Mplanet Marketing Blog

Mplanet: Day Two in Print and Pictures

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 16:57:08 -0500

From predicting the rise of a more responsible form of capitalism to firsthand lessons from Obama’s campaign strategists, the final day of Mplanet continued a tradition of providing leading insights from executives and strategists that ignite conversations and catalysts in this new marketsphere. Nearly 800 marketers participated in this year’s conference, and many were on hand today to listen to Obama’s campaign communication strategist Larry Grisolano and R.K. Krishna Kumar, Chairman of Tata Coffee and Vice Chairman of Tata Tea and Indian Hotels, Tata Sons Ltd.

Some of my thoughts are below, along with additional pictures and coverage of the conference.

Photo courtesy of Lucy A. Kennedy, Kennedy Photography

R.K. Krishna Kumar explained how Tata invests in communications and activities that establish infrastructure, increase social-justice and grow goodwill among its global constituents.

Photo courtesy of Lucy A. Kennedy, Kennedy Photography

“Anyone can be a leader. It’s really about the followers.” Larry Grisolano provided many campaign take-aways that can be applied to marketing in countless scenarios. Through it all, marketers must grow, identify and empower their customers to shape and elevate the brand – through authenticity, credibility and consistency.
Larry also provided five common comments from campaign focus groups:

1. “Talk to us like adults.” Don’t pander to your audience; treat them with the respect they deserve.
2. “Tell us what you’re going to do and how you’re going to do it.” Be transparent and back it up through action.
3. “Be real.” Authenticity counts. Present a genuine message.
4. “Take responsibility.” Walk the talk, in other words. People are obsessed with accountability and responsibility.
5. Do what’s best for the country. Marketers have the opportunity to give people something to come together around.

For more information on Larry Grisolano, R.K. Krishna Kumar and Mplanet’s closing events, check out our full release here. Also, be sure to read more thoughts on today's presenters at AMA's Marketing News blog.

Coming soon will be a collection of posts from bloggers.

Nancy Costopulos, the American Marketing Association’s chief marketing officer, provided the above post.

That's A Wrap

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 15:42:59 -0500

Hey all, Piet here again, the new guy from Marketing News. As I'm typing this, I'm eating the last chunk of ceremonial chocolate chip cookie, and sipping some fine Coca-Cola. Mplanet 2009 has just ended.

Now I've only been at AMA for a month, and I'm new to covering the marketing scene. But from a newbie's perspective, Mplanet was quite a site. I've learned more in a few days than I ever thought possible - about B2B segmentation, and brand differentiation, and international marketing, and much more. I've met loads and loads of marketing masterminds, bright minds from universities, and innovative B2B leaders and researchers. I'm exhilarated and exhausted, deeply enlightened and inspired. In other words, what a rush!

Sitting here reminiscing over the past few hours and days, I keep going back to what R.K. Krishna Kumar, Chairman of Tata Coffee and Vice Chairman of Tata Tea and Indian Hotels, Tata Sons, Ltd., said at the end of his morning presentation today.

After giving a brief history of the company's mind-blowing growth - from coffee and tea and hotels to the steel industry and vehicle sector and beyond - a woman in the crowd, who had recently been to India, spoke up. She acknowledged that despite Tata's massive outreach, and given the fact that such a company may be met with resistance in the U.S., she was surprised that there was such a strong sense of admiration from casual Indian consumers.

So she asked Kumar why. He said that the company strives to take a pass on financially sound options if they seem unethical. He acknowledged Tata's charitable contributions, such as through the construction of a new $65 million oncology hospital near Calcutta, and facilities like the Tata Institute of Social Sciences.

But he said Tata had a unique connection to the country's citizens. Much of the wealth the Tata family accumulated was put into a charity foundation. Kumar estimates that the foundation, coupled with a smaller trust, has a 66 % stake in Tata Sons, Ltd.

Kumar says most Indian citizens know that "a great part of the wealth Tata generates goes back to the people. So they are partners in an enterprise. It's an invisible partnership, but it's still a partnership."

I think the same applies to this convention we've been through. There are so many thoughts and ideas, and even disagreements, when it comes to marketing strategies. There is so much fierce competition for business, between companies, marketers, and messages.

And yet here at Mplanet, I think, we became partners. We had the chance to learn from others, and to teach others in turn. We had the opportunity to put aside any differences of opinion so we could improve our work, our mission, our purpose - and ourselves.

