Winners Announced September 18th at the Latino2 Conference in LA

LOS ANGELES, CA — (Marketwire) — 09/09/10 — Latinos in Social Media (LATISM), the largest organization of social media professionals of Hispanic origin, today announced the finalists for its 2010 awards program for excellence in Latino communications in California. The winners will be selected by an online vote, which begins tonight at 6PM Pacific Time and ends next Friday, September 17th, 6PM Pacific Time. The awards will be announced September 18, at the Latino2 event at the Los Angeles Convention Center. For information on the event and how to vote, stay tuned for updates at http://latino2.com/blog.

“This is an extraordinary group of people, companies, non-profits and agencies,” said Giovanni Rodriguez, vice chair of events and programs for LATISM and co-producer of Latino2. “We look forward to honoring all the finalists in L.A. on September18th as we kick off an event series aimed at engaging the best minds in Latino communications throughout the entire state.”

You can cast your votes here:

Or join us in congratulating all the nominees!

Finalists for LATISM CA AWARDS 2010:

Best CA Latino Blogger
Angel Magaña
Brian Solis
Jesse Luna
Jose Huitron
Jose Villa

Best CA Latina Blogger
Ana L. Flores
Irene Martinez-Audet
Jennifer Vides
Monique Frausto
Nancy Marmolejo

Best CA Latino Tweep
Angel Magaña
Brian Solis
Jorge Amaro
Jose Huitron
Jose Villa

Best CA Latina Tweep
Irene Martinez-Audet
Jennifer Vides
Laura Gomez
Liz Cerezo
Saray Hill

Best Latino(a) Social Network Leader in CA
Ana Lydia Ochoa
Antonio Altamirano
Brian Solis
Monique Frausto
Nancy Marmolejo

Best Company Using Social Media to Reach Latinos in CA
Apple
Kaiser Permanente
La Opinión
LatinEyes.tv
Microsoft

Best CA Not-for-Profit Using Social Media to Engage Latinos
Brave New Foundation
Comunidad Para Baja California
Compton United Soccer Club
Hispanic Scholarship Fund
National Council for La Raza (NCLR)

Best CA Interactive Agency Using Social Media to Reach Latinos
Acento
Axis
Mediatrope
Sensis Agency
Zuno Studios

Best CA Advertising Agency Using Social Media to Reach Latinos
alPunto Advertising
McCann Worldgroup
Sensis Agency
vrtccom
Viva Visibility

Best CA PR Agency Using Social Media to Reach Latinos
Axis
Edelman Digital
Dialogo PR
RLPR
VPE Public Relations

ABOUT LATISM
Founded in 2009, Latinos in Social Media (LATISM) is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to advancing the social, civic and economic status of the Latino community by providing capacity-building training, information, resources and networking opportunities. LATISM also researches and analyzes Latino use of online social networks to inform decision-making by businesses, nonprofits, policymakers and others seeking to reach or mobilize Latinos. For more information, go to http://latism.org.

Media Contact
Giovanni Rodriguez
giorodriguez@gmail.com
650-279-8415

So hurry and cast your vote!

Please go to LATISM Announces Finalists for First Annual California Awards to view the survey

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By definition, a leader is someone with a vision who understands and voices the needs of the community while facilitating the involvement of others to bring about social change. History has shown the power of leadership, which is usually embodied in a person who drives positive change, i.e. Cesar Chavez, who led the first successful farm workers’ union in U.S. history.

Yet, for a population that has grown to more than 45 million Latino citizens, we presently seem to be at odds when it comes to deciding on the one person/organization that is going to stand up for the interests of our community in the larger national scene.

Not having a clear defender may have tremendous repercussions not only in the political arena, but in so many aspects of our future: At a time when many of the issues of our community are being debated, not having a clear leadership may mean that most decisions are more than likely being made without our input, our voice and our recommendations.

At tonight’s LATISM party, let’s talk about it frankly and openly.

Is lack of leadership a real issue or a perception issue?

What are some of the factors that contribute to our lack of leadership?

Who is holding the Latino torch in politics, business and other areas?

Are we better served, as a community, by smaller groups that focus on different aspects or do we need another Cesar Chavez?

Is there a need for alternative forms of civic participation to ensure that Latinos’ voices are heard?

PARTY DETAILS:

PARTY POINTERS:

• You’ll need a Twitter account (free) to join the party. If you don’t have one, you can sign up here.

• Be sure to follow Elianne Ramos [@ergeekgoddess] before the party so you can follow the flow = When you get this many Latinos under one “cyber-roof”, it can get very crazy!

• Also follow @ergeekgoddess1 [I tend to get into “tweetjail” for reaching my API limit].

