Latino Branding Power goes to the Smithsonian!

American Enterprise Exhibit

I am honored to announce that work from Latino Branding Power was curated this past year for display in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. The original design, ¡Lotería, Lotería!: Latinos are Winning in Social Media, now appears in the Smithsonian’s new American Enterprise exhibition, a major installation that chronicles the history of events and individuals that have shaped business in the United States. The exhibition opened to the public on July 1 in Washington D.C. and will be on display for 20 years.

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(Video) Latino Branding: A Critical Marketing Trend

GRAPE-banner

This past month, I had the pleasure of sharing in a panel presentation about the importance of Latino marketing and branding. Presented by the Grand Rapids Area Professionals for Excellence (GRAPE) and hosted at Amway headquarters in Ada, Michigan, the panel discussion featured myself and three other invited guests – all respected Latino/a professionals in West Michigan. What followed was an engaging and well-informed discourse, not only on the subject of Latino marketing, but also about acculturation, demographic labeling, and even politics.

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Latino Branding Power awarded Hispanic Business of the Year

Left to right: Orlando Bonifacio, Salvador Lopez, Jonathan Barrera Mikulich, Gloria Lara, Angie Hanks, Veronica Ramirez

Left to right: Orlando Bonifacio, Salvador Lopez, Jonathan Barrera Mikulich, Gloria Lara, Angie Hanks, Veronica Ramirez

This past week, I received one of the greatest honors since I started Latino Branding Power just over two years ago. On Monday, March 25, at the West Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Annual Awards Banquet, I received the award for Hispanic Business of the Year in recognition for efforts with Latino Branding Power. It was an incredible honor to be recognized by my peers, the West Michigan Latino business community, and the many people who have supported me over the years.

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LATISM delivers

Once again, the LATISM (Latinos in Social Media) National Conference proved to be one of the most vibrant and worthwhile Latino/a interest opportunities available. The three-day extravaganza hosted its 2012 version last month at the Hyatt Regency in Houston. I first attended the LATISM National Conference in Chicago last year at the famed Navy Pier conference center. This year, I had the privilege of being invited as a guest speaker in a panel discussion. Myself, along with Melissa Salas Blair, Claudia Deschamps, Olga Romero-Rios, and moderator Monica Vila, discussed various marketing communication insights on the panel entitled Understanding the New Hispanic Consumer. Our Friday morning panel was lively, well attended, and set the tone for what would be an exciting and invaluable second LATISM experience for me.

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Nos vemos en Houston

I am happy to have been selected as a guest speaker at this year’s LATISM (Latinos in Social Media) Conference in Houston. Last year, I had the pleasure of attending the national traveling conference when it came close to my neck of the woods at Chicago’s Navy Pier. I found the experience both educational and inspiring (you can read my recap post about the 2011 conference here). In Houston, I will be a panelist for a discussion under the business track entitled “Understanding the New Hispanic Consumer”, a session dedicated understanding the key issues businesses must remember to create effective strategies to reach Latinos. I am looking forward to participating on the panel, rekindling old friendships, and making new connections.

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California vintner Amelia Ceja to deliver keynote at West Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Awards Banquet

This afternoon, the West Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce will hold their annual awards banquet at the JW Marriott in downtown Grand Rapids. The coveted keynote address will be delivered by Amelia Ceja, owner and president of the Napa, California winery Ceja Vineyards (watch my video interview with Juan Tornoe, last year’s keynote speaker). Amelia Ceja has been recognized as “Woman of the Year” in 2005 by the California legislature for “breaking the glass ceiling in a very competitive business” and is the first Mexican-American woman ever to be elected president of a winery.

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Como familia…

Last week, I had the privilege of attending the Latinos in Social Media (LATISM) annual conference in Chicago. LATISM is credited as the largest organization of Hispanic professionals engaged in social media. The 2011 conference, held at Chicago’s Navy Pier, was two and a half days of sessions and workshops that focused on opportunities for Hispanic professionals to use social media in public service, community empowerment, and business development. To augment my participation in the LATISM conference, I designed an infographic to show how Latinos currently engage in social media across the U.S. Originally, I had planned to write this blog post as a follow up review of the professional development and networking opportunities provided at the LATISM conference. Although there were certainly plenty of these opportunities, I decided to modify my post’s focus in light of all that transpired for me both personally and professionally during my attendance at LATISM’11.

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Infographic: Latinos are winning in social media

By the time you read this post, I will be in Chicago at the annual Latinos in Social Media (LATISM) national conference. I had been looking for a relevant professional development opportunity for several months and when I found out LATISM’11 was being held in Chicago, a relatively close traveling distance for me in Grand Rapids, Michigan, I immediately registered my attendance. In honor of the LATISM’11 conference, I have designed an infographic inspired by the popular Mexican game Lotería. The infographic features information about how Latinos continue to “win” with their presence in social media. Please feel free to download the infographic and post it proudly in your place of business, office space, or on your computer or mobile device screen.

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