Nuestra Belleza Latina

The big Nuestra Belleza finale is this Sunday, and people have been talking about this show everywhere this year. (If you haven’t heard of it- then you’re probably not watching Spanish-language TV). You should tune in to the finale. It is a beauty pageant-Big Brother-Survivor type show. I think the format is what makes this show so popular- because you are not really rooting based solely on beauty. –Ramon

Don’t Sell to Me! Hispanics Buy Brands That Empower Their Cultural Relevancy

This Forbes article that came out this week supports what we have been saying all along regarding approaching the Hispanic Community. Some excerpts: “Companies must become more educated about the Latino community not just as consumers – but more importantly, as people and the identity [they] represent as a diverse community. They must recognize that Hispanics buy brands that empower their cultural relevancy.”  ”The Hispanic market can no longer be viewed as a short-term expense, but rather should be approached as a strategic long-term investment.” –Michelle

Reality TV and Shame Ownership: How a Latina Became an African-American Stereotype

Certain reality TV shows, like Basketball Wives, have become breeding grounds for discussions on ethnicity, race and female identity. Are the stereotypes justified? –Dennis

A Tribute to Carlos Fuentes

If you have never heard of Carlos Fuentes, maybe you did this past week. NPR, the New York Times, LA Times and The Christian Science Monitor -among many others- presented obituaries and tributes for this world famous Mexican author who passed away a few days ago. His works includes novels, essays, short stories and screenplays. I invite you to learn more about him and his work and see why his influence contributed to shaping the literary and political world beyond the Spanish language during the last six decades. –Pavel

Saverin was born in Brazil, son to a wealthy industrialist. He later moved to Miami after his family learned he had become a potential kidnapping target (kinda like “Man on Fire“). Anyway, Saverin eventually ended up at Harvard where he met Mark Zuckerberg and you know the rest (if you don’t, shame on you for not watching “The Social Network”).

This is a classic immigrant story. Although Saverin didn’t grow up poor, his story is still about an immigrant family who moves to the U.S. for better opportunities (and a safer environment) than his native country.

Saverin does owe the U.S., to an extent, but I don’t agree that he owes Uncle Sam boatloads of cash.

Farhad Manjoo writes “Is this fair? No. It’s worse than that, though. It’s ungrateful and it’s indecent. Saverin’s decision to decamp the U.S. suggests he’s got no idea how much America has helped him out.” LINK: What Eduardo Saverin Owes America (Hint: Nearly Everything).

Really?

Let’s give credit where credit is due: living in the U.S. put him in an environment where achieving success was more likely than other parts of the world. but it didn’t guarantee success. Otherwise, everyone in the U.S. would be rich. And how do people become rich and successful? Read this, this, this and this. Nowhere is there any mention of living in the U.S.

Anyway, this is turning into a long post. Here are my 3 main observations:

1) Paying U.S. taxes probably won’t help anyone (Saverin or the American public). Let’s be honest: where would all this money go? It’d be one thing if the U.S. government was going to spend his money wisely (even if it did, it would barely make a dent in the current deficit), but there’s a good chance it will go to waste. American politicians aren’t exactly models of financial restraint.

Furthermore, “…the U.S. is the only country which taxes worldwide compensation.  Other nations limit their claim to a share of money earned within their borders. America’s corporate tax rate also is the world’s highest.”

2) People are jealous of his financial success. Comedian Adam Carolla does a good job of breaking down the Occupy Wall Street movement in this video. In a nutshell, he says that admiration for the wealthy (their drive, strong work ethic, etc.), has been replaced by envy.

The reason I point this out is that people used to focus on the process (putting in your 10,000 hours). The Baby Boomer generation likes to recommend the recipe of getting a good education, getting a good job and working hard, but Millennials trying to enter today’s job market know the system is broken. So what’s happened is that there’s been a shift from focusing on the process and skipping ahead to the result. In this case, it’s getting rich quick (from Stamford’s startup incubator to the Kardashian’s latest money-making scam).

