MOCO-A-GO-GO. El MocoSpace.

NOTE: This post is a correction/retraction of an earlier post where I incorrectly identified MocoSpace as being from Nokia. Not so, it’s from JNJ. My bad.

Meet the Many Faces of Moco.

So reads the greeting on MocoSpace, a social network from JNJ mobile. The Moco mission statement states they want to be the best place to find friends, have fun and stay connected on your mobile phone.

One of their top advertisers, Nokia is using MocoSpace to promote 2 of their new phones, the Nokia Nuron and Mode. Both phones focus on the MocoSpace target of 18-24 year olds (1/3 Hispanic and 1/3 African American).

In this case, Moco stands for Mobile Community. Are the members/followers called Mocosos? What’s next, the PendejoSpace? I know I would call them Pendejos, sort of like many politicians, but that’s another story.

Meanwhile, back to the Mocos...

I first came across MocoSpace on my LinkedIn, account which took me to a write up on Portada. In the Portada link, the objective and brand intro is laid out nicely. Very well done, very well presented and very smart. Except for the name.

In case you’re not familiar with the Spanish language, what does moco mean? A moco is a booger. Or snot. Take your pick. The next question you're probably asking is why that name? How did they arrive at that name? ¿Que la chingada? Or simply WTF?

I don't know the answers to any of those questions. I do know that every Latino (from different parts of the US) I've spoken to online about this, laughs then say it's not a good idea. Everyone thinks I'm kidding, until I send the actual Moco link.

To be fair, maybe those of us decrying this aren’t the demographic, maybe we're the parents speaking out. When I came across the posting of MocoSpace, on LinkedIn, there was a mention by the Director of Ad Sales for MocoSpace. He stated: "MocoSpace has been around for 5 years with 15 million members in the US today. Over 40% of our audience identify themselves as Hispanic in their profile."

They did research the name, right? I'm hearing that things are going very well for MocoSpace.

Here's where I (and others) question this. We've all seen and heard of companies doing "research" in the Hispanic/Latino market before. Did they really do their research? Who did it? Was it done so that the results were what they wanted to hear? Lost in translation? Perhaps.

They sound pretty serious. The Ad Director said they have over 2x the number of unique Hispanic mobile visitors than Univision claims to have in their mobile network. He believes in the power of the MocoSpace, as he should. He sounds highly committed and behind his service/product. He sent me this link. He's the type of rep each of us enjoys working with.

Is this aligned with their advertisers' brands? More importantly, is it aligned with US Latinos? How about internationally, when you consider Mexico and other Latin American countries? Do they think no one will find this offensive? How about large groups of people finding it offensive? Plus, I understand that MocoSpace is well funded by prominent VC firms.

If you're going to get all Moco in your face and/or rebellious, is this a way to do it? Should it be more extreme/youthful? Or is this more ridicule and demeaning portrayals?

I'm curious to hear feedback on this. In a few years, will this be another business case study where corporate bucks went after the Hispanic market and flopped? If so, will it be due to the misalignment of the brand name?

In MocoSpace no one can hear you scream.

What do you think?

Comments

[Louis Pagan]

At first, I thought YOU were building that site, which seemed strange...glad this clears it all up. :)

[Joe Ray]

LOL! No, that's what's ridiculous about this. It sounds like an odd joke/parody. I would've called mine The Pendejo Factor, much more credible.

[Olmocs]

I have to assume Nokia knows what Moco and Mocosos stand for. It could be a strategy but still becomes a demeaning approach. It's hard to understand how many corporations fail to develop sensible and respectful communications for the hispanic market(one of the largest and growing), and yet some manage to make huge profits. I have to agree with Joe's proposal The Pendejo Factor!

[Allie!]

Nokia clearly didn't START MocoSpace, they ran an ad campaign on MocoSpace, as the Portada piece explains. MocoSpace was started by two English-speaking entrepreneurs who were unfortunately unaware of the Spanish meaning of the word. Regardless, the site is popular with Hispanics, who clearly do not mind the ironic translation, and often find it humorous. How you derived that this site was started by Nokia is absolutely beyond me. DO YOUR HOMEWORK.

[Biff Eakin]

Perhaps you should do your research as well before you tell Nokia to. Nokia is simply an advertiser on the site. They did not start the company, which is backed by prominent venture capital firms and has grown organically to become one of the largest mobile publishers in the world.

[Joe Ray]

Good point, Allie! You're right, they didn't start it. That came about from a previous online conversation giving them credit. They're running their campaign on it. In my loving rush to attack the Nok I bypassed the true Mocos. I'll switch gears.

[Joe Ray]

Okay. I stand corrected here. I will post a retraction and focus the snide commentary on the MocoSpace crew and their prominent VCs. Thanks for the corrections, Allie! and Biff.

[Tracy]

The name is kind of gross but seems like they are doing well. You'd have to interview Spanish speaking Latinos who use MocoSpace to see what they thought of the name when they signed up. Keep in mind, not all Latinos speak Spanish. If they were born and raised in the US and don't speak Spanish, the name wouldn't strike them as funny.

