Mi Vida as a Planner

The scandal with Donald Trump over his derogatory statements over Mexican immigrants has made me wonder where he is getting his information. To have a man, with such financial power, blatantly stating barbarities is a scary thing. Fortunately for us, he isn’t taken seriously and the scandal itself has brought positive attention to Latinos in the U.S. and united us all in defiance of such unjust and offensive views. Unfortunately for Donald Trump, what he doesn’t know will hurt him and will inevitably end up hurting him more, financially and personally. I’m proud to see companies like Univision and NBC, as well as influential Latino leaders and celebrities standing up for the honor of Latinos. Plus, Latinos with different backgrounds from all over the U.S. have united with a collective voice to express their disdain and disapproval of this public figure causing so much damage with his words. It is wrong to make generalizations and stereotype a group of people who have most...

As of lately, I’ve noticed many advertisers going the sentimental route during holidays like Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. Now that Father’s Day has passed, many brands got emotional in English-language commercials but not in Spanish. Being a dad in today’s world is certainly different than it was a generation ago. Long gone are the days when dad was away from home most of the day, being the sole breadwinner and the disciplinarian in the family. Many of my dad friends come in all shapes and forms: single, divorced, gay, straight, stay-at-home dad and adoptive dads, and I admire them all. Each faced with their own set of challenges, yet moving forward at full speed and giving their kids the best.   From managing busy schedules, work, activities, while sharing housework chores and child-care duties, they have their hands full. And us mom’s, love them for that! Generally, when it comes to raising kids, most of the attention has gone to moms. But surprisingly, Father’s Day...

There’s a lot of soccer going on these days. Today marks the first day of Copa América, there’s also the Women’s World Cup in Canada, the Under 20 World Cup in New Zealand and the Champions League that recently ended. With all these events happening all over the world, it got me thinking how this sport is increasingly becoming more and more appealing to women nowadays. Not only are they watching it, but they’re playing it too! It’s great to see that women can be just as passionate about the game as men. When you think of avid soccer fans, you probably visualize a group of men, faces painted, dressed in their favorite jersey, engaged with every play, while rooting and screaming passionately for their team. And you’re right, for the most part, that is the case. But there’s also a growing Latina soccer fan culture-taking place. And she knows the game every bit as well as men. Whereas 10 or 15 years ago it was more of a male domain, today you’re likely to have a mix of men and wom...

The focus right now (and for the last several years) has been on Millennials – who they are, what they like, what they think, how they consume media, what they eat, and other assortments of interesting data about them. The Gen Y Millennial population is a powerful demographic cohort of around 80M with tremendous spending power. But as a marketer and a strategic planner, I realize that it’s also important to pay attention to the next generation and the impact they will have in all aspects of life including the marketing world.   Generation Z (still an unnamed generation) represents those born after 2000.   Having two young members of Gen Z’ers in my house, it is quickly becoming my favorite topic and I can guarantee you that I will become an expert in no time. I have a 10-year old son who I believe represents the epitome of Gen Z and everything they will become. He is bilingual and bicultural and has a large circle of friends with diverse backgrounds. I’m always stag...