The AHAA Media and Account Planning Conference Wrap Up
Hispanic HD: the definition of US

The first AHAA conference of 2009 was filled with many firsts for our organization, including kicking off the conference on April 1st - no fooling! It was the first time AHAA has held a conference in Las Vegas; it was the first time an AHAA conference has started on a Wednesday; and the first time we packed everything - sessions, awards and networking - into just a day and a half. And, it was also the first time two Gringos have chaired an AHAA conference.

But for the more than 350 Hispanic-specialized marketers and media representatives that attended it was just plain awesome. The content, the insight, the panelists and presentations, the discussions, the networking…buzz around the conference and on the Net was that the AHAA conferences just keep getting better.

If you missed the conference, the podcasts of the sessions will be available soon and here’s a snapshot of the conference highlights.

Conference co-chairs Tracy Decker, of Globalhue and Ken Deutsch of Grupo Gallegos opened the conference dressed in Las Vegas garb: Tracy in a headdress and Ken in an Elvis costume. The conference – themed Hispanic HD: the definition of US – brought into focus ideas and strategies to inspire and provoke discussion among Hispanic agencies. CLICK HERE for a complete conference wrap up.

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San Antonio Agency Executive Gisela Girard takes over leadership of ahaa
Girard Intends to Leverage Census and Continue to Elevate Hispanic Marketing Among Advertisers.

At our Las Vegas conference earlier this month José Lόpez-Varela, passed the gavel and chairmanship of AHAA to Gisela Girard, president and COO of Creative Civilization – An Aguilar/Girard Agency in San Antonio. In closing the conference Girard shared her thoughts on the industry for the coming year.

“As a small business and agency owner, I recognize the challenges of tough economic times” Girard said. “It is during these challenging times that AHAA has to be even relevant to its members: offering the resources and tools to build our businesses and become even more competitive. We need to help our agencies demonstrate to their current and prospective clients that Hispanic or multicultural budgets should not be the first to be cut especially during these tough economic times. Latino consumers today are a dynamic force to be contended with and the market cannot be ignored without consequence.

“No one knows this business and the market potential better than our member agencies, we are the thought leaders influencing our clients bottom line. It is critical to invest in the Latino market even in a down economy. Top 500 advertisers General Mills and Johnson & Johnson, instead of slashing Hispanic marketing budgets in this lean economy, are investing even more in the Hispanic market and are in fact rolling out products directly targeting Latinos. These companies understand the financial rewards and brand-building potential the Hispanic market means for business.”

Girard said the 2010 Census will likely show continued growth in the now more than 46 million Latinos, or 15 percent of the U.S. population. During her year as chair, she wants AHAA to develop a strategy to leverage that growth and communicate the evolving market dynamics to advertisers for the benefit of AHAA members. “AHAA will continue to be a strong voice for Hispanic-specialized agencies,” Girard said. “I hope to work with other Hispanic organizations and influential groups to strengthen our industry’s position politically, socially and corporately.”

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THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS
AHAA acknowledges the contribution of its sponsors. It is their support and generosity that allows AHAA to provide great educational programming and social events.

MUCHAS GRACIAS!

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SAG/AFTRA NEGOTIATIONS CONCLUDE WITH NEW AGREEMENT
AFTRA and SAG reach tentative three year agreement with advertising industry on new commercial contracts.

AHAA is pleased to update its membership (particularly SAG signatories) on the new contract and FAQ's that may be valuable to your agencies. We want to thank Mercedes Leonard for volunteering her time and expertise to give AHAA a voice at the negotiating table. We also want to thank Shannon Kern and her team at TEAM talent services for their continued support of AHAA and their hard work to protect our membership's best interests in the area of talent costs.

Please CLICK HERE for the details with regard to the transition between the new contract date, when it will actually be adopted and how to handle any retroactive payments that may fall between the old and new.

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11th ANNUAL HISPANIC CREATIVE AWARDS COMPETITION
All entries must be submitted no later than April 27, 2009.

Advertising Age and AHAA are proud to present the 11th annual Hispanic Creative Advertising Awards. These awards are the premier showcase of Hispanic creative talent honoring the best Hispanic-targeted advertising across television, radio, newspaper, magazine, out-of-home, interactive media, direct marketing, integrated multimedia and nontraditional/guerrilla marketing.

For a complete list of rules and regulations, eligibility, entry fee and judging process CLICK HERE.

For a list of categories, instructions and specifications on the entry categories CLICK HERE.

This year there is a new digital entry submission process. This website will allow you to create a unique login name and password so you can easily upload your submissions, pay online, and review your entries at any time.

Remember...all entries must be submitted no later than April 27, 2009.

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AHAA HONORS LIONEL SOSA WITH CABALLERO LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Lionel Sosa receives one of the industry's highest honors.

During a special ceremony at the recent AHAA Media Buying and Planning Conference in Las Vegas, advertising professionals from around the country paid tribute to Sosa, an industry pioneer and founder of Sosa, Bromley, Aguilar & Associates, now Bromley Communications.

