"I feel deeply privileged by the fact that for a very long time now the Red Sox organization has accepted me into their family.  Because I am over at Fenway so much and seem to always be running around doing something, many people assume that I actually work for the Sox, which is truly an honor for me," said Alberto Vasallo, III, vice president and editor-in-chief of El Mundo Boston Pictured above on the field with Red Sox slugger David Ortiz.

dib:

So, what’s happening at Fenway today?

AV3:

Today, throughout the day, we have been working with clowns, mimes and different kinds of street performers who we will be featured on July 5^th as part of our Family Festival Day.  We selected today for the performers to come in and take photos with Fenway in the background because the Red Sox are hosting another large-scale event.  We wanted the performers in a setting similar to our own event.  We have three or four different performers coming in at different hours during the day for pictures.

dib:

Tell me about the Family Festival.

AV3:

This is the second time ever that we’ve hosted a Family Festival at Fenway in conjunction with the Red Sox.  Last year was the first. The event features well-known international recording artists.  It’s like a festival slash concert.  Last year we did it to commemorate the 35^th anniversary of El Mundo Boston.  It was a great success.  The mayor loved it, the residents, the Red Sox – everybody!

dib:

It sounds like a great way for the community to come out and show their support for your publication.

AV3:

It was satisfying on all levels.  Last year, it wasn’t just the sponsors and the Red Sox that gave us kudos, it was the community.  We knew we had the community’s support because our formula for success is based on very deep involvement with the community – from churches to social service agencies to night-life establishments.   We try to be involved at all levels of the community, as much as we can.

dib:

As I listen to you talk about the Family Festival, I’m struck by your passion.  My impression is that this isn’t just a matter of you taking El Mundo to the next level.  It sounds more like a calling for you.  Is it?

AV3:

This is my life.  There’s no other way to describe it.  It’s been my life, and I can guarantee you it will continue to be my life.  I consider myself a Bostonian.  I was born in Boston.  I’ve lived my entire life in Boston; and I’m going to die in Boston.   Being such a part of Boston provides assurance for the community.  We're here to stay.  You see a lot of media publications spring up and then disappear, or companies change hands.  We’re going to be around for as long as we can, and I think that commitment is a big part of our success.  So, you’re right.  This is my life.

dib:

Where does your passion for the community come from?

AV3:

It comes from my father and the family.  I remember being nine or ten years old going to community events with my father.  It’s very chic to talk about diversity and multiculturalism now; but thirty years ago, having a Spanish language newspaper in Boston wasn’t the most convenient thing.  My father would always sit me down and explain why he was doing what he was doing, and how he felt about the community.  He was also savvy in terms of business.  My passion comes from the combination of the two.  Being around the newspaper business for a long time you learn to deal with two worlds: social service agencies and community activists as well as high-powered marketing folks in Corporate America.  It’s sometimes tough to balance both; but I've learned how to do that from my father; and I take that to work everyday.

dib:

You speak about two worlds, I read that you not only view yourself as bilingual and bi-cultural, but you encourage Latino youth to do the same. Is this true?

AV3:

For me, it’s very important for young Latino kids to understand that being bilingual and bi-cultural has been my biggest asset.   It’s something that any Latino kid can aspire to have.  I always tell kids to take advantage of opportunities to become fluent in both languages because it is such a competitive advantage, especially in marketing; and it’s absolutely attainable.  You can speak Spanish at home so you don't lose the language and at the same time work to perfect your English.  You’re always going to encounter people who have negative stereotypes about Latinos.  You walk through the door and they think you’re going to have an accent or might not be that articulate.  I use those situations to my advantage, both on a personal level and with the newspaper.  The newspaper is bilingual, very savvy, young and hip.  It’s produced by a pretty intelligent group of people who can hold their own with anybody.

dib:

El Mundo is Boston-based and New England focused.  Do you aspire to eventually expand nationally?

AV3:

Absolutely; but when I talk about going national, it doesn’t necessarily mean El Mundo. It means Caribe Communications & Publications, El Mundo’s parent organization.  We intend to transfer our know-how and business models to other markets, other entities and other publications.  A prime example is the kind of thing we’re doing with the Red Sox.  If Major League Baseball needed someone to help ball clubs build successful relationships with Latinos in other markets, we have the know-how to help.  We want to be able to offer our services to emerging newspapers and media outlets in other markets.  We want to share our model for working with Corporate America and our understanding of the Latino market.  El Mundo will probably always be a local newspaper, but that doesn’t mean our know-how cannot be of service to everyone else around the country. 

dib:

If you take a 20 second elevator ride with a prospective client, how would you describe your model?