I hope you enjoyed Mplanet as much as I did. Do make sure to check out the Marketing News blog for more Mplanet info, and this blog as well. Check marketingpower.com for Mplanet content, and look out for an attendant survey in your inbox soon.

Happy travels to one and all! See you next time.

Our National Community

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 09:35:45 -0500

Last night’s fireside chat Larry Grisolano provide me with amazing insight – both into the political campaigns process and marketing to the American public. Those revelations stayed with me throughout the night, and I wanted to share a few of them in anticipation of Larry’s larger speech today at Mplanet.

1. Marketers must clearly identify, through research and conversation, what challenges their brand. In early stages, based on research, Obama’s commitment to change politics in America was not as challenged by the other leading candidates as it was by the attitude of “cynicism” among the electorate. Seems to me, if they hadn’t figured that out, perhaps the election would have had a different outcome.

2. Brands cannot be all things to all people; marketers should leverage a clear message and brand identity. Later in the primary, there was a lot of attention paid to the difference in being a change agent v. necessity for experience to lead the country. The team learned it was difficult to be both (according to research) so it diluted Senator Clinton’s message that attempted to combine her resume with her desire to change Washington.

3. American consumers today want genuine engagement and credible message that allows them to own part of the brand experience. Obama campaign activated “a sense of national community,” similar to feeling after 9/11.

Creating a sense of national community is no small undertaking. I hope you’re able to join us today for more insights from Larry. If not, stay tuned for my later post on his presentation.

Nancy Costopulos, the American Marketing Association’s chief marketing officer, provided the above post.

To spend or not? Reibstein says wait

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 09:11:15 -0500

Conventional wisdom says marketers should spend more in bad economic times to stand out from competitors who may be cutting their spending. But such thinking needs to be re-examined in this downturn, says David Reibstein, professor of marketing at The Wharton School and a speaker at AMA’s Mplanet conference.

Reibstein, in an interview at the Mplanet studio Wednesday, said he expects the current recession to be a long one. Cutting marketing spending in such areas as new customer acquisition and long-term brand building can make sense in a longer downturn, he contended. The challenge comes in trying to anticipate when the recession will end so spending can be racketed up as it is ending, he said.

SCHEDULE CHANGE: GRISOLANO IS SPEAKING EARLY.

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 08:44:39 -0500

Larry Grisolano, Senior Communication Strategist for Barack Obama's Presidential Campaign, is now speaking at 9:15 a.m. today instead of at 3:30 p.m. Stephen Quinn, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for Walmart, was originally supposed to speak at 9:15 a.m., but was unable to leave Arkansas due to an ice storm, AMA CEO Dennis Dunlap said this morning.

Piet Levy, Staff Writer for Marketing News, provided the above post.

Mplanet 2009: Day One in Photos and Print

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 18:58:49 -0500

Before heading off to our Discovery Center tonight for additional networking and dialogue on today’s inspiring keynotes (see previous blog posts today) and their thoughts on the new marketsphere, I wanted to share some photos and early online and media coverage from Mplanet that summarizes today’s event, speakers and professional networking. Return tomorrow for posts on remarks from Larry Grisolano, senior communications strategist to President Obama’s campaign, and R.K. Krishna Kumar, chairman, Tata Coffee.

Click here to see our official release on today's events.

BtoB sat down with Xerox Chairman and CEO Anne Mulcahy. See the coverage here.

Brandweek and Adweek provided a summary of the year-long research project AMA's CEO Dennis Dunlap unveiled in his opening remarks.

Anne Mulcahy, Chairman and CEO of Xerox, offered her point of view on navigating today's world of information overload. Photo courtesy of Lucy A. Kennedy, Kennedy Photography.

American Express CMO, John Hayes, called on marketers to meet today's opportunity and responsibility to help lead our country to economic recovery. Photo courtesy of Lucy A. Kennedy, Kennedy Photography.

Mary Dillon, Global CMO of McDonald's, encouraged marketers to crystallize and hold fast to their brand promise. She engaged onsite bloggers in conversation about McDonald's digital and social media projects. Photo courtesy of Lucy A. Kennedy, Kennedy Photography.

Read a sampling of online coverage from marketing bloggers and colleagues at Citizen Marketer 2.1, Endagon Innovation's Greg Rollet's blog, and MarketingShift.com.

Nancy Costopulos, the American Marketing Association’s chief marketing officer, provided the above post.

