As the final presentation of last week's much anticipated Hispanic PR & Social Media Marketing Conference came to a close, the chatter online showed no signs of slowing down, with attendees and followers buzzing about the latest insights and trends emerging from the growing Hispanic segment.  

The first conference devoted exclusively to the Hispanic public relations and social media marketing industry, the three day event in Dallas, TX attracted leading brands as well as marketing and PR professionals from corporate communications, government, non profits, PR and social media agencies. Hosted by the Hispanic PR Blog -- led by founder, Manny Ruiz -- and the Hispanic Public Relations Association, the conference exceeded everyone's expectations with more than 300 attendees and 20 informational sessions.

Using the #HPRConf hashtag and following the newly designed @HispanicPR Twitter page, conference enthusiasts were able to stay up-to-date on event details and speakers.


Zócalo Group was also on-site as a presenter and the Official Twitter and Word of Mouth Sponsor, helping to co-host the event's Tuesday Tweetup with the Sánchez Ricardo Agency, a Washington DC-based multicultural communications firm. Thanks to the hard work and incredible energy by Midy Aponte, President/Founder of the firm, and her team, the event turned out to be a huge success and a great networking opportunity for attendees.

Throughout the week, the vibrancy and excitement from the conference floor was evident, spilling over into the hundreds of messages and introductions shared via Twitter and other social media channels. Discussions focused around the role Hispanic marketing and social media will play in coming years -- a conversation that will undoubtedly grow as brands and marketers work to better engage consumers.

Key Trends:

In case you missed any of the conference, check out some of the important trends and questions emerging from the dialogue.

• Hispanic PR & Social Media Conference becomes an important catalyst for industry trends and change
  
  
• 50% of moms in the US are of color and 40% of US kids are multicultural
  
  
• Digital understanding is essential for winning with Latinos
  
  
• Measurement & ROI is big - Hispanics are 73% more likely to purchase a brand associated with a cause
  
  
• PR measurement can be divided into four stages: output quantity, output quality, impact, and economic value
  
  
• How is social media going to transform Hispanic marketing?
  
  
• Latinos are quickly becoming the most active social media users, but the key is translating that into influence
  
  
• Ignore the dividing line between social media and PR as they're often seated at the same table
  
  
• US Hispanic buying power will exceed $1.3 trillion by 2013
  
  
• Want better ROI? Get away from pay media and invest in sustainable social media programs
  
  
• Is social media a PR or advertising function?
  
  
• What tools do you use to track social media campaigns?
  
  
• Latino media is all about connecting to culture, language is not enough
  
  

The conference demonstrated the importance of paying attention to the needs and issues surrounding the Hispanic segment, with marketers already rethinking their strategies to effectively target and engage this audience.

Curious about what else people had to say about the conference? Check out the key presenters, tweeters and hashtags generating some of the greatest buzz during the event.


Most Talked About & Recommended Presenters:

• Rudy Rodriguez, Director of Multicultural Marketing for General Mills, discussing their "Que Rica Vida" campaign

• Lee Vann from Captura Group and his discussion on why Latinos are more social than other demographics

• Stephen Chavez, Hispanic Marketing Consultant, and his educational session on learning CSR strategies targeting Latinos

• Mike Fernandez, VP of State Farm, touching on the importance of the Hispanic community in the changing face of America

• Glenn Llopis, Center for Hispanic Leadership, discusses how diversity propels innovation

Most Active Tweeters:

• @MidyAponte
• @MauraHernandez
• @Berly624
• @hispanicpr 
• @leevan
• @jrvilla
• @hispanicfund
• @HPR_TweetUp
• @Ivan_Leon
• @statefarm
• @jansell
  

Other Top Hashtags:

• #latism
• #diversity
• #Dallas
• #latino2
  

Links:

For more information, photos and to hear what others are saying, check out these great resources.

• Hispanic Bound
• MyLatinoVoice
  
• PRSAY
• PRWeek
  
• HispanicTalentMemo
• HispanicBusiness
• MartinCan
• LatinVisionConference

What's next? Keep an eye out for the upcoming Hispanic Social Media Guide from Hispanic PR Blog, due out later this month!





(Photo Source: Jonah Ansell, MyLatinoVoice.com, Pegasusnews.com)




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PR, social media and marketing enthusiasts get ready as the much anticipated 2010 Hispanic PR & Social Media Marketing Conference kicks off today in Dallas, TX.  Hosted by the HispanicPR Blog,  the conference runs May 10th - 12th and will feature some of the industry's leading voices and hottest trends in Hispanic communication.

