News (Noticias) Tagged ‘mark lopez’

During the Democratic primary process, Hillary Clinton was the overwhelming favorite candidate among Latinos. Now that she’s out of contention, will their support shift to Barack Obama?

We take a closer look at black-Latino relations in the U.S., with a focus on Barack Obama’s pursuit of the White House.

Joining in are Mark Lopez, associate director of the Pew Hispanic Center; Lydia Camarillo, vice president of the Southwest Voter Registration and Education Project; and Oscar Garza, editor in chief of Tu Ciudad, a Los Angeles lifestyle magazine dedicated to Latinos.”*

Long before Barack Obama’s campaign slogan, “Yes We Can,” there was the Spanish version, “Si Se Puede.”

But Sen. Barack Obama hasn’t gained much traction among Latino voters.

Though Hillary Clinton has now endorsed Obama for the general election, no one is sure if Latinos will follow suit.

Mark Lopez, associate director of the Pew Hispanic Center, offers his insight and breaks down the numbers.”*

“AOL Latino, the leading bilingual portal for U.S. Hispanics, today announced the premiere of a new interactive online reality series called “Fashionista” (www.aollatino.com) where contestants will compete to be named the top Latino fashion designer. The winner will have the opportunity to design a red carpet gown for actress/model and ex Miss Universe Dayanara Torres. The winner will also showcase his designs in the pages of a leading Hispanic magazine. Mercury Milan will be the exclusive sponsor of the program.

“AOL Latino prides itself in being able to create innovative multiplatform bilingual programming targeted to today’s Hispanic,” said Mark Lopez, publisher, AOL Latino. “We are thrilled to partner with Mercury Milan to offer fashionistas the chance to showcase their talent to a nationwide online audience, and provide users the chance to pick the next Oscar de la Renta or Carolina Herrera.”

“The Fashionista program is a continuation of Mercury’s fashion strategy. We know that our Mercury Milan target is keenly interested in fashion and this is a real Hispanic passion point,” said Dave Rodriguez, multicultural marketing manager, Ford Lincoln Mercury. “Partnering with AOL Latino and offering this program digitally, is right in tune with our customers and the excitement of fashion.”

To kick off the competition, AOL Latino’s fashion editors picked the Top 20 designers from hundreds of submissions from up-and-coming Latino fashion designers. AOL Latino users will be able to vote for their favorites, ultimately selecting the five semifinalists. The ultimate winner will be chosen by a panel of judges including Torres and leading LA fashion designer Eduardo Lucero.

As part of the program, contestants will have the opportunity to create and manage their own Web pages using AOL Latino’s social networking service, Latino AIM Pages (http://latino.aimpages.com). Each page will include headshots, photos, bios, updates and blog entries. “

“The sensation of Internet TV has hit the broad and diversified U.S. Hispanic market, and Wi-Fi TV PINKSHEETS: WTVI has taken a “dramatic #1, numero uno, market position for Hispanic Internet TV,” according to Wi-Fi TV Inc. Chairman Alex Kanakaris.

“In the early race to lead the convergence of TV and the Internet for the Hispanic market, only Wi-Fi TV offers 60 live global Spanish language TV stations, live chat that is specific to each program, free calls, breaking news with Spanish language news stories, and both English and Spanish language programming for Music, Religion, Politics, News, Movies and more,” Kanakaris stated.

“With the launch of the new Wi-Fi TV platform on February 19, only Wi-Fi TV will offer targeted video ad space that goes directly to the Hispanic Internet TV market in the United States with all of the interactive features that Wi-Fi TV has brought to TV on the Internet,” he concluded.

Demographics and Growth of Hispanic Internet Usage in United States

According to a report from 2006, the Hispanic youth market is one of the toughest of all consumer demographic groups to understand. Hispanic people in the US share a common language but come from many different countries. Some are first-generation immigrants, others are the children of immigrants and still others have grandparents or great-grandparents who were born in the US.

“This is why Wi-Fi TV is so special to the Hispanic marketplace. We offer a Spanish language section at www.wi-fitvespanol.com. We also offer individual pages for dozens of countries that speak a form of the Spanish language,” stated Kanakaris

According to the survey, some users speak only Spanish; others dont know the language. Still others use Spanish in some environments, English in others, or a mixture of the two. Many Hispanic youth live in two worlds: one dominated by the culture and traditions of their family history, and the other full with iPods, MySpaces, mobile phones and hip-hop music of the general US youth culture.

