June 13, 2005
Corporate giants such as PR Newswire, Owens Corning, MetLife, and Fifth Third Bank join LaVERDAD Marketing and Media, a nationally respected Hispanic marketing and research agency, in a campaign to raise corporate and community awareness regarding the needs and business opportunities that exist with the Hispanic market.
LaVERDAD President and CEO Mike Robinson announced today the first wave of sponsors, which include respected names such as MetLife, PR Newswire, Owens Corning, United Way of the Greater Dayton Area, Fifth Third Bank, the Dayton (Ohio) Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, University of Cincinnati, LULAC, BRAVO Magazine, Port Authority of Toledo, MidwestLatino.com, and The Spanish Journal. LaVERDAD expects more sponsors to join the campaign.
The full-day program, “Understanding the Hispanic Market: Business Opportunity or Matter of Survival?” will launch June 24 in Dayton, Ohio at the MetLife campus located at 9797 Springboro Pike in Miamisburg, Ohio.
The 11-city, five-state tour will visit Dayton (June 24), Toledo (July 13), Cleveland (July 14), Columbus (July 19), Indianapolis (Aug. 2), Pittsburgh (Sept. 13), Akron (Sept. 13), Lorain (Sept. 15), Cincinnati (Oct. 4), and Louisville (Oct. 5), before concluding in Detroit on Oct. 12.
“We are very excited about this year’s seminar tour,” said Mr. Robinson, a former Procter and Gamble manager. “This year we’re working with a world-class team of partners and sponsors. Our goal is to raise awareness about the Latino consumer and market so that business executives and community leaders can develop better products, brands, services and strategies that improve the lives of Hispanic consumers. I’m confident this seminar will not only improve the lives of Latino people, but will also offer participants a competitive advantage needed to compete and win in the Hispanic market.”
“As a company, MetLife is striving hard to show our employees, our customers, our shareholders, and our business partners that we are committed to diversity,” said Melanie B. Ennis, learning and development consultant for group sales. “At the heart of our efforts are our core values: people count, integrity and honesty, innovation, financial strength, partnership, and personal responsibility. These values capture what is important to MetLife as a company and represent the enduring principles of our culture. We are excited and proud to partner with LaVERDAD Marketing and Media and others in our community, and believe we will all benefit from the diversity of such partnerships.”
The seminar, now in its third year, explores insights into the Hispanic consumer and what every organization should know about the U.S. Hispanic market. It highlights the dynamic changes occurring in the Hispanic market at a local, regional and national level.
Participants learn what best-in-class companies such as Procter and Gamble and Wal-Mart are doing right to win the hearts and minds of Hispanic consumers as well as potential employees, and how to deliver culturally and linguistically competent communications to the largest and fastest growing market segment in the U.S.
“United Way of the Greater Dayton Area is pleased to cosponsor this event with LaVERDAD Marketing and Media, MetLife, and the other partners,” said Marc R. Levy, president of the United Way of the Greater Dayton Area. “The growth in the Hispanic population is adding to our region’s cultural diversity, and with that comes an increased need for us to better understand the needs and aspirations of our newer community members. As one example, United Way’s recent Community Assessment resulted in the funding of a program to provide advocacy and outreach services for our Hispanic neighbors. This opportunity to improve our cultural competency and communication is a worthwhile investment of time for both the nonprofit and business sector.”
Participants may register for each event online at http://www.laverdadmarketing.com/ or at MidwestLatino.com (http://www.midwestlatino.com/). The price of admission is $99 ($125 on day of event) for corporate executives and $49 ($75 on day of event) for nonprofit executives. The seminar price includes a continental breakfast and lunch.
Founded in 2003, LaVERDAD Marketing and Media is an integrated marketing and media company specializing in delivering winning solutions to Fortune 1,000 companies wishing to compete and win in the U.S. Hispanic market.