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At the NAHP 2006 Convention and Expo



Publishers advised to do their homework; the benefits of bank-financed growth; local news are essential; Philadelphia’s Al Día launches a Writers’ Syndication Service; Wal-Mart-NAHP agreement….

Content

 

  • Advertiser advises publishers to do their home-work: In a panel on print media buying, Marsha Lawrence, print media manager at Best Buy Corp. advised publishers to work hard to get advertiser's attention. In particular, she recommended that publishers answer the following questions when presenting their publication as a viable advertising vehicle to retailers:
  1. How does the distribution geography of the publication align with store locations?
  2. How does the Hispanic market spend in the advertiser's product/service categories?
  3. How does the advertiser currently serve the Hispanic market (In-store, shopper demographics?
  4. Audience reach vs. other media (TV, radio etc…), Audience reach vs. non-Hispanic newspapers.
  • Lawrence pointed out that Hispanic publishers should expect to charge lower rates than general publishers, because their publications are a supplement to general market buys. However, Robert Armband, Publisher of Chicago's La Raza noted that Hispanic publications are the "primary buy" in zip codes that are heavily penetrated by Hispanics.
  • Best Buy's Lawrence emphasized the importance of in-depth research about each publications use by shoppers.
  • In a Roundtable about “Publishers' Best Practices,” Zeke Montes, Publisher of Chicago's Teleguía, El Imparcial and the new Guía Telefonica advised publishers to resort to bank loans as opposed to venture capital financing: “Venture capitalists want 35% ROI (return on investment) and take over your company; with bank-loan financed growth you can remain 100% owner of your company,” Montes noted. Ray Guerrero, of San Diego's El Latino emphasized the importance of profit-sharing to encourage employees working at Hispanic publications. Eddie Escobedo, Publisher of El Mundo in Las Vegas, noted that it is essential to provide local news and inform about the community. “99% of our content is local,” he added. Alberto Avendaño, Editor of El Tiempo Latino (Washington D.C) also said that “commitment to the community” is crucial. Bob Allan of Panorama in Fort Worth Texas noted that “Hispanic newspapers often look the same.” He encouraged publishers to be more creative about their publications layout and content. Jose Zepeda, Publisher of El Aviso in Los Angeles stressed the importance of a good organization for a publication's growth.
  • Al Día Philadelphia Launches “Al Día Writer's Group.” Hernan Guaracao, Publisher of Al Día announced the launch of a writers' syndication service. The content will be focused on issues relevant to Hispanics. The service will produce op-ed pieces, feature articles, investigative reports and cartoons. It will start with a group of 5 writers including Wendy Hess who will write about immigration rights. The service will be marketed to Hispanic newspapers and other media outlets, including general market media. “This is an effort to move beyond hard news and provide informative and thought provoking fresh copy,” Guaracao said.
  • According to recently published research by the Newspaper Association of America, 83% of Hispanic adults use newspaper Inserts (Preprints or Free Standing Inserts-FSI's)
  • Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. and the National Association of Hispanic Publications (NAHP) launched a membership expansion and professional development initiative to enroll150 new member publications from across the country and encourage former members to rejoin the association. “Hispanic publications play a vital role in keeping their communities connected to local and national events. But they're also a bridge to the Latin American countries that many of their readers still call home,” according to Wal-Mart's Director of Hispanic Markets Pepe Estrada. “From civic engagement campaigns, to homeownership information, to health fairs, and just your basic classified ads, Hispanic publications are active members of the communities they serve.” As part of their $60,000 donation to the program, Wal-Mart will sponsor first year dues for participating publications as an incentive to join NAHP. The funding will also be used by the Association to develop new membership materials, membership management software and interactive membership tools on NAHP's website.

Publishers, advertisers and service providers to the print media industry met in Las Vegas last week at the 2006 National Association of Hispanic Publications Convention & Expo. The followingare the most important news and insights obtained during the 3-day conference:

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