The XXX Industry Targets the Hispanic Market… But Are We Ready to Help?

You don’t have to work in the Hispanic market to know the impact the 2010 U.S. Census figures have already had on the American landscape. But if you do work in the Hispanic market as I do, you know the buzz is all good! Many optimists believe the census will awake the sleeping beast that is corporate America and result in bigger investments in our industry. Well, from what I have recently witnessed, there is another beast that also seems to have awoke…the adult entertainment category.

In my almost 20-year, diverse career in PR, I can honestly say I have never been approached to do PR for any adult entertainment product. So to get two calls within two weeks got my wheels turning... Are there business categories out there that we have not even considered as viable options as clients? And is the adult entertainment industry even a viable option? Morally, the answer is probably no, but is that reason enough to make a decision about a new business opportunity? Over the years at RLPR, Roxana Lissa and I have established a set of criteria for determining if a new client is the right fit for the agency, and a company’s principles do come into the decision, but so do many other factors. So in fairness to the two companies I spoke with, I put their businesses to the same test we do all potential clients.

Our criteria is rather basic: First off, do they "get it" and are they passionate about the Hispanic market? Is it a brand or product that the team would want to work on? Is the company one which we would be proud to add to our roster? And of course, will the opportunity be a profitable one? Ideally the answers to all of these questions will be Yes! Truthfully the answer to all of these questions is often a combination of Yes and Maybe. If the answer to any questions is a resounding NO then we move on.

The two companies that approached us are a heavily-backed Hispanic-relevant, Spanish-language, adult entertainment production company (i.e. porn), and an established, extra marital affairs website launching a Spanish-language version and Hispanic marketing campaign. After speaking with them both, it was obvious that the answer to the first question - do they "get it"; are they passionate about the Hispanic market - was a resounding Yes. I was impressed by the level of awareness, strategic thinking, comprehensive marketing approach and in general good business sense of both companies. Having spoken over the years with dozens of marketing, PR and brand folk, some of whom don't get the Hispanic market and never will, it was surprising for me to be able to talk so strategically with these two companies. I suppose I, like many people, believed that if you were in a XX or XXX-rated business you were not business-minded. Big misconception.

To answer the second question - how would the team feel - I asked some of them and it was pretty much a NO WAY across the board. But that no came with some interesting commentary... The Hispanic media - at least the more traditional, Spanish-language outlets - are relatively conservative in their views. (It is a fact that one third of voting Hispanics are Republican and the culture has a stronger overall connection to religion and faith then other ethnic populations). The team did not feel comfortable working on these accounts from a moral perspective, but they also did not think their stories would resonate positively with Hispanic media.

The third question – would the company be one we would proud to add to our roster?… not exactly. In an industry where family brands such as Proctor & Gamble and Ford are the biggest investors, having one of these companies as clients would most likely be a no no. And finally, the question that unfortunately guides many companies’ ultimate decision… will we make money? The answer to that one was unfortunately yes: unfortunate because it would be money we were passing on.

One level of criteria that Roxana and I had not defined as part of our filter is would it be a challenge? Would it be exciting and different? If that were one of our questions, the answer would be Yes. Working with either of these companies would be embarking on the unknown, a new frontier. In marketing and PR, you don’t get that opportunity too often. And for this reason alone, I’m actually disappointed that we won’t be supporting these smart, strategic businesses in their efforts. I know there will be other challenges around the corner, but will any of them be pushing us to take risks, risqué or not? And more importantly, will any of them make better cocktail party conversation? I think not.

By Melissa Smith, Executive VP RLPR

Leaving a Bilingual Footprint

I teeter between two worlds.

By day, I’m your typical acculturated 30-something. A die-hard fan of “Sex and the City” who goes goo goo gaga for Tiffanys & Co., and savors a daily dose of vanilla latte. In many ways – pura gringa.

At night, I go to a multi generational home - one that hasn’t changed much since I was born. I was raised by my abuelo and abuela ever since my mom left the tiny country of El Salvador in search of the big American Dream. I watch “Jose Luis sin Censura,” eat platanos con crema y frijoles, and have heard “Tiempo de Vals” by Chayanne at more quinceañeras than I can count. (Don’t get me started on this one). I’m a fiery Latina – a member of a minority that will one day be the majority.

Today, I can honestly say that I’m a better person having embraced both cultures, and I wave both flags with pride. The marriage of the Salvadoran/American cultures makes me who I am today: Angelina (Angie) Valencia-Martinez, a professional. A happy wife and proud mamacita who values family and tradition more than anything in the world. A bilingual acculturated Latina who can switch from one world to the other – in both my personal and professional lives. This has had its advantages. Advantages I intend to pass along to my son – Frank.

Everyone talks about leaving a footprint, a mark in the world. Well, Frank Adam Martinez born on 2-7-07 is mine. He is a happy-go-lucky toddler who loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, soccer, and music. He lives in my two worlds too. And I’m raising him to be bilingual.

While I’m at work, Abuela Maria and Abuelo Chico talk to Frank in our native tongue: español. When they go out for walks, they point out the “avion,” plane, “ardillas,” squirrels, and “gato,” cat. Every day, I watch him have long conversations with abuelo and abuela, and I beam.
But when Frank talks to his daddy or me, he speaks English, usually in the form of “I want this!”

