part of our conversation I found was our discussion of differences between Hispanic Cowboys fans, in comparison with the general market fan. Villalba stated that besides cheering in different languages, Cowboys fans are fairly like-minded.
“Being a fan of the NFL or the Cowboys is a very universal thing,” began Villalba. “If you found a fan in Portugal wearing a Cowboys hat, and arranged to have an interview in Portuguese, you’d find he has the same memories, complaints, and thoughts about the Cowboys as the rest of our fans.”
Another interesting point that Villalba mentioned is that when the Cowboys look at their Hispanic fans it is very hard to tell by appearance alone, their level of acculturation. Basically, it seems that acculturated Hispanics in Dallas have similar cheering habits as those season ticket-holders that drive up from Mexico every week for the game.
“Especially when you’re talking about division rivals playing each other. It’s exciting! It doesn’t matter your language (or acculturation level), everyone is on the same page.”
Thoughts?
What are your thoughts on the efforts the Dallas Cowboys have taken in the area of Hispanic marketing and community interaction? Are there other teams doing interesting outreach with the Hispanic community as well? Share with us examples and any questions in the comment section below.
Bio of Victor Villalba
Victor Villalba with the Larry O’ Brien NBA Championship trophy presented to the 2011 NBA champion Dallas Mavericks
Victor Villalba is now serving his second stint in Spanish language broadcast production with the Dallas Cowboys. He was lured back to Texas in 2002 as the club explored ways to bring production and affiliate relations in-house as part of the growing Broadcasting Department for English language properties.
By 2003 Villalba’s role was expanded to executive producer of television and radio properties for the team, affiliate relations with stations in the US and Mexico, as well as an active participant of strategies to reach the growing appetite for Spanish language properties tied to the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.
In 2005 Villalba added Spanish language play-by-play and Hispanic marketing consulting for the Dallas Mavericks, and having been part of the first trip to the NBA Finals in 2006, was part of the 2010-2011 Mavericks team that won it all. Adding to his broadcast activities, Time Warner Cable in association with Fox Sports Southwest broadcasted a select number of Texas Rangers games in 2010, and for 2011, there are another number of games to call, along with color-commentator and former major-leaguer Jose Guzman.
A resident of Coppell, Texas since 2003, the Villalba’s include wife Olga, and daughters Katia Michelle and Kristina Marie.
References:
Personal interview with Victor Villalba on 9/26/2011.
http://www.nfl.com/photos/09000d5d8228cf1a#id:09000d5d822964a6
http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/news/2011/09/15/nfl-cardinals-top-the-competition-in.html?page=2
http://espn.go.com/dallas/nfl/story/_/id/7004118/tony-romo-family-him-every-step-way
How Many US Hispanics on Twitter
A few months back we provided an outlook of how many US Latinos or Hispanics can be found on Facebook. Today we announce the very appropriate sequel which discusses the number of total US Hispanics on Twitter. This is key information for brands looking to launch a Twitter account targeting US Latinos as it provides an estimate of how large the followership of your brand’s Twitter profile could potentially be. Further, this article contains insight into which language should be used for the voice of the Twitter profile. Choosing to use English, Spanish or a combination of the two (Spanglish) on the Twitter account is a very real question that all brands need to decide upon as they look to target the Hispanic market.
Without further ado, lets review the numbers.
8.1 Million US Hispanics using Twitter?
Today there are approximately 8.1 million US Hispanics on Twitter. Of that amount 31%, or 2.5 million Hispanics, prefer Spanish and would be encouraged to follow a Twitter profile providing Spanish content. 44%, or 3.6 million US Latinos favor English and are more likely to follow a Twitter profile that is providing stories and media in English. And last but not least, 25% of US Hispanics (2.0 million) are bilingual and would be happy to follow a Twitter profile content in either language or Spanglish.
The graph presented below helps to visualize:
8.1 Million Hispanics on Twitter and Growing
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DK Web Consulting inks Deal with ScarGuard Labs
Scarguard MD can be found at 60,000 CVS, Wal-marts, and other retailers nationwide
DK Web Consulting has been chosen by Scarguard Labs of Great Neck, NY as the exclusive Hispanic digital agency for its extensive product line being sold in over 60,000 stores nationwide. DK is tasked with the entire online Hispanic marketing presence for Scarguard including a Spanish language website, blog, as well as Facebook and Twitter profiles. DK was chosen against several competitors for their exemplary background working with several well known CPG (consumer packaged goods) brands across the country.
Additionally, DK’s health communications work for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention assisted Scarguard to choose DK as the right fit for the project.
DK will also be creating and maintaining a Spanish language website, blog, and social media forums for the firm’s cosmetic surgery office also located in Great Neck, NY.
About Scarguard Labs:
Scarguard Labs is a specialty pharmaceutical company that is guided by doctors, pharmacists and pharmaceutical biochemists with over 75 years of combined experience. Our products were developed by a plastic surgeon with a keen understanding of the most common problems and the latest advancements in medical biotechnology. The result is a scientifically-proven suite of products that have been widely recognized as effective by the medical community and the major retailers.
Scarguard products are manufactured in seven locations across the United States and are available in doctors’ offices, directly from Scarguard, and most major retailers including 60,000 WalMart, Target, CVS, Rite Aid, independent drug stores and many more nationwide.
US Retailers’ Outreach to the Online Hispanic Retail Consumer
Hispanic Retail Marketing – SEARS/K-Mart Case Study
We hear and read daily about the increasing numbers of Hispanics in the United States. The latest census results indicate Hispanics make up 16% of the US population and that this number will climb to 25% or higher by the year 2050[1].
Through our Facebook walls that sometimes resemble malls, we know that the retail industry is strategically using Social Media Forums to provide enhanced customer service, engagement and brand experience to their customers. Something that is clear regarding Social media best practices is that connecting, listening, and taking action are keys to success and the right path towards long term customer loyalty desired by all retailers.