Being real is for real in marketing today

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 18:44:48 -0500

It’s been a busy day for me at Mplanet, where I conducted 20 interviews in the Mplanet studio with speakers, attendees and sponsors. The over-riding message I heard from them is that marketing in this economy has to leave hype behind and connect with customers in genuine, real ways.

That starts by listening to your customers to discover what their needs are today and then responding with products or services that answer those needs and do it in a way or ways – whether online or off – consumers want.

“One-to-one marketing has really arrived,” thanks to the technologies available today to target messaging, said Anne Mulcahy, chairman and CEO of Xerox. But to be effective in one-to-one, marketers need to communicate relevant and meaningful information to their customers, she said.

The initial impulse in this economy may be to pull back on marketing innovation. But the experts I interviewed agree that the opposite course – experimenting to discover new strategies and tactics that work – is the one that will produce the best long-term results.

“This is the time for marketers to really market,” said Ralph Oliva, executive director of the Institute for the Study of Business Markets.

Good advice and words that Mplanet attendees will likely take to heart as they return to their companies and organizations after the conferences ends Wednesday.

John N. Frank, editorial director, Marketing News

The More Failures You Identify, The Better

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 18:19:58 -0500

Mary Dillon today chatted with marketing bloggers and social media experts at Mplanet following her presentation to conference attendees. Addressing the question of what marketers at all levels should do in the current economy, Mary provided the following tips: understand your target market; engage in simple, clear problem solutions; and invest in marketing analytics. She noted that people at times fear admitting a program – be it traditional or new media – failed, but in the end it’s far better to know what failed and what delivered positive results in this economy.

Both in her session with bloggers and her keynote, Mary talked about delivering what people want in a meaningful relevant way. Whether from internal networking platforms for the McDonald’s crew or a global brand tailored to local interests, Mary and the McDonald’s marketing team ensures their brand promise is the DNA of all genuine platforms. Mary was joined today by our fellow marketing bloggers: Scott Titus, Matt O’Hern, Toby Bloomberg, Greg Verdino, Becky Carroll, Greg Rollett, Susanne Sicilian and Susan Peyton.

Similar to Mary’s conversations on brand promises and its importance today, John Hayes, noted how our generation will “be defined by how we answer the economic hurdles that we face, how we respond not only to our current difficulties, but how we prepare our future generations for security, wealth and prosperity. It’s our time to set up. I don’t care if you’re 25 or 52. It’s up to us.” He provided some tips and points for clearing those hurdles. Take a look at this summary from onsite blogger, Matt O’Hern, on MarketingShift.com.

There’s more coming, including a recap of today. Check back soon and follow us on Twitter at #mplanet2009.

Nancy Costopulos, the American Marketing Association’s chief marketing officer, provided the above post.

Mplanet Is Moving Fast

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 16:08:16 -0500

Hey all, Piet here, the new Marketing News staff writer. I can't believe the day one sessions are over and done with. I've only had time to soak up the Orlando sun for 20 seconds, much less hit the blog.

Here's what's gone down.

American Express CMO John Hayes delivered an inspirational presentation that evoked everything from the construction of the Empire State Building to President Barack Obama to Jim Henson's Muppets (the latter showcased via American Express Commercial). Empire State was built in the Great Depression, so Hayes suggests we can certainly accomplish great things in this economy. Barack Obama evokes hope, which is something marketers need to create to attract new business. And the Muppets symbolize Henson's mark on the world, made possible, in part, by his American Express card.

Hayes certainly made an impression with his observations and insight. My fave quote: "Never before have we had better educated, more well-armed marketers with more economic resources than we do today. Our generation of marketers have the opportunity, no, make that the responsibility, to help lead our country back on the road to economic recovery."

Mary Dillon, Executive Vice President and Global Chief Marketing Officer for McDonald's, was up next. Her presentation took attendees around the world, showcasing how McDonald's marketing teams in Europe, Latin America, Japan and elsewhere are trying to sell McDonald's as the embodiment of "simple easy enjoyment." But it isn't one size fits all. While the Big Mac and the Arches are iconic everywhere, the U.K., for instance, focuses on produce in its marketing. In Latin America, local flavors are executed in the menu. In Japan, a few McDonald's locations were redesigned as sleek-looking Quarter Pounder restaurants, to build buzz, and place emphasis strictly on the quality of the sandwich. Other McDonald's restaurants aim to have a more modern and sleek decor, and McD has used interactive contests and YouTube fan videos in its outreach.

