« New York Spanish Radio Market | Hispanic Marketing | The U.S Hispanic Wireless Market »
Our Lady Lake University Hispanic Marketing Programs
Our Lady of the Lake University will soon become one of a handful of schools nationwide training students to market specifically to Hispanics. The Catholic university plans to start offering a bachelor's degree in Hispanic marketing in the fall, officials announced Friday.
Hispanics are the nation's youngest and fastest-growing ethnic group with an estimated population of more than 40 million. They have more spending money than any other minority group, according to the Census Bureau.
But around the country, just a few universities have a strict focus on marketing to Latinos in the United States. DePaul University in Chicago recently announced a major. Southern Methodist University in Dallas offers training on marketing to Hispanics. Florida State University in Tallahassee, Fla., has an undergraduate minor and a graduate certificate program in Hispanic marketing communication.
Our Lady of the Lake has an advantage since it's located in San Antonio, one of Texas' most Hispanic cities and home to some of the country's best-known Latino marketing firms. Members of SAVision, the Hispanic marketing division of the American Marketing Association, worked with the university on the Hispanic marketing degree.
"OLLU will be the pioneer and work out the bugs so it can be emulated by other universities," said Diane Huth, chairwoman of SAVision. "The whole focus is to professionalize this multibillion-dollar market." Professors have established seven courses for the major. University officials expect 15 students to enroll at first.
Students majoring in Hispanic marketing will learn to craft marketing messages from the Latino point of view instead of relying on stereotypes, said Velma Gooding, a visiting professor who is heading the new major.
Ahorre January 27, 2007 11:42 PM