¿Quién sabe? ... Sometimes I see products with names that seem full of "fail", and they end up succeeding. A good name helps, but if people like the product, maybe it doesn't matter in the end?

[A.J.]

oh, oh... Tracy, I'm afraid you've put the finger in a sensitive spot: does the name really matter? maybe yes, maybe not..

As a consumer I wouldn't like to be associated with any mocos, but of course I'm not a 12 year old boy who wants to play games on his iPhone that Santa got him last year.. Hey, do you Moco? eahh man. cool!

The name is degrading & absurd. I find it hard to believe that ANY research was done, probably because funds where placed somewhere else. It is with examples like this that I remember Enrique Dans's quote "common sense is the least common of the senses."

Thumbs down for me.

[A.J.]

However, there are a lot of mocos out there! There is Moco Loco (design), Moco Arts, Moco Inc. (technology), Moco News (telecom) but my favorite of all is Moco de Gorila, the one I think works its brand the best!

http://www.mocodegorila.net/

However, no MocoSpace for me.

[Joe Ray]

Moco de Gorila! Love it! It is what it is and makes no bones about it. No condescending approaches there, just gorilla snot for the hair!

[Eric Torres]

LOL. Wow. Personally, I accept that "Mocos" are a part of life, but that doesn't make them cool. MocoSpace = fail.

[Lydia]

I think their VP of Marketing is from NY LOL That's an even a bigger fail, ¿qué no? They must live in an underground bunker with little holes drilled in the roof to stick out their mobile antennae. ¡¡¡Me sigo muriendo de la risa con los mocosos!!!

[Roberto]

As a Latino, I honestly don't know what is so offensive about Mocospace. Apparently, millions of Latinos that use Mocospace don't find it offensive at all either. Worst case, it's a brand name that has a tongue-in-cheek element to it - although the company makes it very clear in their logo that Moco refers to MObile COmmunities. So what's the big deal folks? I assume that most of us here like to consider ourselves experts at marketing to Latinos - it seems that we can learn quite a bit from MocoSpace who obviously have fond a winning strategy. Instead of sitting here and debating over semantics and criticizing a winning approach, we should be looking to study and dissect Mocospace as an exercise in effective marketing to Latinos.

[A.J.]

Roberto,
With your respect, I do find it appropriate to critizise the brand of Mocospace given the nature, tone and personality of this entire Blog. Luckily, a company's success/failure does not stand only on one element, so you are right by saying that "they have found a winning strategy" but perhaps the concern some may have with this name is that if you can sell a Moco space to the Hispanics to interact among themselves, then, what else could be done?

[A.J.]

to criticise ...

[Victor]

I think we are over thinking it. The thing is aimed at a younger demo, they have license to irreverance and license to upset us "adults"...if us "adults" take issue with it, chances are its dead on. Plus, to compete in any tough crowded space, it helps to stand out, to disrupt and generate conversation. I for one applaud it as brave and provocative.

But on a lighter note, would be great to get a pendejospace up an running. :) :)

[Roberto]

I agree with you Victor. We could be over thinking it to the point of missing some really important questions to ask about this successful case study. Does user experience trump brand positioning? What does the Latino mobile and/or social media consumer look for? Has Mocospace created a unique Latino experience or are Latinos consumption of Mocospace, in the absence of Latino specific content, a sign of acculturation?

Also, Pendejospace IS up already. It's also known as the official website of Las Aguilas Del America. jaja ;)

http://www.clubamerica.com.mx/

[Joe Ray]

Good comments from everyone. The question is, are they laughing with us or at us? Somebody brought up[ this point in conversation yesterday - would it be acceptable (for non-Blacks) to develop something similar called NiggaSpace? This would be a Network Integration space aimed at a younger audience, large numbers of African Americans & Latinos. Powerful and interesting point they brought up. Would we be saying not to take it too serious?

I like disruption. I've been activist and have friends who were more radical in their activism. They were and continue to be disruptive. I think it's our goal as marketers and creatives to do so. Some would also ask if we're village idiots being used for the amusement and profitability of non-Latinos. Personally, I don't think so but it's a good question. However there is a Spanish language component to the site, so it's not just non-Spanish speaking Latinos.

Perhaps MocoSpace appears too white. Unlike the Moco de Gorila which is more in your face and funny. I don't believe in giving quaint little golf claps to Latino marketers for lame vanilla attempts either. Believe me, I ride their asses too.

Roberto-Now, as far as the Pendejospace...pobre, pinche Aguilas. Good call.

[Mari D. Gonzalez]

In a market where controversy works y noticias amarillentas are the norm, I'm not surprised Nokia would have an argument. Even the most credible media networks rely on such "make-the-news" insensitive yet pushy and aggressive tactics. For us bilinguals, it's plain offensive and ignorant.

[Web Design Company New Jersey]

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