There are some clear benefits to Frank being bilingual: According to the Multilingual Children’s Association, multilingualism has been proven to help children develop superior reading and writing skills. Multilingual children also tend to have over-all better analytical, social, and academic skills than their monolingual peers. Good reasons to raise him bilingual. But then there’s the part about opportunity.

For me, being a bilingual journalist turned PR practitioner has opened twice as many doors as being a monolingual one would ever. I want the same opportunities for my son. President Frank Martinez? Why not?

When I graduated from California State University Northridge, I was employed by the Ventura County Star newspaper and also wrote for their Spanish publication, Mi Estrella. When I decided to cross over to public relations, I had the option of working at a firm in the general market sector or one that handled Hispanic PR. It’s nice to know there are options.

For more than a year, I’ve worked at RLPR developing programs in both English and Spanish. One minute I’m facilitating a TV segment with a Spanish speaker at Univision, the next at an ABC station. During my tenure here, I’ve met telenovela actor Juan Soler, boxing sensation Manny Pacquiao, and State Superintendent Jack O’Connell – a big deal to me since I’m a news junkie.

So today, as I sit comfortably in my desk I think back to the times when I used to help my mom clean other people’s houses for a living. She would always stress the importance of an education and how far it would one day take me. Still she urged me to never forget where I came from because that is who I am: una Latina con orgullo.

Gracias mamá por no dejarme que olvide de dónde vengo. That is a task I plan to carry on with my son.

How do you think raising your child to be bilingual makes a difference?

La mantequilla de maní y el arte de la adaptación (Peanut butter and the art of cultural adaptation)

We speak español at RLPR, though we sometimes misinterpret each other. Tal vez es porque hablamos argentino, peruano, panameño, mexicano, salvadoreño, puertorriqueño and more – so we have to do some work to decipher each other’s dialects. While this is unquestionably conducive to our ability to do good work, it comes with its challenges. On more than one occasion we’ve been distracted by the impromptu Independence Day celebration in the kitchen with pisco sours - not to mention the dispute that arises when the drink’s origin gets called into question (Peru vs. Chile, anyone?).

About six months ago, I was thrilled at the arrival of my colleague Ana Cerón to RLPR. Ana came to us following a successful PR career in Mexico DF followed by two years of Hispanic marketing here in Los Angeles. While most of our agency folks are bilingual and bicultural (Ok, our CFO isn’t, but his Spanish is getting better every day), the task of proofing the writing often gets delegated to those of us who learned our conjugaciones and pretéritos perfectos in la madre tierra.

So when we got a heavy duty writing project - the Spanish-language adaptation of a client website - I called Ana. This project included a few hundred recipes and frankly, nothing gets a bunch of Latinos as confused and excited about language as what to call your favorite childhood food. I mean, our earliest memories - our IDs - are riding on this one, gente! Who can forget el postre especial de la abuelita. And don’t dare call it a crepa if it was in fact a panqueque. ¡No te atrevas…carajo! (Disclaimer – carajo and other words are not that bad where I come from.)

And off went Ana. I said to her: “Some of these have already been translated, but take another look since it’s been a while.” A few days later, and to my dismay, I noticed that a lot of the ingredients and even some recipe names had been changed. I needed an explanation.

Yanka: Oye, ¿qué paso con estas recetas?
Ana: Es que tenían muchas palabras que no se usan.
Yanka: ¿Cómo? ¿Qué es esto de crema de cacahuate? Se dice mantequilla de maní.
Ana: No. Es crema de cacahuate. Maní suena extraño.
Yanka: Llama a la argentina. (El árbitro más cercano.)
Romina: Nosotros no usamos mantequilla de maní. Comemos dulce de leche… En todo caso, se dice MANTECA de maní.
Yanka: Me alegra que ya todo esté claro. ¿Y qué es esto de nieve de mora? Te digo que es sorbete de arándano…

And this exposes briefly why launching campaigns in the Hispanic market is practically an art form. While it may seem easy to translate something, the writing process alone is intricate. We think of our target consumer and in some cases need to discuss minute details to figure out what to call a sandwich.

Beyond translating a text, we publicistas need to figure out who the campaign will reach and where: is it Southern California or DC? Young bilingual Latinos or Spanish-dominant moms? How do we reconcile the differences when we go nationwide? In some cases, it even makes sense to resort to English-language words that we wouldn’t be caught dead using in conversations with our primos back home. All in the name of dealing with cultura in the press.

Which is why I’m happy to have Ana and the dozens of folks here at RLPR whose cultural experiences and knowledge are so valuable to our day-to-day work. We’re blessed to have an amalgam of countries represented. Even if it means shocking the occasional intern who’s not yet used to our daily harangues on language and culture. Next week: dulce de leche: ¿uruguayo o argentino?

So, gente - what other words cause you to argue with your Latino friends and family? Share in the comments - we want to know!

Yanka Burgos is Vice President at RL Public Relations + Marketing. She can be reached at yanka.burgos@rlpublicrelations.com