The second level of the acculturation model is the Spanish Dominant Bicultural Hispanic, whom we coined: The Cultural Nomads. Here’s a glimpse into their world…

Meet Luisa

Luisa, 31 years old, moved to the United States from the Dominican Republic with her extended family when she was twelve years old. She is now married (her husband is also from the Dominican Republic) and is a stay-at-home mom to her two small children. Luisa and her husband live in a predominantly Hispanic community within minutes of her parents and other relatives.

Luisa’s identity is strongly rooted in her Hispanic heritage. She is proud to be Hispanic, and it is very important for her to continue many of the customs and traditions from her home country so that her children may come to appreciate their Hispanic roots. Luisa is also open to change and new experiences for herself and her family, including further integrating into the American culture. Though Luisa and her husband speak primarily Spanish at home, she is slowly teaching her children English and exposing them to a mix of English and Spanish-language media. She hopes her children will further integrate into the American culture, receive a good education, and reach their fullest potential in the United States.

Luisa’s cultural experience can be described as nomadic, ranging between Spanish and English, and deriving benefits from each culture to construct her own hybrid identity. She cooks a mix of traditional Dominican meals and popular American foods for her family. Luisa also celebrates both Hispanic and American holidays, and even started to host her extended family for Thanksgiving dinner. For fun, Luisa loves to go salsa dancing with her husband.

Luisa considers herself a savvy shopper and is always looking for a bargain. She relies heavily on word-of-mouth and personal endorsements from family and friends when considering making a purchase. For large purchases, Luisa will research her options online on the family’s computer. Though she favors shopping in stores for the personal interaction, Luisa is warming up to the idea of online shopping. Her favorite stores include Sears, Target, Best Buy, Wal-mart, and JCPenney.

Despite the fact that Luisa has been in the United States for almost 20 years, she still does not feel completely comfortable. She lacks confidence in her English-speaking skills, especially when conversing with non-Hispanics. Even so, Luisa is grateful for the opportunity to raise her children in the United States and is looking forward to new experiences and establishing new traditions as her children grow older.

Stay tuned for Part III of “A Lesson in Acculturation,” focusing on the English Dominant Bicultural: Living along the Hyphen.

The first level of acculturation model is the Unacculturated Hispanic or as we refer to them: The Anchored and Nostalgic. Here’s a glimpse into their world…

Meet Rolando

Rolando, 42 years old, grew up in a small town outside of Guadalajara, Mexico. Six years ago, he moved to the United States with his wife and three small children in hopes of securing a good job and providing his children with a better education. He rents an apartment in a predominantly Hispanic neighborhood, and works as a cook in a nearby restaurant where fluent English is not required.

Rolando’s identity is firmly anchored in his home country and he spends much of his time among people like himself who are from Latin American nations and who exclusively speak Spanish. Living in the U.S. can be complicated for Rolando and when he needs services or is unsure of how to handle a situation, he heavily relies on his friends for advice and guidance. This is how he and his friends collectively navigate the system that can seem so difficult and alienating.

Rolando is nostalgic for his home country and is constantly seeking ways to stay connected to his roots. Rolando and his wife maintain many of the customs they grew up with, passing these along to their children. The family celebrates all Mexican holidays, cooks mostly traditional foods and is avid fans of the national soccer team. Rolando prefers to consume all media in Spanish, including T.V., newspapers and searching the web. Keeping in touch with loved ones in Mexico is a top priority for Rolando. He typically calls his extended family using a calling card once a week and tries to visit once a year.

Rolando’s wife handles the majority of the shopping for the family. She is extremely brand loyal and tends to buy household items and groceries at the neighborhood bodega or at Super Wal-mart for bigger shops. The family also favors Kmart and Sears for clothing, electronics, and home furnishings. Rolando, though not a big shopper, enjoys browsing Home Depot and purchasing items to fix up his family’s apartment. He and his wife don’t have much, but they take great pride in what they do have.

Rolando recognizes that he is excluded from a lot of things in the United States because he doesn’t speak English, but he is working on changing that by taking language classes and practicing. He knows that the effort and sacrifices he makes now will benefit his children and that they have greater opportunities as a result.

Stay tuned for Part II of “A Lesson in Acculturation,” focusing on the Spanish Dominant Bicultural Hispanic: The Cultural Nomads.

Credit: Creative Commons

It’s no secret that Facebook, Twitter, blogs and the like are no longer reserved for college students, techies and over-sharers. In fact, nearly 70% of online adults are using social media on a regular basis, a figure that is only increasing. Social media has become a crucial component of the marketing mix for companies of all sizes across all industries as a virtually free way to dissipate information, interact with your audience, and increase brand recognition and loyalty.

