Saturday, December 23, 2006

New Television and US Hispanics

Television networks have for a long time ignored social trends. Slowly they have seen their share eroding as alternative media channels become more relevant in people's lives. It is interesting that Desperate Housewives have claimed a large viewership that includes many US Hispanics. Its obvious sex appeal makes it relevant to many people. But also it is its diversity and the extent to which the audience can see themselves in the screen.

Identification with characters in entertainment has been known, for a long time, to make a difference in attracting audiences. Nevertheless, television networks, perhaps concerned with losing their mainstay audience, did not seem to notice that society and their audience had changed dramatically. Not only have they been ignoring their growing audiences at the expense of their dwindling past fans, but they had not noticed that new even what they call the "mainstream" had changed its taste in favor of what is "cool." And "Latino" has been increasingly "cool." Ugly Betty, a show that started in Spanish language TV in Spanish several years ago now it is shown in English by ABC to the delight of many diverse audiences. The universal value of a woman who appears to be ugly but that is "beautiful," is relevant to many, and interestingly, it has cultural nuances relevant to US Hispanics.

The new Hispanic audience for television is not focusing on the Spanish language exclusively. It is focusing on cultural relevance. "General" audiences enjoy seeing others who are "cool" that also reflect universal values. We shall not wait too long to see more of what the industry calls "cross-over" appeal.

The old shows targeted to Hispanics, largely from Latin America, had ignored the new identify of Hispanics in the US. New and successful entertainment needs to reflect the life of US Hispanics as it is here, not there. This is the new "New World."

Wednesday, December 6, 2006

System maintenance: Wednesday, Dec 6, 10:00-10:30pm PST

Google Analytics users,
There will be a planned system maintenance today, Wednesday, Dec 6 from 10:00pm to 10:30pm Pacific Time. Please note that you will be unable to log in, however, your data will continue to be collected and processed during this time.

After 10:30pm PST your account will again be fully available and up to date.

Thanks for your patience and for using Google Analytics.


Friday, December 1, 2006

Debugging browser errors

Adding the Google Analytics tracking code to your website is easy—simply add the JavaScript snippet to the source code. But what happens when you make changes to your website and start to see browser error messages? Don't panic. Check these issues to avoid common mistakes.

1. Check the tracking code
Correctly installed Google Analytics tracking code does not generate browser errors. If you're seeing them, first check that your tracking code is installed exactly as it appears in your Google Analytics profile setting. Learn how to find your tracking code in the help center article Where Can I Find My Tracking Code?

2. Test your page
Google Analytics uses JavaScript code that is designed not to interfere with other JavaScript on your website. That said, when an error occurs, browser error messages often reference the first script executed. On a site using our tracking code, that is usually the first script executed, which makes debugging confusing. When debugging JavaScript on a site tracked by Google Analytics, try commenting out or temporarily removing the tracking code until you can detect and correct the error. Once your code is bug-free, adding the tracking code back in should not cause any browser errors to occur.

3. Secure your site
Another feature of many dynamic sites is the use of a secure section for things such as shopping carts or user registration. When tracking these areas, check the secure status of your pages. If you're seeing an error or a notice that some portions of the page are not secure, make sure you are using the secure version of the tracking code. Compare the standard versus the secure version:

Standard: <script src="http://www.google-analytics.com/urchin.js" type="text/javascript">

Secure: <script src="https://ssl.google-analytics.com/urchin.js" type="text/javascript">

For more information, take a look at this article in the troubleshooting section of the help center: How can I obtain tracking code for secure pages?

We want you to maximize the power of your site by using Analytics—and that includes successful integration of the tracking code without introducing errors or preventing you from perfecting the other code on your site. Properly installing the tracking code, carefully testing your site, and ensuring secure sites are tracked securely are some of the ways you can make Google Analytics work for you.


Online course on Hispanic Marketing

I am pleased to announce the first course on Hispanic Marketing Communication online.

Beginning in January 2007, an online course in Hispanic Marketing Communication will be offered by the Florida State University Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication. The center, headed by Dr. Felipe Korzenny, is pioneering education in Hispanic Marketing in the US.Dr. Korzenny states “we are proud to satisfy the demand of many marketers in US industry that have requested an online course in Hispanic Marketing Communication. This is the first online offering of its kind and will make the content of our on-campus courses available to anyone in the world with an interest in the subject.”The course is available to anyone interested and is particularly recommended for professionals currently addressing the Hispanic market, or those who would like to start a Hispanic marketing initiative. The online course is also available to Florida State University students not currently residing in the Tallahassee campus.

The course duration is of fifteen weeks (classes begin January 8 and end April 20) and includes topics such as language use, Hispanic cultural insights for marketing, and case studies relating to Hispanic marketing. The course will also address research and marketing strategies.
A certificate of completion will be issued to all who satisfactorily complete the course, and eligible students can receive three hours of undergraduate/continuing education credit.

THOSE INTERESTED ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY IMMEDIATELY AS REGISTRATION IS LIMITED. REGISTRATION IS OPEN NOW!

For application information contact Ashley Smith at advising@campus.fsu.edu or by phone at 850-644-8004.
To see the course description visit our webpage http://hmc.comm.fsu.edu/onlinecoursedescription.htm

About the Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication
The U.S. Hispanic marketing industry has experienced dynamic growth and a consequent need for trained professionals. Most advertising, public relations agencies, and marketing organizations encounter difficulties filling their Hispanic marketing positions. It is for these reasons that Dr. Felipe Korzenny founded the Center for the Study of Hispanic Marketing Communication at Florida State University in 2004. Currently, the Center is the first of its kind in the U.S. Recognizing the immediate need for professionals trained in Hispanic Marketing Communication, the Center has developed the following main goals, which are to:
Train students to serve the Hispanic marketing industry,
Train professionals who currently serve the Hispanic public in the U.S.,
Conduct relevant research to further the understanding of the Hispanic market, and
Serve as a source of knowledge about the Hispanic Market for industry professionals.

Hewlett Packard trying harder to reach Hispanics

Great to know that Hewlett Packard is placing a stronger effort in reaching out to US Hispanics. They have a new Spanish language website, bilingual sales representatives, Spanish language sales materials, and is even placing Spanish speaking employees at certain retailers to explain products. Those are steps in the right direction, particularly because those less likely to have computers and Internet access are more likely to be Spanish dominant.

One approach that I have been a proponent of is to reach out to the Spanish speaking community instead of waiting for them to come to you. That is something HP is not yet doing, or anyone else that I am aware of. Those less likely to purchase computers are also less likely to go shopping for them because they do not understand the usefulness of these machines.

My proposal is to have "Tupperware" like parties but with computers instead of plastic containers in the homes of consumers. In this context, those consumers that are still reluctant to enter the computer and Internet era, can examine in a stress free environment the usefulness of the machines. They can connect to websites in their countries of origin, chat with relatives, and in general come to the realization that computers and the Internet are useful for them. I bet that many Spanish dominant Hispanics would purchase computers in this type of sales environment. To reach out to those who are hard to reach, one goes to them as opposed to waiting for them to come to us.