• When you get to the party, introduce yourself and junp right into the conversation!

• Use the tag #latism in all of your party tweets.

• Most importantly, HAVE FUN!

Bring out your pen and paper and polish ‘em virtual apples!

Tonight on #LATISM, we’re going BACK TO SCHOOL!

As we enter a new era of global competition, advanced technology and changing demographics, few topics are more important to Latinos than Education, particularly Higher Education.

Just take a look at the latest numbers [according to the Pew Hispanic Center]

• Some 41% of Hispanics ages 20 and older in the United States do not have a regular high school diploma [versus 23% of comparably aged blacks and 14% of whites]
• Only 1 in 10 Hispanic high school dropouts has obtained a GED
• Some 52% of foreign-born Latino adults are high school dropouts
• As of 2008, Hispanic adults with a GED had a higher unemployment rate than Hispanic adults with a high school diploma—9% versus 7%

As America’s demographics shift and Latinos become “the mayority-minority”, it becomes imperative that we help ourselves, our fellow Latinos and our children become the next generation of leaders and highly skilled employees. That means raising the level of their achievement in knowledge and skills necessary to be successful adults and the chance of a better future.

So what is the culprit for the Education crisis?

What are the factors that exacerbate it?

Is there anything we can do to solve it?

Joining us tonight as special guests, the Team from The National Society of Hispanic MBAs (NSHMBA)

DETAILS:

ABOUT NSHMBA

The National Society of Hispanic MBAs (NSHMBA) was created in 1988 as a  non-profit organization. Widely known as the “Premier Hispanic Organization”, NSHMBA serves 32 chapters and 8,000 members in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. NSHMBA is focused on supporting the successful completion of advanced degrees by developing and delivering educational, professional and leadership development programs that prepare Hispanics for admittance into graduate management schools.

PARTY POINTERS:

• You’ll need a Twitter account (free) to join the party. If you don’t have one, you can sign up here.

• Be sure to follow Elianne Ramos [@ergeekgoddess] before the party so you can follow the flow = When you get this many Latinos under one “cyber-roof”, it can get very crazy!

• Also follow @ergeekgoddess1 [I tend to get into “tweetjail” for reaching my API limit].

• When you get to the party, introduce yourself and junp right into the conversation!

• Use the tag #latism in all of your party tweets.
• Most importantly, HAVE FUN!

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – August 31, 2010 – Latinos in Social Media (LATISM), the largest organization of social media professionals of Hispanic origin, today announced “Latino2:  The California Tour,” a year-long event series focusing on the emergence of Latin-American influence in the digital/social world.  The Latino2 event series kickoff – titled “The Marketing Tribe” – will also feature a keynote by social-media guru Brian Solis, a panel of Latina bloggers, and an in-depth interview with one of the leading cross-border marketing agencies in Los Angeles.  To register for this event, go to http://latino2.com.

The Latino2 tour will sponsor gatherings in California towns and cities where Latinos wield influence in business, government, and the non-profit sector.

“From the barrios, to Silicon Valley, to our state capital, Latinos today are leveraging digital and social technology to engage, communicate and mobilize,” said Giovanni Rodriguez, Vice-Chair of Events and Programs for LATISM and co-producer of Latino2.  “We hope to gather Latinos – and the people hoping to engage more effectively with them – in as many places as we can in our year-long journey, up and down this state.”

Single-Day Event Evolves into a Series

Latino2 originally was conceived as a single-day event in Los Angeles.  Because of the wide range of speakers, topics proposed for the event, the organizers saw an opportunity to evolve the concept.

“There is no single Latino conversation that’s happening online, no single tribe, no single location.” said Rodriguez.  “Rather than asking everyone to come to L.A., we’re telling people, ‘we’ll come to you’.”

In recognition of the local concentration of communications professionals in Southern California, the September 18^th kickoff in L.A. focuses on the “marketing tribe.”  The agenda for the event features the following:

–Keynote:

Brian Solis – globally recognized as one of the most prominent thought leaders and published authors in new media.

–Q&A with cross-border marketing agency, vrtccom:

Octavio Orozco, Co-Founder of vrtccom

Daniel Gonzalez, Strategic Planner of vrtccom • http://www.vrtccom.com

–Latina blogger panel:
Elizabeth Cerezo, Blogger, Thoughts of a Mommy/Disneylandia al Dia
http://thoughtsofamommy.com
http://disneylandiaaldia.com

Ana Lilian Flores, Co-Founder + Co-Publisher, SpanglishBaby Media
http://SpanglishBaby.com
http://thisilove.net

Silvia Martinez,  Founder, Mamá Latina Tips / Partner and Editor in Chief, Disneylandia al Dia
http://www.mamalatinatips.com
http://disneylandiaaldia.com

Elisa Batista, Co-Founder and Moderator, Mother Talkers
http://mothertalkers.com/

–Awards ceremony.