In this economy, social media has become more important than ever for the non-profit and public advocacy sectors. It is an incredibly cost-effective way of sharing news, raising awareness, as well as building and sustaining online communities in support of a common mission – when done correctly. This means going beyond setting up Twitter and Facebook accounts or posting the occasional YouTube video. It requires a clearly defined strategy with tactics that are designed to reach your target audiences in order to achieve measurable goals and objectives. Without a comprehensive strategy, those random tweets only create white noise and contribute to information overload for users. The strategy determines which social media channels you should leverage to best support your goals.

One appropriate tactic for non-profit groups seeking to raise awareness among their target audience is to start a blog that showcases the organization’s knowledge and expertise. Blogs have become a mainstream means to share information and incite discussion with over 57 million American adults reading on a regular basis. To ensure the post reaches your target audience, you could ask influential bloggers with an established readership to write a compelling post on the issue, and include a call to action that directs readers to your website. It’s important that your social media tactics do not standalone, but rather work together to proliferate your message and maximize your time and resources. For example, you can share a link to your blog post on your Twitter and Facebook pages to ensure optimal visibility and reach.

The golden rules of social media for non-profits and public advocacy groups are to keep your audience engaged and encourage their participation. It is important to regularly update your social media channels with relevant and meaningful information. New content cultivates interest and encourages people to share your updates with their online networks. Motivate people to interact with your organization by allowing them to comment on your Facebook discussion board or your blog posts, for example. Start a conversation with your audiences by responding to comments and answering any relevant questions to the best of your ability. Of course, this level of personal interaction requires some level of monitoring and maintenance, but it is a wise investment. If people feel that they have been heard and that their opinions are valued, they are more likely to continue their involvement in your organization and champion your cause.

As I’m sure many of you can attest, raising awareness on behalf of your organization is only half the battle in the non-profit and public advocacy world. Oftentimes, motivating people to take that extra step and do something is the hardest part of achieving your organization’s goals. Social media serves as an excellent vehicle to help mobilize your target audience into action. You can use social media tactics to drive traffic to your website to make donations, send Facebook invites to increase event attendance or arm your supporters with the resources to write to their local legislation calling for action on behalf of your organization.

As a final reminder, make sure to nurture the online community you have developed. Keep supporters abreast of any new updates, accomplishments and new opportunities to stay involved in the organization. An educated, responsive online community that feels appreciated is a valuable asset to any non-profit, and these supporters are likely to remain loyal to your organization for years to come.

You will be responsible for the concept, design and delivery of a range of web/interactive and print projects. Your strengths lie in your ability to:

• Look at the big picture in the creative process
• Lead and conduct design strategy meetings; work with team to deliver against strategy
• Manage multiple project, in-house resources, contractors and vendors simultaneously
• Monitor and manage project budgets
• Be self motivated and work independently under tight deadlines

To be considered you must have the following:

• A full understanding of the printing process (spot and CMYK)
• Extensive knowledge of standard design software tools (Illustrator, Photoshop, inDesign)
• Web, interactive and online design experience and full understanding of Flash and HTML
• BFA and a minimum of three years experience required or equivalent with a strong portfolio and sample of work
• Bilingual, Spanish – English

Please forward resume and salary requirements, along with your top three creative samples and/or link to your portfolio to: careers@thinkargus.com

Products bought at Target stores affect everyday living for those who value style. But can they cater to the purely cost-conscious consumer too - without hurting their brand?

ThinkInsight

As sales slip and the economy is in a cash crunch, Target is looking to pump up their bottom line by temporarily stocking more generic “warehouse club-like” bulk product offerings. Coming from a brand that prides themselves on stylish yet affordable furnishings and clothing, this may just dilute the “specialness” of the brand altogether by dumbing it down to a Sam’s Club or Costco level.

At its core, Target’s success stemmed from appealing to a segment of consumers who were looking for discount shopping that was hip and cool, yet completely affordable. They accomplished this not only through their marketing efforts, but throughout their in-store retail experience as well. The merchandise itself was consistently stylish (usually created by high-end designers), allowing it to appeal to a more youthful audience; thus, infiltrating the world of high fashion. So to hype that Target is now selling generic items goes completely against the grain of the original branding that set them apart.

Though the target end date for this promotion, called the Great Save Event, was February 21^st, they are still continuing this online. This tactic remains somewhat removed from their core operations, which is a good thing. Devoting more space and attention to the Costco-model would certainly interfere with the core values that make Target such an exceptional brand.