How does this apply when Marketing to US Hispanics?
Sears outreach efforts at a Hispanic community event
To understand the fastest growing ethnic group in the US is not as simple as many may assume. Hispanics are a diverse group with deep roots in Latin traditions and are devoted family members. Hispanics are generally eager to be represented in all different aspects of American life, including being the center of marketing campaigns. As many recent studies show, Hispanics are active users of the internet, they not only value online interactions but they participate actively with their favorite retail brands through social media. To note, 48 % of Online Latinos have a social networking profile[2] and 47% of Spanish dominant Latinos are internet users[3]. This knowledge provides the retail industry a unique opportunity to have an open, live, and continuous relation that benefits both parties.
Let’s explore today’s retail world and analyze their strategies behind outreach to the Hispanic Market in the US, and in Sear’s case globally. In this blog, SEARS is being featured for the long term commitment to customer service and constant exploration of new opportunities within the Hispanic segment of the US and Latin America.
“My Sears” Community
The Sears "Wish Together" Facebook application
Early on, SEARS understood the importance and positive impact of Social Media by creating various social media channels to get feedback and insight from customers. Their social media efforts drive a two way conversation and ultimately deliver business insights to improve the shopping experience in-store and on-line. These multi-channels help customers to shop smarter, save time, and save money, which is what we all seek regardless of our ethnicity! When Oscar Castro, the Director/General Manager, Latino eCommerce of SEARS Holdings was asked about how Social Media fit into the overall Marketing strategy, his response provided a good summary of SEARS role in today’s Social Media ‘s frenzy:
“Social media is a very important part of our relationship with customers. We use social media to get feedback from our retail customers and make business decisions to improve the online shopping experience. We value our customers’ insights and make great efforts to drive conversation and provide them valuable content.”
Sears’ Social Media & Hispanics
Furthermore, when Mr. Castro was asked about how Sears’ plans for Social Media fit with the Hispanic and International markets, Mr. Castro explains,
“Sears Holdings has a large presence in these channels today, with almost 3/4 million Friends on Facebook for Sears & Kmart and almost 150 thousand followers on Twitter. Our fans & followers include bilingual US Hispanics, people living in Puerto Rico and abroad, as well as Spanish-preferring people (in the US). We have used our Facebook and Twitter presence to communicate with our Latino customers about local events, international promotions and delivery capabilities.”
On the Sears Facebook Page, the “call to action” is used on a regular basis inviting fans to comment and engage on each post not only with Sears but with each other bringing loyalty to the page and to the brand. A Facebook campaign found on Sears’s page is the Wish Together Deal Alert application. This is a fun offer application that allows people to capitalize on a heavily discounted item (think Groupon here) if over 50 people in most cases click to “Like” that item. (See image illustration of Wish Together)
Additionally, fans can look for jobs on Sear’s Facebook page, customize their own weekly ad circular, and order retail gift cards for their family and friends without leaving the page
On Twitter, @My Sears offers tips, promotions and a direct link to The Sears Daily Social news to all their followers. But the most important use of this channel is for fluid communications and effective online customer service by answering all questions and comments throughout a consistent two way conversation. See example below for a sample customer service interaction after @MySears helped a distressed consumer.
Customer service delivered through the @MySears Twitter profile
These two forums are not the only social media presence for Sears, as they use multiple channels strategically created to better cater to their customers specific needs and interests.
So when will Sears launch a Spanish language Social Media Channel?
When asked, Mr. Castro said, “There are different schools of thought on how to handle Hispanic Social Media, so we’re studying it carefully. We want to ensure that when we roll out our Social presence, it’s relevant, engaging and comprehensive.” And for that, we are all very expectant; Would Sears provide a new definition to social retailing for the Hispanic retail market? We do hope so.
SEARS , Hispanic Celebrities and TV
SEARS has launched product lines with Cristina Saralegui, Selena Gomez, and most recently Sofia Vergara appealing to different groups, ages, backgrounds, and nationalities among Hispanics. Mr. Castro highlighted during our interview an essential concept for Sears, which is “the power of choice.” Empowering customers is a very important strategy in today’s world of constantly changing trends, with savvy online shoppers staying up-to-date with the latest trends, technologies, and celebrity lifestyles.
Another key component of Sears outreach towards Hispanics is the relationship with Univision, the giant TV station in the US for Hispanics. Sears is able to provide a combination of entertainment and value with a hit show, “Arrasa con todo con Kmart.” Sears also provides the opportunity to become a music star through their show, “Quiero ser una Estrella”, the Hispanic version of “American Idol” featuring Hispanic talent in the US. This relationship with Univision provides SEARS Holdings with consistent brand exposure while actively supporting the Hispanic community.
The Sofia Vergara/K-Mart Facebook page
SEARS’ Spanish Web Outlets
Sears has three websites that cater to the Spanish preferring audience. Sears.com/español provides information in Spanish as a mirror site to the standard English website.
“By launching Sears.com/español, we’re able to better serve customers, and provide them the ability to shop with a trusted brand, in Spanish,” states Mr. Castro. Interestingly, Sears has kiosks with the Spanish website in-store to allow English speaking associates to assist customers who may need assistance finding their product.
Sears has been in business for over 125 years, building a reputation as well as brand names that customers in Latin America demand. In Puerto Rico, where Sears has been established for over 75 years, Sears.com.pr satisfies the demands of the island by providing the same level of product options and engagement that there is on the Sears US website.
Sears.com/International serves the rest of Latin America. Important to mention as part of this international marketing strategy are the interesting campaigns over the years to support the Sears Latin American consumer base, including campaigns where shipping to 25 countries in Latin America was a flat fee of $19.99. “It’s amazing how this information spreads virally abroad, and we see new customers coming to our sites to take advantage of these offers,” adds Mr. Castro.
