Latino Media in the Seattle Area

This just in - a study of Seattle-area Latino adults and their Spanish-language media consumption by Portland's Rojo Research illustrated a clear preference for Univision.

In fact, Univision earned 67% market share, followed by KDDS 99.3 FM – La Gran D which saw 42.7%. Note that I'm not sure whether they were measuring actual consumption of the local Univisión affiliate (over-the-air) or the national network channel.

The study involved traditional media (versus online). In May, Rojo Research interviewed 485 Latino households in King, Pierce, Snohomish, Skagit, Thurston, Kitsap, and Island counties for a 58-question, 22 minute study. More than 33,200 households were contacted; 55% of participants preferred to respond in Spanish.

The Top 10 Seattle Latino Media Ranking according to this 2009 Rojo Research study:

1. Univision
2. KDDS 99.3 FM - La Gran D
3. Telemundo
4. Spanish-Language Outdoor Advertising
5. TV Azteca
6. KKMO 13360 AM - El Rey
7. KTBK 1210 AM - Ke Buena
8. Sea Latino Newspaper (now defunct)
9. El Mundo Newspaper
10. La Raza del Noroeste Newspaper

Latino media consumption is based upon a 7-day cume for TV and radio, a 4-edition cume for weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly publications, a 6-month cume for business directories, and a 4-week cume for outdoor advertising. The researchers captured over 400 data points on local media consumption, purchasing plans, shopping behavior and personal demographics. Seattle-area Hispanic media will leverage the data to highlight the value of their offerings, and be able to better justify a return on investment for their advertisers.

This is it, folks - if your company or organization wants to benefit from the patronage of our Hispanic population, please consider getting involved in Hispanic marketing now while rates are at an all-time low and your message will shine bright! Once the 2010 Census data is out, Hispanic media rates and availability will change forever. Make sure your brand is the one Latinos are thinking of, starting NOW.

Imagine: Your brand can be the category leader for the largest minority and the fastest-growing population here and nationally.

And, of course, we can help. Call me at 206-621-2185 and let's talk!

Latino Market Numbers Amaze

So the problem with an event-filled month like Hispanic Heritage Month is that I get behind in posts and .. filing. I'm working on both now.

Speaking of this month of events, did you know that an estimated 90,000 Latinos turned out for our area's biggest event of the year: Fiestas Patrias at the Puyallup Fair. That's double the Latino attendance last year. It just keeps growing. A reflection of the growing overall Hispanic presence here in the Puget Sound region.

Last week I attended a great workshop hosted by the City of Federal Way. And this is my opportunity to say "Bravo" to Federal Way, because this City has its own Hispanic Liaison--Teniel Sabin--who is a very approachable young lady who is helping Federal Way officials effectively reach out to its Latino residents and make services and opportunities known. Very cool!

Anyway, this workshop was entitled, "Business Development in the Hispanic Market." I expected a lot of companies to show up, looking for ways to better link to Latinos locally. There were some, yes, but there were also a fair number of Hispanics--established business owners, aspiring entrepreneurs, others in transition. That surprised me, but I thought that was cool that they were showing up for a government workshop, which by the way, was partially presented bilingually.

Before the presentation attendees were encouraged to check out several displays of some of the services available, including those of Washington CASH and others.

Idalie Muñoz was the speaker. She worked for the U.S. Census in a past life--so she loves numbers. Idalie covered a lot of data, most of which I was very familiar with but will repeat here nonetheless for those of you just tuning in:

• There are about 46 million Latinos in the U.S. That's about 15% of our total population. In fact, in the entire world, the only country with more Hispanics is Mexico.
• Washington is one of 16 states that has at least a half-million Hispanic residents.
• Washington is one of 20 states wherein Hispanics are the largest minority.

Check this out--overall, buying power (personal income for spending) is growing by leaps and bounds in the Hispanic segment, especially when you compare it to the non-Hispanic population. In Washington, while the non-Hispanic population saw 265.9% growth in buying power, Hispanics experienced 788.1% growth!

Between 1990-2008, the Hispanic segment saw a great advantage nationally as well.

• Hispanics: 348.9%
• Non-Hispanics: 140.75%

And watch the growth that is expected to take place when we elongate that time period to 1990-2013!

• Hispanics: 554.3%
• Non-Hispanics 211.1%

The main message here is: In this shrinking economy, the Hispanic market is growing. And so is its pocketbook!

National numbers from the U.S. Census show unbelievable Hispanic buying power growth:
1990 - $12 billion
2000 - $450 billion
2008 - $951 billion
>>and forecast for 2013? $1.4 TRILLION.