AV3:

We have the ability to develop programs that engage the Latino community and at the same time offer great business opportunities for corporate sponsors.  We create win-win scenarios for everyone.  That’s what we’ve done with the Red Sox.  Corporate participants benefit in terms of social responsibility and goodwill, but more importantly, they benefit in terms of bottom-line results – be they more ticket sales, or new and non-traditional opportunities for revenue-sharing.  We create events that engage corporate participants in ways that allow them to become part of a community – a community they need to reach out to but most don’t know how to effectively.  I tell corporations that if you give to the Latino community, the community will give back ten times; and I think the Boston Red Sox are my biggest reference on that point.  Our experience with the Red Sox has been rewarding on many levels.

dib:

Are you saying that events, such as the upcoming Family Festival, help build a fan base for the Red Sox?

AV3:

There’s no doubt about it.  The image and acceptance of the Red Sox in the Hispanic community today is like day and night compared to 15 years ago when we first began working with them.  I’m a true-blue Red Sox fan; and it use to hurt me to see people in my community not cheering for the Red Sox, for whatever reasons.  Now, it’s the thing to do; and it’s long-term.  People in the community are not just Pedro Martinez fans, or fans just of the Latino players or Dominican players.  They're real Red Sox fans.  I see it transferring over to the Patriots and the Celtics too.  It’s something were very excited about because El Mundo helped guide the community into the Red Sox Nation and beyond.   I think events such as the Family Festival are the way to go.  It’s not about placing an ad in the paper anymore.  It’s about engaging a community and building relationships over time.

Many organizations think they can place an ad in a minority publication, or sponsor an event and win over the loyalty of the African American or Hispanic consumer.  Do you think that's realistic?

It’s never going to happen overnight; but that’s not to say there can’t be significant change resulting from a single event.  When you do an event, you can have positive movement.  There can be change; but it’s all about mapping out and managing expectations.  The results have to demonstrate to the corporation that they are doing the right thing and moving in the right direction.

Since you’ve had such great success bringing the Hispanic community together with the Red Sox, let me ask, what made you such a die-hard Red Sox fan?

The answer is Red Sox Legend Luis Tiant.  My father and Luis played baseball together back in Cuba.  As far back as my memory goes, Number 23 in a Red Sox uniform was a fixture in the house.  We always had the games on.  Being Cuban, he was a source of pride.  He was a role model, one who encompassed everything I admired.  He was a gentleman and a guy I could relate to from a cultural point of view.  He was well-accepted and loved in Boston and New England; and that turned me on.  So, I grew up a Red Sox fan.  Baseball is my life.  I love it with a passion; and I consider myself very, very lucky to have the relationship I have today with the Red Sox. 

dib:

We haven’t talked about the Latino Youth Day you’ve been co-hosting with the Red Sox for the last 13 years.  It must be a great source of pride for you.

AV3:

That event, in particular, is a tremendous source of pride for me.  I developed it 13 years ago; and it has allowed me to do what I love to do the most: get my community involved and get them involved with the Boston Red Sox, my favorite organization in the whole wide world.  I was able to get the players involved.  They loved it; and still do.  The families love it, and the Red Sox love it.  It’s a win-win for everybody.

dib:

As you look to share what you’ve learned from working with the Red Sox, are you able to respond to the diversity of Hispanic market throughout the country?

AV3:

El Mundo is a very unique organization.  We are very sensitive to the diversity of the Latino market.  Massachusetts is known for its diversity in general, but there is no one dominant Hispanic group here.  Dominicans, Puerto Ricans, South and Central Americans and Mexicans, they are all part the community.  Our readership has given us an appreciation for the preferences, nuisances and cultural differences between the groups.  Our ability to know and differentiate between Hispanic groups is probably our strongest suit.  It’s the value we bring to the Red Sox and to Corporate America.  It’s the know-how we seek to leverage.

dib:

Alberto, it has been great talking with you. Thank you for sharing your history and passion and hopes for the future.

AV3:

Thank you.