We Love This Song: Simple As That

via youtube.com

We are currently starting to listening to Ricardo Arjona (he is on Twitter at @RicardoArjona) and we have to say, we are hooked. Simple as that.

Here is to all performers who give it their all and their passion. At the same time, give it up to all the YouTubers out there who post the lyrics and the songs. We think it only increases an artist’s brand.

What do you think?

A #FollowFriday Special: Join the Grump List

The jury is still our for us and Twitter Lists, although we applaud Twitter for trying to change the Twitter experience for many people. The only big issue for us is that we rarely use the web version of Twitter, since we truly love the third-party apps like Hootsuite and Tweetie, and right now, our favorite third-party apps don’t support lists (although some apps will be adding this feature soon).

Nonetheless, we still played around with lists this week and in the conversations we had with our Twitter friends, a debate about Twitter Lists and their value ensued. Some thought it was a waste of time, while others were intrigued. We fall into the “intrigued” category and decided to have fun with those people who taught it was a “colossal waste of time.” Those people know who they are, because we created a list for it! Yup, it’s called the The Grump List, and what started as a joke to playfully tease some great friends who think of Twitter Lists as a “colossal waste of time” turned into a fun topic with our Twibe this week.

It was with this list that we began to see a little value: that is, by creating a specific, goofy list and inviting people to the list, we saw a way to engage people and create a little buzz in our own little Twitterverse. And isn’t that what it is all about?

So if you want to be a part of The Grump List, send a tweet to @julito77 telling us why you want to join the list. By they way, this list DOES have some great people to follow.

Today’s #VivaViernes is All About Global Hue Latino

We want to take a moment and dedicate this ViavViernes to the amazing job that @GlobalHueLatino did to share these “sobremesa” interviews of Soledad O’Brien and her thoughts about “Latino in America.” We think this is a fabulous way to share the discussion and issues, and we hope that what has occurred the last few weeks will led to more open and authentic solutions to the many challenges of what it TRULY means to be “Latino in America” in the 21st Century.

See the videos below and let us know what you think?

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For more information about these videos, this EXCELLENT blog from GlobalHue Latino sheds more light: Sobremesa with Soledad O’Brien.

¡Que viva viernes!

More Reactions to “Latino in America”

Two weeks after CNN’s the “Latino in America” broadcast, the post-show reactions continue. We have done some additional searching of new posts and news, and share one of them here. Let us know what you think.

From Meet The Prensa: The Discontent with “Latino in America:”

The post starts: “I see high chances that the next great report on Latinos in the United States will be entitled “What is it that Latinos want?”

CNN’s documentary “Latino in America” (no official online video as of this writing) debuted last week to great expectations, but so far the response from Latinos has been mostly negative, toward the special and its host Soledad O’Brien.”

We invite you to read the entire Meet The Prensa post, but we would like to offer a few comments on this post from our perspective:

1. The post tries to quickly downplay the general discontent that does exist about the show. Sure, not everyone is negative about “Latino in America,” but you cannot deny the fact that an outpouring of criticism against the show has occurred and that CNN missed the boat in the eyes of many. We honestly don’t care how powerful a reach certain media outlets have (especially when we can argue that social media is just as effective for issues like these), they cannot refute the fact that for many who watched this show, there was only disappointment and strong feelings about this. To say that people who criticized the show because of their lack of details and knowledge is not the way to present a counterargument. We would love to see real examples to counter the criticisms, or else posts like these come off as apologists for major media organizations like CNN.

2. The post concludes: Let’s say it clear: “Latino in America” is not perfect, but it is a great work of television journalism. In four hours it covered a wide range of stories that represent a significant portion of the lives Latinos lead.

We seriously question the “wide range of stories,” and in fact, will argue that it did NOT cover this “wide range.” In the end, we feel that a vast majority of the 4 hours (and yes, we saw all 4 hours), was too immigration-centric and still focused on tired and true media portrayals of Latinos (the timid immigrant who is uncomfortable with speaking English, the angry Anglos who want Latinos to speak English, the struggling Latina who is battling issues of displacement and teen pregnancy, the mom who feels out of place in mainstream society, the “hey, if you want to make it in America, go to Hollywood” mentality, the desire to “fit in,” to name a few). We are NOT saying that these stories are not valid or newsworthy (the stories of the gang members had its poignant moments—even with low riders— as well as that of the two Dominican boys trying to fit in), but we truly believe that CNN missed a golden opportunity and did not focus on trying to balance these stories with other stories of everyday Latinos who are succeeding every day and doing amazing things.

