Business Wire’s Pilar Portela Named to Board of Local NAHJ Chapter

April 18, 2012

Pilar Portela, Media Relations Supervisor based in our Florida office, was recently named an at-large board member to the South Florida chapter of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ). Pilar has been a key player in recent years in developing Business Wire’s LatinoWire circuits, speaking on industry panels and cultivating relationships with Hispanic journalists and media properties.

Pilar Portela

Pilar Portela, Business Wire Media Relations Representative

According to Pilar, “Through my active participation in NAHJ South Florida I have found that it has brought me closer to the Hispanic media community (both traditional and social media). I have also been part of some really great media events such as our February Hispanic Elections panel discussion featuring Maria Elena Salinas of Univision. Last, I helped to raise books for a local underprivileged Miami school library through a NAHJ South Florida and Business Wire book drive”

Asked what she hopes to contribute via her NAHJ board membership, Pilar said, “Since the National NAHJ Convention in June 2010, I have been actively involved with establishing the NAHJ South Florida Chapter by helping to coordinate meetings and increasing local NAHJ awareness and membership. In the role of At Large Officer I intend to continue to be a big part of the Chapter Committee especially with large projects such as membership and fundraiser drives and also assist the Sponsorship, Event, and Charity Committees.”

Congratulations, Pilar!


Social Media Week Miami Panel Identifies Economic Development Benefits of Social Media

March 15, 2012

Corporations, non-profits organizations and professional communicators around the world took part in Social Media Week this past

Pilar Portela

Pilar Portela, Business Wire Media Relations Representative

February.  Pilar Portela, Media Relations Supervisor and Business Wire LatinoWire Representative served as a panelist at a discussion hosted by Latinos in Social Media (LATISM) South Florida that focused on social media for economic development.

Panelists Included:

Social Media Week Panel

L-R: Natascha Otero, Brenda Leguisamo, Pilar Portela, Ernesto Sosa, Jorge Fernandez, Blanca Stella Mejia, and Carlos Pedraja

Social Media is not just about marketing or technology

Rodriguez stated that, aside from social media being about marketing and technology, more and more it’s about how a product today is made or made better collaboratively. For non-government and government organizations it’s about how to raise money.  Increasingly for all it’s about how work gets done. This is something that impacts both big businesses and small businesses.

Pedraja talked about how Google not only caters to big businesses but makes sure it is providing small businesses the online search tools that will allow for collaboration to happen instantaneously and speed up the business practice. For Google collaborating with businesses is in their DNA.  You can find a host of Google Apps for Businesses online.

International Trade and Social Media are a Great Mix

Leguisamo stated that in Miami it’s increasingly important to create more cash flow between businesses both locally and internationally. Using social media to increase sales outside of the country can hugely impact the local market.

When the real estate market crashed in South Florida, ONE Sotheby’s was forced to look for new ways to generate interest in the local market. Fernandez says ONE Sotheby’s used social media to tap into the interest of foreign buyers. They madetheir Twitter, Facebook, blog and website available in three languages: Spanish, English and Portuguese. As a result, in 2011, 60% of their residential sales in Miami came from foreign buyers.

Having the right mix – SEO, Social Media and Sharing

When it comes to the communication outreach efforts of Business Wire, Portela says

“We see clients using a number of tools to not only get their messages across and extend the life of their press releases but to have a web presence and build relationships with media in both traditional and social media newsrooms as well. Having the right mix is not an `or’ proposition but an `and’ proposition to conduct business today. You have to leverage mobile, social media and traditional communication strategies.”

In retrospect, each panelist had a different take on how social media has helped their industry but all agreed that collaboration and communication is the key to building a new vision to power the economy.

To view the live streamed panel discussion visit: http://new.livestream.com/smwmiami/socialmediaforeconomicdevelopment/videos/160007

 Photos courtesy of Blanca Stella Mejia, Latism South Florida.