No matter what you took from Dillon's talk, I can tell you I overheard many people afterwards saying they were hungry for a Quarter Pounder. Clearly, that's a brand that works, even on brand-savvy Mplaneters.

And now, time to network.

Make sure you check out the Marketing News blog for more in-depth reporting on some of the keynote presenters and some afternoon sessions.

The Marketing News blog is also the place to read thoughts from one of tomorrow's most anticipated speakers - Larry Grisolano, the Senior Communication Strategist for Barack Obama's Presidential Campaign.

"People want to be communicated with, spoken to, like adults," Grisolano told Marketing News Editorial Director John N. Frank. That philosophy, in part, became the basis for one of the most successful political marketing campaigns of our time. Read Frank's Grisolano blog here.

And don't forget all - we're on Twitter!

Now You See AMA CEO Dennis Dunlap. Now you don't.

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 10:38:11 -0500

Hey all, Piet Levy blogging here, a new staff writer for Marketing News, and a newbie when it comes to covering the marketing scene.

I'm in Orlando at Mplanet 2009, the first marketing trade show I've ever been too. Things have really started with a bang here. This is probably the first time I've walked into a room booming with remixed tracks from Amy Winehouse, Gnarls Barkley and The Bee Gees at 8:50 in the morning. And if that wasn't high energy enough, illusionist Michael Grandinetti performed some masterful magic tricks that intersected with a filmed introduction by AMA CEO Dennis Dunlap, climaxing with the organization leader suddenly stepping out of a box that was empty just moments before. Quite a show.

I doubt Grandinetti or even Dunlap would reveal the secrets behind the tricks. But Dunlap, followed by Keynote Presenter and Xerox Corporation CEO Anne Mulcahy, have already revealed a few key tips and strategies for Mplanet attendees. Dunlap touched on the findings of a new presentation, conducted by Decision Strategies International, showcasing possible scenarios in the year 2015 for both B-to-B and B-to-C marketers, with actors summarizing positions for possible marketer approaches, such as "sales facilitator" and "network optimizer."

Mulcahy, who herself has marketing experience with Xerox, stressed the importance listening and responding to your customer on the most personal level possible, as well as a need to uphold back to basics strategies such as consistency. In one of the most candid moments, she urged a need for companies to continue to invest in research, even in this recession. Between 2000 and 2001, she said Xerox had to cut $4 billion, but they didn't do away with investment in research. And now, Mulcahy says two-thirds of the companies revenue from its services and technology stems from research cultivated in the first 24 months following that decision.

We'll try to get more up later. John Hayes from American Express is up.

An Influential Network

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 20:58:05 -0500

To say we’re hyper-networked is an understatement. As I return from tonight’s opening networking reception, where colleagues, professionals, exhibitors and sponsors connected in person, I am amazed by the number of individuals with which we can share, interact and influence through traditional and new digital channels daily.

John’s post on today’s pre-conference Digital Marketing Lab clearly details the progress and potential digital marketing brings professionals today and tomorrow. In this time of uncertainty, marketers must not be afraid to try new ways of providing relevant, authentic information to customers and businesses when and how they want it. There’s no right way, best practice or one-size for all – consistency (of message and service), credibility and customization are what resonates today.

And as for tomorrow? Well, tomorrow kicks off two days of insights from global CMOs, industry leaders and AMA’s Dennis Dunlap. Global CEOs and CMOs from Xerox, American Express, McDonald’s and other leading brands will answer marketers tough question about building in a global brand in a transforming marketsphere where customers and businesses have greater influence than ever before. You can find an overview of today’s digital marketing lab takeaways and the rest of the conference’s line up here.

Looking beyond the conference, Dennis’ opening remarks will envision marketing’s “tomorrow” in 2015. What will our profession’s role be and do we have the ability to shape our future role today? AMA partnered with Decisions Strategies International in “futures” research on the industry – and the results will definitely give pause to marketers looking to create the next enduring brand.

I invite you to stay connected with all of Mplanet’s events here and on Marketing News, Facebook and Twitter in the following couple of days. Also, be sure to stay updated through the blogosphere. Here’s a post on one of our keynotes, McDonald’s Mary Dillon, who’s hosting a Q&A with bloggers onsite tomorrow.

Nancy Costopulos, the American Marketing Association’s chief marketing officer, provided the above post.

