by Gustavo Lopez
Ya pasó la locura de las fiestas decembrinas. Atrás quedaron los mares de gente inundando los centros comerciales, las listas de regalos, los abrazos y los buenos deseos para darle paso a un año 2012 con bolsillos vacíos y gente temerosa de recibir los extractos bancarios de sus tarjetas de crédito.
Qué felicidad.
Ponerse el sombrero de Santa o del Niño Dios acarrea un derroche de felicidad sin prejuiciosos especialmente cuando las rebajas caen como copos de nieve y el consumismo nos coge de la mano y nos susurra en el oído, “mira esa chaqueta… está al 50%. Cómprala o te arrepentirás”. Son tentaciones muy inusuales para el hispano porque en países Latinoamericanos las rebajas son ínfimas o simplemente inexistentes y es un fenómeno aprovechado al máximo por la máquina de marketing que son los Estados Unidos.
Mis padres están de visita y a pesar de venir con frencuencia a Miami, como buen turista no dejan de pegarse la pasadita por los centros comerciales. En vista que no conocían al Aventura Mall y al no tener algo programado el 25 de diciembre, escuché las palabras ya vaticinadas como cual profecía de los Mayas: “¿por qué no vamos al Aventura Mall?”
Llegamos por la mañana y con gran sorpresa dimos vueltas por más de 20 minutos tratando de encontrar en dónde estacionar. Al entrar, vimos que al igual que la Serpiente tentando a Eva, miles de personas embistieron el Aventura Mall el 25 de diciembre atraídos por las rebajas. ¿Acaso no compraron todo Miami antes de Navidad?
Entiendo que más del 50% de personas son turistas los cuales vienen mental y finacieramente preparados para quemar dinero y posiblemente, comprar una maleta adicional en vista que lo comprado no cabe en el equipaje con que llegaron.
Pero a diferencia del turista, también está el hispano ya institucionalizado en los Estados Unidos y atraído por el sagaz marketing de rebajas que logran olvidar la mentalidad latina del ahorro y la de si no se tiene, no se compra. Punto. Este patrón es otra forma de cómo el hispano se ha ido entremezclado en la vida estadounidense donde todo se tiene, pero al mismo tiempo, nada se tiene porque todo se instala en una vida paralela donde las deudas rigen en un nivel dictarorial gracias a las irrisibles facilidades de financiamiento y absurdos descuentos difíciles de obviar.
Este, como lo han dicho varios economistas, es el problema nacional patrocinado por la mayoría de la población estadounidense que con el afán de tocar o tan siquiera rozar el sueño americano, viven en un círculo vicioso de gastos y compras sin importar las situación personal y cerrando los ojos frente a la situación económica mundial.
“Pero esa chaqueta me queda espectacular… qué va, es un tarjetazo no más. Igual la pago en 3 meses”.
by Talia León-Villanueva
I bet the sheer title of this blog caused you to open it in the hopes that there may be some amazing coupon that will help you save as much as you possibly can on your holiday shopping.
Every time I turn around I’m getting coupons in the mail and online for incredible percentage-off or BOGOs (Buy One, Get One free). While I’ve never really been a coupon clipper or a budget conscious shopper, lately I find myself getting excited and even bragging about how much I saved. BUT, how much am I really saving?
Macy’s for example has “amazing” deals I can’t resist. I’ve made quite a few jewelry purchases there, all beautiful, good quality items and with savings of more than half the retail value; 50% off, take another 15%, plus my 20% coupon. Before I knew it I was buying an item that retails at $400 for $136 plus tax. WOW!
Now question is; what did I really save? Of course I saved a ton off the retail price. After all, that’s the reason why I ultimately made the purchase. However, the reality is, I wasn’t planning on spending the discounted amount when I stepped up to the jewelry counter. I exceeded my budget because of the spectacular savings. So I didn’t REALLY save at all. This is how they get you. How can anyone resist these huge savings for quality goods?
Growing up in a household with an entrepreneur father, I know the reality of retail mark ups. I’m not even going to get into the percentage an item will go up from wholesale to retail before it will help to offset operational costs. What I will say is, more often than not, with all the savings tallied up, you’re still spending more than the actual cost of the item. After all, we must recognize that stores are not in the business of losing money.
As I continue to think about this savings phenomenon, I then think about the .com stores that provide designer items at insane prices (i.e., Gilt, Hautelook, etc). They also lure customers in with the tactic of massive savings but again, while 60% off sounds amazing, when you’re starting at $600, $240 for a pair of boots isn’t exactly cheap, especially during the holidays when you’re buying for upwards of 20 people.
