Tomorrow is election day for the Houston City elections runoff. It is important that we all come out and vote.  I would would ask that you vote for my good friends Annise Parker for Mayor and Alma Lara for HISD Trustee #1. It only takes a few minutes to vote so please remember to do so tomorrow.

President Obama’s healthcare reform speech was a huge hit, according to Nielsen TV Audience Measurement. In his second address to a joint session of Congress, across ten broadcast and cable networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, BET, CNBC, CNN, Fox News Channel, MSNBC, Univision and Telemundo) last Wednesday night speech aired to over 31 million viewers, adding up to a combined household rating of 20.4 and a share of 35. The TV show “Friends” airing on NBC from 1994 to 2004, had a 9.2 rating at its height and last seasons “American Idol” finale, FOX Network reality show had 28.8 million viewers.

With all the drama that took place at town hall meetings across America this past August you would not have believed that so many people would tune in to watch the President. So the question I have to ask is, why would so many viewers spend time watching a politician, who according to recent polling data, the majority of Americans do not trust, talk about an issue they don’t agree with him on?

Could it be that Americans across all political parties, ethnic and age groups are truly interested in healthcare reform? Maybe the President is right, healthcare reform is tied to our economy’s recovery and Americans understand the connection. Didn’t the polls and the “talking heads” predict early on last year that Mayor Rudy (Winning Florida will win me the election) Giuliani was going to be the GOP nominee for president?

Could it be that they are wrong … again!

On November 3, Houstonians will elect a new Mayor, City Controller and 14 City Council members. In the race to lead the City, all three major candidates have a decent shot at losing the election. Based on the most recent polls, not one has broken from the pack to connect with voters.

One candidate is blowing their financial advantage by waiting too long to buy media. Going on TV earlier would have given them a psychological lead and branding advantage over the other candidates. The second mayoral candidate sends daily news releases about who is working for their campaign, or “spinning” about their great campaign organization.  They spend more time talking to insiders than to voters and remind me of a bad episode of the 1990’s sitcom “Spin City.” The third mayoral candidate is too worried about playing it safe to win the election.

While these candidates play insider politics and blow through their campaign war chests, they lose their chance to seize the lead and connect with voters. I should point out, in the interest of full disclosure, that I know all three of these candidates. I know that all three of the top mayoral candidates are well qualified to be our next Mayor, but I do have to question their campaign tactics.

What do these candidates have in common? They over-think their election strategy by flip flopping on issues and campaign strategies. Case in point, can anyone tell me what any of the top 3 candidates for mayor stand for? Can anyone tell me what issues they differ on? Political campaigns are about winning the hearts and minds of voters. They are about ideas and communicating your stance on issues that are important to voters. They are about leadership. But most importantly, campaigns are about building TRUST with voters.

For inexplicable reasons, some candidates don’t seem to understand these basics.  History has shown us that instead of trying to prove to voters that they are the best candidate for the job, they start to worry about losing. And, that’s when it happens…they lose. 

 Flip Flopping

In 2004, Republicans were able to retain their hold on the White House largely by depicting U.S. Senator John Kerry as a “flip-flopper.” It did not help matters one bit that Senator Kerry uttered such dense statements as, “I voted for it before I voted against it.” The Bush campaign was able to spin Senator Kerry into a candidate who could not be trusted on national security and other issues and President Bush returned to a job he did not deserve.

As a veteran of hundreds of campaigns from school boards to presidential elections since 1976, I view the election process with a very unique set of eyes. I can guarantee that the moment a candidate starts seriously thinking about winning and losing, they have lost the heart, soul and direction of the campaign.

It’s time we move forward and embrace 21st Century American politics.

In the new political landscape, social media has changed almost everything. Candidates now post campaign themes and ideas on Facebook. Voters post comments, pictures and videos on multiple social media platforms. Rumors that can boost or kill a campaign (and sometimes facts) move quicker in today’s world than they did just a few years ago.

The real question about social media and candidates is does the number of Facebook fans translate into voters and money for a campaign? It did for President Obama, but that may not translate into voters or money for everyone. In short, having a Facebook or social media page does not win voters.

Candidates need more than a social media strategy. Candidates must learn how to connect with voters outside their base of comfort and show up to special interest screenings whether they share interests or not. Candidates can’t always buy endorsements, as some have done in the current election cycle; they need to actually talk to voters about the issues that impact their daily lives. They need to engage in grassroots campaigns. They need to have a total integrated campaign plan.

The Politics of Indecision

In 2008, the politics of indecision tanked the presidential hopes of U.S. Senator John McCain. While exit polls showed that 62 percent of the electorate ranked the economy as the most important issue, McCain famously quipped, “The issue of economics is not something I’ve understood as well as I should” . The Obama campaign made sure that Americans saw that clip on every social media outlet. McCain would go on to suspend his campaign and fly to Washington with the working theory that he would put country first, and force Obama off the campaign trail. That didn’t happen. What happen was that Senator Obama was able to forge a bipartisan compromise, and alter the dynamics of the race for his advantage. Senator Obama won the election 365 to 173 electoral votes.

