News
HMC ANNOUNCES 2026 STRATEGIC EXCELLENCE AWARDS SHORTLIST AS PROGRAM MARKS 20-YEAR MILESTONE
The Hispanic Marketing Council (HMC) announced the short list for the 2026 Strategic Excellence Awards Powered by Collage Group, the industry’s only competition honoring strategic excellence in Hispanic and multicultural marketing. Now celebrating its 20th year, the awards recognize breakthrough cultural insights, superior strategic thinking and effectiveness in engaging Latino audiences and driving business growth.
The 2026 World Baseball Classic: How National Pride Unlocks Revenue
The 2026 WBC transcended sports, becoming a vivid showcase of cultural pride across nations, with players elevating national jerseys above club glory and fans fueling a spending surge. Players from powerhouse and underdog nations alike voiced raw passion for representing their flags, often ranking WBC above World Series triumphs.
Slow Growth Impacts Nation’s Largest Counties Hardest
Population growth slowed in a majority of the nation’s 3,143 counties and the District of Columbia between July 1, 2024, and July 1, 2025, according to the Vintage 2025 population estimates released today by the U.S. Census Bureau.
The United States at 250: How the Country Has Changed in the Past 50 Years
In July, the United States will celebrate its 250th anniversary. The country’s last major milestone was 50 years ago, at its bicentennial on July 4, 1976. U.S. society has changed profoundly since then. Over the past five decades, the U.S. population has aged significantly, with the percentage of people 65 and older nearly doubling. The country has also become more racially and ethnically diverse, as growing shares of people identify as Asian or Hispanic. And following more than 70 million immigrant arrivals, the percentage of foreign-born people in the population has more than tripled.
Entravision Relaunches Politics Con Acento with Expanded TV and Digital Distribution
Entravision, a leading global media, marketing, and technology company, announced the expanded relaunch of Politics con Acento, a digital-first bilingual show and video podcast for the Latino voting community. The show, hosted by Entravision’s established White House Correspondent Stephanie Ochoa, will now also air weekly as a one-hour bilingual TV show across Entravision's 21 Univision affiliates, Altavision, WAPA Orlando 26, digital, and social media platforms.
LATINATION MEDIA unveils ‘CULTURA AT FULL VOLUME’ at 2026 IAB Newfronts
LatiNation Media, the independent Latino-owned English-language media network creating content by Latinos for everyone, unveiled its boldest content slate and marketing vision yet — Cultura at Full Volume — during its presentation at the 2026 IAB NewFronts. The initiative reflects LatiNation’s always-on approach to programming, partnerships, and brand opportunities designed for the most influential audience in the United States: English-first Latino consumers.
Bespoke Beats AI: The Human Edge Still Matters
We’re living through a bit of a tech gold rush. Everywhere you turn, automation is being pitched as the shortcut to success. AI can write, analyze, and produce fast. Really fast. And yes, we use it too. At L2L, we see AI for what it is: a powerful tool that helps us think sharper and move faster. But we also know where it falls short. Because at the end of the day, AI can simulate, but it can’t feel. And that still matters more than people think. By Mindy Figueroa - L2L Founder & CEO
‘Open Agentic Commerce’ and the end of ads – Agents are killing ads. Open protocols and a 28-year-old status code are about to replace them.
Agentic commerce is here. ACP and UCP promise checkout in ChatGPT and Gemini. Soon, hundreds of millions of consumers around the globe will find better products, merchants will have improved conversion rates, and platforms will be able to take 5-10%. But ChatGPT checkout is an incremental improvement. It will not reshape society as the internet did in the early 2000s. Open Agentic Commerce will. We must go back to the ‘90s to understand why. By Samuel Ragsdale
Three Flags, One Beautiful Game!
