Tired of getting poked in the eye?

  Over the last year, there have been several Hispanic Ad pundits that have tried to predict the demise of Hispanic Ad Agencies and Spanish-dominant media in the USA.

Some of these pundits have presented their facts as they see them and others are just Hucksters looking to position themselves as experts and/or position their companies, even if it means pouring dirty dishwater in everyone else’s soup.

We have tried to challenge all of them at HispanicAd.com.  If you want to read about some of these pundits, please search HispanicAd.com El Blog we have taken the task to hand.  Do research on this and make your own mind about the seriousness of the malaise out there.

Just recently to my surprise, the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies (AHAA) decided that they should defend our Industry against these pundits this past week in Ad Age, (in full disclosure some of these pundits are AHAA members).  CLICK HERE to read.

I believe it is AHAA’s duty to challenge these pundits for it members and the industry at large.

I have felt for a while that AHAA has not ‘Raised its Voice’.

But this is not what I want to highlight.

I question why mainstream advertising, marketing and media trade journals accept and do not vet some of these bloggers and writers for ‘accuracy & expertise’, along with a counterpoint to the argument.

Since one point of view in a vacuum could be misinformation.

Are mainstream trade journals in such need to say they cover the US Hispanic Market Industry that they will accept anybody as an expert?

The recent stomping those two bloggers on Advertising Age’s Big Tent received for blogging about a very sensitive issue in the US Hispanic Ad Industry and the reason for AHAA’s response does not add to the discussion of the challenges we have in our Industry.  CLICK HERE to read.

I believe it hurt the image we as an Industry want to project to successfully promote ourselves.  We are reacting instead of being pro-active.

Looking back at my years in the US Hispanic ad and media business, I remember when we once pushed, jumped, screamed and enjoyed moving our Industry forward.  Now I see too many just trying to defend what they have, which will become smaller and smaller if we do not grow the Industry.

There is still a great need for the “Insight de la Tribu’, the only element that cannot be commoditized in our Industry.

We need honest, factual and respectful discussion by “Experts” to advance the conversation our industry needs to occur to grow and change for the better.

Ad hominem attacks in a discussion about our Industry in a well respect blog detract from the conversation and have no place in our discussion of growing the Industry, regardless if you agree or disagree  with the blogger or author.   But the onus is on us and mainstream and Hispanic trade journals to vet their bloggers and writers to allow for sensible, civilized and professional discussions.

At HispanicAd.com and our platforms HispanicCMO.com, HispanicPRpro.com, HispanicAccountPlanner.com and ADnotas.com we will step up our efforts to achieve this, if not call me on it.

I am very glad to hear AHAA’s voice again, but I also would like to hear the voice of some of our Industry experts as well.

What do you think?

Gene Bryan
CEO
HispanicAd.com