Communicating Effectively to U.S. Spanish-Language Media & the Hispanic Community: More Than Sending Your News in Spanish

February 24, 2012

by Danny Selnick, Vice President of Public Policy & LatinoWire Services, Business Wire DC

by Danny Selnick, VP, LatinoWire Services

Communicators that may have only the occasional need to engage with the Hispanic media and community about an issue, product or some other topic, should take note of a few useful tips for their targeted communications outreach or run the risk of failure.

  • First, the Hispanic community is not monolithic.  They come to the United States from all corners of the Americas, and there are cultural and language differences that need to be addressed, especially when crafting the message and then writing the news release.   While I’m not suggesting communicators write many versions of the same release to fit all the various communities, I am saying that the message has to be general enough that Hispanic media and their audiences can equally relate to the message.
  • Second, simply translating releases into Spanish can be dangerousdestroying the message or even worse – a loss of reputation, as an extreme example.  Spanish is a language that is culturally rich and anyone doing translations needs to completely understand the interaction between words and culture to ensure the message is well-received and understood.  Gerald Erichsen wrote an article in About.com listing several well-known (true and not-so-true) Spanish translation/cultural blunders.  Nevertheless, the point is clear: Don’t use an automated program to translate your news from English into Spanish … and if you need to translate, make sure the person is a native speaker.  Oh, and also remember that Spanish doesn’t come in one flavor.  Words used in one country might mean something very different in another.  Use generally accepted and grammatically correct Spanish.
  •  Third, while many recent immigrants or older Hispanics may only speak Spanish and rely on traditional Spanish-language print and broadcast media for news and information, younger Hispanics tend to be bilingual and look for and read news also in English – both in print and online.  And much like other American in their 20′s and 30′s, younger Hispanics are increasingly online, using smart devices with mobile news and social media apps to be informed and stay connected.  That also means communicators should include social media strategies while employing the latest technologies in search engine optimization and add multimedia when appropriate.  Make your news release powerful and visible.
  • Last (but not no less important), which Spanish-language media should you consider reaching out to?  Just like any other communications campaign to media, you should target your message to Hispanic media appropriately.  Is your story national, regional, local?  Researching and finding sources of up-to-date listings of Spanish-language newsrooms is not as easy as finding general consumer newspapers by circulation from E&P.  Using Google or other search engines may offer a number of links – but they’re not likely to be accurate.  Some even at the top of the search (like Echo Media) are more than seven years old.  You can go to Business Wire’s LatinoWire page for some 1,200 listings organized by media type and geography.  Also keep in mind that there are really only abut 30 Spanish-language dailies in the United States.  Most print publications are weeklies, so be mindful of their deadlines.  Reaching bloggers and social media feeds takes a bit more work too.  You have to find appropriate writers, communities and feeds — and then build connections.  See who is following whom and ask if they’re appropriate for your own network.  If so, link-in, befriend and follow them.  Your network will also grow.

So what’s the end result?  Issue your news with care, in Spanish and in English, to traditional Hispanic and general media, but also include reach to the online world by keeping up with and using new the mediums of communications used your audiences.

Danny Selnick, a 25-year veteran of the newswire business, is Business Wire’s vice president for LatinoWire and Public Policy.  He is based in Washington, D.C.


Hispanic Media Experts Advise DC-Area Audience on Marketing to Latinos

October 6, 2011
by Danny Selnick, Vice President, Public Policy Services

Business Wire’s LatinoWire hosted a panel  event for professional communicators on Sept. 28 at the National Press Club in Washington, DC.

The panel featured:

  • Erica Gonzalez, Executive Editor of El Diario/La Prensa
  • Julio Aliaga, News Director, Telemundo (Washington, DC affiliate)
  • Hilda Garcia, Vice President of Multiplatform Content and Information for impreMedia
  • Charlie Ericksen, Managing Editor and founder of Hispanic Link
Danny Selnick, Julio Aliaiga, Erica Gonzales, Hilda Garcia and Charlie Ericksen

L-R: Danny Selnick, Julio Aliaga, Erica Gonzales, Hilda Garcia. Seated: Charlie Ericksen. Photo by: Michael Toner/Business Wire

Moderated by Danny Selnick, vice president for Business Wire’s Public Policy Services, panel members all underscored the notion that professional communicators must understand the particular needs and interests of this ethnic community and the Hispanic media that is in touch with their readers, viewers and listeners — only with that understanding can communicators successfully connect.

