Online Hispanic Trends

Share Your Ideas on How Federal Websites Can Better Serve Limited English Proficient Latinos Online

If you have ideas regarding how the government can improve federal websites, please join the discussion and share them in the National Dialogue on Improving Federal Websites that started today!

It's a two week online dialogue, from Sept. 19-30th, and the government would like to hear your ideas and suggestion on what it should do to improve federal websites in the following areas: 

1. Creating better user experience, navigation, and design
2. Improving content to make it more readable, engaging, and useful
3. Improving how services and transactions are delivered
4. Providing universal access to government content online, regardless of device or technology
5. Optimizing the way the public is able to search for federal content, via federal websites and commercial search engines
6. Ensuring content on federal websites is integrated with social media and other third-party websites
7. Improve how federal websites protect privacy and security
8. Reaching global audiences and people with limited English proficiency 

You can access the general discussion here, and if you'd like to comment specifically on how the government can improve its communications with limited English proficient Latinos and other multilingual audiences (Point #8), share them here. 

There will also be a mini-dialogue specifically dedicated to the last point - better serving multilingual audiences and limited English proficient audiences - on September 26th at 1:00 pm EST, so save the date and join us in a real-time, interactive discussion on the topic.

 

 

Online Multicultural & Hispanic Marketing Courses Offered by Florida State University

Starting August 29, Florida State University will offer for the first time an online course on Multicultural Marketing Communication. Multicultural marketing is one of the newest horizons in US marketing but there is little consensus as to its meaning, implications, and scope. The job of this course is to attempt to conceptually and pragmatically clarify the field and assess the boundaries of this growing discipline.   

Also starting on August 29, FSU offers its well established online course on Hispanic Marketing Communication. This course has been taken by several hundred students and professionals and has received excellent reviews for the information it provides and for being a forum for students and professionals to share their experiences and grow as seasoned marketers working with US Hispanics. The course focuses on strategic considerations for reaching out to US Hispanics and emphasizes a cultural connection. 

Both courses last 16 weeks (classes begin August 29 and end December 16, 2011), and they are asynchronous so that students can work at their own pace. Professionals receive a certificate of completion, and eligible students can receive three hours of undergraduate/continuing education credit. 

These two courses are part of the Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication at Florida State University. 

Registration is open now and you are encouraged to apply soon. These affordable online courses are part of an ongoing effort of the Center to provide continuing education and serving the community. 

To inquire and register write to: Inquiries@campus.fsu.edu 

How the CDC and the March of Dimes are Effectively Engaging the Online Hispanic Community

Please join us on March 23rd at 1:00 pm for a free webinar on the topic of how government agencies and nonprofit organizations are using social media to reach and engage Latinos online. 

 

For more information and to sign up, please visit Bixal's Blog.

 

The Center for American Progress - How they are Reaching the Hispanic Community

In September 2010, the Center for American Progress launched CAP en Español, a new website featuring content in Spanish, with the stated goal of furthering “ the Center’s commitment to reaching a diverse audience and engaging the broader community in its work.”  At the time, the Center’s President and CEO John Podesta remarked “we are taking steps to be more inclusive in our work and this new website is a natural next step to reach out to the rapidly growing Latino community." 

Read the full interview with Raúl Arce-Contreras on the Bixal Blog. 

Expanding Markets through Educational Initiatives - ING's New Interactive Site

ING has recently launched an interactive educational site in Spanish (www.INGEspanol.com) that was designed to educate less acculturated Latinos about life insurance, helping them learn about the product and determine the correct amount suggested for their particular situation. 

The press release highlights data from a study by the industry association LIMRA, which shows that Latino households are much less likely to own individual life insurance compared to the general population (36% vs. 54%), and that they are likely to be underinsured due to the difficulty of determining just how much insurance they should have. 

The site uses Hispanic actors and culturally-relevant references, and is a good example of a company developing a unique and interactive site to educate potential Hispanic clients in order to expand its market.

Source: PRNewswire

Are you Listening to Latinos Online?

Our colleagues over at Social Media Spanish reached out to get our take on why Spanish-preferring Latinos in the U.S. might be saying more positive things about Toyota than English speakers in the U.S.

Is your company, agency or organization paying attention to what this audience is saying about your brand?

Read the full article.

 

Latino Smartphone Usage Outpaces that of the General Population

A new report by Scarborough Research indicates that cellular usage among Latinos is increasing at a faster rate than among the general population. 

Confirming past research, the study shows that more than eight in ten Hispanic adults use moble phones and that they are much more likely to use more mobile phone features, particularly text messaging.  But what is most interesting are the findings on smartphone usage.

According to Scarborough...

"Nineteen percent of Hispanic adults currently live in a household that owns one or more smartphones – such as Blackberries or iPhones –versus five percent in 2005. Twenty‐three percent of the general population currently owns these devices in their household, growing from nine percent in 2005."

Although the figures for smartphone usage were lower back in 2005, Latinos are keeping pace with the general market in terms of smartphone adoption. 

Are marketers and smartphone application developers paying attention?

Read the Scarborough Research Press Release.

Sign up for Spring 2011 Online Hispanic Marketing Course

If you're serious about digging in and understanding the trends and nuances of reaching the online Hispanic market, you should think about signing up for a course offered by Felipe Korzenny and his colleagues at Florida State University. 

Felipe is THE expert on culturally-relevant communications and wrote the book Hispanic Marketing, an excellent book that is is a must read.

For more info, on the course, visit the Center for Hispanic Marketing's website.

 

Only About Half of Latin American Companies Have a Presence in Social Networks

The results of the "2010 Latin America Social Media Study" carried out by Burson Marsteller show that less than half (49%) of Latin American companies are taking advantage of social media.

Mexico (80%) and Venezuela (75%) are in the lead, but Argetina (25%) and Puerto Rico (5%) are way behind the global average of 79%.

The study found that more Latin American companies are using Facebook (39%) than any other tool, and, of those who did, 55% had comments, indicating a strong interest amongst Latin American users in engaging with companies via social media channels.

Read the full article on Portada.

Text4Baby- Using Personalized Messaging to Help Latinas through Early Motherhood

Just published a blog on Bixal's site on how the the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition (HMHB) is using text messaging to reach and inform pregnant women and new moms. 

Read the full piece on the Bixal Blog and share your comments!