“Wi-Fi TV spans the spectrum of English and Spanish, mobile content and traditional content, with one Social Internet TV â„¢ environment,” stated Kanakaris.

There were 15.7 million Hispanic Internet users in the US in 2005, according to eMarketer, 16.7 million in 2006 and the number is expected to reach nearly 21 million by 2010.

In addition, the US Hispanic population is young, particularly online. In 2005, there were 9.1 million estimated Hispanic Internet users under the age of 35 and this estimate will rise to 12.1 million in 2010, according to research company eMarketer. The Hispanic youth explosion will continue and by 2010, one-third of all Hispanic people in the US will be under 18.

Going back to mid-1995, The U.S. Hispanic population was already adopting broadband at home. According to the third annual AOL/Roper U.S. Hispanic Cyberstudy commissioned by America Online and conducted by Roper Public Affairs, half of online Hispanics use high-speed connections at home by that time.

14 percent of Hispanic online consumers connected their home to the Internet, compared to seven percent of the general online population. The average time spent surfing at home is higher among Hispanics, averaging 9.2 online hours per week, compared with an average 8.5 hours by the general population. There are more children under 18 in Hispanic households. Forty-seven percent of online Hispanics have children, versus 37 percent of the general online population.

Hispanic parents view the Internet as a means of advancement for their children. “They see it as an empowerment tool,” said Mark Lopez, publisher of AOL Latino. “For their children to find better information and to get better educated.”

Many Hispanics view the Internet as an opportunity to research and buy products and services. Sixty-three percent use the Web to research brands, 70 percent say its the best source for price comparison.

Many in the online Hispanic community use the Internet to find relevant information. Sixty-four percent of online Hispanics look online for local entertainment information. Health-related issues are an easy look-up for 61 percent of the group, and as many as 71 percent of online Hispanics find driving directions and maps online.”

“The first panel discussion of the Fourth Annual Hispanic Summit 2006 here addressed the question of how to generate revenue with advertising in the rapidly changing — and easily misunderstood — Hispanic market.

The discussion involved Monica Gil, vice president of communications and community affairs, Nielsen Media Research; Veronica Pan Gonlez, managing partner, d exposito & partners; Mark Lopez, publisher, AOL Latino; Cynthia Perkins-Roberts, VP of diversity marketing and business development, Cabletelevision Advertising Bureau; Court Stroud, executive VP and sales manager, Azteca America; and Phillip Woodie, director of multicultural sales, Comcast Spotlight.”

Currently there are more than 16 million Hispanics online or 55% of the total U.S. Hispanic population(*). Of those 16 million, 77% have access to broadband. While online penetration among Hispanics has grown rapidly over the last several years, a new survey, “The AOL Latino 2006 Hispanic Cyberstudy” conducted by Synovate’s Diversity Group, finds that habit and cultural relevancy define Internet usage for Hispanics. The study defines online Hispanics by their level of acculturation - mostly acculturated, partially acculturated and relatively unacculturated - and proves that they consume the Internet in different ways offering new options to marketers wanting to reach the Hispanic market.

According to the study, 81% of Hispanics online are mostly acculturated or partially acculturated, while only 19% is relatively unacculturated. While acculturated online Hispanics tend to prefer online content in English, nearly 40% of them still find Spanish content appealing; of the unacculturated segment 37% prefer both languages. Of the total Hispanic online population, only 15% prefer Spanish only.

Additionally, the study shows that more than two-thirds (68%) of online Hispanics consider the Internet to be the best source in making final brand decisions making it the most relevant medium for marketers.

“The AOL Latino 2006 Hispanic Cyberstudy reveals new data on online Hispanics, analyzing how this market prefers to consume the Internet across acculturation segments,” said Mark Lopez, Publisher, AOL Latino. “With this new data, marketers will be able to better understand how to reach the rapidly growing online Hispanic market. This study also helps to understand the complexities of U.S. Hispanics, and that marketers seeking to connect with the online Hispanic population must address cultural needs, which differ
depending on levels of acculturation.”

As an example, AOL Latino often features special bilingual programming including Festival de Cine Corto (the first online short film festival for Hispanics), Hispanic Heritage Month, Latinos in Hollywood, Latin Emmys, ALMA awards, Countdown to Miss Universe and more allowing marketers ways to reach Hispanics across all segments in both languages.

The study also finds that online Hispanics enjoy social networking online: 68% use instant messaging; 63% share photos online; 52% read or post blogs; 43% visit social networking sites; and 40% talk on a phone using the Internet. Additionally, the study proves that online Hispanics prefer websites that focus on news (48%) as well as websites that provide mapping capabilities (43%). Music, weather, health and travel websites also rank among the more popular sites for online Hispanics.