Key points made by each panelist:

Erica Gonzalez:

Erica pointed out that it is important to understand the history of Hispanic journalism.  Spanish-language media should be treated as a valid news outlet – not a 2nd class one.   Your news should relate to the audience – just because it has been translated into Spanish doesn’t qualify it as being newsworthy to the audience.

Read the rest of this entry »


Upcoming Business Wire Events: Hispanic Media in DC, 50th Anniversary Celebrations in Boston, LA, Newport, San Diego

September 21, 2011

Upcoming Business Wire Events

Business Wire Brings You LatinoWire

Hosted by Business Wire Washington, D.C.

Reaching the rapidly growing Hispanic American community with your organization’s message is of critical importance today.  Hispanics still depend on traditional and print media for their news, but many rely on the internet and mobile devices as well.  What is the best way to reach this audience? Join Business Wire DC for a chance to meet some of the nation’s most important and influential news leaders & learn about their news gathering operations in terms of what’s being covered and when – and how to best interact with their reporters. Speakers will include: Rossana Rosado, Publisher and CEO of El Diario/La Prensa; Hilda Garcia, VP of Multiplatform News and Information for impreMedia; Lori Montenegro, Washington correspondent, Telemundo Noticias; and José Manuel Sanz Mingote, General Director, Agencia EFE. This event is FREE for all attendees.

Wednesday, September 28 at 8 a.m. ET
National Press Club
First Amendment Lounge
529 14th Street NW, Washington, DC 20004      

To register: RSVP to danny.selnick@businesswire.com

Celebrating 50 Years: Anniversary Reception & Media Mingle

Hosted by Business Wire Boston

Join Business Wire Boston for a reception in celebration of our 50th anniversary.  Socialize with colleagues, mingle with the media and join us for a champagne toast while watching the sunset over Boston Harbor! This event is open to Business Wire members, non-members & media professionals & is FREE for all professional communicators.

Tuesday, October 4 at 4 p.m. ET
Boston Harbor Hotel
70 Rowes Wharf, Boston, MA, 02110

To register: RSVP to http://bw50boston.eventbrite.com by Sept 30

What is the Future of PR?

Hosted by Business Wire LA

Join Business Wire LA in celebrating our 50th Anniversary. We start the afternoon with an interactive panel discussion about how communications has changed in the last 50 years and what the future holds for our industry. Roger Pondel of PondelWilkinson will moderate the panel, which includes Martin Beck of the LA Times, Sonya Quick of the OC Register, Robert Hernandez from USC and Beth Mansfield of CKE Restaurants. We’ll end the session with a champagne toast to thank you for making the last 50 years special. Beer, wine and hors d’oeuvres will also be served. This event is FREE for all attendees.

Thursday, October 6 at 3 p.m. PT
The Mark
9320 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, 90035

To register: RSVP to Garrett Henricksen at LARSVP@businesswire.com by Oct 3.

What is the Future of PR?

Hosted by Business Wire Newport Beach

Please join Business Wire Newport Beach for breakfast & help us celebrate our 50th Anniversary! We’ll start your morning with an interactive panel discussion about how communications has changed in the last 50 years and what the future holds for our industry. We’ll also raise a toast to thank you for helping make the last 50 years special! This event is FREE for Business Wire members & $20 for non-members.

Wednesday, October 19 at 8:30 a.m. PT
Hotel Hanford
Promenade Ballroom
3131 Bristol Street, Costa Mesa, CA, 92626

To register: RSVP to Kathy Tomasino at kathy.tomasino@businesswire.com.