Lastly, and the ultimate home driver for me is the “gift with purchase” tactic. I can’t tell you how many Lancôme bags and samples I have. All because it’s seemingly “free”. Although I have made very good use of my bags and samples, I’m certain I’ve paid 10 fold on that “free gift”.
All I’m saying is stick to your guns when you’re on a budget and don’t let the incredibly tempting bargains get to you or the aftermath of guilt will weigh you down.
How many purchases have you made outside of your budget because you found the DEAL OF THE CENTURY?
Here is a listing of sales tactics, which one got you?
http://www.yourmindyourbody.org/do-you-fall-for-bargain-pricing-tactics/
by Maria Budet
My dad was a “Company Man” – old school loyal, pledging allegiance to Pan Am’s sky blue like one would the motherland. He worked there for over thirty years, overnight shifts in the MIS department, wall-to-wall mainframe computers creating a bunker that hummed with a War Games-style buzzing punctuated by the zzzzttt-zzzzzztttt-zzzzzztttt of dot matrix printers creating constellations on endless reams of paper. That buzzing was his lifeblood, his heartbeat, connecting him to everything Pan Am in the wee hours of the morning. He liked that shift – 8pm to 6am – because it was peaceful, giving him a sense of control that stemmed from the intimacy of sitting in a still hall with all of that information, connecting the dots that (in his mind) kept everyone flying safely. He was King of the World – and that world revolved around Pan Am.
When the airline went under, it literally broke his heart. He loaded up on Pan Am books, bags, cutlery, glasses – I can still host a party for 50 using only Pan Am branded wine glasses – proudly brandishing his “Pan Am: Gone But Not Forgotten” license plate on the front of his car to invite conversation. His closest friends were from Pan Am, the same friends that introduced him to my mother, that traveled the world with him and always brought him home. He spoke about the airline as passionately as he did Cuba, both indivisible from his sense of self. When ABC launched the new Pan Am drama a few months ago, friends and family all agreed: “Your dad would have loved this!” “I immediately thought of him…” Most of us can’t see anything Pan Am without seeing him; the Company Man came to embody the brand.
I consider myself somewhat of a Company Girl, always have been. Before joining Zubi earlier this year, I had been with the same agency for almost 10 years, something almost unheard of in today’s professional landscape. Maybe it’s genetic, but I am quick to immerse myself when I know I am in the right place. The professional is still personal to me, something I want to help build with my peers; it makes a difference when we are all committed to the “we.” But, for the most part, the “Company Man” (or, in my case, wo-man) died in the 1970s and 80s amid mergers and reorgs, the re-engineering of business processes in a post-internet world finishing him off. Career paths were invented and the way we identified with our work was re-invented, with mobility not only expected but rewarded. What impact does this have on the way that we work? On the way that companies look at their teams and build them? Does it impact the actual work that we put out, keeping it fresher? What if we want to stay in the same place for a long time – what does that say about us? Or about the place we chose to call home?
My dad passed away in 2006. When he did, I got the initials “gbnf” tattooed on the inside of my left wrist: “Gone but not forgotten.” It’s in Pan Am blue, but it’s him I remember. 
With the holidays basically upon us, everyone seems to be frantically looking for gifts to shower their loved ones. As usual, electronics, gaming, toys, fragrances, jewelry, clothing and footwear top the list for that potential perfect gift. But is that truly the best use of our money? Economic factors aside, what kind of gift giving is going to make us (and the recipients) happier in the long-run? According to Harvard Business School professor Michael Norton, “we are doing things with our money that make us happy in the moment, but that’s not always the best strategy for long-term well being”. Professor Norton, who researches the psychology of happiness, considers the pursuit and attainment of material gifts a happiness-craving quick-fix, similar to one’s craving for sweets or salty: a chocolate or potato chip does the trick…temporarily, but they are not truly satisfactory in the long-run.
So, what is? What could give us that sought-after lingering happiness? Spending our money on experiences.
Looking back, my life’s top 10 are comprised of experiences – moments that I’ve shared with friends and loved ones. Not a single item or device made it to the list, so I’m beginning to understand what Professor Norton is getting at. In fact, I’ve been unknowingly following his principle for a few years now, especially as it relates to my family and the holidays. Instead of buying them gifts which, let’s face it, they may very well forget the next day; I’ve become an experience enabler. The money I would have spent on gifts, I spend on leisure activities that we all get to enjoy together. Whether it’s a road trip to a nearby city, a day out in the slopes, the beach, the park, the movies or dinner out, the point is that we’re doing it together, connecting as a family. My nephews may not remember how many WWE action figures they had or whose house Santa dropped them off at, but they are likely to remember experiences and who they shared those moments with. I know this is not the norm, but I highly recommend giving it a go. It’s surprisingly satisfying (in a lingering way) for both the giver and the grantee.
