Comida Latina Comes to Texas
HOUSTON - Expo Comida Latina will be co-located with Nightclub & Bar Beverage and Food Fiesta Latina for a joint exposition at George R. Brown Convention Center here on April 24-25. Rudy Beserra, vice president of Latin affairs for the Coca Cola Co., will deliver the keynote speech on April 24. "Latino businesses are critically important to our community as well as to our nation's economy," Beserra said. "I look forward to sharing my viewpoints in the hopes that it helps to keep Latino businesses thriving."
Black Buying Power to Rise, Report Says
NEW YORK - The African-American market's buying power is expected to grow from its current $762 billion to $981 billion by 2010, according a new report from Packaged Facts, a division of MarketResearch.com. African Americans in the West and Northeast have higher average incomes than those in the Midwest and the South, the report said, and blacks living in the Northeast are much more likely to view their work as a career, not just a job. For this reason, African Americans in the Northeast are far more likely than African Americans as a whole to feel secure financially and to be happy with their standard of living. While the market potential is steadily increasing, targeted marketing and advertising is not responding accordingly. "Having roughly the same purchasing power as Hispanics, African Americans tend to be left behind when it comes to marketing and advertising because Hispanics are expected to have more rapid population growth," said Don Montuori, publisher of Packaged Facts. Marketers should focus on African-American segments that outpace their Hispanic counterparts, such as those with incomes greater than $50,000, owner-occupied households, married-couple families and African-American women, according to the report.
Coca-Cola Goes Bilingual
ATLANTA - Coca-Cola North America's new My Coke Rewards program marks the first fully bilingual, Internet-based initiative for the Coca-Cola brand in the U.S. The program provides rewards valued at over $50 million. Unique codes are provided under the caps of specially marked 20-ounce bottles of Coca-Cola Classic, Diet Coke and other Coca-Cola brands. Points can be accumulated and redeemed for prizes, including free music downloads. Participating brands include Adidas, Delta, Kodak, Blockbuster, Sony and Hilton. Spanish-speaking consumers can log onto www.mycokerewards.com and select Spanish as their preferred language.
Corona Debuts in Times Square
NEW YORK - Mexican brewer Grupo Modelo put up twin billboards of its Corona Extra brand in Times Square. The billboard is located at Broadway and 48th Street and consists of two signs, each showing the image of the transparent Corona beer bottle with a lime wedged in its neck. At 92 feet high and 35 feet wide, the signs are among the largest in the square. "We are very proud to hold this privileged spot on Times Square," said Jorge Siegrist, vice president, corporate affairs and communications, Grupo Modelo.
Garnier Names First Latin Spokesperson
NEW YORK - Garnier Nutrisse has named Colombian actress Danna Garcia as its first Latin spokesperson. Garcia joins several famous celebrity spokespersons representing Garnier, including actress Sarah Jessica Parker. Garcia will be featured in a new ad campaign called "Completely in Love" or "Completamente Enamorada." "Danna possesses a natural radiance and spirited style that is a perfect match with the Garnier brand," said Cheryl Vitali, senior vice president, marketing, Maybelline New York-Garnier. "She is our first Garnier spokesperson of Hispanic heritage, and will speak to a consumer base that is important to the Garnier brand."