Meet the Media

Hosted by Business Wire San Diego

Please join Business Wire San Diego in celebrating our 50th Anniversary with a meet the media event. This event is FREE for all attendees.

Thursday, October 20 at 8 a.m. PT
Andaz San Diego
Studio East Room
600 F Street, San Diego, CA, 92101

To register: RSVP to LARSVP@BusinessWire.com or call 310.820.9473

Business Wire holds dozens of local events every year. We bring local media members and industry thought leaders to your market to discuss today’s most relevant topics, from trends in today’s newsrooms to writing for SEO. Events are usually free of charge to members. For more upcoming local Business Wire events or to see what’s coming up in our award-winning webinar series, visit BusinessWire.com. Follow live updates from Business Wire events on Twitter: hash tag #bwevents



2010 LatinVision CEO Summit Conference Recap

October 26, 2010

by Nikelle Feimster, Media Relations Specialist, Business Wire/New York

LatinVision’s CEO Summit Conference 2010 was held on Monday, Oct 4th at the Time Warner Center in New York City.  CEOs and marketing executives from companies including HipCricket, Telemundo, Univision , People en Español, HBO, and Business Wire were present. They shared insight into how marketers and advertisers can engage and connect with consumers in the Hispanic market through various channels including social media, and mobile and online marketing.

 

Gregg Castano

Business Wire President Gregg Castano addresses the LatinVision CEO Summit

 

The first panel discussed how social media has evolved in the multicultural space, and how advertisers are taking advantage of social media platforms. It was revealed that Latinos visit more social networking sites, news sites, and maintain more blogs than the general market.

Today, there is an increase in the number of companies that are using social media as part of their overall strategy to reach and engage Latinos.  Monica Talan, VP Corporate Communications, Univision, said companies should try to engage in conversations.  Univision had a lot of success with the World Cup by providing blogs and social media fan pages to engage users and new audiences. According to Talan, every department of a company is part of their social media strategy. “It can be challenging but you have to put the resources in it and stay committed.”

Lucinda Martinez-Desir, VP-Acquisition & Multicultural Marketing, HBO, did their entire “No Es Lo Mismo” campaign on Facebook, Twitter, mobile and online. For this campaign, everything was integrated and married to traditional media.

Everyone seemed to agree on the importance of having a social media strategy, not just a Facebook strategy. Here are a few tips on how marketers can leverage the Latino phenomenon on social media to their advantage:

  • Start conversations that are really meaningful to consumers.
  • Engage with people who have influence on consumers, like the world of bloggers, not the marketing department.
  • Build brand equity.
  • Have a conversation with the client – be innovators together so you both understand that there will be risks involved.

When it comes to mobile and online marketing, Ivan Braiker, Co-Founder & CEO, Hipcricket, said it’s all about engagement.  Latinos are early adopters of technology, including mobile devices. In fact, Scott Hamilton, President  & CEO, VoodooVox, pointed out that the mobile phone is the ultimate social network that existed before FaceBook. With over 5 billion text messages being sent per day, mobile is an effective way to engage an audience and it creates a deeper connection with your brand.

Here are some best practices for mobile and online marketing:

  • Engage people with content early and make sure your site is current.
  • Help clients design content specifically for mobile.
  • Be able to use mobile and interact with the user to the point of sale.
  • Know your audience and text the right people.

Business Wire’s President, Gregg Castano, participated in the panel discussion, “Digital vs. Print Media and the Language of the Next Latin Generation.” Castano pointed out that Latinos are the fastest growing online population with 85% of U.S. born Latinos using the internet. “The key to the success of brands is how they crossover to digital,“ said Castano. “Marketers should place quality content on relevant channels to attract the most eyeballs.”

 

L-R: Lucia Ballas Traynor, Publisher, People en Español; Gregg Castano, President, Business Wire; Lauren Michaels, Co-President & Publisher, Latina Media Ventures; Rossana Rosado, Publisher & CEO, El Diario La Prensa; David Puente, Producer-Anderson Cooper 360, CNN

 

Business Wire can help brand marketers and brand leaders actively engage with Latino customers.  By utilizing our LatinoWire product line, companies can bolster their print and web marketing campaigns. With LatinoWire, your press release reaches the leading Spanish-language news and information outlets throughout the U.S., including more than 1,200 Hispanic print, broadcast and online media outlets.