The reason? These moments amplify social connectivity and provide a deeper sense of meaning – all supporting happiness!
Happy Holidays!
by Zaida Granados
You must be familiar with them, or have at least seen them all over your News Feed and Tweets
(does #aprendí or #tumundo ring a bell?). I would even venture to say that you’ve made up
your own and possibly used others’ (#ILoveCats or #Winning). They come in all lengths and
languages, but they have one common variable: they all begin with a hashtag.
This hashtag trend is nothing new; it all began with techies and early adopters of Twitter, and
has progressively gained its foothold among celebrities, tweens, and even brands. This is where
my fascination – or more importantly, blessing – of the hashtag lies.
Brands have a greater impact and lead in social media when they effectively use trends that
their target audience will easily adopt. One perfect example is #OldSpice, which spiked as a
result of the Old Spice Guy campaign with Isaiah Mustafa. Is it possible that a hashtag was a
catalyst for its popularity? It’s certainly something to consider.
The possibilities are many with a hashtag. I noted “blessing” earlier because it’s a valuable tool
for tracking users’ use of a brand’s hashtag – positive or negative – for agencies/marketers to
respond to. It’s also a viral source, a means to promote and be promoted.
Should you be intrigued by such a simple symbol that has taken social media by storm, check
out The New Yorker article about the hashtag phenomenon.
Personally, though, #IAmCurious…what is your #favorite hashtag
by Cindy Lopez, Account Coordinator
In my previous blog I shared with you why I chose to study advertising.
Essentially “I chose advertising because of its power to affect our lives in a positive and beautiful way. Through advertising, I would be able to decorate the world with charming images and enticing words.”
Little did I know that my perception on the world and my personality is associated with 15 to 20 percent of the population that is deemed to be Idealists™. A few weeks back a friend and I were discussing psychology and how personalities are classified in this rather fascinating science. My friend suggested that I take the Keirsey Temperament Sorter® II (KTS-II). This test is “the most widely used personality instrument in the world.” Numerous organizations use it to understand their people. The results provide insights into the individual’s personality. It’s a “either-this or that” type of test made of 70 questions developed by Dr. David Keirsey.
My results revealed that I currently fall under the Idealist™ temperament group. Note that there are four of these temperament groups and these can be further subdivided into “character types,” all of these equating a total of sixteen “unique” temperaments. According to the test Idealist™ “are passionately concerned with personal growth and development. Their quest for self-knowledge drives their imagination. And they want to help others make the journey… they are gifted at helping others find their way in life, often inspiring them to grow as individuals and to fulfill their potentials.” Unlike all those bogus forwarded e-mails we’ve all seen about selecting certain things and obtaining a “personality type” this one test is quite accurate.
Moments after I completed the test I realized I had already participated in this temperament sorter four years ago. My results now and my results then differed. But this makes a lot of sense. As I’ve grown and matured it seems logical that my temperament would change in the process. The results will also tell you of your characteristics, how you are at work, how you work best and of other famous individuals who are like you and what percentage of the population is made up of your temperament type.
My fellow Zubians, I now invite you to take the FREE Keirsey Temperament Sorter. Together we can discover what each member of our Zubi family brings to the table and how we relate to the rest of the world. When you have a moment take the test and once you receive your results, whether you’re a Guardian, an Artisan, an Idealist or a Rationale, let me know which one you are and I will calculate how we’re made up.
The test is available in different languages. If you feel more comfortable reading Spanish you can take it in your native language. However, the results will be in English (as per the site).
Remember there is no right or wrong answer. There are only two choices per question to pick from. “If both seem to apply, choose the one that feels most comfortable to you.” Although the test is comprised of 70 questions, it is fairly easy and it should take you no more than 10 minutes to complete.
Have fun taking this test and once you’re through send me a quick note to let me know where in society you fall.
by Cindy Lopez, Account Coordinator
In college, most of my classmates were introduced to the industry by family members who held careers in the field; others said they liked the business side of it.
For me, it was different.
In high school, I was the captain of the baseball cheer squad. As a Diamond Girl (named after the shape of the infield), I created posters for the bleachers at the stadium and led announcements for the school. I also conducted fundraisers and volunteered within the community.
But for me, the fun really began at the moment of conceptualizing and creating the next game’s posters. My hand would itch at the thought of conceiving a brand new campaign theme that would support the team, welcome the fans, and sort-of trash talk the rivaling team…in a respectful way, of course…
When graduation came, I wistfully bid that chapter of creating, illustrating, and rallying farewell and began the new journey of deciding where my life would take me. I started college, feeling unsure of what I wanted to study and what really interested me. I had a range of topics from psychology to photography, to even criminal justice but that’s when it hit me—creating posters and brainstorming clever phrases had to translate into a career. And thus my “relationship” with advertising began.
