Which came first?

I love this teaser for an article on MSN Latino. It features a guy in a luchador (Mexican fighter) mask and a suit, and reads:

Unemployed?

Reinvent Yourself!

4 steps to begin a new profession

The question is, is he a luchador who just put a suit on to get a desk job, or is he an office guy who just put on the mask to reinvent himself?

Either way, it's simple, uses good humor and really popped on the page. Truth is, I thought at first it was a banner ad, it was so eye-catching!

U.S. Hispanic Market + Boy Scouts of America

Wow - I'm including here a link to an amazing series of We The People on MSNBC. Launch the video and learn about several national themes:

• The national Hispanic market--Did you know that ad spending in the Hispanic space is greating at four times the national rate?
• Boy Scouts of America--they're working hard at a national level to create culturally relevant programs to attract Latino scouts. According to Bob Mazzuca, Chief Scout Executive, "It's absolutely essential." >>On a local note, Luis Garcia and the Scouting & Soccer program he runs here is always looking for sponsorships and donors - contact Luis at lgarcia@seattlebsa.org to learn more!
• Politically, Latinos are active. And two-thirds of Latinos voted for President Obama, absolutely influencing our presidential election.
• Latinos account for half of all U.S. population growth--and Latino pop growth is not about immigration so much as U.S. births.
• 1 in 5 schoolkids in public and private schools in the U.S. is Latino
• The latest statistic suggests that by 2050, 30% of U.S. residents will be of Hispanic heritage.

Click here to watch the video segments--time well spent!

Latin Music in Seattle - CALIENTE

That's how you know the Hispanic market's growing here--when artists like Jaguares and Ricardo Arjona show up to perform! Jaguares is a Mexican rock band playing tonight at Showbox SODO; Ricardo Arjona is a singer-songwriter from Guatemala who would also fit in the genre Latino Rock, performing this August at WAMU Theater (or will it be JP Morgan Chase Theater by then?).

And speaking of Latin music in Seattle, don't forget that every Friday night look forward to Miami Nights at Seattle's Rock Salt: 2 floors of music - salsa, merengue and bachata on one, reggaeton and top 40 on the other. For more on Seattle nightlife with a Latin twist, visit DJ Manny's website.

Some wisdom borrowed from another blog

Surfing today, I came across an interview by Sarah Vela with Austin's Armando Rayo.

Here's an excerpt on the essence of Hispanic marketing:

"...it’s about connecting with people. Just because you market once does not mean that they’ll gradually come. I think with Hispanics you have to have a series of conversations in order to build that trust and relationship. Because we’ve retreated in a way. So if you really want to engage the Hispanic community, whether it’s buying a product, or services, or whatever, you have to invest time into it. And once you do, it’s a huge market."

Fun interview overall, but the above excerpt is golden. To read the complete interview, including learning about Mando's punk-rock-pink chicken coop, click here.

Little Lunch --> BIG IMPACT

We work with local organizations from time to time when they're looking to reach out to the Latino community.

One of our favorite organizations is Big Brothers Big Sisters, and they're getting set for their fundraiser: Little Lunch.

WHEN: Thursday, March 26, 11:30 am

WHERE: Sheraton Seattle Hotel

WHY: They need your help in their effort transform schools, communities--essentially transforming the way kids grow up in the Puget Sound region through their mentorship programs.

And starting last year, Big Brothers Big Sisters has placed a special emphasis on recruiting Latino "Bigs" to help support the Latino growth we've seen among children locally.

Be a part of this amazing effort! Click here to register for the luncheon.

We just heard from our friend Tony Gómez, community outreach coordinator at KCTS9/V-Me, with the following schedules for the English and Spanish programming.

The English-language series begins this evening!

The Tough Times special runs in English on KCTS 9 at the following times:

Part I: Jobs > Tuesday, March 3, at 7 p.m.
Part II: Housing > Tuesday, March 10, at 7 p.m.
Part III: Personal Finance > Tuesday, March 17, at 7 p.m.


Tiempos Difíciles, the Spanish counterpart runs on V-Me:

Part I: Employment > Friday & Saturday, March 6 & 7, at 7 p.m.
Part II: Housing > Friday & Saturday, March 13 & 14, at 7 p.m.
Part III: Personal Finance > Friday & Saturday, March 20 & 21, at 7 p.m.

And, per Tony, starting this Friday www.KCTS9.org/tiemposdificiles will have expanded content including streaming video and community resources.

Tune in to this most relevant series!

PODCAST: Multicultural PR

Hola - the podcast is ready for your listening! If you're interested in learning more of the do's and don'ts of multicultural PR, tune in to the podcast that represents a portion of the panel I was on earlier this month.

Also on the panel were Chris Nishiwaki, Communications Director for Sound Mental Health, and Steve Steve Sneed, the Managing Artistic Director of Cultural Programs at Seattle Center. Sheryl Wiser moderated.

Click here and then click on Listen to the February Podcast. Please post any comments you may have about this.