• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, August 15, 2007

Hearst Magazines is stepping into the young Hispanic arena with the launch of MisQuinceMag.com, a new online-only service magazine for teenage girls covering the quinceanera--a traditional coming-of-age party for 15-year-old girls celebrated in many Spanish-speaking countries and now the U.S., too. The new online offering will compete with Quince Girl, a print and online title that first hit the newsstands two years ago.

According to Hearst, MisQuinceMag.com will capitalize on the popularity of a promotional insert included in its CosmoGirl, Seventeen and Teen titles in fall 2006. The site, set to launch on Aug. 29, will feature articles and advice on the various aspects of quinceanera planning and execution. The site will include a blog by Isabella Wall, the "Fairy Godmother of Quinceaneras," as well as social networking and (PG-rated) online dating functionality courtesy of eCrush.

Quinceaneras, somewhat akin to "Sweet 16" parties in the Anglo mainstream, are often occasions for lavish spending by parents on a variety of goods and services--making them a perfect subject for service mags, comparable to the American wedding industry.

A full-blown quinceanera typically requires special matching dresses for the honoree and her friends or "ladies"; special matching suits for their male escorts and dance partners; weeks of dance lessons for both; catering for over a hundred guests; rental of a ballroom and banquet hall; catering with beer, wine and spirits for adult attendees; a live band or DJ; and a limousine. However, the only real limit is imposed by the parents' pocketbook. For example, if there are no suitable male dance partners willing to give up several weeks of their free time for ballroom dancing lessons, parents can hire a troupe of trained "chambelanes" or "cadets" to escort the female participants.

Quince Girl publisher Will Cain added that the commercial aspects of the quinceanera can involve much more than these immediate needs. As the teenage girl approaches her 16th birthday, many parents are also considering an automobile purchase as well as college necessities such as bank accounts, credit cards, cell phones, computers and other consumer goods. By reaching girls during their teenage years, providers of both products and services have a chance to make a strong connection that may be revisited later in the woman's life during wedding planning.

Asked whether he viewed MisQuinceMag.com as a threat, Cain sounded unfazed. "To think that two years ago, before Quince Girl launched, that there was no media presence to address the largest minority population in the United States and the fastest-growing segment of that population--teen girls--is amazing. When we sat down and planned this business, we expected there would be competition. It's expected and we're ready."

He noted that Quince Girl has rapidly penetrated the Hispanic community via a variety of platforms, including a touring Quince Girl expo that brings teenage girls and their families together with the big service and product providers in eight cities with large Hispanic populations, including Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, and Phoenix. The expos have drawn advertisers like Dr. Pepper, Macy's, Clinique and State Farm.