Individuals and agencies are competing for awards in ten different categories.

Please go to LATISM Launches Year-Long Tour of the California “Latinosphere” to view the survey

For more information on the Latino2 kickoff, registration, the awards program, go to http://latino2.com.  Also visit this site for information on future stops for the tour.

ABOUT LATISM
Founded in 2009, Latinos in Social Media (LATISM) is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to advancing the social, civic and economic status of the Latino community by providing capacity-building training, information, resources and networking opportunities. LATISM also researches and analyzes Latino use of online social networks to inform decision-making by businesses, nonprofits, policymakers and others seeking to reach or mobilize Latinos.  For more information, go to http://latism.org.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – August 26 – 2010 – Latinos in Social Media (LATISM), the largest organization of social media professionals of Hispanic origin has launched an annual awards program for excellence in Latino communications in California. The first awards ceremony — September 18 at the Los Angeles Convention Center — will be the centerpiece of the kickoff of “Latino2: The California Tour,” a year-long event series focusing on the emergence of Latin-Americans in the digital/social world. To nominate an individual or agency for an award, click here.

“The Latino2 tour is a year-long conversation with stops in the major geographical areas where Latinos have had a strong presence,” said Ana Roca Castro, -co-founder and chair of LATISM. “The awards ceremony is a perfect way of launching the tour, by bringing together some of the best minds in communications in one of the largest, most vibrant markets in the U.S.”

The Latino2 event series kickoff – titled “The Marketing Tribe” – will also feature a keynote by social-media guru Brian Solis, a panel of Latina mommy bloggers, and an in-depth interview with one of the leading cross-border marketing agencies in LA.

“This is the kickoff of a year-long tour, and we want to give the first attendees a taste of what’s to come,” said Castro. “Future events will be more topical – entertainment, technology, politics, non-profits – but excellence in communications stitches the series together.”

ABOUT LATISM
Founded in 2009, Latinos in Social Media (LATISM) is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to advancing the social, civic and economic status of the Latino community by providing capacity-building training, information, resources and networking opportunities. LATISM also researches and analyzes Latino use of online social networks to inform decision-making by businesses, nonprofits, policymakers and others seeking to reach or mobilize Latinos.

Iguana, Bravo, Cafeteria, El Niño

Why wouldn’t it be? Latinos are everywhere!

Yet, the subject always brings spirited discussions. On the one side, to those of us who have grown up hearing Spanish all of our lives, being bilingual is second nature. Even when we don’t speak it properly, we feel a reverence for the language, a deep connection with it. We may think in English … but we certainly live en español!

On the other side: many – including some Latinos – believe America should remain an English-only nation and that things like bilingual education keeps Latinos behind.

This brings us to some interesting questions:

• Is the US already a bilingual nation? Is it necessary at this point, for Spanish to be declared the official second language?
• What is the future of Spanish in America – will it disappear as more of us assimilate, or will the reverse happen and more Americans will learn it?
• Is there any advantage to speaking Spanish if we live in an English-speaking world?
• Does preserving the Spanish language mean we are, by extension, preserving our culture?
• Should Americans–specifically American children–become bilingual?
• How does monolingualism vs. bilingualism affect the future of America in the global stage?
• And where does Spanglish fall within this conversation?

Join us tonight for a party that promises to be muy caliente!

DETAILS:

We’ll also be sharing some of the NEW plans for our Latino2 Conference, coming up this September 18^th, 2010 in Los Angeles, CA.

THE USUAL POINTERS:

You’ll need a Twitter account (free) to join the party. If you don’t have one, you can sign up now.

Be sure to follow Elianne Ramos @ergeekgoddess [and @ergeekgoddess1, my Twitter alter ego] before the party so you can follow the flow = When you get this many Latinos under one “cyber-roof”, it can get very crazy!

When you get to the party, say hi, introduce yourself, ask a question or jump right in on the conversation! Just use the tag #latism in all of your party tweets. Most importantly, HAVE FUN!

© Stephen Mcsweeny | Dreamstime.com

Lately on Latism we have been focusing on blogger related topics, and with good reason: have you seen our LATISM Latina Blogger Survey Results?!? Yes, the Blogger population in our community is growing by leaps and bounds… and Latin@s are at the vanguard of this movement.

Last week, we spoke about the explosion of the Latino market online and the great opportunity for all of us — but how many of us are really capitalizing on this trend? How many of us are truly making our blogs profitable?