What are some of the factors in this growth? It's the fastest-growing segment, there's a higher level of education attained now versus in the past, this segment boast a larger young population entering the job market, and a fast-growing number of Hispanic-owned businesses were cited by Idalie.

In addition to U.S. Census numbers, she also referenced The Multicultural Economy 2008, from the Selig Center for Economic Growth, University of Georgia. It's an amazing reference for anyone interested in an in-depth look at some more current numbers.

Fiestas Patrias is a big darn deal!

If you represent a company that's looking to grow, and you haven't heard of Fiestas Patrias, then listen up!

Fiestas Patrias is, in a nutshell, U.S. Hispanics' way of celebrating independence of their homelands here in their new home. It's embraced by Latinos from all countries and has become something of a "low-hanging fruit" for marketers eager to earn their share of this market segment.

So why isn't your company involved? According to Bustos Media, the radio giant in town, Liberty Tax Service signed up 60 new students to attend its tax school at a previous Fiestas Patrias event down at Puyallup Fair. This year's event is Sunday, September 20, and true to its tradition they're bringing name bands that attract big crowds. That's why Comcast decided to invest in a major sponsorship!

This is the mother of them all: 40,000 Latinos at last year's event--all in one place, all day long. This is what you call target marketing.

The Seattle Center and its Festal organization are also hosting Fiestas Patrias events both Saturday and Sunday, September 19 and 20. Events all day long, including a first-ever boxing tournament brought to us by ESPN Deportes Seattle! This is a great opportunity to enjoy your favorite Latin American foods and entertainment. Community Health Plan of Washington is among the sponsors at the Seattle Center Fiestas Patrias celebration.

This is the last week to sign up and sponsor one of these traditional events - for as little as $500! Please let me know if you'd like more information. I've seen the energy at these events first-hand and can tell you that if you've got a great product to share, Fiestas Patrias may be the ideal place to share it!

Call me at 206-621-2185 if you'd like to discuss. In any case, plan to attend either event so that you'll know better than to miss another year.

Cinco de Julio

The other day I was chatting with colleagues over at Sección Amarilla (the print & online yellow pages for Latinos here and in Mexico), who had participated in the Bustos Media Cinco de Mayo rescheduled event, which coincidentally happened on the 5th of July instead.

Apparently the event was packed - tens of thousands of Latinos in attendance! This is a reminder to sponsors - don't miss out on Bustos' Puyallup Fair event this year! Call me for details: 206-621-2185.


To learn more about Sección Amarilla, see their site.

To contact Sección Amarilla for rates in the Seattle-area book, call Constance Heinrich at 206-621-1874 or email constance.heinrich@seccionamarilla.com.

Diabetes, Latinos and the Supreme Court… who knew?

Readers: This post is contributed by Melissa Duque, Hispanic marketing intern at Conexión Marketing.

Opponents of Sonia Sotomayor have found another reason to not want her as the first Latina Supreme Court Judge: She has diabetes. In a world where we are constantly improving treatments for health problems, it’s interesting that people can find this as a deterrent.
If appointed Sonia Sotomayor wouldn’t just be the first Latina Supreme Court Judge, she would also be the first Diabetic Supreme Court Judge. The controversy between diabetes and Sotomayor and her ability to be a Supreme Court Justice has brought awareness to all those living with diabetes.

“Type 1 Diabetes is a disorder in which the immune system destroys the body’s insulin-producing beta cells,” according to the Seattle Times editorial Diabetes no reason to reject Sotomayor by Irl B. Hirsch and James S. Hirsch. “Improvements in care have sharply reduced the risk of complications.”

All this talk has to be more than just about the First Diabetic or Latina Supreme Court Judge. It needs to be about how diabetes affects Americans and how those with Type 1 diabetes are living with it.

According to Dr. Sonia Hernandez from Community Health Center of Snohomish County, anyone not of Anglo-American descent has a much higher propensity for diabetes. We need to look then at why Latinos and other ethnic groups have a higher susceptibility to the disease and what to do about it.

The silver lining to all this debate about Sotomayor and her diabetes is that diabetes is now on the forefront of people’s mind. Hopefully this increase in attention will help those who may not have had access or knowledge to be able to find the right tools in better understanding the disorder and how to treat it.

Ke Buena (1210 AM) radio will feature a show this Sunday discussing Latinos and Diabetes, the causes of the disorder, and how to take back control. The show is called Información es salud con Community Health Plan, and it airs 6:30 – 7 on Sunday evenings.

Join this Sunday as Dr. Hernandez discusses diabetes with Host Gigi Basaure.

