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Driving Success
Competition in the auto
industry continues to
intensify, placing
greater emphasis on
alternative markets in
order to expand each
brand’s customer base.
Properly investing in
the Latino market
remains a challenge and
a lack of real interest
will surely produce poor
results. Some, however,
have been successful.
In the auto industry,
Nissan North America
(NNA), Inc., claims the
most success with an
unprecedented 13 percent
of the Latino market
share. Additionally,
Latinos make up 17
percent of its car
buyers. Not satisfied
with its success, Nissan
has invested further in
the Latino market by
placing a Latina in a
key position.
In 2006, the same year
the company moved its
headquarters to
Nashville, Tenn., Nissan
appointed Stephanie
Valdez-Streaty, 42,
senior manager of
Philanthropy and
Diversity Communications
for Nissan North America
(NNA). A Colorado
native, she admits that
she never imagined
working in the auto
industry.
“I love my job,” she
shares. “It gives me a
great opportunity to
learn about my
community, in Nashville
and nationwide.”
Born in Thornton, Colo.
to George, a dockworker
for Consolidated
Freightways, and Louise
Valdez, a secretary for
AT&T, she is a middle
child and a fourth
generation Mexican
American. Valdez-Streaty
studied sociology at
Stanford University with
a focus on
organizational behavior. |
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Stephanie
Valdez-Streaty, senior
manager of Philanthropy
and Diversity
Communications at Nissan
North America (NNA). |
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Upon graduating with a
bachelors degree in
1988, Valdez-Streaty
embarked on a career in
consulting, working for
Arthur Andersen
Strategic Consulting
with clients in the
telecommunications and
healthcare fields. In
1993 she went to work
for Axiom Consulting but
her final assignment
there, which required
that she commute between
Los Angeles and San
Diego, forced her to
consider a new
professional path.
“It was 1996 and I had
just had my first child
and I couldn’t bear
leaving my baby for a
whole week. It was too
much,” she admits.
She applied for and
received an internal
consulting position at
Nissan North America.
Working in different
departments throughout
the company, she began
in human resources
development and
training, and then moved
on to employee and
supplier diversity. That
experience, she feels,
gave her the
comprehensive knowledge
of the company that she
needed for her current
position.
“I’m like an ambassador
for the company,” she
says. “I’m creating
links to a community
that may not be that
familiar with Nissan so
I need to make sure my
message is clear and the
information I’m sharing
is accurate.”
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Stephanie
Valdez-Streaty
with
daughter,
Taylor
Streaty |
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In her current position
overseeing Nissan’s
corporate charity giving
and multicultural public
relations, she focuses
on projects that combine
a charitable component
with marketing and human
resources. “I’m not just
looking for projects
that promote Nissan as a
brand, but also help
identify and groom
future employees,” she
explains.
Latino outreach efforts
for which she’s most
proud include El Reto
Final soccer tournament
that began as part of
Nissan’s marketing
effort during the World
Cup of Soccer in 2006. A
five-part reality series
broadcast on Fox
Español, it featured
former professional
soccer players from
Argentina and Mexico and
culminated in a
championship match.
Charitable proceeds from
the event, which was
held again last year,
include a $25,000
contribution, each year
from Nissan to the Boys
and Girls Club of
America.
In Nashville, Nissan
supports the YMCA
Hispanic Achiever
Program (YHAP) with a
$50,000 sponsorship. The
national program was
initiated by Josias
Arteaga seven years ago
and has been instituted
by eight areas in the
country including Middle
Tennessee. It focuses on
students in grades K–12
and their parents,
offering programs to
help the students not
only stay in school but
continue on to college.
It matches the students
with mentors while
offering English as a
second-language classes,
programs that celebrate
the Latino culture and
diversity, and
leadership training for
students and parents.
Every student who has
participated has
graduated from high
school and over half
have gone on to college.
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“We currently serve
about 350 students but
Nissan’s support will
help us expand the
program for next year,”
says Jessie Garcia Van
de Griek of the Harding
Place Family YMCA in
Nashville. “Stephanie’s
participation was vital
to gaining Nissan’s
support. She provides
tangible proof that
corporate America is
interested in helping
the Latino community.”
