in this issue: industry news | the u.s. hispanic online market opportunity | interview: nancy hughes | latest launches ENGAGE is a monthly newsletter designed to keep you and other association leaders on top of trends in magazine and web publishing, as well as in branded content. If you get even one idea a year, we'd like to think Engage is worth reading.
The annual Mediamark Research Inc. (MRI) spring research results have just been released, bringing you all the magazine data you ever wanted to know... and more. Click here for some of the highlights, including "best" and "worst reversal of fortune," thanks to Ad Age magazine. Or, for more in-depth reading, check out this article from Mediaweek magazine.
The Future of Branded Content
The branded content of tomorrow may not look like the branded content of today, according to this Brandweek article. Tactics like product placement and branded television may be replaced by other mediums such as mobile marketing.
ABC's User Generated News
This Variety article reports that ABC News is looking to connect with the YouTube generation by launching a user-generated news show. "Amateur video will form the basis of the show's segments, but ABC News correspondents will build news stories and features around video captured on cell phones or digicams and uploaded to a companion website."
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The U.S. Hispanic Online Market Opportunity
by Lee Van
Lee Van is the founder of Captura Group, a full-service Hispanic interactive agency
The U.S. Hispanic market online represents an attractive opportunity for associations looking to grow their member bases. Totaling nearly 16.5 million individuals in January 2007, the U.S. Hispanic online market has reached critical mass and continues to grow at explosive levels. Yet online Hispanic consumers remain a relatively untapped segment of both the online population and the aggregate Hispanic market.
In order to tap into this attractive market segment, associations should consider the following best practice principles in Hispanic online marketing.
In-Language: Online communications must address Hispanics' language preferences and ideally should be in both English and Spanish to most effectively address Hispanic users' varied language preferences.
In-Culture: Regardless of language used, the online experience must be culturally relevant to achieve an emotional connection with Hispanics.
Access: Enable users to access the Hispanic site through prominent links on general market sites.
Hispanic URL Strategy: Use a stand-alone Hispanic-themed URL for marketing and search engine optimization purposes.
Comparability and Maintenance: Ensure that your Hispanic site is as comparable as possible to your general market site while consistently evolving and maintaining it.
Notification: Manage user expectations by providing notice when a user is about to navigate to an English-only area or external site.
Toggle: Enable users to toggle between English and Spanish sites if available.
Hispanic Online Marketing: Consider out-of-the-box solutions to reach Hispanics online.
click here to suggest a trend. interested in learning more about these best practices? contact Captura Group for more information about the Hispanic online market.
What are some of the new communication initiatives AAPA is working on right now? What's on the horizon?
Do you have a magazine? What's its role?
What are some words of wisdom for association communication heads?
If there were one thing you would want to try from a communication perspective, what would it be?
If you could start a magazine, what would it be?
What's your favorite magazine?
looking for more? suggest additional interview questions.
Most associations, including AAPA, do an excellent job of contemplating their respective navels. We conduct yearly surveys of our members to learn about their wants, needs, and preferences. But what about the audiences served by our members? The Academy recently conducted a nationwide poll to gain a better understanding of patient knowledge of and attitudes about the physician assistant profession. Using this data and the results of a recent communications audit, we are in the process of developing a strategy for realigning various communication vehicles—graphically and editorially—with what we have learned.
AAPA is the national professional association for all physician assistants in all specialties. Our magazine is a monthly clinical journal and published on a split run, with a slightly different version going to non-members of the Academy. Its role is to provide needed continuing medical education credits for physicians, inform both members and non-members about AAPA accomplishments and national health care issues, and encourage non-members to join. It also is designed to be a revenue generator through the sale of pharmaceutical ads and classified employment ads.
Get out of the office! You never know when a new idea will slap you in the face unless you expose yourself to thoughts and activities outside your normal routine. There never seems to be enough time to keep office projects on track, the budgets updated, and staff engaged. I'm the first to complain that I don't have enough time to write. But I remember the words of an assignment editor I used to work for—you can't be a communicator to the community if you're not part of the community.
This question raises the great temptation to go back to managing projects rather than managing people! Coming from a radio background, I would love to try podcasting. We've been in discussions on the staff level about this and video streaming on our Web site.
I assume economic viability is not an issue? A magazine that integrates Lonely Planet-type down-to-earth travel advice with short societal/technological pieces like those in Wired.
Whatever is at the top of the foot-high stack of magazines next to my bed.
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The latest consumer magazines to hit newsstands, courtesy of Magazine Yellow Pages.
A magazine for "aspiring new media titans," this is the first bonafide monthly business magazine for the industry, covering news, technology and expert advice.
An alumni-based magazine that goes out to the graduates of historically black colleges and universities, seeking to connect thought-leaders and create a community through news and entertainment.
The self-proclaimed "social, fashion and lifestyles" sourcebook for the United States' most discriminating single adults aged 30 years and over." Intellectual. Whimsical. Spontaneous.
This magazine is "designed to empower professionals to take a comprehensive look at what is shaping wildlife management and conservation, from politics to science to increasing human-wildlife interaction."