Author: Phillip Vélez

Communication Professional and Writer/Blogger
Posted in Blogging, Consulting

Movie: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (opens Aug. 13th)

Posted on by Phillip Vélez

I have begun working with a group that aims to market mainstream Hollywood movies to the greater U.S. Hispanic/Latino market. The promotional work sounds pretty interesting and I look forward to learning more about, and sharing information on, upcoming films.

The first film I’ll be promoting for HMThinkLatino is entitled “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World,” an action-comedy based on the graphic novels by Bryan Lee O’Malley. Several trailers for the movie showcase great visuals and a cool and funny cast in their late-teens/early twenties. Overall it looks like an entertaining movie full of lots of fun.

“The emotions and interactions throughout the film are infused with the mass media that this generation has grown up with—not just in music, film and animation, but in over 30 years of video games,” said Bryan Lee O’Malley.

The movie also seems to have a superhero-like tone with a twist of sci-fi fantasy, making it appealing to a broad set of audiences.

Director, producer, and screen writer Edgar Wright has worked on the projects like the U.K. series-turned-international-cult-phenomenon Spaced, Shaun of the Dead, and action-comedy opus Hot Fuzz. In his mid-thirties, Wright has evolved from a young film geek wanting to prove himself to one of the most sought-after geeks working in film today.

Check out Scott Pilgrim vs. the World in theaters Aug. 13, 2010 and feel free to like HMThinkLatino’s Facebook page.

Posted in Consulting, Social Media

Happy Employees Affect the Bottom Line

Posted on by Phillip Vélez

A productive staff is the most important asset an organization can possess, notes one of the best business schools in the world. A happy staff is more productive, according to a recent study conducted by the Warwick Business School in the United Kingdom.

“We find that human happiness has large and positive causal effects on productivity,” said Andrew Oswald, a professor of economics at Warwick Business School and a leading authority on the relationship between economics and mental health.

“If happiness in the workplace brings increased returns to productivity, then human resource departments, business managers and the architects of promotion policies will want to consider the implications,” the research concluded.

I was a witness to an act of employee recognition this week when I accompanied the staff of Bogota Latin Bistro on a trip to Great Adventure. The owners of the Park Slope bistro, Farid Ali Lancheros and George Constantinou Fernandes, rewarded their hard working staff with an all-paid, full-day trip to the amusement park on Tuesday.

At a time when companies are scaling back on perks and special events recognizing excellent work, Farid and George decided to close the restaurant’s door for the second year in a row. Employees and their family and friends were treated to exciting trip, complete with food and drink, and thanked publicly for another year of productive work.

Many businesses can take a lead from the owners of Bogota Latin Bistro & Mojito Bar, which has become Brooklyn’s premier Latin restaurant. No matter how tough these economic times may be, having a happy staff that is recognized for its hard work really makes a difference to any organization’s bottom line.

Posted in Social Media

Non-profits and Social Media

Posted on by Phillip Vélez

There was an excellent article in Mashable earlier this month about non-profits and social media. It was written by Melissa Jun Rowley and notes digital outreach as one of the main reasons why non-profit organizations must embrace social media. The distribution of an organization’s message online, via several social networks, helps get the name and cause of the group to masses and may even help find funds and donations. Experts say the overall use of social media increases brand awareness, in both corporate and non-profit settings. Non-profits can also benefit greatly by using social media to network with the broader non-profit community. The article concludes that while measuring a successful social medial campaign may be difficult, groups should consider monitoring donations, volunteer numbers, and dialogue within various communities. For more information you can read the complete article here.

Posted in Writing

Citizen Journalism

Posted on by Phillip Vélez

I officially became a citizen journalist by being designated the Bronx County Political Buzz Examiner at Examiner.com. According to Jay Rosen, a press critic, a writer, and a professor of journalism at New York University, citizen journalists are “the people formerly known as the audience,” who “were on the receiving end of a media system that ran one way… The people formerly known as the audience are simply the public made realer, less fictional, more able, less predictable.” My first article as the Bronx County Political Buzz Examiner is about the Bronx Census and I look forward to writing more about the politics of the Bronx. So if you’re involved in Bronx politics or have any story ideas please feel free to contact me directly.

Posted in Social Media

Social Networking Use Increases Globally

Posted on by Phillip Vélez

A recent study by the Neilsen Company shows that the use of online social networks increased two hours a month from last year. According to the February 2010 report of countries with the most usage, the United States — which has the largest unique social networking audience — ranked third with the average person spending just over six hours (6:02:34) per month on social networks. Facebook is the number-one social network destination worldwide and accounts for nearly six hours (5:52:00) per person with the average user logging in more than 19 times per month. For more on the study, read Jennifer Van Grove’s article in Mashable, the Social Media Guide.