Closing Thoughts
SEARS’ commitment to the Hispanic customer in the US goes beyond the use of traditional PR campaigns. Sears celebrates and understands their Hispanic consumers and this cultural understanding will provide SEARS the longevity of Hispanic customer loyalty. SEARS’ ambition is to be the online shopping destination for Spanish-preferring customers and this goal is consistent throughout all their online promotions that include their social media channels. Stay tuned as SEARS promises to offer much more to see in 2011-2012 for all Hispanics shoppers in the US.
About Mr. Oscar Castro
Mr. Castro joined Sears in 2006 and currently serves as the Director & General Manager of Sears Holding’s International e-Commerce business.
In his position Mr. Castro is charged with establishing and managing an online business to serve Hispanic and Latin American markets. His responsibilities include strategy, user experience, marketing, merchandising, multi-channel operations and customer service as well as P&L responsibility. He also serves as President of the company’s Latino Resource Group, an employee networking group. A native of Chicago, Mr. Castro earned a Bachelor’s degree from St. Xavier University and an MBA from Dominican University. Mr. Castro is also bilingual born to Mexican parents.
Links
Sears Facebook Page +460,000 followers
MySears Twitter Page +11,000 Fans
Sears Deals Twitter Page +74,000 Fans
K-Mart Facebook Page +352,000 Fans
Kmart Twitter Page +85,000 Fans
References
[1] US Census Bureau, 2011
[2] Interactive Advertising Bureau, 2010
[3] Pew Hispanic Center, 2010
How many Hispanics could “Like” your Brand’s Facebook Page: A Breakdown of US Hispanics.
So how many Hispanics could potentially be inspired to join your brand’s newly launched Facebook page? Well, before you look at your options for engaging Hispanics on Facebook you need to decide is whether your page will be targeting Spanish or English dominant Hispanics. This makes a great difference to many parts of the Facebook page including the overall potential reach. So let’s review how many US Hispanics could potentially sign up as a fan on your brand’s Facebook Page.
How many Hispanics are English or Spanish Dominant?
In today’s environment there are 13.5 million US Hispanics on Facebook. Of that amount 31%, or 4.2 million Hispanics, prefer Spanish and would be encouraged to become a fan of a fan page providing Spanish content. 5.9 million Hispanics favor English and are more likely to fan a page that is providing stories and media in English. And last but not least, 25% of US Hispanics (3.4 million) are bilingual and consume content in either language. The graph below sums it up:
Are the portions what you would have imagined?
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Read it now on the Social Media Spanish Blog.
NBA Hispanic Marketing: “Social Media a Key Component of our Strategy” (Part 2 of 2)
The popular éne•bé•a Facebook profile
Marketers that study successful Spanish-language Facebook pages know that the NBA’s Spanish-language page, entitled éne•bé•a, has over 240,000 fans. But what is less well known are some of the internal processes and strategies that enable the NBA to connect and engage with Spanish speaking fans on 5 social media platforms. In October we interviewed the NBA about their social media strategy.
“Social media is a key component to our Hispanic marketing strategy. It allows our fans to engage with our sport and our players on a more personalized level,” explains Saskia Sorrosa, Senior Director of U.S. Hispanic Marketing at the NBA, “While we have éne•bé•a fan pages on five social networking sites, our page on Facebook is the fastest growing to-date.” It is easy to see that Facebook has been the standout effort as they have grown by roughly 17,000 fans since our interview 3 weeks ago.
We now review each of the 5 forums where the NBA holds a presence focusing on Facebook as it holds the largest fan following.
Facebook – 247,190 fans
éne•bé•a Name - The Facebook page is cleverly named, “éne•bé•a (página oficial de la NBA).” There are several key points to note here about the name. First, is that the name starts with ‘éne•bé•a’ which in Part 1 of this series we discussed the importance of language considerations when launching a campaign. The NBA decided to use ‘éne•bé•a’ because that is how Hispanic fans had been referring to and connecting with the league ever since they first started engaging with the ‘NBA’. From their research they found that while Hispanics generally like to be recognized, they do not like to be singled out. This is an important note as they bypassed ‘easier’ names such as ‘NBA en Español’ or ‘NBA Latino.’
Second, is that they included in the name, ‘(página oficial de la NBA).’ The importance of this is that Facebook users who may not have heard the campaign name before would still find this page if they searched ‘NBA’ in the Facebook search bar.
Growth Strategy – To make a fast landing, the éne•bé•a enlisted Facebook advertising for a period of 2-3 months. Upon successfully reaching a significant following they discontinued paid promotions and relied on cross promotion and organic growth. The éne•bé•a Facebook page was cross-promoted on many channels including the English-language NBA Facebook page and the éne•bé•a website home page.
Post Content – A typical week of postings will include news from the NBA, video highlights, questions to fans, clips from their Spanish-language commercial campaign, and news about Hispanic players. Interestingly, video highlights are in English as the NBA learned from research on their Hispanic fans that most prefer to watch the highlights in English, but read the content in Spanish (see more detail on this in Part 1).
Fan Engagement – After reviewing Facebook data, we saw that the éne•bé•a page receives about 70 fan interactions per post. Among the various methods the NBA uses to gain fan engagement is asking their fans what would they ask a player who is scheduled to be interviewed by éne•bé•a ambassador Felipe Lopez. “We take the best 2-3 questions to ask the player when (Felipe) does the interview; and include the names of the fans asking the questions we select, and where they are from,” adds Ms. Sorrosa. “Then we post the video on Facebook so fans can come back and see if their questions were asked.”