Ask the Wright brothers about digital marketing

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 16:26:57 -0500

Mplanet's Digital Marketing Lab kicked off here today (Monday) in Orlando. Sitting in on some of the sessions, I felt a bit like people interested in flying must have felt in talking to the Wright brothers not long after they got their first fragile aircraft into the sky. It’s all so new, who can tell where it will end up?

It's been a long road from that first flight to today's jets. No one speaking with Orville or Wilbur likely could have imagined a 747. Digital marketing still has a long way to go as well before it gets to the point of being an established marketing discipline.

For now, experimentation is still the rule and anyone looking for a book of best practices is likely out of luck, noted Julie Fleischer, a VP with digital agency Digitas. There is "no single formula for digital. The best thing you can do when it comes to digital marketing is question everything," she told a workshop at the digital lab.

Digital marketing requires a mindset change for marketers, she added. "It’s not 'where are the consumers and how do I reach them,’" but rather what do consumers need and "how can I give it to them" where and how they want it, she said.

Fleischer also advised marketers to stop thinking about trying to make the perfect viral video. Instead, make videos that reflect your company’s culture--and consumers will decide if they're interesting enough to spread them virally.

Mplanet blogger Toby Bloomberg, president of Bloomberg Marketing and author of the Diva Marketing blog, talked about how digital marketing is just a new version of something her grandmother would do if she got a stale cookie form the local bakery.

Her grandmother would go to the bakery and complain about it in front of all the other customers, spreading negative word-of-mouth unless the baker made good on the bad cookie.

Digital marketing extends that ability to say good and ill about companies across the Web, but the concept is still the same, Bloomberg noted---consumes shape other consumers' perceptions about your brand. Marketers need to keep that top-of-mind as they move into the digital world.

Let's get this party started

Sat, 24 Jan 2009 12:50:31 -0500

Mplanet is almost upon us. I'll be heading to Florida early Monday morning and hope to see everyone there. I'll be hosting the Mplanet studio, a stage in the middle of our Discovery Center exhibit hall where I'll be interviewing Mplanet luminaries.

At last count, I expect to be doing roughly 26 interviews over a two-day period starting Tuesday morning. We'll be filming the interviews and showing portions of them on the Mplanet Web site. Please stop by to watch and say hello.

During the show, I and colleagues from Marketing News will be blogging about sessions both here and on the Marketing News blog. If you're at the show, the blogs will be a great way to keep up on sessions you might not have attended.

We'll also be twittering, so if that's your medium of choice watch for bulletins there as well.

Safe travels and hope to see you there!

Connecting with Empowered Consumers

Fri, 16 Jan 2009 15:45:35 -0500

Reaching Everyone?

I work with Commercial Printers every day that are printing jobs for businesses that are trying to market or sell their product to you and me, the end consumer. Some of them are helping those customers with more effective marketing by using data to target the right message to the right customer at the right time.

For example, when my daughter Ashley turned 5, she received a coupon from “Build a Bear” for $10 off her “Ashley bear.” What was neat about this piece was it had a picture of the same bear she purchased the prior year. I will say that as a parent, I wasn’t very happy with this coupon because the $10 actually caused me to spend over $30 on a stuffed animal! I had another fun experience recently where I felt I was targeted pretty well. My wife drives a Honda Accord. At the time, it had roughly 60,000 miles on it. We get a free oil change coupon in the mail. Now the postcard had our Honda on the front and it said, “Kim, since it’s time to bring your Honda in for Service, we thought you would enjoy a free coupon.” Well, she did use that “free” coupon and brought it in. And the oil change was in fact free. My only comment was she also rotated tires, did alignment and was told she would probably need new tires in the next 5,000 miles (and so they gave us their price for 4 new tires). Was she targeted because she had 60,000 miles? What a great use of data.

I am a huge fan of target marketing. In fact, when done right, I believe it is the best use of marketing dollars. Having said that, I am still amazed how many of my customers that do variable printing like this, still don’t use multi media tools like email, facebook, twitter, blogging, linkedin, plaxo and on and on. I wonder, are they connecting with all empowered customers?

For example, I recently purchased a 46 inch LCD TV. At the place I purchased this TV, I asked about installation. For the TV with mount, installation costs exceeded $375, not including HDMI wires, electric above the fire place and so on. My wife said to check on Craigslist. So I did. I went to my city and searched “install lcd tv” and had 6 ads posted in the past 7 days. Two weeks later, my TV was hung, electric was run and total cost out of pocket was $250 including mount, electric, hdmi cables and everything else.