*NEW* Spanish-Language Radio Health Show

This Sunday from 6:30-7pm, tune in to Ke Buena (1210AM) in the Seattle Metropolitan area for the debut of a new Spanish-language program called Información es Salud con Community Health Plan.

This show was created by Community Health Plan of Washington to inform and educate the Latino community on various topics by providing a Q&A format with health providers and educators.

The half-hour program will be hosted by Gigi Basaure, and this Sunday's show will feature interviews with Jorge Madrazo and Jackie Vasquez from Sea Mar Community Health Centers, as well as Adriana Flores as a spokesperson for the local chapter of American Diabetes Association. The topics will include diabetes and nutrition.

Tune in to this new show, and let us know your thoughts!

Bustos Media CINCO postponed ...

Just received a thoughtful message from Rebecca Lambert at Bustos Media. After careful deliberation, the team has decided that it's simply not a good idea to hold an event of this size while we watch the swine flu spread (I know the virus has a "new" name now, but I can't remember it).

She sent this letter to all her contacts, including the event sponsors.

This is the first such postponement I've heard of. Obviously, no one wants to encourage the spread of the swine flu, and in PR terms, it would be terrible if there were some outbreak that were traced back to a particular company's event (and the companies that sponsored it), definitely.

I'd be interested to hear what others think about this decision.

Just two spots left at Bustos Media Cinco de Mayo

If you're looking to be part of the Cinco de Mayo celebration south of Seattle (not the one at the Seattle Center), call Rebecca Lambert of Bustos Media today. She has just two booths left--not sponsor booths, so no promotion included--just space. Everything closes May 1st.

Rebecca can be reached at 253-905-6552.

The Sounders FC put Seattle on the map!

The brand-new Sounders FC team starts its season one week from today!


Exciting stuff! At Market to the Max yesterday, we learned from keynote speaker Adrian Hanauer that the club executives had made group decisions on everything from uniform color (check out the "rave green"!), to sponsor (Microsoft XBOX 360), to a marching band (Drew Carey's idea), to the fact that this will be known as the high-tech soccer club.

The best part? The focus has truly been on getting world-class players on the field.

In fact, I asked Adrian at the event about all the soccer fans in this region who happen to be Latino. "There are about 100 Hispanic soccer teams in the Greater Seattle Area, and I know that Seattle Sounders had been reaching out to Latinos. How is Sounders FC accomplishing that?" I asked.

The answer really impressed me. Besides the fact that they're building a Spanish-language website, that they're working with community members, and the fact that I've seen their print ads etc etc, he added the following (not exactly verbatim):

"A lot of people approach us about this and suggest that, with all the Mexicans here, we should get a Mexican player on the team to draw in that segment. But we know that Latinos are sophisticated soccer fans, and what they want is quality players no matter where they're from. So we're not going to pander to them by including a Mexican player for the sake of including a Mexican player. We're assembling the very best team we can."

And because of that, 21K+ season tickets have already been sold (more than for the Mariners!), for a team that hasn't even played a true game together yet. But they've been busy at practice and are ready to show Seattle what the sport is really about: PASSION!

Check out their site!

OPPORTUNITIES

Ke Buena will be broadcasting every game en español on 1210AM, and KUNS, the local Univision affiliate, is kicking off its weekly Sounders FC en Acción 30-minute recap show. We've been hearing about terrific opportunities to reach Latino soccer fans in the region by partnering with both media outlets; let us know if you'd like to hear more!

Contact us at info@conexion-marketing.com or 206-621-2185

And speaking of local Hispanic media...

The latest NEWSFLASH is that Teresa Jones of KUNS sales fame is expanding into radio! She'll start her new radio show, Entre Nosotras Latinas, on Saturday, March 7. This just so happens to be International Women's Day (not a coincidence)!

Teresa is doing this program to educate, inform and inspire women.

The show will run on Ke Buena 1210AM 9-10am every Saturday, and Teresa's bringing in a former colleague from her Radio Sol days, Diana Elizabeth Fernandez, to spice things up!

Once it gets going, let us know what you think!

Shortest distance between co. & consumer? HipCricket

I just finished reading an amazing article written by Rita Chang in the 1/26/09 edition of Advertising Age, titled "Mobile marketers target receptive Hispanic audience." Let me know if you'd like me to send you a PDF of that article. Good stuff.

This article reiterates that Hispanics are generally more engaged with their wireless devices than the general population. Some 71% of Hispanics consume content on their cellphones, while just 48% of general market consumers do!

In addition, the median age reported in this article significantly differs--the Latino consumer's median age is 27.6, whereas the general consumer median age is 36.6. Mobile marketing helps companies target that 18-34 Hispanic that is so valuable as a consumer.