To be “Latino in America” is quite complex these days. And we are still disappointed that CNN took an easier route instead of truly trying to present a more balanced view of this complexity.

If you find us at fault for thinking this way, we think we represent a pretty common feeling among sectors of US Latinos who felt frustrated about the show. Let’s hope CNN thinks about this the next time, and maybe then we will conclude that we witnessed “a great piece of television journalism.”

More User-Generated Content about Latino in America

We have begun to scour some videos about what others are saying about “Latino in America,” and the reactions from others. What do you think of these videos?

The first three videos occurred after a screening of the show.

Here is one we found first from Ponte Al Día

And how about this one?

What do you think about what Being Latino and their vlog?

If you find others, let us know!

With Facebook, CNN Stumbles

We are perplexed, truly perplexed about how major media organizations are using (or better yet, not using) social media to connect with their viewers to the fullest. We can offer several reasons, but we think the answer is simple, and it makes sense: media organizations have always pushed out information on a one-way street and the consumer has digested the information. That model is so different from the basic tenet of social media, which espouses a two-way relationship, and a scenario (gasp!) where the viewer generates the content, the issues, the questions, and pushes back.

We offer a case study: The Official Facebook Page of Soledad O’Brien. We have include two screen shots of this page, which, by the way, O’Brien or anyone in CNN has updated since July 23, and it has over 5,000 fans! Let’s repeat that again: the Facebook page of CNN’s talented news star, who just completed a much-publicized “Latino in America” series, has not been engaging on an official Facebook site that has over 5,000 fans for close to 4 months.

Here is the page’s current front page:

And here is the next page that shows its fans and their posts. Notice that people have wanted to connect and engage with the CNN star, offer an opinion about “LIA” or just say hi. But nothing. Nothing. No engagement, no connecting.

So what can we conclude? There are so many things we would like to add, but we will offer this big takeaways:

1. CNN dropped the ball on it’s Facebook strategy for “Latino in America.” Sure it might have a LIA site, but to not do simultaneous posting on O’Brien’s site was a missed opportunity.
2. Facebook is a prime stop for millions and millions of people. It is more unfiltered and honest than say, CNN’s official site. CNN could have tried to answer the questions and issues that have been raised all over Facebook about CNN’s spotty job on “LIA.”
3. Why don’t major news organization stay consistent with social media? Is it because it takes too much time and the return has not been immediate? Or that they are afraid of losing control? There has to be a reason, and once again, we find that the lack of 100% true engagement by CNN is only proves that social media is still new, still fresh, and in the end, different players could be the driving forces of the next media revolution and guess who might be missing from that wave? Yup, CNN.

Ok, I’m sure CNN will say that this official O’Brien page was not the main Facebook page for “Latino in America.” But then, here’s a thought: DELETE the page.

Don’t be afraid to engage and discuss outside of your media cocoons. Dive into the pool, and stay there. Don’t get out of the water because it’s hard work. In the end, people will eventually start thinking less of your brand, and what do you do then?

v5 Nominated by LATISM for Best Hispanic FL Marketing/PR Firm Using Social Media

As we complete our first year of using social media to promote Fernando Varela and his amazing talent, we are thrilled to have just found out that v5 has been nominated by Latinos in Social Media (LATISM) for “Best Hispanic FL Marketing/PR Firm Using Social Media.”

First of all, just to be nominated is amazing. We started this company a year ago, with the sole purpose of sharing Fernando’s talent to the Internet and we knew that social media was the best strategy for us. We dove in and went for it. Yeah, some days were crazy and confusing, and there were other times when we just wanted to take a break (yup, this social media work takes time), but we are so glad we stayed the course. Our experience in social media not only increased the awareness of Fernando’s amazing music, but the people we have met in this journey have been the greatest part of all this. And now, we are expanding our experience in social media and doing to same for other brands that we did for Fernando.

And as we grew and became more familiar with social media, we were blessed to be associated with LATISM and all that they do. And now this? Thank you to all the LATISM members who nominated us, and we are honored.

If you would like to vote for us, here is the link: Vote For LATISM Awards. We would appreciate your support.