People want to be communicated to in different ways. As a marketing expert, are you taking advantage of all the tools available to help market to your potential customers, all your potential customers? It’s in exploring this question that I see so many opportunities. Do you?

Scott Titus has been with Xerox since 1995 and is a part business consultant, part one-man marketing machine and part sales professional. Titus has been among the top three sales representatives at Xerox Corporation for eight quarters running. He produces a monthly e-newsletter, writes his own blog at Ideas, Ideas, Ideas and creates his own Web videos. His current approach includes helping his customers develop “their own multichannel communications” and spends much of his time consulting with clients about their business initiatives and how marketing tools can help drive additional revenues for them and their customers. He has been featured in industry articles on such topics as “Trust Equity” and also made Xerox’s Profit Accelerator Magazine two out of the three volumes to date.

About relationship building and brand loyalty

Fri, 16 Jan 2009 15:13:03 -0500

In the last six months I have seen two well stocked neighborhood optical stores and a thriving mechanic shop nearly 20 years in business close “over night.” It’s understandable, many people think, in these days of economic hardship for businesses to fail.

The reason I mention the closings here is to make a point about relationships. I did business with these companies. I had my eyes examined and bought glasses at the optical stores and had my car serviced at the shop. More importantly, I knew the owners, managers and staff that worked at these places. I looked these people in the eye, we greeted warmly when we saw each other, I asked about their families and gave them my business on a regular basis for months, even years.

Yet, after their closings I only heard from one of them. He, the former owner of the mechanic shop, called to say he was working nearby at a national car repair franchise in case we should need to have our car serviced. The others disappeared without a word. There wasn’t even note on the door, an explanation, a farewell or an apology to their customers.

We do business with people. We do business with people who own businesses or are employed by businesses we patronize. It’s often the people and the way they smile and welcome us or the way they take care of our business and behave favorably that makes loyal customers out of us. It’s those relationships that help make a business grow and develop into a brand over time. Likewise, when the people behind a business can’t be bothered, behave unprofessionally or leave us stranded we also remember their actions, sometimes for a long time. These experiences may send us running toward another company, another brand.

It is in search of assurance that many of us rely on brands. They provide a sense of stability and safety. We usually know what we will find when we enter a franchise store or buy a name brand item. This makes sense. Especially when times are lean and budgets are tight. Even if a broader search might reveal a less expensive alternative or better service we may opt for the known brand. As one commercial put it, “The best surprise is no surprise.” Isn’t that the basis of brand loyalty?

This brings me back to relationships. I spoke with Michael, the manager of the optical store, a few days before the store closed. He was friendly and said he would call back to let me know when my glasses were ready for pick up. He never called. The next time I saw the inside of the store four days later there were workers removing the remnants of the inventory that had been sold to new owners. I will remember Michael because I never recovered the glasses I had already paid for and more importantly because I was so disappointed in him. When you provide the opposite of good customer service, do you deserve the opposite of brand loyal?

Negative experiences stay with us for a long time. I know someone who was mistreated by employees at Sears 22 years ago. She tore up her store credit car and has never purchased another Sears product again. My point is that in these times of hardship and economic uncertainty relationship building to create brand loyalty is more important than ever.

Latinos, according to some researchers, are often brand loyal. Depending on the product or service they may be more brand loyal than the average shopper. In exchange for their loyalty as customers they want to feel welcome. They seek service and are willing to pay more for a product or service if it is accompanied by good tech support or customer service. If Latinos represent 40 percent of all new consumers, as researchers tells us, it’s likely that many new consumers value relationships and customer service highly, and offer high potential for brand loyalty. Is your businesses prepared to cater to these highly desirable potential new customers? Are you willing and able to establish long term relationships in the hope of nurturing their brand loyalty?

Elena is principal of LNA World Communications, a marketing and communications company, where she is responsible for media training, strategic planning and client relations. She is editor of Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations (Poyeen Publishing) as well as editor and host of the companion website and weekly audio podcast, HispanicMPR.com. A 20 year plus marketing and public relations veteran and frequent speaker at national and international events, she has worked extensively with clients targeting domestic Hispanic and international markets. She is author of the only chapter in print on Hispanic media training and the recipient of the 2004 D. Parke Gibson Pioneer Award Multicultural Communications Professional Interest Section of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).