Tonight, we bring you a veritable trove of bloggy marketing wisdom!

We’ll be discussing how to pitch big brands and top PR agencies, how to get more clients, how to develop your pitch letter and other ways to make your blog more attractive to brands who are looking to work with YOU!

Our guest, Jenn Fowler [@jennfowler] –who recently co-conducted the “Job Lab: ROYO – Pitch Me” at the BlogHer ’10 conference– will be at hand to answer all your questions and share some of the tips that have made her so successful!

PARTY DETAILS:

ABOUT JENN FOWLER:

Jenn, who calls herself a “suburban subversive” is the publisher of Frugal Upstate, a blog about frugal living: simple ways to save money doing simple things you’ve never even considered. She’s also a founding member of the Walmart “Eleven Moms“, co-host of the Frugal Coast2Coast radio show, a contributor for FiLife.com (a Wall Street Journal Partner), and a writer at “She is Losing it“.  Jenn also co-hosts a Blog Talk Radio show (Frugal Coast2Coast) and has a YouTube channel.

THE USUAL POINTERS:

You’ll need a Twitter account (free) to join the party. If you don’t have one, you can sign up now.

Be sure to follow Elianne Ramos @ergeekgoddess before the party so you can follow the flow = When you get this many Latinos under one “cyber-roof”, it can get very crazy!

When you get to the party, say hi, introduce yourself, ask a question or jump right in on the conversation! Just use the tag #latism in all of your party tweets. Most importantly, HAVE FUN!

Latinos in Social Media [LATISM] Releases First Study Ever to Independently Assess Latina Bloggers

Latinos in Social Media [LATISM], the first and largest non-profit organization to engage, organize, train and promote Latinos and Latinas in the social media arena, has released the results to the first study ever to take a look at Latina bloggers both from a demographic and a cultural standpoint. Given the growth of the Hispanic market, these Latinas are the vanguard of an emerging consumer segment that is the most attractive target for companies right now.

Carried out by LATISM, and conducted through the leading online research tool Survey Monkey [www.surveymonkey.com], “The LATISM Bloguera Survey” questioned 939 respondents in the United States and Latin America.

You can access the full report here

]]> http://latism.org/latism-releases-1st-ever-latina-bloggers-survey-results/feed/ 2 http://latism.org/812-latism-party-latinos-in-the-digital-age/ http://latism.org/812-latism-party-latinos-in-the-digital-age/#comments Thu, 12 Aug 2010 19:52:17 +0000 ElianneRamos http://latism.org/?p=2146

© Lunamarina | Dreamstime.com

There’s no doubt about it: Latinos are leaving a well-planted mark in the digital world.

According to a July 2010 study by the Pew Hispanic Research Center, Latinos and Latinas -especially those ages 16 to 25- have been early adopters of almost every socially usable technology available, and over-index in the use of cellphones SMS, cameras, downloads, email, internet and games.

We are bloggers, twitters, Facebookers, social network group leaders, e-commerce owners, marketers and more. Seems like we’re taking over Cyberspace!

We were eye-witnesses of this explosion during last week’s BlogHer10 Conference adventure! But you didn’t have to be there to realize it:  This topic, which incidentally, is the theme for our upcoming LATISM/Latino2 LA conference, is in everyone’s mind right now, as marketers, politicians and the media are finally realizing the Latino market’s true potential.

So tonight, let’s talk about what’s in it for us as Latinos living in the US and everywhere else in the world.

• What are the implications of this increase in attention for us, Latinos in Social Media?
• Why do you think we are adopting technology at such high rates?
• What kinds of approaches are more effective when reaching out to Latinos?
• What are some good -and bad-  examples of campaigns geared to Latinos?
• How do you foresee this power changing the game in things like the marketplace and the upcoming elections?
• And how can we, as consumers, as communicators and as citizens, start to exert the power of numbers that we have?
• And why is it important that we do so?

Bring out your cellphones, your laptops and your cyber-mojitos as we explore the hottest topic right now: LATINOS IN THE DIGITAL AGE!