Other Social Media Profiles
Overall, the éne•bé•a posts a uniform message across its Spanish-language social forums. “We try to be consistent in our messaging in everything we do across the different platforms,” notes Ms. Sorrosa.
Here is a brief look at the other 4 social media platforms.
Twitter – 1832 followers. There are some fun mentions between well known players who will ‘talk’ to the éne•bé•a on twitter. In our research we saw the NBA is mentioned approximately 122 times per week.
The Mi Página page of the éne•bé•a
Mi Página – 24,937 friends. We expect rapid fan growth on this forum as the NBA recently announced a partnership with Univision which holds Mi Página.
Que Pasa – 1,160 fans. Interesting here is that Ms. Sorrosa herself is the Community Manager for this page so it gives the page a more personal touch.
MySpace – 1,062 friends. As MySpace recently re-launched their platform we will see if the éne•bé•a gains more friends here.
Final Thought:
Marketers looking to gain an edge with Spanish-language and bilingual social media can certainly learn a significant amount by studying the NBA’s efforts. What methods of engagement practiced by the NBA can be practically used for other campaigns?
Missed Part 1 in this series? Here it is, a look inside the éne•bé•a.
NBA Hispanic Marketing: A look inside the éne•bé•a (Part 1 of 2)
Dominican born Al Horford is an éne•bé•a spokesman and current player for the Atlanta Hawks. NBAE/Getty Images.
The NBA proves that hard work on and off the court pays off. After significant research into what resonates with Hispanics, the NBA has found a winning combination. Evidence of their success includes growth of the NBA’s U. S. Hispanic fan base by 9% during the 2008-09 season. To put that in perspective, the U.S. Hispanic population grew by only 4% during that same period indicating that the NBA is growing 125% faster than the Hispanic population. Add to that, promising figures such as the 57% rise in viewership of the NBA on ESPN Deportes and the growing éne•bé•a Facebook page that now has over 240,000 fans.
“Our success can be attributed to a winning combination of all of our marketing programs,” says Saskia Sorrosa, Senior Director of U.S. Hispanic Marketing at the NBA during our interview in October. “But most importantly, the NBA has great basketball.”
So how does the NBA market to Hispanics? Let’s review keys to their success:
éne•bé•a Campaign:
The NBA’s latest marketing campaign, éne•bé•a, is part of a comprehensive initiative to grow the game of basketball throughout the expanding U.S. Hispanic market. The NBA brings initiatives focused exclusively on Hispanic fans under a platform that includes media, events, grassroots, and merchandising programs.
In October the NBA announced a partnership with Univision Interactive Media, Inc. to bring the www.nba.com/enebea website to life on Univision Interactive Media’s online platform. The co-branded site includes blogs by Latino NBA players, video highlights, the latest news, photo galleries, interactive fan content, and other offerings.
Internal Operations:
Key to their success in marketing to Hispanics is the structure of their internal operations. The Hispanic Marketing department headed by Ms. Sorrosa is structured in a way which ensures the NBA’s commitment to the Hispanic market. Each department of the NBA has a Hispanic lead who acts as the liaison between their groups and the Hispanic Marketing department. This person drives activations within their discipline, which ultimately ensures the Hispanic fan base is considered for every marketing endeavor.
Language Preferences:
After significant market research, the league determined how best to present the NBA to different Hispanic groups including acculturated Hispanics, bilinguals, and Spanish-dominant Hispanics. Acculturated Hispanics, as can be expected, generally prefer to consume all of their NBA related media in English. However, bilingual Hispanics prefer to watch games in English but would rather read about the NBA in Spanish. This was suspected by the NBA as it was found that more bilingual Hispanics were watching English-language broadcasts instead of Spanish-language game broadcasts on Telemundo a couple seasons back. In the 2nd part of this NBA Marketing feature, we will discuss the impact of this realization to the éne•bé•a Facebook page.
Another product of their research was how Hispanics referred to their favorite NBA teams. From their study they found that Hispanic fans used the words “los” or “el” in front of the names when referring to NBA teams instead of translating the team name. For example the Phoenix Suns are not the “Soles”, they are referred to as “Los Suns”. This combination was used as it was a true representation of how Hispanics related to their teams.
Individual Teams’ Marketing Efforts:
Jersey worn by the New York Knicks for Noche Latina. NBAE/Getty Images.
The NBA also is highly involved in coordinating with individual teams’ Hispanic marketing efforts. This includes the 11 teams with Spanish-language websites such as the newest one, el Orlando Magic. For the 2006-2007 season, the NBA began the “Noche Latina” program with 4 teams. “Noche Latina” is a night to appreciate Hispanic fans and players. Teams wear their celebratory jersey decaled with “El Heat” or “Los Suns” for example. But the jerseys are not the only things that feature a Latin theme. The music, dancer routines, food, and overall ambience are heavily influenced by Hispanic culture during select games throughout the month of March.
Grassroots Efforts:
Not all of the NBA’s Hispanic programs are centered on marketing. The NBA holds their grassroots programs to the utmost importance. “éne•bé•a Fit” and “Es tu Cancha” are programs designed to help Hispanic families. Current and former NBA stars such as Al Horford and Felipe Lopez have been instrumental in these efforts.
“éne•bé•a Fit is our health and wellness program, one of the pillars of our NBA cares platform and our Hispanic efforts,” states Ms. Sorrosa. “Hispanics have a high incidence of childhood obesity in the U.S., the highest in the country; and this program strives to educate kids and families about the importance of active lifestyles and proper nutrition.” As part of the program, NBA players work with children to encourage exercise and parents are educated on the importance of healthy eating habits, nutritional value in meals and grocery shopping on a budget. Another program, “Es tu Cancha” (It’s your court) builds and/or refurbishes basketball courts in Hispanic communities across the Nation in an effort to create a safe place for kids to play and be active. Mascots and current/former NBA players participate in the ribbon cutting ceremony of these basketball courts.