Online Hispanics and Internet Purchasing Decisions

– The Internet continues to be the best source to make a final brand decision for most online Hispanics (68% in 2006 vs. 51% in 2004).

– More than three quarters of the online Hispanic population (77%) use the Internet to learn about brands of products (vs. 59% in 2004).

– Seventy-five percent (75%) of online Hispanics use the Internet to learn about brand features or benefits (vs. 61% in 2004).

– Seventy-two percent (72%) of online Hispanics use the Internet to compare prices of products (vs. 59% in 2004).

The Hispanic Online Market & Acculturation

There is a clear distinction in the Internet behavior between mostly acculturated and less acculturated Hispanics.

– Mostly acculturated Hispanics are more likely to visit websites that focus on topics such as Finance, Entertainment and Nutrition.

– Unacculturated Hispanics are more likely to visit websites that provide news from Latin America, as well as Sports websites that focus on Soccer.

Hispanics: Going Online vs. Watching Television

– Nearly half (47% of mostly acculturated online Hispanics and 45% of partially acculturated online Hispanics) are getting online and watching TV at the same time. A third of unacculturated Hispanics are also online and watching TV simultaneously.

– The bicultural nature of the Hispanic market is also evident across other mediums. In an average week, online Hispanics spend 12.4 hours watching English-language TV and 7.7 hours watching Spanish-language TV.

Methodology

The AOL Latino 2006 Hispanic Cyberstudy was conducted by Synovate’s Diversity Group and reflects changes in methodology from earlier Hispanic studies commissioned by AOL. In 2006, a single study of Hispanics online was conducted whereas in 2005 a two-sample approach was used, which included a study of Hispanics online and a study of the general population online. Both the 2006 and 2005 studies were completed using phone interviews. The 2006 study was completed by interviewing 502 participants in English or Spanish by Synovate bi-lingual interviewers. Respondents were 18+ year old Hispanics who accessed the Internet from any location in the past month. Interviews ere conducted between July 6, 2006 and July 19, 2006 using a surname listed sample. Respondents were further qualified as Hispanic during the telephone interview.

As defined by the study and by Synovate Diversity Group’s market research:

Mostly acculturated Hispanics are those that have been online for an average of 3 or more years. They tend to be U.S. born and to have lived in the U.S. for more than twenty years. However, they still speak Spanish and consume Spanish media.

Partially acculturated Hispanics are those that have been online for an average of 2.8 years. Tend to have lived in the U.S. for several years. Fifty percent (50%) are Spanish-dominant and nearly one-third of this group is bilingual or speaks more English than Spanish. This continues to be the largest Hispanic segment.

Unacculturated Hispanics are those that have been online an average of 2.3 years. They are born outside of the U.S. Hispanics in this segment tend to have lived in the U.S. the shortest amount of time. They are 90% Spanish dominant.

“While we’ve been privy to the Pew studies and the like stating the phenomenal rise of minority Internet use””mainly African American and Hispanics””, AOL has actually taken these case studies and created viable subsidiaries dedicated to these markets. With Black Voices and AOL Latino, the online monolith has created an outlet for these sectors not just to be statistics that beget online’s meteoric rise, but to exist as tangible properties with powerful advertising potential.

But if numbers must be the totem of success, the Latino population has planted its flag in the marketplace, and has capitalized on the power of the Web. According to a 2005 AOL/ Roper ASW Hispanic Cyberstudy, 63% of online Hispanics, ages 18-34, want to own their own business vs. 36% of the online general population. Additionally, 47% of online Hispanics are very or somewhat likely to invest more in 2005.”

“Building upon the success of the Mi Negocio site and recent El Visionario online reality business competition, AOL Latino and Ford Motor Company today announced the expansion of the website to incorporate a mentoring component called “Motivadores.” The site (ford.com/go/minegocio) is designed to provide Hispanic business entrepreneurs with the tools, resources and advice necessary to successfully run their own businesses. Through real-time conversations, newsletters, blogs and podcasts from Lionel Sosa, Louis Barajas and Mayrah Rocafort-Mercado, users will have access to some of the best leaders in entrepreneurial development, finance and marketing.

“We are thrilled to announce this new addition to the Mi Negocio area,” said Mark Lopez, Publisher, AOL Latino. “At AOL Latino, it is our mission to empower the growing number of Hispanics wishing to access key information about establishing economic success in the U.S. which is why we created this site.” “