The Big Tent

What's That Comida Kraft Ad Doing on My Huffington Post?

Behavioral Targeting. Compelling or Creepy?

Posted by Rochelle Newman-Carrasco on 11.04.09 @ 03:37 PM

Rochelle Newman-Carrasco

I like the Huffington Post. I like Epicurious.com. I navigate the web in both Spanish and English depending upon what I'm seeking or what experience I'm looking to have. It's contextual. So I suppose the Spanish-language Comida Kraft ad that popped up on my Huffington Post page was a result of my online behavior. Even when you know you're being cyber-stalked, it's always a little startling when the stalker finds you.

Muse Releases White Paper About Diversity Communications

Efforts Are an 'Invaluable Equity for These Companies and Their Employees'

Posted by Ken Wheaton on 11.04.09 @ 10:48 AM

Jo Muse has just released a white paper titled The Challenge of Corporate Diversity Communication: Achieving Sustainability in Difficult Times. Muse notes that we're at an intersection in which a horrible economy may start to take its tolls on the few good examples of multicultural communication programs out there. But, he adds, "while businesses must first and foremost focus on their own survival, it is important to remember that the considerable Diversity advancements forged by many organizations represent an invaluable equity for these companies and their employees."

The paper's 16 pages long and collects in one place a lot of the things that people concerned about diversity have been saying. Readers of this space may have a moment where they say to themselves, "Hey, Muse is writing what I was thinking!"

Among the findings dealing specifically with marketing:

Since in many ways the business case for Diversity begins and ends at the intersection of profitability and increased market share, there are probably few criteria with more significant impact on awareness, influence and reputation than efforts to build stronger ties to the multicultural consumer and new customers. The best practices of the most successful corporations nearly always include employment of minority advertising and marketing agencies to develop plans and efforts against these valuable consumers. In addition, many corporations have expanded their general market media involvement to include media outlets that service emerging ethnic consumers.

How Diversity Efforts Can Boost the Economy

Big Agencies Can Meet Client Demand and Help Small Businesses

Posted by Laurence Boschetto on 11.02.09 @ 11:34 AM

Laurence Boschetto

The intense, ongoing scrutiny our industry has undergone for insufficient diversity and inclusion has been well-documented -- and warranted. Many of our country's so-called minority groups are rapidly growing, and by 2045 will be the majority. When we put them together, they represent a new mass market whose current buying power is over $2 trillion.

CNN's 'Latino in America' Leaves Much to Be Desired

Immigrant Experience, Negative Stereotypes Dominate Soledad O'Brien's Latest Doc

Posted by Victor Paredes on 10.27.09 @ 10:32 AM

When I learned that Soledad O'Brien was working on "Latino in America," a two-part documentary series that aired last week on CNN, I was absolutely thrilled about the perspective that a second-generation Latina could bring to the media's depiction of Latino life in the U.S. The feature stories released on the series' companion website prior to the broadcast were thoughtful, taking on subjects like Latino identity and Latino impact on U.S. culture. I was eager to see the growing influence of Latinos in the U.S. through the stories of the "Garcias" -- the title of the first installment, and now the sixth most common last name in the U.S. In short, I expected the series to be a thorough, nuanced and provocative narrative about being Latino in America.

Dolphins' Monday Night Fiesta Was Hispanic Done Right

NFL Gets the Importance of the Latino Audience

Posted by Rochelle Newman-Carrasco on 10.19.09 @ 01:06 PM

Rochelle Newman-Carrasco

As the salsa music gave rhythm to the night and the smell of Cuban food from Miami's Bongo filled the air, I watched the Energizer Bunny get inflated just past an archway where the AT&T brand was headlining. This was Calle Dolphins at Land Shark Stadium. Sure, one could write it off as a farewell to Hispanic Heritage Month with a Dia de la Raza date as a send-off. But that would not do justice to the global statement that Monday night's game between the Dolphins and the Jets made.

Is a Podcast a Better Forum for Diversity Debate?

Bill Green, Angela Natividad and Hadji Williams Break It Down

Posted by Ken Wheaton on 10.14.09 @ 02:32 PM

Bill Green, of Make the Logo Bigger, and Angela Natividad of Live and Uncensored, have launched a new podcast series called Adverve. Not ones to pull punches -- or make life easier for themselves -- their first guest is Hadji Williams, author of Knock the Hustle, blogger, frequent blog commenter and a guest columnist here yesterday. As Green notes, talking diversity isn't exactly the quickest way to pick up followers for a new venture, but it's something he cares about and something he feels gets kicked to the curb too often.

Why Can't Ethnic-Owned Shops Be Agencies of Record?

Hadji Williams Offers Six Popular Excuses

Posted by Hadji Williams on 10.13.09 @ 04:20 PM

Hadji Williams

Since the 1930s there's been one major yet unspoken requirement for U.S.-based agencies to become an agency of record for a general-market client: Your agency must be a majority White-staffed and -owned shop.

With a couple of exceptions, a Fortune 1,000 company will almost never retain an ethnic-owned shop as its AOR for general market pieces of business. Furthermore, few ethnic shops have ever even been allowed to compete for the chance.

NFL Latino Effort Pits Jets Fan vs. Dolphins Fan

Monday Night Game Centerpiece of League's Hispanic Heritage Month Campaign

Posted by Laura Martinez on 10.09.09 @ 12:57 PM

Laura Martinez

Attendees to the Oct. 12 face off between the New York Jets and the Miami Dolphins in Florida are in for a heavy dose of Hispanic fare, as the NFL's observance of Hispanic Heritage Month wraps up Monday night with a series of festivities and special acts, including Puerto Rican singer (and minority Dolphins owner) Marc Anthony performing the National Anthem.

Being Latino Means More Than Seeing Our Demographic as a Business Opportunity

In Evangelizing About Hispanic Market, Do We Overlook Complex Issues?

Posted by Tommy Thompson on 10.08.09 @ 11:58 AM

Tommy Thompson

What does it mean to be Latino in America? It's a complex question and many of us have a pretty comprehensive answer. Often, the answer hinges on our varied experiences -- personal and professional. That answer may also change if we base it on what it means to us as a collective people vs. what it means if we're talking about the consumers in this segment that we as marketers target.

Larry Wilmore Talks Race at Atlantic Event

Can You Spot the Similarity?

Posted by Ken Wheaton on 10.08.09 @ 11:40 AM

Larry Wilmore, comedian, producer and Senior Black Correspondent for "The Daily Show," related a story that might sound familiar to some in the ad industry. When working on black sitcoms, he was asked sometimes if he had any black writers on them. "There's no problem getting black writers on black shows!" he exclaimed. "It's the other shows you have to worry about." (READ MORE)