AOL Latino, a Spanish-language version of America Online, breaks its biggest TV ad campaign today. The effort also incorporates radio, event, and viral marketing initiatives in select markets, the
company said. Spending was not disclosed.
Mercy Lugo-Struthers, director of Hispanic marketing, AOL Latino, noted that since its official launch in October 2003, AOL Latino has been heavily
involved in research about the Hispanic market. She said a recent Roper/ASW study conducted for AOL Latino about the online behavior of Hispanics revealed that community, family, and education were
the top priorities for Hispanic families. "Hispanics rely heavily on word of mouth," Struthers said, adding: "Asking friends, neighbors, and family is one of the first things Hispanics do before
making the decision to buy a product."
Therefore, the ad campaign will be heavily focused on the value AOL Latino can bring to the family. In one of the TV spots, which will run nationally on
Univision, Telemundo, Telefutura, Azteca America, and on other cable networks, a boy is shown returning home from school to ask his parents why they don't have Internet access. The remainder of the
spot focuses on educating Hispanic families about the benefits of Internet service and AOL Latino in the home. At the end of the spot, the beaming child shows off his successful report card.
According to an AOL/Roper study, U.S. Hispanics with online access at home see the Internet as a powerful tool that can help improve the education and career prospects of their children, help them
keep in touch with family and friends living abroad, and make them better-informed consumers.
In fact, 79 percent of Hispanics say that the Internet has had a positive effect on the skills their
children will need for a successful career, while 72 percent say that the Internet has improved the ability of their children to get into college. Nearly two-thirds (63 percent) of all Hispanic
online consumers consider the Internet the best information source to start learning about products and services they want to buy, according to the study.
Struthers said that the study prompted
AOL to go ahead with the campaign. "We discovered that Hispanics recognize the value the Internet brings to the household," she said.
In addition, AOL Latino 9.0 Optimizado CD-ROMs will be
distributed in select retail outlets and via direct mail and promotional events. Another initiative builds on word-of-mouth marketing. A grassroots campaign will run in local Hispanic communities in
Miami and Chicago. Casanova Pendrill, Costa Mesa, Calif., created the advertising; Market Vision, San Antonio, Texas, is AOL Latino's agency of record for promotions.
AOL Latino currently has 2
million subscribers.