Spanish-language papers face hurdles in finding right niche by ·Kelly Shermach Staff Writer Some have died, graves await others

Despite some recent deaths in the industry, experts on the Hispanic Spanish-language print is keeping its market predict growth among ~panish-l~nguage n~wspapers in the future. head above agua, but some newspapers have bid adios.

The recent deaths of giants such as El Daily News published by The Daily News, New York, and La Raza Domingo, the Chicago Sun-Times supplement, among others, have given the Spanish-language print indusny the reputation of being unreliable in a "here one day, gone the next" sort of way.

"I think everybody wants to jwnp on the bandwagon, and that's giving print a

Graphic by John Foster Jr./ Marketing News bad name," said Norma Gonzalez, vice president-director of media at Monte­ very difficult to maintain readers where keters have been turned off because [the mayor & Asociadas, San Antonio, Texas. you don't have the news that they papers] are fly-by-night." "Evetyone who wants to expand wants to want"-and marketing the publication to "Growth is going to come with publi­put out a Spanish-language publication." the community as well as to advertisers. cations defining their niche," she said

And the challengers aren't confined Because some papers have closed, and predicted opportunity in "targeting to overcoming a bad rep. Without fol­ Gonzalez said, "advertisers and mar- affluent professional women and house­lowing a formula for success, others will wives as well." She suggested publishers die, too. start small, identifYing their conswners

Success, she said, requires determining and not trying to capture all Spanish the necessary frequency for the reader­ ~ ---~ ----~ speakers, to set a firm foundation that ship, distribution, news content-with _--. the community and advertisers can rec­competition from broadcast media, "it's !!...._________ I \ '

.... see Spanish on page 14

Spanish supplement since 1976. Now'known vertisers will place more in print, es­as El Nuevo Hem/J, the 40-page pecially to reinforce their broadcast paper has a daily subscription base of campaigns. "Print may survive more

continued from page 1 103,000 and a Sunday subscription than any other media," she said. base of 128,000. Sam Verdeja, vice However, she said publications must president of community.relations, look to "a nontraditional future," not

ognize and respect. said the publication has grown in only in the big markets but in the Right now "They try to start off readership every year, and advertis­ emerging secondary markets, such as

too big and want advertiser support, ing has grown to five times what it the "sizable pockets" in Oregon and but the advertisers don't want to com­ started out at 20 years ago. He claims Oklahoma. Because these smaller mit because they want some credibili­ the paper is a success because it markets are isolated, chances are they ty to fall back on," Gonzalez said. meets the needs of the market, will be catered to not by their own

"The Hispanic market as a whole changing content as the market local radio and TV stations but by is still in the infancy stage," said changes and keeping in close touch cable and community-based newspa­George San Jose, president of San with its advertisers. pers, said Adams. Jose and Associates, Chicago. And Communication with the market "I think there's an explosion going though "small community newspa­ and advertisers helps foster equity in on," said Octavio Nuiry, PR manager pers have learned the language of such publications. Loretta Adarris, at Ad Rendon & A$ociados, Newport Corporate America," supplements in president of Market Development Beach, Calif. He and Kirk Whisler the general market have the tough Inc., Chula Vista, Calif., said publish­ just compiled The 1996 Complete His­challenge of understanding what will ers of Spanish-language newspapers panic Media DiTectory for ADR Pub­succeed in the segment. need to nurture brand image, which lishing, Newport Beach. The book

"Regardless of the people you includes frequency, and news and ad­ identifies about 1,100 publications in bring in to manage the supplement, vertising content. For instance, His­ the U.S. that target Hispanics in En­you're never going to have the entre­ panics like the coupon supplements glish, Spanish, or a combination of preneur spirit or the know-how of the that run in Thursday and Sunday the languages. entrepreneur that's necessary," said editions of general market dailies, she "Not only is it a boom in terms of San Jose, when the manager's whole said, and the sports coverage in the numbers of papers," Nuiry said, "but life depends on the publication, when Spanish-language papers provides the ad budgets· are growing at double­marketing isn't just a matter of visuals the audience is accustomed to digit rates." But, he cautioned, those money but a matter of heart and soul. watching on Spanish-language who don't write for and advertise to

San Jose said the issue of survival broadcasts. That type of marketing the Spanish-speaking market the for Spanish-language newspapers aims for crossover from TV to print. right way will find themselves out of goes much deeper than big opera­ Newspaper marketers must learn jobs. A foothold in the community is tion, big budget vs. small. Those in­ to put marketing principles in place necessary to know what it wants and · volved have to know the systems, and accommodate the.marketing needs and to produce a popular procedures, and culture of the His­ function completely, Adams said, be­ product. panic community they target. The cause advertisers, who have learned "Hispanics are hungry for infor­top editors and marketers at general marketing principles, expect no less mation, and while they are the heavi­market publications tend to stick to from newspapers. est users of broadcast media, print of the rules established for the general "I think there's a big future in the all types fills a void," said Gary L. market, he said, and ignore signs of industry because I see advertising be­ Berman, president of Market Seg­what works within the Hispanic cul­ coming more mature," she said. It ment Research, Coral Gables, Fla. ture and what doesn't. Marketing to a used to be "a no-brainer" to advertise "That void is often community­specific cultural group requires flexi­ to the Spanish-speaking market, in based." The small publications will bility and changing the rules, he said. part because there wasn't much com­ expand as the Hispanic population

The Miami HeTa!J is an example of petition in marketing to Hispanics. expands, he predicted, yet he said, "I these lessons taken to heart. It has As advertising to this market con­ don't think anybody knows the truth published a daily Spanish-language tinues to evolve, Adams predicts ad- about Spanish-language print." •

George L. San Jose President & Chief Creative Officer of The San Jose Group a Multicultural Advertising Agency