Sonia Andresson-Nolasco

Choosing the right crowd to hang out with is as crucial in marketing as it was in high school. Co-marketing is making more and more sense to a lot of companies with pinched budgets and a desire to reach a wider audience.

What’s behind all this kumbaya? It could be the dragging economy that is making combined budgets more appealing to marketers. Or it could be that multiple p.r. departments spread the word to more people and create more media impressions. And let’s not forget the increased audience.

Debates on immigration and assimilation certainly won’t be fading any time soon. But while politicians fight it out the fact remains that the growing Hispanic populations have increasing buying power. And companies are making sure to reach out to these markets. The question is: What’s the best strategy? The answer: Keep it real—as in authentic.

It takes more than just speaking the language to make a connection. Companies are tapping into consumers’ passions by creating events that engage people on their own turf.

A perfect getaway for most of us means sandy beaches and warm weather but for hockey players the ideal setting is frozen ponds and bitter cold temperatures. Canadian beer maker Labatt Blue has tapped into hockey players’—one of its core markets—passion for the game and beer by taking over an entire town in wintry Wisconsin and turning it into a hockey lover’s paradise.

Enthusiastic employees are integral to the success of internal and proprietary b-to-b events. And it’s up to the event team to get them stoked. Here tips for building the excitement.

Keep the branding consistent. Most folks remember faces but not names. So giving an event a face—or an image—can have a greater impact emotionally. For the Microsoft Dynamics CRM sales event in Toronto the message and image couldn’t be more on the money. Every branded item contained a picture of a Ferrari.

IN LITTLE HAVANA the scene and smells were comfortingly familiar—the aroma of deep-fried foods and cigar smoke wafted Latino rhythms echoed and anti-Fidel signs abounded. Under an unseasonably warm 90-degree sun families sluggishly made their way to Eighth Street where the annual Calle Ocho Cuban festival promised cultural fanfare—and maybe more importantly free stuff from some of the nation’s top brands. For marketers it was the perfect opportunity to reach one of the top Hispanic markets.