HOUSTON, Sept. 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Reliant Energy today
announced the launch of a new, Spanish-language advertising campaign
featuring Texas' No. 1 morning radio talk show celebrity and Reliant Energy
customer Raul Brindis. The campaign highlights Brindis' endorsement of
Reliant Energy and its products and services in a Hispanic-relevant
television show format -- a departure from the brand-focused advertising
typical of Reliant's past Hispanic advertising campaigns.
The spots replicate a television variety show similar to Sabado
Gigante, made popular in the United States and in Latin America by Don
Francisco, and now the world's longest running variety show in television
history. The role of host is played by Brindis, with game show hostess
"Lola-Lola," complete with glittering gown and rotating stage. Supporting
Brindis and Lola-Lola are backup singers, "the Lolaettes," debuting a
Reliant jingle that urges customers to call 1-866-RELIANT to sign up for
the electricity pricing plans that best meet their needs.
"Our strategy of using in-culture advertising rather than simply in-
language advertising demonstrates our commitment to serving the Hispanic
community," said Gregg Hollenberg, vice president, Reliant Energy. "The
television variety-show format is familiar and highly relevant to our
Spanish- speaking customers -- and by using it, we send a strong message
that we want to be their first choice among electricity retailers."
The commercials highlight Reliant Energy's dedication to its Hispanic
customers by using a celebrity with which customers can identify and trust.
Brindis is a veteran of the Spanish-language radio industry. According to
Arbitron, Brindis is the No. 1 Spanish-language radio show in Texas and
boasts more than 450,000 listeners weekly in Houston alone.
The integrated marketing strategy includes radio commercials,
billboards and print ads featuring Brindis and Lola-Lola in the same manner
as the television campaign. The new campaign started airing in September in
the Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Corpus Christi, the Lower Rio Grande Valley
and Laredo markets.
The commercials are yet another way Reliant Energy has reached out to
Hispanic consumers. The company has bilingual call center representatives,
bilingual Home Energy Advisors, operates http://www.reliant.com/espanol and
offers customers the option of receiving their bills in Spanish. In its
community outreach, Reliant sponsors a number of Hispanic initiatives,
including the Expo Tu Casa trade show in Houston and the Better Business
Bureau Houston Spanish website, http://www.bbbespanol.org . It is a member
of the Hispanic Chambers of Commerce across Texas and has launched a skills
training program for adult Hispanics in Houston through the Boys & Girls
Clubs this fall.
Reliant Energy, Inc. (NYSE: RRI), based in Houston, provides
electricity and energy services to retail and wholesale customers in the
United States. In Texas, the company provides service to approximately 1.9
million retail electricity customers, including residential and small
business customers and commercial, industrial, governmental and
institutional customers. Reliant also serves commercial, industrial,
governmental and institutional customers in the PJM (Pennsylvania, New
Jersey and Maryland) market.
The company is one of the largest independent power producers in the
nation with approximately 16,000 megawatts of power generation capacity in
operation across the United States. These strategically located generating
assets utilize natural gas, fuel oil and coal. For more information, visit
http://www.reliant.com/corporate .
SOURCE Reliant Energy
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Related links:
http://www.reliant.com/corporate
http://www.reliant.com/espanol http://www.bbbespanol.org
CONTACT:
Pat Hammond of Reliant Energy,
+1-713-497-7723; or Merche Shannon of Lopez Negrete
Communications, +1-832-295-5420, for Reliant Energy
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