3) He’s human. Broken windows theory shows us that it’s human nature to try to get away with things if we know other people are getting away with them, whether it’s stealing TV sets during the LA riots or crossing the street when you see someone else cross even though you’re not supposed to. We can’t fault him for taking advantage of tax loopholes that he didn’t create. The same people who are upset about him taking advantage of the system also get upset when H&R Block didn’t give them a bigger tax refund.

He wasn’t the only one either: 1780 Americans renounced their U.S. citizenship last year.  That compares to just 235 in 2008.

4) Is America still the land of opportunity? I believe it is, but the trends are showing us an American in decline. China is predicted to overtake the U.S. economy as a global superpower. Apple and many other big U.S. companies continue to send jobs outside the U.S. Net migration from Mexico has fallen to zero (maybe even less). And there are an increasing number of young U.S. immigrants looking for the American dream outside of the U.S. If you were a billionaire, why would you put money into the U.S. economy?

At the end of the day, Saverin is already wealthy and he’s going to become one of the richest multi-billionaires in the world. Would losing several hundred million dollars make that much of a difference to him? Probably not. Besides, he’s been living in Singapore since 2009 and apparently has plans to invest there.

Looks like someone else agrees with me: Eduardo Saverin, Not The U.S. Government, Is Entitled To The Wealth He Earned

This is a hot topic: whenever the conversation shifts to money and taxes, people get fired up, so we’d love to hear your thoughts.

What do you think? Is Saverin’s renunciation of his U.S. citizenship wrong or unethical?

Would you do the same thing?

Fire off in the comments!!!

Photo Credit: ibtimes.com

Ask any Latino professional for a recording artist and you will get the following:

Pitbull , JLo , Shakira , Maná , Sofia Vergara (wait, has she put out recording album yet because that may make her eligible for a few more sponsorships…)

And then there are of course the perennial, Univision-sanctioned, Premios Juventud artists.  Here are some of this year’s nominees:

Prince Royce

Luis Fonsi

Gerardo Ortiz

Romeo Santos

But there’s more out there my friends.  Good music.  Good artists.  Music we should know.

And, we are going to help bring it to you.

Sharpen your POV pencils.  Turn up those speakers IT has promised to replace. Listen.

First up today is: Francisca Valenzuela

The short bio:

25 years old. Chilean – North American singer, songwriter, composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist.  Born and raised in California, until moving to Santiago, Chile at age 13. She is currently launching her second album called “Buen Soldado” (Good Soldier/ Independent, March 2011) which was produced by Vicente Sanfuentes (Sr.Coconut, Gepe, Matias Aguayo),  Mocky (Feist, Jamie Lidell) and Francisca. Her piano pop/rock songs refer to social or political issues, personal stories, intimate reflections, humor and love stories.

Here are a couple of her songs you should definitely check out:

“Quiero Verte Más”

“Esta Soy Yo”

Follow her: @franciscamusic

Enjoy!

Adam Yauch (MCA) of the Beastie Boys Dies
Let’s not forget one of the most surprising announcements of last week. MCA was a father, an activist in the free Tibet movement and 1/3 of one of the most influential hip-hop groups to date. — Dennis

Got news?

The next six months will be full of politics on the TV, radio, newspaper, web and everything in between. I would suggest you be well-informed and make up your own point of view of what happens in the world of politics (the only world that is crazier than advertising). Start checking out POLITICO.COM, a great website with a wide coverage of this year’s presidential election and all the issues that make the news. The website includes political bloggers across the political spectrum.  Hopefully you’ll find them informative and entertaining. –Pavel

MTV Movie Awards to have Best Latino Actor award in 2012

This year the 2012 MTV Movie Awards will have a standalone Best Latino Actor award. That’s right, not an MTV Trés off-shoot, not on the Latino Grammy’s, this will be during the actual main event movie awards. Now, not everyone is exactly excited about this- which does raise a few good questions. Is it great that MTV is recognizing the Latino influence? Or should Latinos, like African-Americans, work through attaining parity in the existing categories? –Ramon

Día de las Mades (Mother’s Day)

Most of us celebrate Mother’s Day, and for those that are Hispanic, Día de las Madres. Since Día de las Madres was yesterday and Mother’s Day is on Sunday, it made me wonder, where did this ‘holiday’ originate, and why are there different dates for each culture? The link above will tell you everything you need to know. –Michelle

Yesterday morning I heard again of this news on NPR’s Morning Edition. On the show they interviewed a consultant who mentioned that this initiative may have little impact in the market. According to her, second generation Hispanics behave the same as the General Market (she also cited the example of focus groups for a publisher company). Although the consultant may have a point in saying there are similarities between General Market and second generation Hispanics, there are plenty of factors that make this second generation a very attractive target – growing size and disposable income just to mention a few.

