Trends in Reaching Hispanic Market to be Revealed During Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies 20th Semi-Annual Conference in Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES and MCLEAN, Va., April 4 /PRNewswire/ -- The Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies (AHAA) announced today trends in reaching Hispanic consumers being revealed this week during its semi-annual conference titled "AHAA Knows Latinos: Insights on Media Behavior" in Los Angeles from April 5th-7th, 2006.

Trends being unveiled include the next generation of branded entertainment; marketing strategies to effectively target the burgeoning Hispanic youth population; and, the integration of the new media ratings system, Neilsen Television Index (NTI), into Hispanic media purchasing, according to AHAA Chairman and President and CEO of Lopez Negrete Communications Alex Lopez Negrete.

"Hispanic advertising continues to experience phenomenal growth and increased influence among corporate marketers," Lopez Negrete says. "AHAA agencies continue to see growth in the share of ad dollars directed toward the Hispanic consumer and with the proliferation of Hispanic media outlets, the opportunity to reach this coveted market segment has never been more challenging or more exciting.

"At the end of the day, our duty is to help our clients connect with this target audience and partner with them to communicate with consumers on every level," Lopez Negrete continues. "It is imperative that Hispanic marketers remain cutting edge in their approach to reaching Latinos and as the association for the industry, AHAA provides the necessary information and creates an open forum for discussion around the trends that affect our business, the business of our clients and the communities we serve."

Marketers and agencies are searching for creative new techniques to break through the clutter and showcase their brands whether using traditional media, film, music, talent or technology, Lopez Negrete adds. In this competitive arena, compelling messages delivered in unique, memorable ways are essential. Branded entertainment is one way corporations are exploring new territory with more than 99 percent of the activity in this arena focused on product integration and product placement.

Tom Cotton, presenter at the AHAA conference and president of Conductor, a creative marketing agency specializing in brand storytelling is one of the few taking this historical form of marketing to a new height. Whether through the first online video blog or the biggest branded online game ever built, Cotton and his team are creating meaningful, emotional connections between brands and their target consumers that he will share with AHAA members during the conference.

"Storytelling has been around for thousands of years and the power of a story never changes," Cotton says. "Creating a startlingly robust, immersive and inviting piece of media to tell the brand story is what's unique. We create the tale and then invent the media to deliver it. Rather than simply imbed the brand into entertainment, the brand is inextricable to the story itself and engages consumers to keep them coming back for more."

Branded entertainment and product integration are among the tactics incorporated into the marketing mix to influence purchase and behavior among all Hispanic demographics; however it is the Latino youth that represents one of the most dynamic consumer groups in the country. The brands and agencies that are targeting young Latinos successfully are those who understand this subset's unique perspective and use of culture, language and media, as well as their ability to move fearlessly and comfortably between two worlds.

Currently, the estimated 6.3 million Latinos age 10-19 represent 20 percent of the entire US teen population and spend about $20 billion a year. AHAA conference sessions will focus on how to effectively target Hispanic teens in ways that matter and how brands such as MTV and Verizon are connecting with this growing youth market.

"Success in this competitive and continuously evolving environment requires savvy marketers with a keen knowledge of the cultural nuances, media habits, situation and needs of US Hispanics, regardless of age, level of acculturation or language preference," Lopez Negrete says. "The explosion in numbers and buying power of young Latinos is significantly impacting marketing decisions such as advertising language choices, media buying and the incorporation of grassroots outreach versus traditional marketing methods."

Finally, the impact of a single reporting source, Neilsen Television Index (NTI), to measure and report both Hispanic and general market media viewing together is uncertain. While it adds credibility to the Hispanic advertising industry and the marketplace, Lopez Negrete notes, Hispanic agencies and their clients are concerned about the use of, and conversion to, NTI and remain cautious about the immediate impact on Hispanic advertising spending. Hispanic networks, such as Telemundo and Univision, now being measured against the general market networks such as ABC and NBC reflects the influence of the rapidly increasing US Hispanic population. AHAA has created a Ratings Advisory Committee to study developments and keep members informed about the affects on media planning and buying.

AHAA's semi-annual conference is occurring April 5th-7th, 2006 at the Hyatt Century Plaza in Los Angeles, CA.

To learn more about Hispanic advertising trends or for more information about AHAA's conference, please contact Elinor Kinnier at ekinnier@cmgresults.com or 703-296-5573. Visit http://www.ahaa.org/ for additional statistics on the Hispanic market.

About AHAA:

The Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies (AHAA) is the national organization of firms that specialize in marketing to the nation's 41 million Hispanic consumers, the most rapidly growing segment of the American population. AHAA promotes the strength of the Hispanic marketing and advertising industry to the private and public sectors. AHAA agencies offer a unique blend of cultural understanding, market intelligence, proven experience and professionalism that deliver Hispanic market success for clients. AHAA agencies help organizations gain market share, increase revenue and grow profits by building the bridges and delivering the messages to reach America's Hispanic consumers, who together have an estimated buying power of $630 billion. Visit http://www.ahaa.org/ for more information.