LatinVision is a New York-based organizer of conferences and networking events focused on marketing to U.S. Hispanics and Latin American executives. Business Wire is a sponsor of LatinVision Media’s Marketing to Latinos Conferences. To learn more about the LatinVision Media 2010 Conferences Series visit www.latinvision.com/marketing


September is Hispanic Heritage Month

September 2, 2010

by Pilar Portela, Media Relations Specialist, Business Wire/Florida

With Hispanic Heritage Month beginning yesterday, keep in mind that the Hispanic consumer base in the U.S. is so big (50 million people) that all marketers, not just Hispanic brands, need to be targeting this group. Also, Latinos are now the nation’s second-largest consumer market after white non-Hispanics. Check out Pew Hispanic Center’s new case studies: “The Latino Digital Divide: The Native Born versus the Foreign Born” and “How Young Latinos Communicate with Friends in the Digital Age“.

The Pew Hispanic reports found that when it comes to socializing and communicating with friends, young Latinos (ages 16 to 25) make extensive use of mobile technology. Hispanic Youths vs. Hispanic Adults: Hispanics ages 16 to 25 are more likely than Hispanics ages 26 and older to use mobile technologies to communicate with their friends. While half (50%) of young Latinos use texting to communicate, just 21% of older Latinos do the same.

Check out the latest companies using LatinoWire, including Yahoo!, UnitedHealth Group, Best Buy, KFC, Sprint, McCormick, Prudential, Comcast, and Mayo Clinic, just to name a few. These releases run in English and Spanish with translation included! This is a great time for your company to share stories about culture, inspiration, success and more.

Keeping Hispanic Heritage Month in mind, we also encourage you to sign up any knowledgeable experts from your company or organization in our ExpertSource database. Individuals who can share insight into the Hispanic experience, be it business, events, issues or culture, will help make diverse voices available to media members all year round.



28th Annual NAHJ Multimedia Convention and Career Expo in Denver: El Grito Across the Rockies

July 22, 2010

by Pilar Portela, Media Relations Specialist, Business Wire/Florida

Business Wire’s West Coast Media Relations Specialists, Eric Thomas and Pilar Portela, were in attendance at this year’s 28th Annual National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) Multimedia Convention and Career Expo in Denver, June 23-26. More than 700 journalism professionals, a majority Latino, gathered across the Rockies to meet and hear from their peers.

Eric Thomas; Mariela Dabbah, author of "The Latino Advantage"; Rebecca Aguilar, founder, Wise Latinas Linked; Pilar Portela

This year’s title was “NAHJ En Denver: El Grito Across the Rockies.” For those of you that are unaware, the Spanish-language word “grito” means “shout” in English.

According to the association, it’s an apt title because there are distinct messages – gritos – it wanted to reverberate in all directions from the conference in Denver. The first message NAHJ wanted to make clear was that although 2008 and 2009 exacted a toll on groups such as NAHJ, their organization is still strong. Secondly, NAHJ remains committed to providing members with the training they need to thrive in spite of these tough economic times. NAHJ has long considered itself the voice for Latino journalists and for the kind of fair, accurate, balanced, nuanced and informed coverage that the industry needs.  At this moment, as an organization, NAHJ believes this role continues to be relevant and they will not falter in their stance as that voice citing events in Arizona that reaffirm this point.

The convention programming included media training sessions on topics such as Mining Your Beat, Multimedia Photojournalism and Web Publishing. There were also workshops on Convention Do’s and Don’ts, Twitter 101 and Marketing Yourself in a Multimedia World, just to name a few. As the voices behind Business Wire’s Twitter account @BWLatinoWire, Eric and Pilar tweeted some of their convention experiences.

