Advertiser: Toyota PR
Agency: Nobox
Product: TowelBoy
Features: Interactive Video, interactivity
Description: Introducing. . . the 2007 Camry Hybrid!

Advertiser: Maseca
Agency: Lopez Negrete Communications
Product: FatBoy Expandable
Features: Interactivity, photo gallery
Description: See what kind of meals you can put together using Maseca Products.

Advertiser: Warner Independent Pictures
Creative: Trailer Park
Media: MediaCom
Product: FatBoy Expandable
Features: Video, interactivity, send to a friend, polling, downloads
Description: P

Rich Media & the Booming Hispanic Market

You’ve probably heard one of these phrases lately:  “The Hispanic market is growing…BOOMING.”, “It’s time to jump on it.”, “Target this market.”, “Move ad dollars quickly.” Yes, all of it is true. But is it really that simple to achieve?  Is it just a matter of translating your general market creative and throwing it out there? Can we communicate with Hispanics as we do with everyone else?

¿Hablas Español?

The word Hispanic has often been related to Mexicans, Cubans and Puerto Ricans. But the Hispanic market is much more than that. Colombians, Argentineans, Venezuelans, Chilean and many more are part of the Spanish speaking community that lives in the United States.

Each country has its own version of Spanish and it is crucial that their particular version is used in any advertising effort targeted toward them. When advertising for the US Hispanic market, the Spanish should be a neutral as possible.  Stay away from terms and words that are only used by a specific nationality. By doing this, you can avoid any type of language misunderstanding or confusion. 

At Nobox we run campaigns for Scion Puerto Rico.  Since this is region and target specific, the language we use is local slang popular among teens. The local lingo combined with rich media ad units, whether it’s video, a game or a mini “Build Your Own” application are successful in calling the attention of the target and delivering the results we are looking for.

Rich media gives us the creative flexibility and visual appeal that Hispanics look for. It also speaks directly to our target and engages them in a way that is new, interesting and in their language.

Bi-lingual, Spanish-Dominant, English-Dominant

Based on the AOL 2006 Hispanic Cyberstudy, those Hispanics who are acculturated tend to prefer reading online content in English yet almost 40% find Spanish-language content appealing.  Therefore, media plans focusing on Hispanics need to include both Spanish language and English language sites.  By using geographic and behavioral targeting, advertisers are able to find their target on English language sites yet speak to them in the language they most likely speak with their family and friends.

Get Noticed

Hispanics in general tend to spend more time online than the general market user.  This can be attributed to the usage of communication programs such as email, messenger, and social networking sites, which allows Hispanics to keep in touch with their family and friends in their native countries. 

The majority of the ads that Hispanics are exposed to are general market advertisements, and most of them go unnoticed.  Since there is only a small percent of online ads in Spanish, these tend to stand out considerably.  Add rich media to the equation and the results will speak for themselves.

Higher interaction rates, brand exposure time and new client conversions are only a few of the benefits of targeting this growing market with the new rich media technologies available.

This Newsletter is Dedicated to the Memory of Eric R. Thornton

The sudden passing of Eric Thornton on September 12th left a major hole in the PointRoll Family.  Eric was Director of Channel Development for PointRoll and was based out of the Conshohocken, PA headquarters.

He covered the AOL account (among others) for the past two and a half years here at PointRoll.  Just recently, a client at AOL took me aside and remarked that Eric showed as much passion for AOL issues as some of his own employees. That did not surprise me.  When it came to Eric Thornton, it was all about passion.  Passion for his job.  Passion for his family.  Passion for life.

Those of you who knew him well also knew he had a passion for Diet Coke, a passion for skiing and a passion telling the same story over and over again!  But perhaps you did not know that he woke up early every morning and recorded books on tape for the blind.  Perhaps we did not know that he grew up on the mean streets of Brooklyn and worked to pay his way through high school and, later, through Syracuse University.  Eric Thornton was a man of substance and a man of passion. 

It is hard to imagine that he will no longer be roaming the halls of Pointroll. We have lost a co-worker.  We have lost a colleague.  We have lost a friend.  Eric, we will all miss you.

Univision Joins PointRoll's Included Network!

PointRoll is pleased to announce that Univision Communications has joined our IncludedÔ Program. PointRoll's Included Program allows publishers access to the Web's top sites at no additional costs once a pre-set impression floor is met. Today, the PointRoll Included Program is more than 30 members strong including, AOL, About.com, Advertising.com, Disney Internet Group, IGN, iVillage, MySpace, NYTimes.com, Yahoo and now Univision, among others. 

The Included Program, developed two years ago, is a program that is extremely beneficial to both the publishers and PointRoll- in addition; the Included Program allows PointRoll advertisers to save money while advertising on/with the web’s “must-buy” publishers. The program’s success stems from the company’s belief that a solid program consists of teaming with elite online publishers that understand the strategic value of rich media. This innovative combination removes the traditional barriers of cost and distribution to rich media adoption for advertisers. The result is optimal situations for all involved: the Included Partner (Publisher), PointRoll, and the Advertiser.

PointRoll welcomes Univision and is excited to further this relationship in order to better serve the Hispanic Community.