Nielsen to Generate National Ratings for Both English -and Spanish Language Television from the Same Panel

A significant example of the corporate acceptance of the Latin influence on American culture is Nielsen Media Research's decision to combine its English and Spanish language television viewing panels. You can find the whole press release at the Nielsen Media Research Web site, but here are some excerpts.

New York, NY, August 27, 2007 – The Nielsen Company announced that beginning today it will produce all national Hispanic ratings through its National People Meter (NPM) panel, the same sample that is used to produce ratings for non-Hispanic networks. This will put national Spanish-language television on a level playing field with English-language television, providing a common ratings number for all national networks.

As a consequence of providing ratings from a single national sample for all television networks regardless of language, Nielsen will retire its separate National Hispanic People Meter (NHPM) panel, which has measured Hispanic households since 1992. This completes a transition that started in late 2005, when a number of Spanish language networks began to use ratings data from the NPM sample.

The growth of Hispanic television in recent years has resulted from the growing market power of the Hispanic population as a whole:

• The number of Hispanic viewers in the U.S. has risen from 22.2 million, or 9% of the total U.S. population, in 1992-93 to 38.9 million, or 14% of the total population in 2005-06.

• Ad spending on Spanish-language network and cable television has grown from approximately $1.8 billion in 2001 to more than $3.05 billion in 2006, according to Nielsen Monitor-Plus.

• In the 1992-1993 television season, there were two national Spanish-language broadcast networks, attracting a combined average primetime audience of 2.4 million Hispanic viewers. In the 2006-2007 television season, there were four national Spanish-language broadcast networks with a combined average primetime audience of 4.1 million Hispanic viewers.

“By providing the marketplace with a single source of television ratings regardless of language, Nielsen will allow the television industry to evaluate both English and Spanish language television and audiences side-by-side,” said Sara Erichson, Executive Vice President, Nielsen Media Research North America. “This step is part of Nielsen’s commitment to continuously improve the quality and accuracy of its measurement and to ensure that our measurements reflect the growing diversity of the entire U.S. population.”

If you are interested in listening to some discussion on this topic, there was a report on NPR - Morning Edition

Media researcher Brad Adgate discusses the change and the growth of the Hispanic television market with Renee Montagne.

Source : NPR - Morning Edition

The Latinization of American food and lifestyle.

American culture has been through many transitions. Most Americans take pride in the fact that the United States is a "melting pot" that has adopted the influences of many different ethnic more 200-year history. We may say we are going to an Italian restaurant, but we certainly think of pizza and pasta as a stable of American cuisine.

Latinization is a buzz word right now, but as Cristina Benitez' book, Latinization, points out, Latino influences are being adopted so quickly in the U.S. that they will soon be mainstream culture. Latinization is simply the most recent transition of American culture.

This month shows many examples of this main stream adoption of the Latin influence.

1. The upscale epicurean magazine Gourmet devotes the September special issue to the exploration, taste, and celebration of Latino culture.
   
   The magazine showcases the voices and food-loving adventures of Latino writers Junot Diaz, who takes readers inside his Dominican New York, and Ana Menedez, who offers a tour of the Cuban culinary scene in Miami.
   
   
2. In the September issue of the magazine Every Day With Rachael Ray, the energetic talk show host introduces two new contributors, chef and author Daisy Martinez and interior designer and home improvement maven Evette Ríos, both of whom are Puerto Rican.
   
   
3. Cable's Food Network has ordered an additional 13 episodes of its daytime entertaining and food program Simply Delicioso, hosted by Colombia-born lifestyle aficionada Ingrid Hoffman. The show airs Saturdays on the cable food channel at 11:30 a.m. ET. She also serves as host of the Spanish-language show Delicioso on Galavisión/Univision and is considered to be the first TV host to have two Latino lifestyle programs in two languages airing on two cable networks. Hoffman's cookbook, Simply Deliciosio: A Collection of Everyday Recipes With a Latin Twist, is being published by Clarkson Potter/Random House and is scheduled for release in February 2008.

'Latinization' of the U.S. Transforming Business, Culture and Life Itself

New book illustrates how marketers, employers and others are learning to embrace the changes and capitalize on Latinos' growing influence

CHICAGO, July 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Most marketers, civic leaders,
academics and others who track the changing face of the United States are
well aware that at 44 million-plus, the Hispanic population is the largest
ethnic group in the U.S. and the fastest growing. A new book,"Latinization: How Latino Culture is Transforming the U.S.," (Paramount Market Publishing; $24.95; ISBN 978-0-9786602-5-3; 125 pages, hardcover) provides valuable insights into this mounting phenomenon. Latino purchasing power is estimated to reach $1.2 trillion in 2011, according to the Selig Center for Economic Growth.

Author Cristina Benitez (http://www.lazoslatinos.com/mediaroom/cristina_benitez_bio.pdf) defines Latinization as a movement, a force that represents a series of Latino values and trends that are shaping contemporary American culture. It's a combination of factors from the 22 Spanish-speaking countries that are homelands to the Hispanic population of the U.S. These influences are as wide-ranging as Argentinean tango, dulce de leche desserts and the fast-growing popularity of Mexican cuisine.

In 1998, Benitez founded Lazos Latinos (http://www.lazoslatinos.com/intro/main.html), a Chicago-based strategic branding and advertising company that focuses on the Hispanic market. In 2005, she developed the concept of Latinization to help Fortune 500 companies and to develop Latino leadership empowerment. Benitez advises top-tier corporations and organizations, including Exelon, Kraft General Foods, General Electric, PepsiCo and Deloitte Consulting.

"Latinization" focuses on the positive influences Latinos exert on their new country, covering topics from culture to the high value Latinos place on family relationships. Using real-world examples, Benitez provides essential lessons about how to craft successful marketing messages and advises corporations on how to develop Latino leaders and create stronger relationships with Latino employees. Most importantly, readers of "Latinization" will enhance their understanding of the fast-growing Hispanic population: Latinos accounted for 36 percent of the 100 million people added to the U.S. population over the past four decades. Benitez's book illuminates Latino-influenced factors that impact everything from this population's purchasing habits (http://hortmgt.aem.cornell.edu/pdf/smart_marketing/cuellar7-06.pdf) to new product development and Internet usage. For example, tortilla and taco chip sales are growing at a rate 2.5 times faster than potato chip sales, according to a report compiled by AC Nielsen for the Tortilla Industry Association. Supermarket sales of tortillas are rising while white bread sales decline.

With a foreword by Henry Cisneros, "Latinization" also features the knowledge of 20 Latino experts offering lessons in their respective fields. "Latinization" can be ordered at http://www.paramountbooks.com or from online booksellers Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Borders. Review copies are available from Paramount at (888) 787-8100.