Planning for the Coming Quake to Rock Public Relations

Hispanic PR and Social Media Conference attendees enjoy a night of fun at Joyce Lounge in Dallas.

VPE staffer Alicia Lopez guest writes to give her perspective on the Hispanic Public Relations & Social Media Conference 2010.

Lourdes Rodriguez, Hispanic Public Relations Association (HPRA) Los Angeles chapter presidentand fellow colleague at VPE Public Relations, summed it up well on Tuesday, May 11^th, by stating that those in attendance at the Hispanic Public Relations and Social Media Conference that recently took place in Dallas were at the epicenter of a large quake in the US marketing and PR scene.  While I believe Lourdes was right I, however, personally consider the conference to be a foreshock of what is to come, in other words, “The Big One is coming.”

As Lourdes stated, for those accustomed to living in earthquake territory, it often takes a large quake to grab attention.  Earthquakes in the 2, 3, and sometimes even 4 range on the Richter Scale don’t really cause a stir in California. To a degree the Hispanic market has had a lot to share with earthquakes. For years the market has been brushed aside by PR and marketing departments, especially during times of economic struggle. Today however, more corporations have taken note of the Hispanic and the multicultural markets in general and recognize their importance. The 2010 Census results are predicted to trigger “The Big One” in our field as they are expected to reveal growth in population and purchasing power among the U. S. Hispanic population. The figures are also expected to illustrate the growth of the Hispanic population throughout the country and not exclusively in traditionally strong Hispanic markets such as Los Angeles, New York, Miami and Chicago, but in other areas of the country such as Georgia, North Carolina, and Arkansas,  to name a few.

The Census results will trigger a large earthquake as corporations will once again see the importance of the Hispanic consumer market. Rudy Rodriguez, director of multicultural marketing at General Mills discussed during his breakfast keynote on May 12^th titled “Building Digital Expertise to Win With Hispanics,” some compelling figures about the growing multicultural market. For example, more than 50% of today’s mothers are women of color. Also, 40% of today’s youth are of a multicultural background. All of this data clearly indicates a promising future for the Hispanic marketing and PR industries.

The Hispanic PR and Social Media Conference was indeed a foreshock to “The Big One.” Hispanic PR and marketing executives and professionals from across the country united in Dallas for thought provoking and insightful dialogue on the industry and the importance of social media in our field of work. The camaraderie at the conference was strong with many attendees connecting with former colleagues, clients, and friends now located in different parts of the country.  I don’t know if the conference attendees noticed that we ourselves were a great case study into the behaviors and attitudes and the future of the U.S. Hispanic market. Here are some of my own observations and insight from the conference:

• US Latinos have a strong tie to their identity. It’s not news to anyone that Latinos are proud of their roots and history. What may be news, is that Latinos have a strong passion for their state of residence. For example, the Hispanic PR and Social Media Conference offered attendees an after party at a local night club. While the attendees danced and had a great time, the DJ asked over the microphone, “Where are my people from Dallas? Houston? Miami? Chicago? New York? What about LA???”  The crowd erupted to each mention of their home city or state, forecasting that as the U.S. Latino population becomes more acculturated, pride for U.S. home cities and states become the norm versus pride for a country of origin.
• US Latinos can have fun anywhere and we are social beings. . Comedian Rick Najera entertained the conference attendees during the event’s networking dinner. Rick had the crowd rolling with jokes about the Hispanic world with jokes ranging from the conquest of Mexico to current travel on Southwest airlines.  But not only did conference attendees enjoy a good laugh thanks to Rick, but they also sought out the conference’s most upbeat, hilarious and approachable attendees for a great laugh.  The attendees added the element of fun to the conference with many of us leaving with new business contacts and friends, a clear indication that the element of family and friends runs strong in our community.
• US Latinos are loyal to brands and friends. Brand loyalty was evident throughout the conference in the drinks, clothing, and other attire of choice among conference attendees. While we all made new friends at the event, we connected with old acquaintances and renewed connections.  The underlying message at the event was that we needed to promote and support each other.  Instead of competition, it was camaraderie.   

Overall the conference was an excellent opportunity to network and explore current trends and topics of discussion affecting our industry which without a doubt is ready for “The Big One.”  Hope to see you all next year.