Editorial

It's time to do our part!

In 2011 I wrote an article about a marketing study conducted by the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies to a considerable number of the largest advertisers in the United States where it was revealed that they spent a little more than 5.4% of their budget to attract the growing Hispanic market. At that time, that percentage was insignificant when you think about the 51 million Hispanics who lived in this beautiful country, representing, at that time, more than 16.7% of the population in the entire nation. Today, with that percentage and figure increasing, the outlook seems to hold up even if there is much alteration.

As advertisers do not begin to allocate more resources to serve the Hispanic market, the interests of the Spanish-language media, especially those in print, will be further impeded in their ability to exert more influence in the affairs of this country and to get more profit for your efforts.

As consumers we have to do our part, helping and ensuring that more advertising dollars flow to the Hispanic media. This is the only way to increase the wealth and influence of the Hispanic market and its high consumption.

But also, as Hispanics, we have the power to respond affirmatively to advertisers who need to reach us through this medium and others in the market. We have to let them know that we saw or heard their advertising by specifying where. The advertiser promotes its products and services to win over us, the consumers. By knowing that we are responding to you, you will continue to direct your campaign towards our Hispanic market. We have to leave evidence of our answer.

So let's do our part to help the Hispanic market grow and expand. Let us then support commercial firms and institutions that really believe and invest in the media in Spanish. We are going to show you that your message did reach us.