Final Thought:
We at DK wholeheartedly agree that a good product (i.e. good basketball) is a key factor in achieving success as the NBA has. What could other U.S. sports leagues do to achieve similar appreciation from Hispanics?
Be sure to see Part 2 of this in-depth look into the NBA’s Hispanic Marketing operation, “Social Media a Key Component of our Strategy.”
Why Marketing to Hispanics Works Presentation Download
17% of the U.S. population is Hispanic, and, by 2013, the purchasing power of this group will exceed $1.3 trillion. At the same time, Hispanics are very active online, including the use of social media to make purchasing decisions. Click above to download the presentation by Eric Diaz and Natasha Pongonis from Social Media Spanish on “Why Marketing to Hispanics Using Social Media Works” from their presentation at the Web AnalyticsWednesday on November 17, 2010.
Top 4 Methods for Translating a Website to Spanish
The magical Spanish Translation Machine
This year 50 million Hispanics in the US hold nearly $1 trillion in purchasing power. As the US Hispanic population and purchasing power grows, it has become increasingly important for companies in certain industries to translate their websites into Spanish. At face value this seems like a pretty simple proposition. However, it quickly becomes apparent that there are several ways to go about translating content. Which is best? This is a difficult question to answer. There are two basic methods of translating a page, using software or by hiring someone and there are instances where either method is superior.
In this article we provide a description of each method of translating a website to Spanish for you to consider when you’re faced with the tough decision of how to communicate with your Spanish seeking audience. We listed the time it would take as well as an approximate cost for a typical 10 page website.
View the Whole Article?
Read it now on the Social Media Spanish Blog.
I see this as a list of methods:
1. Google Translate – quick code to add to site
2. Hiring a TCA team to do it the best way. May be hard for dynamic content, i.e. New York Times doesnt do it…
3*** have users do it themselves (fb, wiki)
We need to research different methods for this, there may be other blogs already written we can borrow from…
As the US Hispanic Market grows it becomes increasingly attractive to translate your website into Spanish. At face value this seems like a pretty simple proposition. However, it will quickly become apparent that there are several ways to go about translating content. Which is best? This is a difficult question to answer. There are two basic methods of translating a page, by software or by hiring someone and there are instances where both are superior.
Software solutions, such as google translate are a very popular method. It is also very quick. All that is required is adding some code to your site and you have a Spanish version. What are the drawbacks of this? Most students will tell you that using Google translate to finish your Spanish homework often causes contextual issues and sometimes translates text in a comically literal and incorrect way.
Hiring a professional is the more expensive and time consuming option. Instead of translating content a good team will provide what is known as Trans-Cultural Adaptation. This more than a translation it is adapting content in a contextually correct way. It insures that content makes sense to a native Spanish speaker.
Now we can address what method is best. The answer is that it really depends on what you need translated.
A software solution will work well for a site with basic content. If the translations are not complex, Google Translate will probably do nearly as good a job as a professional.
Fora site using more complex language (for instance Wikipedia) a TCA team is a much better option.Language used by a TCA Team will be much stronger. However, the problem with this is dynamic content is hard to keep up on. For instance the New York Times does not use TCA. It would become very costly for a team to adapt hundreds of articles a day.
There is also a third method. It is probably the best, however, it is very hard to actually implement. Sites like Facebook and Wikipedia have their users translate their content.Users can vote on or change content in order to **create the best content**
Running a Non Profit’s Hispanic Marketing Campaign – Florida State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Hector Herrera is a man with a plan. As the Director of Marketing and Communications at the Florida State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (FSHCC), his goal is to expand awareness of their mission to promote the economic advancement of Florida’s Hispanic community. The FSHCC was founded in 2000, boasts an audience of 80,000 Florida businesses, employs 5 fulltime South Floridians, and has corporate partnerships that include Citibank, Ford, Pfizer, and Sprint to name a few.
In September, DK had a chance to speak with Mr. Herrera about the FSHCC’s current social media presence and their strategy to expand. Our overall objective was to get in the head of a social media campaign manager for a large non profit to better understand how they manage their campaign. Mr. Herrera explained that traditionally the FSHCC’s outreach efforts included networking events, education programs, and an e-Newsletter, but that lately it has been primarily focused on their social media campaign.
The FSHCC has several social media accounts, all with a solid following. They have found the most success with Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. However, they are also starting to see LinkedIn as an effective tool. For maintaining these accounts they have used the social media management tool Hootsuite to help them organize a calendar of regular postings.
The FSHCC has experienced success using Facebook as their primary means of communication with members. Their Facebook page currently has 201 fans. To facilitate growth, the FSHCC has built a custom landing page to increase the conversion rate of potential new fans and members. Links to their growing video collection can be found here as well.
Mr. Herrera has found Twitter to be an excellent tool to communicate and post business opportunities and announcements for their followers. Mr. Herrera posts messages from their partners such as a large university recently asking them to announce an RFP to their members. They also use Twitterfeed to deliver filtered relevant content to their followers. The FSHCC Twitter page has 204 active followers today. Most of their growth has come from proactively seeking out and following the Twitter ID’s of active and potential FSHCC members. Mr. Herrera proudly mentioned that this was done manually to ensure the high quality that is sometimes lacking when using Twitter software.
The growing YouTube video collection has been impressive. In the last week and a half a number of new videos have been posted with topics ranging from a clip titled, “FSHCC Member in Action” to a video named, “Florida’s Leading Editorial Boards Weigh In.” Usage of their growing content is at 2,676 total views.
The FSHCC has recently started outreach efforts on LinkedIn. Currently their LinkedIn group has a small but rapidly growing member base (nearly 30 members registered in the first month) but they are confident that it will soon provide a forum for relevant discussion due to its more professional audience.