Michele Salcedo and Eric Thomas

Michel Salcedo, Editor, The Associated Press; Eric Thomas, Business Wire

One of the most anticipated events of the convention was The Newsmaker Luncheon on Friday afternoon.  This panel of distinguished immigration experts grappled with how public opinion shapes the immigration debate.  Panelists approached the issue of immigration from their respective fields of study, giving each one a slightly different viewpoint.  Nelson Castillo, an immigration attorney, said the political will to accomplish comprehensive immigration reform within one year is not there.  Steven Camarota, director of research for the Center for Immigration Studies, likened the immigration debate to the title of a book about abortion, a “Clash of Absolutes.”  Camarota said talking about immigration is difficult because it is an issue that strikes at people’s core beliefs.  Paul Voakes, dean of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Colorado at Boulder, called immigration a third-rail issue.  Voakes, who studies how media cover immigration, said part of the problem, is that people don’t like talking about immigration.  He said that in the mainstream media, immigration receives relatively little coverage until close to election time.  However, in talk-show media, hosts blend news with opinion, distorting the issue, Voakes said.

Unfortunately, NAHJ’s message was overshadowed by rumors of the organization’s financial woes and dwindling membership. The 1,300 member organization dependent on monies made from the convention has seen a rapid decline in registrations for the annual event.  In 2006, 1800 people came together in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.  This year the number teetered just over 700.  Moving forward NAHJ officials said the organization’s future includes a commitment to training and continuing annual conventions but not depending on them as “cash cows.”

Manny Garcia and Pilar Portela

Manny Garcia, Executive Editor, El Nuevo Herald; Pilar Portela, Business Wire

Next year’s 29th Annual NAHJ convention will be held in Orlando, FL. For more information on NAHJ visit the association’s website at www.nahj.org.



Marketing to Latinas: LatinVision Conference Recap

June 22, 2010

– by Nikelle Feimster, Media Relations Specialist, Business Wire/New York

Nikelle Feimster

On Thursday, June 10th, I had the privilege of attending LatinVision Media’s Latinas Conference.  The panelists, made up of industry leaders, marketing experts and media executives, presented interesting stats about this evolving demographic and gave strategies on how marketers can effectively target this viable consumer segment.

During the conference, I learned a lot about today’s Latina – who she is, how she thinks, and her importance in the Latino market.  Leylha Ahuile, Mintel‘s senior analyst of multicultural reports, revealed in her presentation about Latina women in the U.S. that most Latinas are not traditional mothers with two kids.

U.S.-born Latino women are younger and more affluent than ever before and they represent more than 20% of all women in the U.S.  They’re advanced in education. In fact, Latinas are attending college at a higher rate than their male counterparts. They are predominantly English speaking, 100% bicultural and they’re spending more and more time on social networking sites than the general market.

According to Leylha, when it comes to media consumption, Latinas consume print media in both English and Spanish, but there is an increase in preference for English. One-third of Latinas watch English language TV and a majority consume radio in Spanish.

On the topic of digital and Social Media, Paul Lima of Lima Consulting says that Latinas are spending more time on social networking sites than non-Latinas . . . so why not use social media to engage? They love to share their experiences with family and friends, and they like to comment and share ideas on products. Bottom line, Paul says that brands that engage Latinas do well and prosper. It’s important to connect with them and understand who they really are in order to be relevant: “If you understand your business objective within your site, you will win.”

Business Wire can help brand leaders actively engage with Latino customers. By utilizing our LatinoWire product line, companies can bolster their print and Web marketing campaigns. With LatinoWire, your press release reaches the leading Spanish-language news and information outlets throughout the U.S., including more than 1,200 Hispanic print and broadcast media outlets.

LatinVision is a New York-based organizer of conferences and networking events focused on marketing to U.S. Hispanics and Latin American executives. Business Wire is a sponsor of LatinVision Media’s Marketing to Latinos Conferences. To learn more about the LatinVision Media 2010 Conferences Series visit www.latinvision.com/marketing .



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