 As we embrace a new political engagement strategy in American politics, we need to remember that ours is a representative republic, despite the fact that only 3 of every 10 voters shows up to participate. Low voter turnout insures that political insiders become the new smoked-filled backrooms where elections are brokered.

Houston’s candidates in the November 3 election would do well to remember that engaging voters and connecting with them is still priority #1. Elections are still about ideas and values and not just a personality contest. Elections today are about using all the mediums available – direct communications, grassroots campaigning, voter outreach – and about connecting with the heart and mind of that target voter.

 Candidates that do not understand this are destined to lose.

Lately you may have seen news story about the fast growth of Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, etc… these are a few of the new Social Media networks that are changing who we all interact on the internet.

Many can tackle social media marketing, but few approach it like onlineLINK Marketing, a new business unit of carreñogroup.

onlineLINK Marketing can help you climb the social media mountain by first developing a SMO (Social Media Optimization) strategy. Next, we work with you to identify desired outcomes traffic/page views, sales, reputation, social responsibility, influence, credibility, and brand awareness.

Once we understand the desired objective, we choose tactics wisely, while cognizant of what actions will influence the desired outcome with the most impact.

Social Media Marketing is characterized by communities that allow users to do many or all of the following:

· Create profiles/accounts

· Grow a network of colleagues/friends

· Collaborate with other community members

· Submit content

· Vote on content

· Tag content

· Comment on content

With the overabundance of social media options, onlineLINK Marketing ensures that you embark upon the right channels with the right content!

Recently the PEW Research Center ask this question and here are the results - http://pewhispanic.org/files/reports/111.pdf

This is a very interesting report to read.

At 50 million strong, U.S. Latinos are racking up triple-digit growth from the nation’s heartland to the apple orchards of Maine to the Rio Grande Valley, as a product of high fertility rates, increased life expectancy and labor-driven immigration.

Most Latinos live in America legally, speak English and pay taxes. With traditional family values, Latinos are defined by a strong work ethic and loyalty to family, God and country. Despite immense contributions to the economic and political stability of the country, many myths continue to plague American Latinos.

Even the terms that describe these Americans are a source of pride and confusion.

‘Hispanic’ is the term used to identify the group in most U.S. government publications, yet the term’s historical reference elicits controversy in many communities. The term ‘Latino’ is deemed more inclusive and gaining acceptance among the general public.

American Latinos comprise the third largest Latino population on the face of the Earth behind Mexico and Colombia. The Latino impact on America’s landscape is evident in virtually every facet of life – from the big screen, to the small screen to the computer screen or from the schoolhouse, to the jailhouse to the White House. It’s been said that brown is the new green.

Latinos are a product of one of the most important migration streams of the 20^th century, constituting more than half of all immigrants to America. The most mobile of all communities, nearly six-in-ten Latino immigrants arrive from Mexico playing a pivotal role in our nation’s labor force.

As the second-largest minority group in America, and the fasting growing community in the country, Latinos are characterized by an incredibly diverse culture, rapid growth and unprecedented buying power topping $700 billion.

This year the carreñogroup along with the Lone Star Leadership & Policy Center will be publishing a report on American Latinos titled The State of the Latino Nation. If you would like to receive a copy please let us know by subscribing to our RSS feed.

So what do we call them?

For decades Latinos have debated over the question of what to call themselves. This struggle for a national identity in the United States is evident in the myriad polls posing the question to Latinos across the country: Do you refer to yourself as ‘Hispanic’ or ‘Latino’?

Most surveys reveal a slight preference for ‘Hispanic’ in general usage; however the term elicits more controversy than ‘Latino’. Deciding on a term of national Latino identity involves generational, social and political considerations.

A recent Presidential tracking poll of Latinos found regional leanings as well; Texans liked ‘Hispanic’, while California and New York preference was almost evenly split, in Illinois they prefer Latino, and in New Mexico they are Hispano. When addressing each other, most Latinos exercise sensitivity when referencing national origin but tend to be less guarded themselves, responding to either ‘Hispanic’ or ‘Latino’.

When offered the choice, most Latinos prefer ‘none of the above’ opting for a term closer to their national origin. A 2006 poll of first-generation Latinos found that one-third prefer ‘Hispanic’, one-third called themselves ‘Latinos’, and one-third referred to themselves by their country of origin.

Choosing one term to identify such a diverse people may be an exercise in futility.

Hispanic

U.S.-born Latinos prefer to identify themselves as ‘Hispanic’. These more acculturated, second- and third-generation Latinos tend to be young, conservative registered voters and regard the term as politically correct.