Mr. Herrera knows that while a solid social media following is good, more must be done to make it a truly effective outreach tool. One of the keys to their growth strategy is maintaining a 100% response rate to social media inquiries and comments. This helps ensure a dialogue between the FSHCC and its partners, members, and potential members. A posting schedule ensures predictability in their outreach avoiding ad-hoc posting habits seen by many other organizations.
The other major growth strategy is a push for syndicated video content. They will use videos syndicated by other sites to drive traffic to each of their social media profiles. Furthermore, they will begin adding bilingual content. Currently, all communication is done in English however that will change in the next few months as more Spanish content will be published. For example, in October – November a breast cancer awareness program will be launched targeting Hispanic women. This campaign will include Spanish language outreach initiatives.
The FSHCC social media campaign will be one to watch in 2011 as Mr. Herrera anxiously pushes their fans and followers over the 1,000 mark. See all of the FSHCC social media campaign here:
http://www.facebook.com/FSHCC
http://twitter.com/fshcc
http://www.youtube.com/FSHCC
http://www.linkedin.com/FSHCC
http://www.fshcc.com/
Seeking the Double Rainbow – Ranking Hispanic Marketing Groups on LinkedIn
There are far too many LinkedIn Groups focused on Hispanic Marketing for any one Marketer to possibly engage with regularly. We took a look at 8 of the groups most readily available to a Marketer in order to provide insight into which ones are worth joining, and which groups really don’t have much to do with Hispanic Marketing. While we were surprised at the amount of spam, self promotion and off topic discussions, we do still feel that when used and moderated correctly LinkedIn Hispanic Marketing Groups can have value.
The Best. Join these groups to talk Hispanic Marketing
Hispanic Media Professonals (75% Relevant)
Members: 1,260
Posted Discussions: 16
Relevant Discussions: 12
Most relevant: “Educated, Affluent and Hispanics Flock Online”
Least relevant: Opinion articles such as “Why I Like Tom Cruise”
This group actually has a number of engaged group members that read and comment on the most relevant discussions. Overall, this is the most informative and active group discussing Hispanic Marketing. If you are going to join just one, this Group is it.
Hispanic Net (52% Relevant)
Members: 2,823
Posted Discussions: 38
Relevant Discussions: 20
Most relevant: “Latino 2.0 Conference – Latinos in the Digital Age”
Least relevant: Spammy articles such as a Martial Arts Investor Pitch
This group has a load of members and is diverse in topics. Dodging through the spam we were able to find several very interesting posts.
Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies (52% Relevant)
members: 1,498
Posted Discussions: 25
Relevant Discussions: 13
Most relevant: “This Hispanic Heritage Month Discovery En Espanol Commemorates Mexico’s Bicentennial”
Least relevant: Many pitches for Job Search Seminars, Social Media Webinars, and Real Estate scams.
Many members, but an equal amount of spam.
Just OK. These Groups need some work.
Hispanic Online Market Professionals (50% Relevant)
Members: 146
Posted Discussions: 4**
Relevant Discussions: 2**
Most relevant: “If you’re looking to reach upholders of traditional American values, your best bet might be the Hispanic market”
Least relevant: Pitches for selling T-shirts and other rubbish
This relatively small group had only a small amount of discussion in the last month. However, their most relevant discussion topics were interesting.
Hispanic Social Media (47% Relevant)
Members: 538
Posted Discussions: 19
Relevant Discussions: 9
Most relevant: “Looking for courses and conferences on reaching the US Hispanic market”
Least relevant: Numerous pitches for Latino Graduate schools and entrepreneurship blogs
We liked this group. There were many helpful insightful comments on their most relevant posts. With some careful moderation this could be a Group to join in the near future.
Hispanic Marketing (45% Relevant)
Members: 1,087
Posted Discussions: 20
Relevant Discussions: 9
Most relevant: “Whats a current must read on Hispanic marketing?”
Least relevant: “Open your own Online Shopping Mall”
Great Group name, but the content is sub-par. A large portion of the posts on this Group come from one marketer’s blog feed. While some posts are interesting many of them were not adequately relevant to Hispanic Marketing.
Is there a Moderator? These Groups are not worth the time clicking the ‘Join’ button.
Forum for Hispanic Advertising & Hispanic Marketing Professionals (27% Relevant)
Members: 361
Posted Discussions: 15**
Relevant Discussions: 4**
Most relevant: “Looks like brands are going to have to start choosing white seniors or young multiculturals as their engines of growth”
Least relevant: Everything else.
This group does not have much going on in terms of discussions. Virtually all discussions are without comments indicating their low level of interest to Group members. We would not recommend this group and struggled to find an original and interesting discussion.
Hispanic Advertising Professionals (20% Relevant)
Members: 558
Posted Discussions: 10
Relevant Discussions: 2
Most relevant: “Join us at the AMA Hispanic Marketing Workshop in San Antonio”
Least relevant: “7 simple ways to say “no”
Most of the discussion here seems to be spam. The most relevant post was advertising the AMA Hispanic Workshop in San Antonio, which is especially relevant if you live near San Antonio.
Author’s Note:
1. Group moderators really need a training course.
2. Most content is re-posted by the same rogue marketers on all Hispanic Marketing Group discussion boards so there is no reason to join more than one.
3. Most people don’t know what a discussion is. The majority of discussion posts are really advertisements for their own self-serving webinars that are really more fitting for Twitter’s spam filter. If you find anyone that is guilty of doing this I encourage you to reply to their post with the definition of the word discussion (below).
dis·cus·sion [dih-skuhsh-uhn] – noun
an act or instance of discussing; consideration or examination by argument, comment, etc., esp. to explore solutions; informal debate.