I end my anecdote by saying that I chose advertising because of its power to affect our lives in a positive and beautiful way. Through advertising, I would be able to decorate the world with charming images and enticing words. *
* Tad idealistic, wouldn’t you say so? Blog to follow!
Why did you choose advertising?
by Alberto Padron
I grew up in Elizabeth, New Jersey, surrounded by displaced Cubans who always spoke of their pre-Castro Cuba with a high degree of reverence, respect, and regard. Not surprisingly, that pro-Cuba narrative held when my family moved to Miami during my teens. I believe that if it were not for Fidel Castro’s Revolution, my family would have remained in Cuba.
My entire life, there have been encounters that prompted that question: Who would I be if I were born and raised in Cuba? Would I still be me? At the core, would I still have the same beliefs? Yeah, my Spanish would be better – and I suppose my English would be worse – but what else would be different?
On the one hand, I could conclude that everything would’ve been different. After all, many of the people, places, and experiences that shaped my values and beliefs, they would have all been different. Would those differences have produced a better or worse version of the me I am today?
On the other hand, I can rationalize that with the exception of the culture-influenced preferences, such as food, music, language, etc., fundamentally, I’d be the same. Ultimately, I’d have the same family members who would have instilled the same set of rules and dispensed their same set of values, no matter our geographic location, right?
In the end, I’m happy being me… I mean, when all is said and done, I’m the only me I know. Yet still, when I run into a Cuban who was born and raised in Cuba, and is of similar demographic profile (age, gender, etc.) but talks, walks and thinks a little differently, I can’t help but to wonder, “Could that have been me?”
Source: bornbiculturalusa.com
Yes, you heard right, our challenge is to get one million unique visitors to the American Airlines site Aprendi.com by the end of 2012. When we started developing this site, we estimated that we could get about 50,000 people a month to visit the site and engage with the consumer driven content that Aprendi.com offers. It’s a site where Hispanics can post learnings about places they have been or things they have seen and all those posts are available for others to search from. So, here is the only stumbling block: There are millions of sites out there, all asking for a moment of your time, all offering something special, something of interest to you.
The Internet has become a world of it’s own with so many sites to choose from that the average consumer could never, in a million years, visit every site that has information or entertainment that fits their needs. Companies spend millions of dollars to drive people to their site so they can report back to the bean counters that the ROI on the spend was the highest since the advent of radio. We talk about the proliferation of cable networks and how TV is becoming so fragmented and there is truth to that, but to think that the Internet is any different would be fooling yourself. Sure, it’s hard to decide between Dexter on Showtime, Criminal Minds on CBS, Breaking Bad on USA or Teresa on Univision but just think, if you miss any of those, you can catch them on the networks websites or HULU or a myriad of other sites. Add to that, all the other sites you can surf while watching the show since a large percentage of people claim they go online while watching TV, and you can start to get an idea of how tough it may be to get 1 million people to visit any site except Google or Facebook. So, we have a FB page for Aprendi, of course. And we tweet about Aprendi.com. And we Foursquare. And we tell everyone we know. And now I’m telling you…go to Aprendi.com, tell everyone you know, it’s actually a really cool site and you will enjoy a few minutes on it.
When we get to the million visitor mark, we will throw a big virtual party and you are all invited.
Bank of America announced last week that it would no longer start charging a monthly debit card fee in 2012. I have to say I was shocked to hear this. I was actually getting ready to have my bank start charging me a monthly fee; I guess I just assumed it would only be a matter of time before all banks followed BofA’s lead. I suppose I’ve heard “there is no such thing as a free lunch” one too many times. So now on to both sides of the argument:
For:
It’s only $60 a year! We spend more than that for cell phone minutes we don’t use or on car insurance for a car that isn’t in an accident all year.
Against:
Do these big banks think they can charge this to the taxpayers who paid for their big bailout? If they need more money, what about them taking back some of those hefty paychecks and bonuses from their CEO’s?
Whichever side you fall on, you have to take notice of what’s happening here. Bank of America felt the wrath of their consumers and their discontent. This announcement of charging the debit card fee was in the midst of Occupy Wall Street-a modern day movement built through social media. Even if Occupy Wall Street does not have a unified objective as some say, it’s definitely made the “99%” feel empowered to speak up. They’ve spoken up about debit card fees and Bank of America listened.
What side are you on? Were you a Bank of America customer ready to flee?
Check out more here.