They are entering a market that is already well populated with strong players, CNN, Fox News and MSNBC. The key differentiator will be, of course, relevant content.

What is this content that is relevant for this group of Hispanics? From the top of my head I can think of finance and labor market issues, cultural issues among different Hispanic communities around the country, and of course what has happened in Latin America. I don’t believe it when I hear that second generation Hispanics are not interested in what happens in Latin America, they are just unaware. The news about Latin America is either too few or too vague in the mainstream media here in the US. But there is a niche for quality programming that could be interesting for a larger audience, but even more for viewers of Hispanic background.  Shows highlighting investigative reports with problems related to the Latino population here and abroad.

Let’s see how this new venture progresses. We know for sure that the Univision brand is strong and believable among Hispanics even if they don’t follow it closely, and so is ABC’s. Follow us here or on Twitter for continued coverage.

Additional Sources: Wall Street Journal , Yahoo News

Week ending May 4th, 2012

“Dark Knight Rises” Launches New Digital Campaign

The new digital campaign for DKR brings fans into a multifaceted approach similar to the last movie, showing us that a digital campaign can be much more layered and thought out than a simple microsite. – Dennis

More than just “retro,” an instant classic

You’ve probably heard about how trendy things are often vintage. But most of it is just recycled pretentious bad taste, from clothing to music.  Here is a breath of fresh air: his name is Nick Waterhouse.  This San Francisco based musician records all his music not only playing vintage instruments, but without the use of any digital equipment.  His sound is crisp in the most classic of styles, it’s contagious, vibrant, and full of life. Take a look at his blog where you can listen to his music and look at his influences. -Pavel

Facebook Rolls Out New Organ Donation Feature

The new FB feature encourages users to participate in organ donation and its introduction has been a great success. Can FB continue on a path to social good? -Dennis

Behind the Scenes: On the set of Mad Men

This is a fascinating perspective on Mad Men.  It is a collection of behind-the-scenes photographs on the Mad Men set.  What makes them fascinating is the intimacy the photographer captures on black and white film.  It feels like the modern world is perversely violating a time since passed. It is difficult to distinguish whether it’s the 60’s violating the 2000’s, or the other way around. -Ramon

Google Drive

Google is now providing cloud storage for users, with a bonus: Google Docs integration. -Dennis

Millennials: The Greatest Generation or the Most Narcissistic?

As a Millennial, of course I’d like to think that I’m part of the “Greatest Generation,” but this article takes a closer look at what truly describes this group. Based on a recent study, it may contradict some preconceptions you had. -Michelle

This Advertising Life

New Tumblr blog puts a humorous twist on the world of Advertising through animated gifs and clever captions.

This record comes at a time when Maná just reached 5 million Facebook friends.

If you don’t know who Maná is check out their Wiki page.

It is safe to say that at this point Maná has crossed the threshold from simple music band to cultural phenomena. Those bands such as the Beetles, Rolling Stones, New Kids on the Block, N*Sync (just because you don’t like them doesn’t make my point less true)- bands that mark a generation to make statement of where people, culture, and time met and exploded into a phenomena.

Check out Maná’s recent interview with Ryan Seacrest.

Now, don’t just read the interview, scroll down and read the comments.

Read the commenter’s names, and then read what they say.

If you simply read the names you would not be able to distinguish them from any other “unacculturated” name.

If you read their comments you would say they are from “acculturated” youth, because they are in English.

But put them together, and read what they are saying.

Maná is about who they are as people. Maná builds a connection and connects these individuals to a “we.” This is a “we” that says: I am different, yet I am like everyone else.

