Tribune Launches Multi-Platform Hispanic Ad Initiative

By: Mark Fitzgerald Tribune Co. launched an initiative Monday intended to connect advertisers with Hispanic consumers through its newspapers, broadcast stations, online, mobile devices, events and out-of-home advertising.

Tribune Hispanic is a "cross-platform national media solutions group," the Chicago-based media giant said in its announcement.

Tribune said it already reaches 1.7 million Hispanic consumers every week through its Spanish-language print and online properties: the daily Hoy in Chicago; its weeklies Hoy Los Angeles, El Sentinel Orlando and El Sentinel South Florida, plus weekend home-delivered El Fin de Semana TMC-like products in Chicago and L.A.

As part of the Tribune Hispanic initiative, these papers will rebrand their entertainment sections as "ViveloHoy," the name of Hoy's Web site.

"More than ever, national advertisers require innovative, consistent and engaging solutions to reach this unique consumer group," Hoy Chicago General Manager John Trainor said in a statement. "Our increased level of collaboration will shortly translate into more meaningful, efficient and consistent solutions our national advertisers can tap into."

According to Tribune research, Hispanics are loyal newspaper readers, with 53% of readers reading their favorite newspaper for three or more years. More than half of Hispanic newspaper readers, 55%, say they use newspaper coupons, and 63% profess to pay frequent attention to newspaper ads.

"This combined effort should put Hoy and el Sentinel at the forefront of media buys and shows that Tribune is emerging as a force to contend with on the national Hispanic media landscape," Ariel Gonzalez, general sales manager for el Sentinel South Florida, said in a statement.

The launch of Tribune Hispanic sets up a contest with impreMedia, the biggest Spanish-language newspaper and digital publisher, over three events that will command Hispanic attention in 2010: the World Cup and the bicentennial of Mexican independence and the centennial of its Revolution. ImpreMedia has pursued numerous partnerships to create its own cross-platform advertising opportunities.