Limiting ourselves.
It's been a long time since the last time I posted on this blog. I know, as marketing professionals often times we don't do a good job of communicating ourselves. And when we do, there's always the pressure of coming up with something that is relevant, original, creative, and very, very well crafted. So, we usually reserve that time for our clients.
Not long ago on a seminar that I put together, I said "the stereotype works both ways" responding to the question of why Latino media outlets usually don't publish stories that are not related to the community itself. This was a seminar for PR professionals in arts & culture organizations. And I believe it is true.
As a Latino person living in the US (where else would I be "Latino"?), I'm interested not only in what is directly related to my own cultural background, but to many and varied interests. I like European films, love Vietnamese food, crave for the "on language" section of the Sunday NYT, listen to the Holly Cole trio, the same way that I enjoy mojitos, am fascinated by Dia de los Muertos, and root for the "Tri". It might sound like an oxymoron, but my interests are not only related to my cultural background, like a lot of times we assume in our society. Mexicans are only interested in Mexican food, Argentinians in asado, and Salvadorians in pupusas. I know that nobody relatively educated would accept thinking this, but in my experience it happens all the time. People constantly ask me if I do my grocery shopping in the Mission, and are surprised when I reply that all is done at Trader Joe's. So that's the stereotype, not much to say about it.
But my point today is that our media outlets seem to follow this way of thinking: Latinos are only interested in Latino issues. The result is that they only publish stories that are directly related, and the key word here is "only". Of course the response of many of them is that the general market outlets cover all those issues that pertain to "the general market" (and we are also part of it), but wouldn't it be important to have the "Latino perspective" on general market issues? Like the environment, and sustainable energy, or more importantly, contemporary art and/or science education? If I do enjoy reading a Latino newspaper because it is in my own language, and because it speaks to big part of who I am, why the editors of such newspaper are making decisions for me on what is important. Let me decide what is of interest to me.
So, the stereotype goes both ways. Mainstream media outlets reach out to Latinos only on Cinco de Mayo and the rest of the year we seem to be non-existent for them. But also, Latino media outlets think that the only thing we are interested in is Cinco de Mayo, and nothing else.
Stretching this comment a little, I'd ask you:
Is there a "Latino perspective" on the issues of our society?
It's been a long time since the last time I posted on this blog. I know, as marketing professionals often times we don't do a good job of communicating ourselves. And when we do, there's always the pressure of coming up with something that is relevant, original, creative, and very, very well crafted. So, we usually reserve that time for our clients.
Not long ago on a seminar that I put together, I said "the stereotype works both ways" responding to the question of why Latino media outlets usually don't publish stories that are not related to the community itself. This was a seminar for PR professionals in arts & culture organizations. And I believe it is true.
As a Latino person living in the US (where else would I be "Latino"?), I'm interested not only in what is directly related to my own cultural background, but to many and varied interests. I like European films, love Vietnamese food, crave for the "on language" section of the Sunday NYT, listen to the Holly Cole trio, the same way that I enjoy mojitos, am fascinated by Dia de los Muertos, and root for the "Tri". It might sound like an oxymoron, but my interests are not only related to my cultural background, like a lot of times we assume in our society. Mexicans are only interested in Mexican food, Argentinians in asado, and Salvadorians in pupusas. I know that nobody relatively educated would accept thinking this, but in my experience it happens all the time. People constantly ask me if I do my grocery shopping in the Mission, and are surprised when I reply that all is done at Trader Joe's. So that's the stereotype, not much to say about it.
But my point today is that our media outlets seem to follow this way of thinking: Latinos are only interested in Latino issues. The result is that they only publish stories that are directly related, and the key word here is "only". Of course the response of many of them is that the general market outlets cover all those issues that pertain to "the general market" (and we are also part of it), but wouldn't it be important to have the "Latino perspective" on general market issues? Like the environment, and sustainable energy, or more importantly, contemporary art and/or science education? If I do enjoy reading a Latino newspaper because it is in my own language, and because it speaks to big part of who I am, why the editors of such newspaper are making decisions for me on what is important. Let me decide what is of interest to me.
So, the stereotype goes both ways. Mainstream media outlets reach out to Latinos only on Cinco de Mayo and the rest of the year we seem to be non-existent for them. But also, Latino media outlets think that the only thing we are interested in is Cinco de Mayo, and nothing else.
Stretching this comment a little, I'd ask you:
Is there a "Latino perspective" on the issues of our society?
posted by contemporánea @ 3:09 PM