PARTY DETAILS:

When: Thursday, August 12, 9-11 p.m. EST (8CT, 7 MT, & 6 PT)

Where: www.tweetchat.com ! (Type in hashtag #latism)

Topic: Latinos in the Digital Age

Hostess: @ergeekgoddess

Our project consisted of the following:

1) A Survey to study the Latina Blogosphere – in English – y en Español – to be published and distributed to the press on Monday, August 16, 2010

2) A Scholarship program to take a group of Blogueras to the conference with the following LATISM scholarship winners:

Denise Icaza [@coupon_chica], Carolyn Gonzalez [@carogonza], Migdalia Rivera [@MsLatina], Lisa Perez [@Newyorkchica], Lexi Esparza [@laprimera], Liz Cerezo [@thoughtsofamomy], Dariela Cruz [@DarielaCruz], Janis Marie [@sneakpeekatme], Blanca Stella [@micaminar], Maegan Ortiz [@vivirlatino], Laura Tellado [@laurita86], Reina Valenzuela [@soylamar] and Ofelia Almedina [@OfeliaNJ]-

3) A comprehensive report unveiling the findings and results of the 1st LATINA BLOGGER SURVEY [to be released to the media on August 16, 2010]

4) A documentary about the Blogueras unveiled during BlogHer10 [to be released to the media on August 16, 2010]

5) A BlogHer Community party held on August 5th during BlogHer10

6) A Latinas in Social Media presentation during BlogHer10

So last week, when this amazing group of Latinas descended at the Hilton Hotel, they had no idea of what was in store for them! [and we're sure the Hilton staff didn't either!]

We could bore you with all the details, but we’d rather let the pictures speak for a thousand words. Enjoy!

LATISM DOES BLOGHER10, THE SLIDESHOW:

DAY 1: ¡SE ARMÓ LA FIESTA!

Day 2 – SHARING, LEARNING, FUN!

Day 3 – BLOGALISCIOUS and McDONALDS PARTIES

LATISM would like to thank our sponsors for all the BlogHer10 activities:

BlogHer
Comcast
General Mills/Qué Rica Vida
Hispanic Information & Telecommunications Network, Inc. [HITN]
Premier Social Media
Hispanic Technology and Telecommunications Partnership [HTTP]
GigCoin
Speak Hispanic Communications
The LATISM Social Media Community

We also give HUGE thanks to the Organizing committee ladies who pitched in to make this possible:

Monica Vila [@TheOnlineMom], Dr. Daisy Sutherland [@DrMommy], Denise Icaza [@Coupon_Chica], Lexi Esparza [@LaPrimera], Elianne Ramos [@ergeekgoddess], Jeannette Kaplun [@jeannettekaplun], Migdalia Rivera [@MsLatina], Ana L. Flores [@LAFlowers], Kety Esquivel [@Ketye], Carolyn Gonzalez [@Carogonza], Melanie Edwards [@modernmami], Julie Diaz Asper [@JulieDiazAsper], Lisa Perez [@NewYorkChica], Mariana Perez [@OhMariana], Carrie F. Weir [@CarrieFweir] and our fearless leader Ana Roca Castro [@AnaRC]

Thanks also to the contributors to the Photo slideshow above:

Laura Tellado, Jeannette Kaplun, Blanca Stella, Mariana Perez, Maria Amelia, Janis Marie, Yolanda from CuponeandoLive, Julie Diaz Asper, Sarah McKenna Pinnix and our official LATISM photographer Kelly Mullaney. All videos courtesy of Blanca Stella.

If you have pictures of your own that you’d like to share, we will be posting and tweeting instructions on how to upload them to the LATISM Flickr group.

We’d URGE you to visit our Blogueras “virtual casitas” for a glimpse at their experiences during the conference. Here’s a taste:

@LaLicenciada: Do the math: BlogHer10 – Social Skills = Me

@OfeliaNJ: What NOT to do at BlogHer

@Soylamar: DC AGENDA: BlogHer10 Recap – Click! Clack! Cluck!

@thoughtsofamomy: A small glimpse of my trip to BlogHer

@NewYorkChica: My Sunday Shoutout Post

@MiCaminar: Feel, Blog, Connect

LATISM is also proud to announce that we are developing our new LATISM website and there will be a group of “Blogs by Latinas” lead by Monique from Blogs By Latinas, in recognition of her leadership as the pioneer who built the first community
of our wonderful Blogueras. If you are a bloguera who’d like to become part of the Blogueras Group, please contact info@latism.org.

To all of our LATINA BLOGUERAS, much love! You are an inspiration as we continue our mission to ensure that online discourse more accurately reflects the rich diversity of thought, heritage and culture in the US and help empower Latinos to adopt and make full use of online social networks and applications through training, information, resources and networking opportunities.

If you are a PR/marketing/advertising executive, a Brand representative or a member of the media who would like to receive the report package or have any questions about the Latinos/Latinas in Social Media organization, please do not hesitate to contact Elianne [at] Latism [dot] org.

BlogHer10 is only THE BEGINNING. Here’s to a future of sharing and LATINO/A UNITY.

Let’s continue to write history together!  ^ER