Nextel Expands Hispanic Initiative.

Nextel Communications Inc. announced the expansion of its concentrated marketing and sales initiative to introduce its differentiated wireless voice and data services to the Hispanic communities in Los Angeles and Miami. The company also is launching a new Spanish-language advertising campaign in those markets, as well as in Chicago and San Diego. Nextel will expand this initiative to other U.S. cities by the end of the year.

Customers in these markets now will have the opportunity to conduct business in Spanish at Nextel Retail Store outlets and through dedicated toll-free Spanish-speaking customer care and telesales operators. Beginning today, the new “Nextel. Ya.” advertising campaign includes television, radio, billboard and print media.

“We have been pleased with the success of our Hispanic Initiative, which we launched last year, and we are expanding to additional areas of the country where we already offer Nextel’s unique wireless solutions,” said Miguel Avila, senior director, Nextel Hispanic marketing. “We are targeting thousands of successful Hispanic businessmen, and businesswomen, and consumers in these new target markets.”

“Our new ‘Ya’ campaign, which launches today in Los Angeles, San Diego, Miami and Chicago, is a reinforcement of our ‘Nextel. Done.’ messaging to Spanish-speaking customers. Our Hispanic customers value immediate access to their inner circle that enables them to accomplish goals through real time communication. The ‘Ya’ campaign is a reflection of that,” said Beatriz Helguero, senior manager, Nextel Hispanic marketing.

Updated Advertising Campaign

This expansion will launch with a new Spanish-language advertising campaign themed, “Life can change in a second.” The advertising campaign, which falls under the “Nextel. Ya.” umbrella is in line with the “Nextel. Done.” branding designed to represent the “can do” attitude of Nextel’s current and prospective customers. To ensure that the “Nextel. Done.” brand would be relevant and would resonate in the Hispanic community, Nextel conducted a series of Hispanic focus groups in the fall of last year. As a result, Nextel developed the “Ya” campaign. “Ya” – encompassing “right now”, “immediate” “ready” and “complete”” in Spanish – was selected as the best equivalent of “Done” and resonated very well with Nextel’s primary Hispanic customers, the small and home office business owner. Nextel Ya reinforces the importance of instant communication as an integral part of everyday family, community and business life.