** Data gathered from August 2, 2010 – September 2, 2010
Why Firms Need to Market to Hispanics
Hispanics are young and on Social Media, so why aren’t you marketing to them? And oh yeah, 1 in 3 Americans will be Hispanic within our lifetime (by the year 2050). The ever-growing Hispanic market within the United States offers tremendous opportunities for marketers. Today an estimated 17% of the US population is Hispanic. Furthermore, Hispanics are the largest growing demographic in the country. The rate of growth in Hispanic purchasing power is equally impressive and by 2013 it is estimated that Hispanic purchasing power will be$1.3 trillion annually.
In addition to those inspiring figures, Hispanics are also avid users of the internet. In fact, Hispanic consumers are younger than the market as an aggregate. They are also often early adopters of technology and frequently use social media sites. More importantly, Hispanics frequently seek out product information online. 57% of Hispanics always go online to find product deals as opposed to 43% of the general market. Hispanics also prefer to learn about brands, compare prices, and make final decisions online. One of the most interesting statistics we found is that 72% of Hispanics trust an online product rating over a friends opinion.
These market conditions make social media a great tool to connect with Hispanic consumers. Social media is excellent for creating a discussion with people, building brand awareness and loyalty. As Hispanics are already very active on social media it makes sense for marketers to add this approach to their overall campaign. However, there is more to it than just posting content on Facebook and hoping it works. The US Hispanic Market is very diverse. It is made up of people from multiple countries with their own culture living within various levels of acculturation to American life. For example, some Hispanics prefer Spanish, while many prefer English or Spanglish. Overall, successfully engaging Hispanics can be tricky but is an opportunity that cannot be ignored.
Related Articles:
What to read from the Top 2010 Hispanic Online Marketing Reports
How Fortune 1,000 Brands Engage Spanish Speaking Facebook Fans
Why Marketing to Hispanics using Social Media Works
Check out this quick presentation which covers:
- Why is the Hispanic market important?
- Do Hispanics use Social Media?
- Why is Social Media an attractive way to target the Hispanics?
- Benefits of Marketing to Hispanics using Social Media
- How businesses will engage the Hispanic market?
- What is Social Media Spanish?
What to Read from the Top 2010 Hispanic Online Marketing Reports
Since there are already too many 40+ page reports out there instructing marketers as to where the opportunities lie in engaging with Hispanic consumers, we’re here to make it easy. This is our analysis of the 3 most current free Hispanic Online Marketing reports; the 2010 US Hispanic Social Media and Marketing Overview, the 2010-2011 Hispanic Social Media Guide, and the 2010 Hispanic CyberStudy. They each have their own strengths and weaknesses and we have ranked them in the order that we recommend them to a marketer with a limited amount of time for research on the Hispanic Consumer.
1. 2010 US Hispanic Social Media and Marketing Overview
This was our favorite report and a clear case of why not to judge a book by its cover. While the title page and overall design may look a bit like a 12th grade History Paper, this report is full of useful statistics as well as qualitative data from industry experts that make it a good read. Recommended reading includes: “The Latino Research Story” (pg 9-10), “Who’s Best to Handle it All” (pg 21-23), “The Pan Latin Connector” (pg 33-34) and “Expectations, Propositions, & Future Thought” (pg 35-39).
This is the shortest and most visually attractive by far of the three studies, you can actually get through the entire report in about 15 minutes. The focus of this report is on internet usage by Hispanics and it breaks the Hispanic population down by level of acculturation and details the language and usage preferences of those groups. While it does not have the sheer amount of information as the other two studies, we found it to be very educational and succinct. Must reads include: “American Yardstick” (pg 15), “Young Hispanics” (pg 11), “Technology Leaders” (pg 15), and “Life Stages” (pg 22-26).
3. 2010-2011 Hispanic Social Media Guide
This report reads like a conglomeration of differing opinions from a multitude of firms in the Hispanic Marketing industry. So if you are looking to shop a number of these firms, you can find plenty of advertising and contact info in this report. Besides that, the only articles that I would recommend reading would be “How to Build a Hispanic Online Community” (pg 19-22) and “How to Effectively Work with Latino Bloggers” (pg 24-26).
There is a notable lack of quantitative data as the first graph doesn’t show up until page 27 and it is borrowed from an eMarketer Ad of their own report. Additionally, a majority of the other statistics found in this report are copied over from the Hispanic Cyber Study Report described above.
All three of these reports bring something a little different to the table while educating the marketer looking to engage Hispanic customers. Hopefully this guide saves you a little bit of time in trying to read all three.
Engaging Spanish Speaking Consumers through Social Media – the March of Dimes Way
After years of fielding thousands of phone calls and emails from Spanish speaking mothers and parents to be, the March of Dimes realized the necessity to expand their outreach efforts. And while reports are now streaming in bearing statistics about how much more active Hispanics are on social media, it seems that the March of Dimes knew all along.
100% Comment response is the goal at NacerSano
The March of Dimes launched its Spanish-language site, nacersano.org, in 2004 as a response to the deficiency of trusted and accurate health information among Spanish-speaking women and their families. In 2007, realizing they needed to have an even bigger presence within the Spanish-speaking community; they kicked off a social media initiative with their Spanish-language blog, located at blog.nacersano.org. This blog enabled the March of Dimes to engage with their consumers in a more organic and informal setting.
Social Media is not new to the March of Dimes. Beverly Robertson, a National Director at the March of Dimes, who heads up social media efforts, has gained approximately 8,000 twitter followers to date (@marchofdimes). Their Facebook page has over 70,000 fans. But what is quite noticeably innovative & impressive is the manner in which they are able to converse openly with their Spanish speaking fans. To enable this, Miss Robertson’s Hispanic Outreach team, spearheaded by Lilliam Acosta-Sanchez, has established Spanish language Facebook Fan page and Twitter accounts, all linked through their Spanish-language brand “nacersano.” The overall goals of the team are to use social media for health information outreach and to raise awareness of the March of Dimes and its mission among Spanish-speaking Latinos.