This is our new bicultural era.

Week ending April 27th, 2012

Turning 30: 30 Things Every Woman Should Have and Should Know

For women especially, 30 is a defining age.  A time to reflect on your past and your future.  Based on an article by Glamour magazine from 1997, this list looks at an excerpt of “Things you should have” and “Things you should know” by the time you are 30. It’s still relevant today and has just been turned into a book and includes additional thoughts from some wise women. Do the points speak to you? – Michelle

Why Are Celebrities Getting So Much Credit These Days?

Simon Doonan (Creative Director of Barneys NY, Published author) writes this article for Slate about why pop culture is fascinated with today’s celebrities and how in the past (40-50 years ago) the idols were different, very different. It’s a short and funny article with the characteristic wit of Doonan. Is it too melancholic for the good old days? Or is it a sad reality? O just our reality? – Pavel

Ninos Incomodos

This isn’t the 1st time we’ve seen kids substituted in grown up roles, nevertheless, this short video about corruption in Mexico is well-done and makes you think about the issues at hand.

-Dennis

2012 Latin Billboard Awards

Latin Gossip has a full fashion run down of this week’s Latin Billboard Awards. -Ramon

Is there anything we missed? Share it below!

“Guiding Structure means the structure of your Environment is the largest determinant of your behavior. If you want to successfully change a behavior, don’t try to change the behavior directly. Change the structure that influences or supports the behavior, and the behavior will change automatically.”

As Planners, we’re always talking about influencing behavior. I think one mistake we may make is that we’re always talking about trying to influence behavior directly.

We see this constantly in mobile: Many apps are created with very little consideration to the environments people will be in when they use them (fitting room, at the register, in a car, etc.). Some of the best apps, like Layar and other location-based apps have geotility incorporated into their DNA.

Environment is something we often neglect, but it’s an important factor we need to consider, especially as brands struggle to increase relevancy in digital.

Caine’s Arcade from Nirvan Mullick on Vimeo.

Caine designed and built his own fully functioning arcade out of cardboard. His creativity and ability to make something out of nothing is admirable, not only because he is 9, but also because he was able to do it basically for free. I think there are some other important lessons we can learn from Caine that are applicable to many situations:

You just need a box

1. You can have fun for free

It seems like every kid today has the latest Nintendo, 50 games on their Wii, and even their own iPhone.  But there is still a lot to be said for good old-fashioned fun.  Pre ‘i’ everything, kids found ways to entertain themselves, and they obviously can still if you let them. Caine’s arcade is not high-tech, which adds to the novelty (I wrote more about this topic in an older post here).  And besides, don’t most kids prefer the box rather than the toy that came in it?

The ticket feeder

2. Attention to detail makes all the difference

Sure the arcade would have been cool regardless, but the special touches like the ticket ‘feeder,’ ’speaker’ at the ticket sale booth, prizes, and even the calculator ticket ‘validation’ really push it over the edge.  Take the time to think about what would make your product the best it possibly can be, because even the smallest improvement, when seen in the bigger picture, can make a significant difference in user experience.

Find the right platform

3. Never underestimate the power of marketing

Of course the product quality plays a role in whether or not something is successful, but Caine had a great product all along. The problem was, no one knew about it.  And for those few that did come into the store, it didn’t feel enticing enough to take a few minutes from their day to stop and play.  But once Caine’s Arcade popped up on Facebook, Reddit,  HiddenLA, and more, it went viral and people couldn’t wait to stop by and play.  Marketing plays a big role in not only getting the word out, but also contributing to the “coolness” factor.  The platforms this event ended up on played a big part in the outcome.

4. Don’t give up. It only takes one person to believe in you.

It only takes one person

Caine never gave up faith that he had a product people wanted. He sat outside every day hoping someone would see it too.  And had Nirvan Mullick not walked into the store that day, Caine might still be sitting there waiting for his first customer. But the experience that Nirvan had was clearly good enough and impressive enough that he felt the need to put his name on the line and share it with the world. Find that person who believes in you and there is no telling where it will take you.

5. Always buy the fun pass.

Do you think there are any other lessons from Caine?  I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below =)