Target Latino Project – Marketing Strategies

Contact: Andrea Garcia, garc5018@bellsouth.net, (770) 331-5439 – Target Latino

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PROJECT TO ASSIST AMERICAN COMPANIES DEVELOP MARKETING STRATEGIES TO THE LATINO MARKET

Claudia Goffan, Lead Coordinator of Target Latino, realizes the stereotypical perception many corporations have regarding the Latino market. She regularly hears from associates who work for established companies who are hesitant to target the Latino market.

‘If we [Latinos] are going to be 25% of the US population in a few more years, companies need to understand that there’s demographics to the Latino market’, says Claudia Goffan, ‘or they will miss on a very profitable opportunity’.

According to the U. S. Census Bureau; Atlanta’s Hispanic population grew by 362% between 1990 and 2000, while Georgia’s Hispanic population grew by 300% during the same period. Hispanics represented $450 billion in buying power in 2001. (May 28, 2002 KRTBN Knight Ridder Tribune Business News.) The country’s Hispanic buying power is expected to reach nearly $1 trillion by 2007, a 315% increase. (Selig Center for Economic Growth at the University of Georgia)

The goal of the project is to change the American companies’ perception of the Latino Market through actual hands-on experience. Claudia Goffan’s ambition may seem high to some. But she did not simply wake up one day and decide to tackle these issues. The catalyst behind the project comes from a local course in leadership and self-expression. Part of the Self-Expression and Leadership Program (SELP) – sponsored by the Landmark Education in Atlanta – is to create a community project that inspires the participant. That’s how Target Latino was born. Why do companies need Latino marketing guidance? Due to the mainstream perception that the Latino Market has low buying power, and that there is not enough information regarding this market, American companies are spending top dollar on poor marketing tactics. Translating marketing materials into Spanish is not the only answer; a complete and professional marketing plan is a good first step. Target Latino is excited about the opportunity to present our market to mainstream corporations.

Target Latino – Assisting American companies market to Latinos

Target Latino is a community project where top Atlanta Marketing Latino leaders assist American companies develop strategies to capture the Latino Market.
More than 50 volunteers are working in and supporting the project – Latin-American Association, Vanessa Olcese (Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce), Dekalb Chamber of Commerce, National Society for Hispanic MBAs (NSHMBA), Society Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), Association Colombian Professionals in Atlanta (ACOLPA), Aldebaran Associates International (staffing agency), The Latin Box (marketing and advertising), Sagitauro (web development), and media vendors such as miatlanta.com, georgialatino.com, Cuponito Bilingual Coupons, among others.
As of this writing, the American companies that will benefit from Target Latino are Gold’s Gym Norcross, Liberty Mutual Insurance Co. – Norcross, Echolink Telecom LLC, Party Plus Atlanta, Nanette Freiman – Pre-Paid Legal, and Yellow Brick Road Properties, Inc.
For more information, please, visit www.targetlatino.com.

The Marketing Strategies Handover ceremony will take place on Friday October 10th, 2003 at the Latin-American Association.

CONTACT: Andrea Garcia at garc5018@bellsouth.net