Viva Viernes: Today Is About Creating Your Own Universe

¡Hola, mi gente! We have been thrilled by the amazing support we have been getting about all the things we are doing at v5 and the last two weeks have been quite momentous for us. We have formed stronger bonds with dear LATism friends, met new friends, and in the meantime, tried to have some fun and enjoy our social media experience. The CNN Latino issue won’t go away, and even places like AdAge are writing about it. Check this very interesting piece we just got in our comment stream: Latino America: Much to Be Desired

So, yes, this is proof that social media has power to keep issues alive and relevant. We have noticed a surge in this blog, and we get excited about it just because of this: you have taken the time from your online experience to share a part of our v5 universe. Sure, that universe is special to us, and as we tell everyone: social media is all about creating your own universe. YOU are the leader of that universe. YOU are its evangelist. YOU are its promoter. YOU are its believer. If you create a universe where you can truly reflect who you are as a person and authentically connect with other universes out there, imagine the power. I mean, we are talking incredible power.

Enjoy your Viva Viernes, and never forget, YOU can dictate your social media experience and achieve great things through consistency, dedication, honesty, support, collaboration, and the innate desire we all have to help others.

I leave you with this story: Someone asked me this week, “What tools did you use to get a #1 ranking on Google with your Latino Success Stories blog?” I just looked at the person and said: “Hard work.” Yes, social media IS hard work, but the benefits you get from the countless hours you put into it (especially if you are a business trying to think a little bit differently) are priceless.

¡Feliz VivaViernes!

¡Vamos, Héctor, a tocar!

Follow Friday: Arsenal

If you know me, if you truly know me, then you know I am a huge soccer fan, and I believe that the Premier League is the best soccer in the world, and my beloved Arsenal the best team (well, when they don’t frustrate me). Well, this week the Gunners take on the dreaded Spurs in a match that makes Yankees-Red Sox look like a tea party. In honor of this match (and we expect great things from the lads this weekend), we are recommending our 5 Best Arsenal Supporters we follow in Twitter, because when Arsenal is playing, Twitter is the most fantastic place to follow the best soccer team in the world.

IF YOU LOVE ARSENAL, THEN YOU MUST FOLLOW THESE “FANTASTIC 5″ ON TWITTER:

@SampaDee: My man from Zambia (how cool is that? hello, social media) is one of the best Arsenal “twittercasters” on the Internet. He is always there to support the team and share updates with people, and yes, he is also an amazing soul.

@manipillai: Mani is a London dynamo who loves her Gooners, and she loves to keep this Yank posted on the London perspective on Arsenal. I love it whenever she reminds me about game sometimes (I mean, Carling Cup?). Thank you, my dear friend.

@arsenole: one of the BEST blogs I have ever read about Arsenal. He’s 22. He lives in Florida. He worships Cesc and is trying to marry Miley Cyrus. Some excellent commentary and honest humor.

@themib: Ah, Martin. Your love of the Gunners is pure love-hate. You crack me up with your analysis and wit when it comes to dissecting the team. Martin also posts some great Twitter content when there is no game.

@arsenalreview: Another FANTASTIC fan blog from London. I always get excellent updates from this site and oh, yeah, the person who runs it, is one cool dude as well.

And we leave you with this, “If You Hate Tottenham, Stand Up!”

Engage: Always Engage

We have already heard from several members of LATISM that last night’s Global Hue Latino event with Soledad O’Brien went well. We are hoping that it opens new paths to show the power of what social media can do to present and dissect information among a large group of people.

One thing that we would like to say to Ms. O’Brien is this (and we see this with all the respect in the world): if you start tweeting in Twitter, then stay on Twitter. We are interested as to why Ms. O’Brien’s Twitter account hasn’t had a new tweet since October 21, when for the last week, the post-show interest in what “Latino in America” tried to do has never been stronger.

This would have been a perfect time for CNN and Ms. O’Brien to truly engage their viewers, to provide more insight, to, in fact, present their story and maybe calm some of the frustration that has been felt by many Latino viewers who have seen the show. Instead, the O’Brien account, which could have been the Twitter hub to actively connect with viewers, basically has just become a static place to promote the show.

We feel that this was a lost opportunity for Ms. O’Brien, and hope that she comes back to the Twitterverse, follow the people who have shown much interest in what she has done, and really start responding to what is out here. We think that will help to broaden the dialogue and show that here in social media, it is all about the individual and what each person can truly accomplish, if given the forum, the tools, and the desire to authentically connect with others.

We keep hoping.