You too can join the conversation by visiting the Conference's website or Tweeting #HPRConf and visiting the newly designed @hispanicpr Twitter page. Share your best insights and comments related to the Conference and its speakers with colleagues, friends and followers!

For all you social butterflies looking to mingle with fellow Tweeters and Conference attendees post-presentation, check out the official Tuesday Tweetup (@HPR_Conf), held in the Draft Media Sports Lounge at 5pm and hosted by The Sanchez Ricardo Agency.

With the U.S. Hispanic market growing faster than ever, marketers and brands alike have been working to wrap their heads around how to best target and engage this audience. Featuring more than  24 professional development sessions, and more than 70 speakers and presenters, this year's Hispanic PR & Social Media Marketing Conference provides an invaluable resource for gaining insight and best practices into reaching this segment.

Attendees and supporters are already buzzing about this year's line-up of topics including a focus on:

•    Engaging Hispanic Audiences Through Media Relations
•    Targeting PR Initiatives to Reach Urban Latino Youth
•    Developing Partnerships with Hispanic Organizations, and
•    Leveraging Social Media in PR & Advertising Campaigns

Presenters hail from some of today's leading agencies and brands including:

•    General Mills
•    UnitedHealthcare
•    McDonald's
•    Verizon Wireless
•    Microsoft
•    Walmart
•    State Farm
•    Qwest
•    Zune
•    Southwest Airlines
•    The US Army
•    NBA
•    The American Heart Association
•    The National Pork Board
•    and more!

For a complete Hispanic Conference agenda, please check out the official Conference website, or tune into @HispanicPR for up-to-the-minute details on speakers and events!



As the Official Twitter and Word of Mouth Sponsor of this year's Hispanic PR & Social Media Marketing Conference, Zócalo Group will also be on-site during the event. You can find us by tweeting @jansell or @paulmrand as well as stopping by the Tuesday Tweetup for in -person introductions.

Zócalo Group President/CEO and the President of the Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA), Paul Rand, will also be featured as a presenter in panel discussions around the impact and influence of social media and word of mouth marketing. Check out his upcoming sessions here:

• Tuesday, May 11th - 1:30pm
  "A Review of Key Issues and Trends Every Marketer Needs to Know About Hispanic Social Media"
  
  
• Wednesday, May 12th - 10am
  "PR vs. Advertising: A Frank Discussion About Which Discipline is Best Suited to Lead Hispanic Social Media Initiatives and Why"

The Hispanic PR & Social Media Conference is the national trade show division of the HispanicPR Blog, the leading trade media outlet focused on Hispanic PR and social marketing news and views. Share your questions and Conference favorites with us here!




(Post co-authored by Leah Bassett)


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I was recently asked by a friend what I did. After giving her an elevator speech-style description of our company's work with social media and strategy behind making brands the most talked about and recommended in their category, I was shocked by her response. She looked at me and very simply stated,

"That's great, I'm glad you like it. Now someday, you're going to have to explain what you mean when you say social media."

At that moment, amid the noise surrounding me as I walked down the street of one of the country's largest cities, I realized that I lived in a bubble. My work brings me front and center with a world guided by platforms like Facebook and Twitter, or technologies like augmented reality and geo-tagging. Brands are eager to be the most innovative and always, the most successful among their competitors. And so, as an agency, we must deliver. Although a strategic marketing plan guides our efforts, very often, the tactics used to execute involve some variant of social media--used as a way to reach consumers and inspire recommendations of and for the brand, sustainably, over time.

To me, using these tactics seems obvious in today's age of social networking and online sharing. All I could think was, how can any well-informed person not know what social media is, or what you can do with it?

The bubble had engulfed me and I was no longer looking at our consumerist society from the eyes of those we hope to target. Being able to experience a product in 3D via black squiggles of a jagtag may be cool, but do people really care? What's the point of having location-based services for finding the closest subway stop or restaurant if reliable and consistent cell-phone service has yet to exist? Is broadcasting on Foursquare exactly when and where someone is always a good idea?

As marketers we are responsible for creating effective programs that attract the attention of consumers. We must also remember that we have a biased view of the online landscape. Not everyone knows what we're talking about.

Despite the flurry of business, make sure to take a step back. At some point in your life, you weren't as plugged in as you are now. Even if you can't do without your Blackberry used during work, your iPhone used after work, the 10 online channels where you share with the world hourly status updates, or the multi-platform-HD-1000-channel entertainment system that can even sleep and eat for you, there are people who can. Those are the people we need to remember. Just like my friend -- well informed, smart, interesting -- they are just as eager to talk about and share their experiences with a brand.

So, I'm curious, what are other creative ways marketers are engaging consumers that perhaps use social media, but go beyond technology to successfully engage?




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