Advertising Age - The Big Tent

How Black Friday Can Be Brown Friday

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:40:08 -0500

As the largest minority group in the U.S. with a population of more than 50 million and a buying power expected to reach $1.2 trillion in the next year, Hispanic consumers are key to any retailers' plan for success. Whether you've already allocated a small radio buy in L.A. or N.Y. to drive in-store traffic or have even put a few bucks behind a buy on Spanish-language TV, here are five steps you can take now to ensure your Black Friday doesn't stay red.

Video: A Look at The Marcus Graham Project

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:14:20 -0500

Former agency account exec Lincoln Stephens is both an example and an evangelist of the "Boomerang" effect. A year ago Stephens abruptly quit his Chicago agency job, moved back to his hometown of Dallas and, on a shoestring budget, launched a program to recruit, train and motivate talented young African Americans for advertising agency jobs. Execs at The Richards Group, Imaginuity, Tracy Locke and other Dallas organizations volunteered to mentor participants in his first boot camp sessions.

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

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:21:44 -0500

McDonald's CMO Neil Golden restored my faith in corporate-kind. In front of an audience of his peers, he made a powerful and pointed presentation in which every single Power Point slide focused sharply on his over-arching premise: "Leading with Ethnic Insights."

I Might Be Mexican, but I Don't Have to Like 'Lopez Tonight'

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:00:58 -0500

To paraphrase Jerry Seinfeld, still one of my favorite comedians, George Lopez's comedy doesn't offend me as a "minority"; it offends me as a funny person.

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

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:37:46 -0500

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

kwheaton@adage.com(Ken Wheaton) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:48:45 -0500

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.

How Diversity Efforts Can Boost the Economy

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:34:09 -0500

In today's ever-expanding global marketplace, for an advertising agency -- and the industry at large -- to effectively compete and prosper, its ranks must accurately reflect the world to which it caters. But there's an even more salient and basic reason to champion diversity and inclusion: the chance to re-energize the economy by giving a much-needed boost to small businesses.

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

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:32:19 -0400

As each segment of CNN's two-part documentary series "Latino in America" unfolded during the Wednesday night premiere, I felt like I was watching a special on immigration presented by Lou Dobbs. A more suitable title would have been, "CNN Presents: Undocumented in America."

Dolphins' Monday Night Fiesta Was Hispanic Done Right

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:06:31 -0400

You can define "sidelines" in the old-school way and just keep letting opportunities to engage with Hispanic consumers go by because of (fill in your favorite Hispanic marketing phobia here) or you can define sidelines the way the Dolphins have and make them the hottest standing-room area in town

Is a Podcast a Better Forum for Diversity Debate?

kwheaton@adage.com(Ken Wheaton) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:32:03 -0400

Are podcasts perhaps a better place to discuss diversity than blog posts and online comments?

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

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:20:58 -0400

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

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:57:05 -0400

While the NFL prepares for what it calls its biggest Hispanic celebration ever, the league has gone viral, releasing a series of 30-second Spanish-language spots pitching a Hispanic Dolphins fan against a Jets fan in several win-lose situations.

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

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 11:58:43 -0400

It comes as no surprise that part of our job as marketers is to romanticize the product we sell to our audience. I wonder if sometimes the process of selling the idea of marketing to Hispanics, we get more caught up in evangelizing about the younger age, larger families and almost $1 trillion spending power this consumer has and we overlook the fact that this lucrative consumer segment is more than just a consumer segment.

Larry Wilmore Talks Race at Atlantic Event

kwheaton@adage.com(Ken Wheaton) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 11:40:05 -0400

Can You Spot the Similarity?

Slide Show: 2009 AdColor Honorees

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 15:50:01 -0400

The AdColor Industry Coalition held its annual 2009 AdColor Awards show in Phoenix, Ariz., this past Sunday. The event kicked off the Association of National Advertisers' Multicultural Marketing & Diversity Conference.

More About Race in 'Mad Men'

kwheaton@adage.com(Ken Wheaton) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 10:14:04 -0400

Latoya Peterson writes that the popular show about advertising says very little about the reality of race in the 1960s -- but a lot about how we handle it in 2009.