100 days before World Cup 2026, Mexico, the U.S. and Canada offer brands a once in a lifetime chance to turn multicultural unity into more than a slogan. By Luis Miguel Messianu
When Cultural Icons Are Questioned, Brands Should Navigate Cesar Chávez Day with Courage and Care
When deeply troubling allegations surfaced about Cesar Chávez, a historic figure long viewed as a symbol of hope and social progress, many people, including myself, felt shock and disbelief. Now, as Cesar Chávez Day on March 31 approaches, brands and organizations are grappling with how to respond and what role they should play in recognizing this day. By Stephen Chávez, CEO, ChavezPR
Modern Measurement = Modern Media Decisions
Big move from Nielsen—but here’s why brands and agencies should actually care: Radio measurement is getting a long-overdue upgrade for how people live today. By Grace Agostino
John Sosa joins Talento Unlimited for NYLFF 2026 Sponsorship Team
Talento Unlimited announced an alliance with SOSA Consultancy, led by industry veteran John C. Sosa. The partnership combines Talento’s proven track record in authentic brand activations and measurable engagement with Sosa’s deep bicultural expertise servicing blue-chip brands across various categories and sectors. Together, they are redefining how brands connect with today’s premiere film festival platform, designing ambitious, culturally fluent experiences for the upcoming September 2026 event. Talento Unlimited is led by Hispanic marketing industry leader Cristy Clavijo-Kish.
HMC HONORS THE HOME DEPOT AS 2026 HMC MARKETER OF THE YEAR
The Hispanic Marketing Council (HMC) has named The Home Depot as its 2026 Marketer of the Year, recognizing the brand’s strong engagement with the U.S. Hispanic market—demonstrated through culturally grounded strategy, creative excellence, and long-term investment. The award will be presented to The Home Depot Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Molly Battin at the 2026 HMC Annual Summit on April 23 in New York City.
MediaCo names Alina Falcón News Strategy Senior Advisor
MediaCo Holding Inc. announced the ongoing strategic work of Senior Advisor Alina Falcón with the company’s news leadership team as MediaCo continues to strengthen and expand its Spanish-language news operations across television, audio, digital, and streaming platforms.
Telemundo launches Café Golazo,
Telemundo announced Café Golazo, a new multi-city community conversation series debuting in Phoenix under its national sports impact initiative, Tu Momento. Tu Jugada., which champions the transformative power of sport to inspire character, teamwork, and leadership across communities nationwide.
El Quinto Partido to debut on Canela.TV
Canela Media announced the premiere of its new original series, El Quinto Partido (The Fifth Match) a Canela Deportes Original docu-series, premiering on May 15th, ahead of the biggest soccer event this summer.
The Quiet Retreat: Why Brands Are Still Investing in Multicultural Consumers, Just Not Publicly
Over the last year, I’ve noticed something interesting. Several brands have publicly scaled back, rebranded, or quietly dismantled their multicultural marketing efforts. Some announced it. Others simply removed the language from their websites, shifted titles internally, or reallocated visible budgets. And yet. Behind closed doors, those same brands are still investing in multicultural research. By Mario Xavier Carrasco - Multicultural Insights Leader @ ThinkNow
When Bad Bunny’s Half Time Show Doesn’t Feel Like “For You” But Having Arnold As Your “Neighbaaa” Does, And What It Means for Advertising
When Bad Bunny lit up the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show, the performance was vibrant, proud, and deeply rooted in Latin Caribbean culture. It reminded me of moments I’d experienced in San Juan (the music, the energy, the homes, the colors), but I still didn’t feel fully connected. It felt like watching someone else’s cultural celebration, impressive, but not mine. That moment reminded me how advertising works. By Edwige Winans - Multicultural Insights
The AI Culture War: Battleground for Cultural Competence
Artificial intelligence has reshaped how marketing works. It analyzes massive datasets in seconds, streamlines workflows, surfaces patterns humans might miss, and generates ideas at unprecedented speed. But beneath the excitement lies an uncomfortable truth. Artificial Intelligence is becoming the most influential storyteller in marketing without understanding the people it represents. And that should concern all of us. This is not a theoretical disconnect, but one that is happening now. At scale! Largely unnoticed, it has real consequences for how cultures are seen, heard, and engaged. By Donnie Broxson - CEO & Cultural Intelligence Leader
