The Big Tent

Multicultural Insight: Why McD's Is Lovin' It -- and You Should Too

Everyone Should Study Golden's Speech at the ANA Conference

Posted by Rochelle Newman-Carrasco on 11.11.09 @ 01:21 PM


Rochelle Newman-Carrasco

My arrival in Phoenix for the ANA Masters of Marketing Conference started off on the wrong foot for a Hispanic marketer. It was Latin Grammy night and, much to my surprise, my room at the JW Marriot Resort was equipped with a digital television that offered exactly zero Spanish-language options. No Univision. No Latin Grammys. Of course there's always TiVo, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook, but c'mon. No Univision? In Phoenix?

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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.

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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.

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Experiencing a Conference as If for the First Time

A Chat With Students About Their View of the Industry

Posted by Rochelle Newman-Carrasco on 09.30.09 @ 12:33 PM


Rochelle Newman-Carrasco

As Hispanic Heritage Month kicked into full gear a few weeks ago, I joined the Cable Advertising Bureau and Broadcasting & Cable as a panelist at their event titled Hispanic Cable 2010: Tomorrow Is Today. Keynote Speakers included Edward Gold, advertising director of State Farm, and Mark K. Stewart, VP-global media services of Kraft Food. Both speakers provided vivid evidence of how their brands are reaping the benefits of having truly committed to being part of Hispanic consumer's lives.

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Walter Cronkite's Impact on the Hispanic Market

Voice of Middle America Provided Useful Example

Posted by Rochelle Newman-carrasco on 07.20.09 @ 12:39 PM

Rochelle Newman-Carrasco

With the passing of legendary newscaster Walter Cronkite, I reflected on an expression that I haven't heard of late: "Walter Cronkite Spanish." This was the response given to clients when they questioned the feasibility of speaking to the collective U.S. Hispanic market, when in fact there were such significant differences between the regional and national accents heard across more than 20 Spanish-speaking countries of origin, the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

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Hispanics Face Discrimination Even Among Their Own

When Hiring, Look at Talent not Surface Features

Posted by Rochelle Newman-carrasco on 06.23.09 @ 11:38 AM

Rochelle Newman-Carrasco

I often receive phone calls from advertising colleagues who are looking to add Latino talent to their teams. The caller might own or work for a Hispanic market agency, or a multicultural agency or a general-market agency. He might be a headhunter hired to work with any of these agency types. In most cases, the request is simply about who I know that is talented, easy to work with and has all the right skill sets. However, in some cases, certain biases rear their ugly heads. I'm asked questions that have no business being asked in this day and age. At a time when jobs are hard to find, it pains me to believe that there are worthy candidates being passed over because of:

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What a 'Mes'

May Brings a New American Girl Doll, Sonia Sotomayor and More on Prop 8

Posted by Rochelle Newman-carrasco on 06.02.09 @ 01:32 PM

Rochelle Newman-Carrasco

I never liked dolls. I was a stuffed-animal kid. Never had a Barbie (until recently that is, as I couldn't resist the urge to buy Puerto Rican Barbie, Mexican Barbie and Cinco de Mayo Barbie for the camp value of the stilted copy that's written on the back of each box).

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Market Research: Cinco de Mayo Isn't Independence Day

But Its Connection With U.S. History Might Surprise You

Posted by Rochelle Newman-carrasco on 05.04.09 @ 04:38 PM

Rochelle Newman-Carrasco

As Cinco de Mayo festivals get canceled across the U.S. because of swine flu, and anti-Mexican sentiment appears to be raising its ugly head, it seemed appropriate to highlight the potentially important impact that the Battle of Puebla (aka Cinco de Mayo) had on U.S. history. In other words, it's not just about Corona and carnitas, you know.

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Defining 'Get It' When It Comes to U.S. Hispanic Marketing

Where Do You Fall: Enlightened or Frightened? Trial or Denial?

Posted by Rochelle Newman-carrasco on 04.06.09 @ 01:21 PM

Rochelle Newman-Carrasco

During the AHAA conference in Vegas this past week, there were several references to those who "get it." These references were either stated outright or implied. For example, right off the bat it was mentioned that the conference co-chairs, Grupo Gallegos' Ken Deutsch and Global Hue's Tracey Decker, were both non-Hispanic (an AHAA conference first). However, there was no doubt about their credibility, as their professional backgrounds have earned them great respect as U.S. Hispanic-marketing specialists.

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What Gladwell's 'Outliers' Can Teach You About Marketing

If Culture Is Key to Flying a Plane, It Probably Matters in Advertising

Posted by Rochelle Newman-carrasco on 03.02.09 @ 11:29 AM

Rochelle Newman-Carrasco

In his latest book, Outliers: The Story of Success, Malcolm Gladwell asks, "Why are we so squeamish? Why is the fact that each of us comes from a culture with its own distinctive mixture of strengths and weaknesses, tendencies and predispositions can be so difficult to acknowledge? Who we are cannot be separated from where we're from -- and when we ignore that fact, planes crash." The plane-crash reference is tied in to a chapter titled "The Ethnic Theory of Plane Crashes," in which Gladwell analyzes how the culturally influenced communication styles of pilots have contributed to tragic in-flight missteps and fatal outcomes.

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