So one last statistic that will close the deal: 6% of Hispanics interact with text messaging campaigns. Just half--3%--of the general market group interact similarly.

This is why companies should seriously consider SMS campaigns, especially to Hispanic consumers. And HipCricket, based across the lake in Kirkland, Washington, does just that.

Local Univision affiliate KUNS and Bustos Media have already figured out that HipCricket can help them interact in real time with their audiences and have engaged HipCricket for sponsorships and contests; KUNS has the UniText51 Club; Bustos is even crafting an employment text club for announcement later this year.

So I asked the folks at HipCricket if they would be so kind as to join my Hispanic marketing panel at Market to the Max in Seattle this March. Looks like we'll have CEO Ivan Braiker on the panel!

Save the date: Wednesday, March 11, 2009. More to come!

Hispanic Business: Salon Grand Opening

Caoba Salon is now open in the La Plaza Shopping Center in Kent at 23229 Pacific Highway S. (Pac. Highway S& Kent-Des Moines Rd). Phone is (206) 824-1434.

This is another venture by the team from Nuevodirectorio.com--Jaime Méndez (yes the Univisión newscaster/Ke Buena DJ!) and our friend Mauricio Ayón, as well as Jack Gamero, seasoned stylist.

Come and check out the new salon at its Grand Opening event this Saturday, January 10th from noon until around 7 pm. The Caoba Salon team invites you to come by (bring a guest!) and say "hello," have a drink and eat some hors d'oeuvres with them!

Enhorabuena, Mauricio, Jaime and Jack!

IT'S OFFICIAL - Ke Buena goes local!

THIS JUST IN: Jaime Méndez and Mario Rodriguez (aka Zuper Mario), both longtime on-air talent over at the former Radio Sol, have been snatched up by Bustos Media's Ke Buena station on 1210 AM. This marks the first local venture of Bustos Media in our market that I'm aware of, and I am glad to see they're stepping up to the challenge! For so long, these stations have delivered music--and audiences--but their true presence in our market was lacking. This will give their AM station a big boost.

So Jaime's beloved La Voz de Washington community program will resume on Ke Buena, M-F 3-4pm. Zuper Mario will bring back his show including music, entertainment and community interaction (including a unique brand of radio classifieds) from 4-8 each evening.

ON THAT NOTE: Rebecca Lambert of Bustos Media is looking to hire! They're looking for one or two new account executives to support what should be some serious interest from advertisers. Contact her if you'd like more info on this opportunity at rlambert@bustosmedia.com.

Jaime Méndez back on the radiowaves!

It's finally official--starting December 1st, Jaime Méndez will be making his debut on Ke Buena, where he's resuming his La Voz de Washington call-in show 3-4pm weekdays.

Jaime was a DJ with a longtime Radio Sol program until the recent makeover into El Rey, when several of the regulars were taken off the air. He continues as a newscaster on the local Univision affiliate KUNS Northwest news.

We're glad the local and very interactive show will have a place on the radiowaves once again. Following Jaime's show will be Zuper Mario, another unfortunate El Rey casualty. Glad to see you guys back in action!

Let me know if you have any questions about how to get on the air with Jaime or Zuper Mario.

Media Updates

OK, so we've shared about Radio Sol, ahem, EL REY. It's generally the same format but a new name/new management/new DJ. Tune in to 1360AM.

The latest at El Rey is that longtime Radio Sol sales guy Edgar Solares has moved to El Mundo, our area's oldest respected Spanish-language newspaper out of Wenatchee, which serves western and central WA. So for all your western Washington El Mundo ad deals call Edgar! He's a great guy and really takes care of his clients.

(And for your El Rey advertising we urge you to call Greg Kronlund, who has loyally served us at Conexión Marketing.)

>>Or just call us, and we can direct you to the best in the biz and help you with your creative as well!

IN OTHER NEWS--MORTGAGE CO. ONFE

• Onfe has changed its name. We think it's now Onfe Home Loans.
• Onfe Foundation is the new non-profit created by the same Onfe team. Mission: Development of financial education and information to creating sustainable prosperity and strengthening of America through both local community events targeting families and individuals as well as small business entrepreneurs. (as it appears on their website) Oh and longtime local musician (think: Bochinche) Eddie Quintero serves on the Board.
• Onfe Founder and President Gustavo Montoya has purchased El Mundo newspaper from Jim Tiffany and Carlos Rossetti.

CHANGES AT BUSTOS?

OK, we are aware of possible changes a-brewin' at Bustos Media, but nothing's official yet. Stay tuned...