'Mad Men' Creator: 'There Are Still No People of Color in Advertising'

kwheaton@adage.com(Ken Wheaton) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 16:22:27 -0400

Check out this clip of an interview with "Mad Men" creator Matthew Weiner from "Talk of Fame." He's fairly unapologetic about his portrayal of a lily-white ad universe. The show may be rife with historical inaccuracies, but the total lack of diversity is spot on. Weiner, though, hints that there may be some attempt to grapple with race at some point. And critics of the industry will just love his last line to the interviewer: "There are still no people of color in advertising."

Experiencing a Conference as If for the First Time

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 12:33:48 -0400

Those who are leading the evolution of U.S. Hispanic marketing as we flirt with 2010 are simply more comfortable and confident and feel little need to defend or over-explain why strategies and tactics for staying connected to this consumer are both simple and complex, both monolingual and bilingual, both old school and new school.

One of These Ads Is Not Like the Other One

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:53:21 -0400

I have never been a fan of pancakes, nor American football, but the following commercial really caught my attention after I noticed a couple of not-too-subtle changes had been applied to make it "relevant" to the U.S. Hispanic market.

Ebony Has Evolved, but Will It Be Enough?

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 17:29:11 -0400

Trying to swim upstream in the river of Economic Downturn, with a smart team, Ebony never launched a "new Ebony," indicating to a younger audience that it's now more than just something to read at grandma's house.

Could a TV Show Actually Help Diversity Effort?

kwheaton@adage.com(Ken Wheaton) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 10:20:24 -0400

It Won't Fix the Problem, but It Couldn't Hurt

We Want to Be Respected for Creativity, Period

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 10:40:15 -0400

A good idea is a good idea, is it not? So does this mean a good idea in English is also a good idea in Spanish? And what about Spanglish?

An Interview With Anita Laney: Vendor-Diversity Expert

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 12:05:11 -0400

Anita Laney, president-CEO of Professional Partnering Solutions, is a forerunner in diversity solutions for advertising, marketing and media, and her firm has been working with the top ad agencies across the country and leading the charge in supplier-diversity immersion in the ad industry. She shared some insight for diverse marketing firms with the Big Tent's Carol Watson.

GLAAD Announces Nominees for Media Awards in Advertising Show

kwheaton@adage.com(Ken Wheaton) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:09:40 -0400

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation has the nominees and honorees for its first GLAAD Media Awards in Advertising. This awards show, to be held Oct. 27 in New York, is the result of GLAAD absorbing what was once the Commercial Closet Awards after it took over that organization. The good news is that overall the creative in these categories continues to impress as marketers -- whether out of noble reasons or simply chasing a lucrative market (or both) -- continue to court gay consumers.

What Social Media Can Learn From Multicultural Marketing

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 12:41:35 -0400

Conducting research into the various content and mediums most valued by different segments of the multicultural audience is a necessity. This is particularly important in the social-media game, given the minority market's high adoption rate of new means of accessing and sharing content, entertainment and opinion -- often about brands. But this culture-based approach shouldn't be limited to the multicultural sphere.

Why State Farm Tries to Be a Good Neighbor to Asian-American Community

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 14:27:31 -0400

For several years, State Farm has developed comprehensive advertising, marketing and public-relations campaigns that have helped the company achieve significant brand equity among Asian Pacific American consumers.

Do All Asians Wear Costumes in Kentucky?

kwheaton@adage.com(Ken Wheaton) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 11:36:33 -0400

It's probably because I'm white that it took me more than two months to figure out what was bugging me about this Kentucky Grilled Chicken commercial from DraftFCB.

So You Think You Really Know Spanish

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 17:49:53 -0400

You Don't Need a Celebrity for Brand Credibility

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 12:10:27 -0400

Your brand ambassador doesn't have to be a shiny celebrity. Everyday people who tell a story that resonates with all audiences can be just as effective.

Learning Goes Both Ways With Visiting Professors

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 15:01:39 -0400

Visiting faculty members often gain valuable information about the advertising industry that is passed on to students and parents. And they bring a wealth of experience in other areas that can be very beneficial to advertising agencies.