Critics of the term ‘Hispanic’ describe it as an attempt to homogenize all Latinos – a carefree generic labeling by the dominant socio-political power structure. The term first appeared on government publications, notably the 1970 Census, and has now become ingrained in our daily language. President Richard Nixon receives most of the blame for introducing ‘Hispanic’ into the American lexicon.

Latino

“Latino” is preferred by older or more liberal Latinos many with histories of political activism and radical tendencies. The term is deemed more inclusive than ‘Hispanic’ dating back to ancient Rome and the Latin romance language.

 Latina Magazine chose its name with the help of focus groups which found that women responded more positively to the term ‘Latina’, but uses both ‘Hispanic’ and ‘Latino’ interchangeably within its pages.

Media usage of the term varies as well. Spanish-language media almost exclusively uses “Latino” with few exceptions. English-language media interchanges between “Latino” and “Hispanic.”

The term “Latino” seems to be gaining broader appeal, or could it be that those who prefer “Latino” are just louder?

So at the end of the day choosing the correct term is all based on regional/political bias and on personal preference.

 Origin of “Hispanic”

‘Hispanic’ is the term used to identify the group in most U.S. government publications, yet the term’s historical reference elicits controversy in many communities.

For 20,000 years, the Iberian Peninsula had been inhabited by North African expansion into what is now considered the homeland of the Caucasian race. When the Phoenicians arrived at Europe’s western-most peninsula in the eighth century BC, they christened her, Hispania.

Hispania was invaded from the north and the south by the Celts and the Greeks during the sixth century BC, near the borders of the Basques. The Greeks introduced philosophy and theater along with the cultivation of olive trees and vineyards.

From the second century BC to approximately 400 AD, the Romans dominated Hispania, leaving behind 600 years of cultural influence, most noteworthy, Roman judicial law and the Latin language.  The most significant derivative of Latin, the Spanish language is spoken today by half a billion people.

The Goths and Vandals invaded Hispania in 408 AD bringing with them a legacy of cattle breeding, ranching and bullfighting. Nomadic gypsies introduced flamenco dancing.

In the seventh century AD, Islamic Arabs invaded the peninsula. The kingdom of Portugal was established in the twelfth century with the imposition of a separate Latin dialect. 500 years later El Cid initiated the Christian reconquest of Hispania.

At the close of the fifteenth century AD, the Catholic Kings – Castile and Aragon – united and expelled the Arabs and all other non-Christians forming Spain. In 1492, they financed the greatest expedition in the history of humanity, the conquest of the Americas.

Most Latinos are a blend of Hispanic and African immigrants and pre-Columbian ancestors sharing a rich, diverse heritage.

I am just beginning to take Twitter seriously a few weeks ago, I find it very user friendly and I think it adds more overall value for branding and communicating  than other social media website. However, here’s an interesting article by Gyutae Park     (Winning the Web) on using Twitter -  http://www.winningtheweb.com/twitter-seo-optimize-search.php

Media Daily News

March 31, 2009

Coke has launched a new iteration of its “Destapa La Felicidad” (”Open Happiness”) Hispanic-arket campaign.The new effort, bearing the tag “Destapa Tus Sueños” or “Unleash Your Dreams,” includes new point-of-sale, shopper experiences, consumer promotions, television, radio, print and out-of-home advertising, and mobile, digital and music components.

Two TV spots with a “dreams” theme are running on Spanish-language networks, including Univision, Telemundo and TeleFutura. One shows a father drinking a Coke after a long day’s work. He glances at his daughter playing with a stethoscope and imagines her becoming a surgeon.

The “Destapa La Felicidad” effort, itself an evolution of the “El Lado Coca-Cola de la Vida” (”Coke Side of Life”) campaign, began with a promotion on March 1 around its “Telenovela Club” platform. That promotion includes a sweepstakes for the chance to meet two telenovela stars.

Hispanic-market efforts this year also include national advertising and public relations featuring the Mexican National Team in the U.S.

Reinaldo Padua, assistant vice president/Hispanic marketing Coca-Cola North America, says the effort is intended to create “a more personal connection” to Hispanic consumers. “Through ‘El Lado Coca-Cola de la Vida,’ we found the voice of the brand again. People reminded us that Coca-Cola is about optimism, quiet confidence, leadership, fun and wit. This led us to create an updated call to action: ‘Destapa La Felicidad’,” he says.

He says the Coca-Cola Telenovela Club is one of the most successful programs Coke has for Hispanic consumers. “And due to its success, in 2009 we will continue the program.” The promotion will continue to run through My Coke Rewards/Mis Premio, Coca-Cola and participating retailers in Hispanic markets.

Padua says in-store elements include point-of-sale in meat departments and bakeries at supermarkets to Novelas or Fútbol activations in beverage aisles, deli and produce sections.