One of the major news items last week was new census data which reported that minorities will become the majority population in the United States by 2050. What’s more, these numbers also projected that the Hispanic population will nearly triple, exploding from 46.7 million in 2008 to 132.8 million by 2050.
As small to mid-sized business owners, the change in population demographics, especially among Hispanics, drives home the importance of using your marketing efforts to connect with diverse groups of people.
To assist in your efforts to expand your marketing strategies, what follows is an interview with Hilda Gurdian, Publisher and CEO of La Noticia , the Spanish Language Newspaper. The paper is distributed throughout the Charlotte region, where the Hispanic population is among the fastest-growing in the nation.
Hilda provides a lot of great tips ranging from the importance of advertising in Hispanic publications, to speaking “the language” of the Hispanic community in marketing, and establishing relationships with Hispanic media contacts.
KTM: How long have you been with La Noticia? What is your day-to-day role with the paper?
Hilda Gurdian : I have been with La Noticia since its inception in 1996. My title is publisher and CEO. As such, I oversee the entire operation including advertising sales, editorial content, public relations and community development.
KTM: How often is La Noticia published?
Hilda Gurdian : Every week
KTM: What is the newspaper’s weekly readership?
Hilda Gurdian : More than 90,000
KTM: Where can people find copies?
Hilda Gurdian : We have more than 1,000 distribution points throughout our distribution area which includes Charlotte-Mecklenburg and 11 counties around it. Our racks can be found in: businesses serving the Latino community, grocery stores, restaurants, schools, public libraries, hospitals, churches, etc.
KTM: What kind of stories does La Noticia cover?
Hilda Gurdian : Stories that are important to the Latino community and stories that affect the entire community.
KTM: How can businesses – especially those that have products/services for broad demographics – increase their coverage in Hispanic media?
Hilda Gurdian : By establishing a relationship with the Latino media. Running ads in La Noticia, for example, is a good way to obtain that goal. Also, by sending press releases announcing special events where they feel the Latino consumer would benefit from attending. La Noticia is the most effective and efficient way to reach the growing Spanish speaking population in the Charlotte area.
KTM: What are some unique qualities about the Hispanic community that businesses should consider when preparing marketing campaigns – whether PR, advertising, the Web, etc.?
Hilda Gurdian : Communicating to Latinos in Spanish is important. It is also important to create an ad that will speak the language and the culture of Latinos vs. translating an existing English ad that works well in the mainstream media.
KTM: Is it important for press materials to be translated to Spanish when pitching La Noticia or will the paper’s staff handle the translation? Also, does the paper accept multimedia elements (photos, videos) with story pitches?
Hilda Gurdian : It is okay to send a press release in English if you don’t have it in Spanish. If we chose the story we will get in touch with the contact person, get more information, and once we have the complete story, we will translate it into Spanish for running it in the paper. We accept photos.
KTM: What is the best time to contact La Noticia reporters with story ideas?
Hilda Gurdian : Wednesdays and Thursdays are the best days.
KTM: Finally, is there anything that people should avoid doing when pitching La Noticia or Hispanic media in general?
Hilda Gurdian : Do not wait until the last minute to send a press release as we and any other paper needs time to look into it and decide. Also, you will have a better opportunity to have your story published if you send the press release by email and then follow up with an email or phone call.
These are great insights. Hopefully, this information will put you on a path to broadening your marketing efforts not only to the Hispanic community, but other diverse groups as well. Happy marketing!
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About Kristina Hill
An expert in marketing communications, Kristina Hill provides integrated marketing consulting services to small and mid-sized businesses through MarComm Creative Group, LLC. The business offers an array of services, including: public relations and media relations; advertising planning and placement; integrated marketing plan development and execution; and, writing services.
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Tags: Hispanic advertising, Hispanic marketing, Hispanic media, Hispanic newspapers, Hispanic public relations, La Noticia
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