Nissan has also
committed $1 million
annually in a
partnership with Habitat
for Humanity. In Dallas,
Diane Martinez and her
family, including her
mom and two children,
received a new home.
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“Programs like the
Hispanic Achievers and
Habitat for Humanity
offer multiple as well
as long-term results
that benefit the
participants as well as
our own staffers, who
are encouraged to
volunteer,” states
Valdez-Streaty. For her
part, she has met with
the students and
delivered the keynote
address at the YHAP
annual dinner.
National Latino
organizations, like the
National Council of La
Raza, the Hispanic
Scholarship Fund, and
the U.S. Hispanic
Chamber can claim Nissan
as a sponsor and this
year, the National
Hispana Leadership
Institute (NHLI)
received a $25,000
contribution from Nissan
for its Twentieth
Anniversary 2007
Leadership Development
and Mujer Awards
Conference.
Regarding Nissan’s
success in the Latino
market, Valdez-Streaty
credits the company’s
ability to produce
high-quality, affordable
products that appeal to
consumers. Approximately
48 percent of Nissan’s
customers are women and
the top-selling vehicle
among Latinas is the
Nissan Altima. Nissan
has produced vehicles in
Mexico for years, e.g.,
every Sentra and Versa
sold in the U.S. was
built in Aguascalientes,
Mexico, so the brand
carries a very positive
image among newly
arrived immigrants. “But
ultimately, its our
investment in marketing
as well as outreach,
where we don’t just give
money away, we try to
get to know our
customers, that has
produced positive
results,” she asserts.
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Mrs.
Martinez
with her
son
Israel
working
with
Nissan
volunteers
with
Habitat
for
Humanity |
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Challenges at Nissan
remain in the areas of
staffing, procurement,
and minority dealership
opportunities, but
Valdez-Streaty reports
that the company is
continually evaluating
its diversity policies
to improve their
effectiveness.
Most recently, a women’s
employee organization
was created at Nissan as
a pilot project,
modeling similar
internal employee groups
already in place among
domestic carmakers.
Many have pursued the
Latino car-buying
dollar, but the
companies with the most
success, like Nissan,
achieve results with
good products, policies,
and people.
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Car
Buying
Basics
Car
buying
is no
longer a
man’s
job but
many
women
may feel
a little
less
secure
in this
shopping
scenario.
Today’s
Latina
can
purchase
her own
car
especially
if she
approaches
the task
with
confidence.
Here are
a few
tips for
buying a
car.
Research
is the
best
offense
The
internet
is the
best and
easiest
source
for
this.
Manufacturer
websites
provide
specific
information
about
features
and
websites
like
Edmunds.com
provide
free car
reviews.
Consumer
Reports
offers
its own
tips for
car
buying
at
www.consumerreports.org.
Find car
buying
guide
lists at
http://www.edmunds.com/
Investigate
financing
options
Latinas
with a
good
credit
rating
can
arrange
to
finance
a
vehicle
with
their
bank or
see what
the
dealership
can
offer.
It’s
also
important
to view
your
credit
report.
Multiple
sites
online
offer
this
service
or
contact
credit
bureaus
directly.
For
Latinas
with
credit
issues,
consider
a car
lease
but read
the
contract
carefully
for
factors
that
would
terminate
the
lease
prematurely.
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Timing
is
everything
The end
of each
month is
a good
time for
buyers.
Sales
staff
have
quotas
to meet
and will
be more
likely
to make
a deal.
The
first of
the year
is also
a good
time
because
sales
after
Christmas
are
slow.
Trust
a gut
instinct
A good
vibe
from the
salesman
will
help the
process
go more
smoothly.
If
you’re
not
happy
with the
first
salesman
to
approach
you, ask
management
for
another
or try
another
dealership.
If you
feel
more
comfortable
working
with a
woman,
request
one. She
might
return
the
favor
with a
good
deal.
Hire
a broker
If the
prospect
of
buying a
car
remains
unappealing,
hire
someone
to
negotiate
the deal
for you,
i.e. a
car
broker.
Car
buying
may be a
challenge
but it’s
also
part of
life. To
get
through
the
process,
Latinas
must
trust
their
instincts,
be armed
with as
much
information
as
possible
and
remember
to never
show
enthusiasm
and
always
be
willing
to walk
away. |
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By Valerie Menard
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