Guarana Antarctica

Australian Post: Stamp

Fitness First

The first is that our Principal/Creative Director, Lucas Guerra, came up with the name ARGUS as homage to his home country combining “ARGENTINA” and “U.S.” Lucas may actually tell you this depending upon how nostalgic he is feeling for home on that given day.

The second, truthful answer, is that ARGUS is named after a powerful protector in Greek mythology. ARGUS is said to have one hundred eyes and sleeps with only two of them closed at a time. This way, he can watch every detail and look after those in his domain. Here’s a visual:

Within ARGUS, we’ve adapted these traits to our observant or vigilant methods for our clients. We pride ourselves in our keen attention to detail, curiosity for events in the world, and how these inevitable changes may affect the clients we serve.

And though we may not have 100 eyes like our ancient friend, it sure feels like it sometimes. A key part of our strategic process is to examine complex issues and challenges from every angle and perspective. Seeing beyond the obvious and developing smart and innovative solutions that surpass the status quo is at the core of what we do. An example of this is the anti-smoking interactive campaign we developed, called the84.org, that targeted teens in Massachusetts. Rather than develop another campaign that preaches the negative effects of smoking, ARGUS took a fresh approach and focused on the 84% of teens who currently do not smoke and established their healthy behaviors as normative and cool. The campaign was extremely effective with over half a million visitors coming to the site from all over the United States.

We are also alert and aware of what is going on in the world around us much, like our Greek counterpart. The industry is constantly changing and we don’t want to miss a minute of it. We have our eyes and minds open to new information, technology and trends that affect our clients and how we do business.

In the spirit of our mythological namesake, we are prepared to take on any new challenge that comes our way. We just like to think of ourselves as a little better looking.

I use the term Mad Men to define CD because most executives, directors, planners and creatives were men (yes, Virginia — even in the early 90’s).

Modern advertising reflects vintage style in an Ad Age promo for Mad Men.

The book chronicles the extreme ups and downs of running an agency, and battling internally whether to position the agency as a “creative shop” or to become a business partner with the client.

There were striking parallels between their struggles in 1989 and the challenges facing many agencies today (not withstanding our economic woes).

Is the mark of a great agency comprised of award-winning work that brings in new business, but ultimately falls short of supporting the client’s objectives?

Probably not.

Perhaps the answer lies in the support of client business goals with award-winning work that’s rooted in consumer insight. Couldn’t both live in harmony?

Clearly, ARGUS would not be in business if we did not achieve both. Our clients stick around for the long-term, because we work for this balance.

At a time when consumers truly own brands, won’t tolerate change on package design or product formula (remember new Coke and Tropicana?), and CMOs are looking for ROI, you’d better be sure to marry the two — or you’re dead.

But one particular designer decided to take a different approach to entirely change our way of thinking. Check out this bed of nails that invites the viewer to feel its texture, and yes, even sit!

This inspiring piece of furniture is a reminder of what ARGUS has done with a number of different campaigns. The Smoke-Free Boston campaign prompted an attitude change among the general public about the smoking ban, by positioning it as a historic moment for the city of Boston and positive for the health of its city workers and residents. It encouraged people to enjoy a healthier smoke-free environment, and to “breathe it in.”

It’s amazing what the power of positive thinking can motivate people to do.

Image by Keane and Hunt

ARGUS has long believed that the traditionally known general market is rapidly dissolving into a multicultural marketplace. We’ve held this view for over 10 years, and our work is guided and supported by this concept.

America is becoming a blended nation that is reflected in the adoption of various cultural traditions. And as the largest research project in the nation, the upcoming 2010 Census is expected to confirm this.

“The concept of an ‘average American’ is gone, probably forever,” demographics expert Peter Francese writes in 2010 America, a new Ad Age white paper. “The average American has been replaced by a multidimensional society that defies simplistic labeling.”

The message to marketers is clear, according to Bradley Johnson of Ad Age: “No single demographic, or even handful of demographics, neatly defines the nation.”

What does this mean for marketers that want to reach underserved or hard-to-reach populations?

Our nation is becoming more diverse, particularly among younger populations. Smart outreach strategies will have to certainly take this into account. Consumer insight, more effective segmentation, and “niche” targeting will most likely become the norm.

ARGUS has used this strategy with wildly successful results for many clients, including Comcast. Building on our proprietary acculturation model, known in the marketplace as LatinoTRUTH™, ARGUS has targeted smaller niche markets within the Hispanic market.

By employing an approach that accounts for cultural commonalities in both offline and online strategies, you get more bang out of your marketing dollar and avoid the “spray and pray” effect.

Considering that by 2010, Hispanics will be both the nation’s fastest-growing and largest minority population segment, isn’t it time you took that into consideration?

C. Hammond
Director of Client Relations