"Eduardo taught me a few things to live by," Sosa said in his acceptance remarks. "Be proud of your Latino culture and do the best work you can do, and you will always succeed. When I started Sosa & Associates, there were only 3 million Latinos in the U.S. and only four Hispanic-specialized marketing agencies. I had one little goal for our small San Antonio-based agency: to be the largest Hispanic-specialized agency in the United States. We planned for our success and achieved our goal."

Al Aguilar, CEO of Creative Civilization, former AHAA chairman presented the award to his former partner. "Lionel is a legend: an inspiration to me as well as many others in this business today," Aguilar said. "He is the quintessential Renaissance man and his 35 years in the industry have left an indelible mark. Lionel created advertising that touched the heart of consumers."

The Caballero Award is presented to individuals whose lifetime contribution, dedication and vision have been crucial in creating and fostering the U.S. Hispanic market. Past recipients include: Castor Fernández, Sara Sunshine, José Manuel Cubas, Joaquin Blaya, Alicia Conill, and Tere Zubizarreta. Eduardo Caballero blazed the trail in the Hispanic broadcasting industry with over 40 years of experience in Spanish-language television and radio, and was instrumental in the development of AHAA nearly 12 years ago.

"AHAA reserves this coveted award for industry legends who exemplify the courage, honor and dignity of our professional heritage and embrace the future we are building," said Jose López-Varela. "Lionel is one of the visionaries who brought Hispanic-specialized marketing into focus for advertisers. He understands and communicates the uniqueness of Latinos consumers, and has propelled our industry forward. Lionel deserves this award for his exceptional contributions to our profession, his inspiration to so many of us in the industry, and his dedication and motivation to elevate Hispanics in the U.S. This award is an expression of our sincere appreciation and gratitude for his numerous and valuable contributions to Hispanic-specialized marketing."

Sosa was named "One of the 25 most influential Hispanics in America" by Time Magazine in 2005 and is a member of the Texas Business Hall of Fame. He is the author of Think and Grow Rich, a Latino Choice and The Americano Dream: How Latinos Can Achieve Success in Business and in Life, and co-author of El Vaquero Real- the Original American Cowboy. He is a contributing author of Latinos and the Nations Future, edited by Henry Cisneros. Sosa has been a media consultant for Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, George W. Bush and was co-chairman of the John McCain advertising committee; his seventh national presidential race.

Currently, Sosa serves on the board of directors of QuePasa.com, the largest bilingual online community in the country as well as SiTV, the leading 24/7 cable television channel in English targeted to Latinos. Lionel has served on the Board of Regents of The Texas A&M University System, the Board of Trustees for the University of the Incarnate Word, the Boards of Sesame Workshop, creators of Sesame Street, ACT (American College Testing) and the Public Broadcasting System. He chaired both the United Way of San Antonio and the San Antonio Symphony and was Executive Director for the grassroots foundation, Mexicans and Americans Thinking Together.

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MEMBERS IN THE NEWS

Creative Civilization recently announced the addition of Cat Lopez and J. Moncada, two top industry leaders to the San Antonio-based advertising agency as it celebrates its 10-year anniversary. “The addition of Cat Lopez as creative director and J. Moncada as chief strategy and marketing officer rounds out a power team that is ready to catapult its leadership position as an agency of the future,” says Al Aguilar, Chairman & CEO.

Kraft Foods, Inc. has selected Houston-based López Negrete Communications as Hispanic agency of record for its Kraft Singles brand.

Siboney USA is helping Colgate's Oral Health Month make its US debut this April, working through the Hispanic community. Colgate has partnered with the Hispanic Dental Association (HDA) to launch “El Mes de la Salud Bucal” in four locations: Miami, Los Angeles, Houston, and New Jersey.The company is working with and will include various local events and Colgate's “Bright Smiles, Bright Futures” van.

Univision Communications Inc. announced a multi-year carriage agreement with the nation's leading satellite provider, DIRECTV. The agreement includes carriage of Univision's owned and operated broadcast stations and distribution of the cable network, Galavision, and the network feeds for Univision and TeleFutura. This agreement includes, in certain markets, carriage of affiliated stations owned and operated by Entravision Communications.

V-me marks second anniversary with reaching in 60 percent of Hispanic USA and 50 Million Total TV HH's. In 35 U.S. markets, V-me is both a free over-the-air digital broadcast and a basic digital cable channel, as a result of its partnership with public television stations. In addition, V-me is carried nationally via satellite in both the basic and Hispanic packages of Dish Network and DirecTV.

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The 2009 AHAA Standard DIRECTORY of Hispanic advertising agencies is Here!
9th Edition of Industry Directory is Released

The 2009 edition of the AHAA Standard Directory of Hispanic Advertising Agencies is now available. This is the only comprehensive directory in the industry.

Copies were mailed to members last week. If you want to order additional copies, please CLICK HERE.