During our conversation in May, Mrs. Acosta-Sanchez noted that an average month will bring approximately 400 questions from consumers that need a response via social media. They are proud that their team is able to respond to 100% of the questions that come in through their blog, Facebook Fan page and Twitter accounts. An impressive feat, considering the low or non-existent engagement levels of many large firms and organizations.
We at DK wanted to dig deeper, so we looked at the numbers to verify the March of Dime’s claims. We found that they were indeed very active conversing with their fans and consumers. The nacersano.org Facebook page is able to maintain a 335 Engagement Score, indicating a very high level of interaction with fans on their page. This ranking (take a look at our ranking system) calculates how often a fan comments or ‘likes’ a posting, and evaluates all Facebook pages on a pound-for-pound scale. The nacersano Twitter page obtains an equally high Engagement Score of 60, calculated by dividing mentions by nacersano by the times nacersano has been mentioned.
The team behind nacersano also discussed growth of their Spanish social media presence with us. They explained that their growth to date is primarily viral and that their objective is less about growing and more about building relationships with their current fans/followers. Based on their ability to engage their consumers thus far, we also believe their growth will come naturally.
nacersano’s web presence:
•www.nacersano.org – The March of Dimes Spanish-language Web site
•http://blog.nacersano.org – Spanish-language blog on pregnancy-related topics.
•www.twitter.com/nacersano – Pregnancy-related tips.
•www.twitter.com/nacersanobaby – Baby-related tips.
•www.facebook.com/nacersano – Fan page.
How Fortune 1,000 Brands Engage Spanish Speaking Facebook Fans
Many large brands such as Nike, McDonald’s and others have well over 1 million fans and struggle deciding how best to communicate with Spanish speaking fans which in many cases are 10% or more of their total fan base. We determined there are 4 main methods to begin engaging a brand’s fans using Spanish language marketing.
They are: 1 – Creating a new Page, 2 – Posting to Everyone, 3 – Using Filters, or 4 – Creating a new Tab. We created a list of pros and cons for each of the 4 methods and we detail these below.
1 – Creating a new Page
Building a new page dedicated to Spanish content is one popular choice that many large brands use. AT&T, CNN, Tostitos, and the NBA have all chosen this path and grown substantial followings. A new page will show up on an internal search by the firm’s brand name which will help in drawing new fans. A key benefit for choosing this method is that it enables a brand to provide content specifically targeted to its Spanish language fans in a dedicated forum. This has been seen as the most common way to communicate with a brands Spanish speaking fan base.
However, there are a number of cons associated with beginning a new page dedicated to Spanish conversation. First of all, you will be driving fans away from a very popular page with thousands or millions of fans and starting a new page from scratch. Secondly, the new Spanish page will inevitably cannibalize fans from the existing page. Maybe most importantly, many Spanish speaking fans of these large brands are bilingual and enjoy having access to content in different languages. Now with two pages, the brand is making them choose. Furthermore, many bilingual Americans have the belief that English content is generally more accurate and updated then Spanish content.
2 – Posting to Everyone
A solution to beginning a new page, is to integrate all Spanish content onto the existing English page. Whether the brand adapts all content to Spanish, or just selected parts, it all will appear on the Facebook stream to all fans whether they speak Spanish or not. This may be a good option for brands as the method generates high awareness of the fact that the brand speaks and understands Spanish and they will do so without starting a new page without their millions of fans. Bilingual fans will also be able to easily see all content in both languages.
There are many downsides to this method though. First off, it can get very cluttered. Postings of the same content in different languages may actually turn off a number of fans. Also, the brand is losing the opportunity to target its Spanish speaking fans using a dedicated forum. Finally, what if fans that speak other languages get offended that they do not see their second tongue displayed?
3 – Using Filters
To avoid having duplicate content visible to a brand’s fans, they might also consider the use of filters. Any time an administrator posts content on a fan page, they have the option of posting to everyone (default) or to post only to certain geographic areas or languages. A brand can thus post Spanish content only for its fans that have their Facebook account set to Spanish. Bilingual fans will like this as they will see all Spanish and English content with no duplications. Also, the brand doesn’t have to start a new page from scratch and fans with different language settings will not even know that there is additional Spanish content.
There are some big problems with filters though, chiefly is that many bilingual Spanish speakers have their settings on English. They would not even know that there was additional content there for them! Also, as the page would mostly be an English page with only some Spanish content available through filters, it would not have the same feel as a newly created Spanish dedicated page. Finally, some of the virality would be lost as a fan’s comment on a Spanish posting would not have the ability to stream to a friends’ wall unless they both had their language settings on Spanish.
4 – Creating a new Tab
The final option to consider is the use of custom built tabs. Many ad agencies and other custom web agencies will develop a custom Facebook tab that can hold all Spanish content within the original main page. This would in many ways work as a second wall in which the brand would engage its Spanish speaking fans with an attractive Spanish title as well as content targeted in their language. They would maintain their original fan base and be able to provide links to this tab in all their marketing material geared towards Spanish speakers. Also, bilingual fans would not feel left out from the English discussion which is important to consider.
Creating a second tab has some disadvantages of course. They are typically more costly to maintain, on average between $100 – $2,500 per month depending on the content and frequency of posting. A custom tab also does not have all of the same functionality as the wall does such as the ability to show up on the stream of friends of fans. Virality is critical to the success of many brands marketing campaigns and a degree of this is lost here. Finally, the tab will not show up in an internal Facebook search.
You can download the entire Facebook Spanish Engagement Options List here.
This list is in by no means complete. Please comment back with your thoughts, additions, and revisions as we all think about how best to engage Spanish speaking fans.
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