Ricardo Salinas

Ricardo Salinas
June 2016 •Issue 98
Letter
to our
Readers
Content
Contacts
Proposes Classical
Liberalism as Antidote
to Authoritarianism
Ideas have weight and consequences; that’s why we must restate the value
of liberal ideology if we do not want to fall prey to authoritarianism, said Ricardo Salinas at the celebration of the 19th anniversary of La Entrevista con
Sarmiento.
Mr. Salinas said that when faced with opinions that attack freedoms, it is important that intellectuals like Sergio Sarmiento and his program exist, a plural space open to all ideologies.
Letter to
Our
Readers
One of TV Azteca’s most emblematic
alogue, contributing to higher online
programs, La Entrevista con Sarmiento
sales.
recently celebrated 19 years on the air,
clearly consolidating itself as a plural
Italika continues to surprise custom-
space open to all ideologies. The fes-
ers with new models, offering a wider
tivities brought together outstanding
range of accessories and advantages to
guests from the world of politics, busi-
satisfy their transportation needs. This
ness, and intelligentsia to whom Ricar-
strengthens its leadership in Mexico’s
do Salinas emphasized the importance
motorcycle market.
of reaffirming liberal ideology.
Banco Azteca continues developing its
Speaking of TV Azteca, we should note
financial education program, “Aprende
that our network has once again taken
y Crece” (Learn and Grow), which will
the lead in the industry with the first live
now extend to Honduras to support
broadcast in Mexico using 4K technol-
consumers in appropriating the tools
ogy, a format that offers the maximum
they need to manage personal finances.
high definition available today. Congrat-
Social responsibility is an essential part
ulations!
of Grupo Salinas’ philosophy. In these
pages, we have informed our readers
We also recently celebrated the first an-
of several of our initiatives, and now
niversary of AZ Cinema, a pay channel
we want to share a project that has
available in Mexico, the United States,
been growing and making us proud, El
and Latin America specialized in clas-
Pelotón de la Alegría. We invite you to
sic movies. The celebrations included
find out here what this noble activity is
a special documentary about Mexican
all about.
cinema.
We also held the new Movimiento AzRetail giant Elektra has launched a se-
teca fundraiser, which garnered money
ries of campaigns offering its products
for the Mexican Social Security Institute
with special prices and financing. The
hospitals to provide family members
strategy includes a revamping of Elek-
with chair-beds to make their hospital
tra.com, making it more attractive and
stays accompanying their family mem-
user-friendly, as well as a larger cat-
bers more comfortable.
Luis J. Echarte
Editorial
The Importance of Ideas
Grupo Salinas is committed to building a free society, whether through our
social initiatives or by providing space on television for the ideas and points of
view of all sectors of society.
The opinion program La Entrevista con Sarmiento has established itself over
the last 19 years as a unique broadcast on Mexican television, both because
of its permanency and because of its hallmark pluralism and openness. All
ideologies and religious, social, or economic policies have been expressed in
its broadcasts.
The 19th anniversary broadcast hosted by Sergio Sarmiento is an opportunity
to remember that ideas have weight; they have consequences; and in the face
of the threat of authoritarian currents of thought that are attempting to gain
the upper hand due to the deficiencies of democratic systems, we must revisit
the ideas that defend human freedoms and reiterate their value.
Italika, a socially
responsible company,
launched the ATV 180,
an intermediate model
for our all-terrain
vehicle or quad bike
line...
AZ Cinema, the cinema
and entertainment
channel available in
Mexico, the United
States, and Latin
America through AZ
TV de Paga,,...
Nine years ago, at
a working meeting
with consultant Noel
Tichy to develop
ideas based on the
Grupo Salinas value of
generosity, ...
Content
The Fundación Azteca
VIVE campaign
celebrated its 18th
year at the offices of
Mexico City’s Milpa
Alta Borough....
As part of Grupo
Salinas and Fundación
Azteca’s socially
responsible activities,
the Malinalco
Esperanza Azteca
Symphony Orchestra...
TV Azteca Makes Its First 4K Broadcast .....................................................6
elektra.com.mx, the First Specialized Retail Site in the Cloud ................... 7
Elektra’s Successful Sales Campaigns . .....................................................8
AZ Cinema Celebrates First Anniversary . ...................................................9
Italika Expands Its Lineup................................................................................. 10
Banco Azteca Launches Financial Education Program in Honduras . ........11
Aprende y Crece Site Recognized for Accessibility .................................. 12
Advance America Campaign to Support Its Customers ..............................13
El Pelotón de la Alegría Goes National ..................................................... 14
VIVE Comes of Age . ...................................................................................15
Successful 92nd Movimiento Azteca Fundraiser ...................................... 16
Esperanza Azteca Orchestras in Malinalco
and Tlaquepaque Make Their Debuts ........................................................17
Fundación Azteca Organizes First Conference of Civic Organizations ...... 18
13th ¡Que Viva la Selva Lacandona! Contest Slated ................................. 19
Names and Faces: Enrique Cárdenas Sánchez .........................................20
The Best of the Social Networks .............................................................. 21
The Best of the Blog .................................................................................22
Contacts .................................................................................................... 23
(continued) Ricardo Salinas Proposes Classical Liberalism as Antidote
to Athoritarianism
Sergio Sarmiento
unveils caricature
done by Paco
Calderon
Ricardo Salinas and Sergio
Sarmiento with U.S.
Ambassador to Mexico
Roberta Jacobson, Mexico
City Mayor Miguel Ángel
Mancera, Senator Francisco
Búrquez, Luis J. Echarte, and
Diego Fernández de Cevallos
IN 19 YEARS
ON THE AIR, LA
ENTREVISTA CON
SARMIENTO
HAS BROADCAST
2,745
Sergio Sarmiento added that his program’s long run is based on several
principles, one of which is freedom and the other, tolerance. “That is what
has guided this program, and I believe it is what has kept it on the air.”
Among the public figures present were Mexico City Mayor Miguel Ángel
Mancera, US Ambassador to Mexico Roberta Jacobson, Russian Ambassador Eduard Malayán, Polish Ambassador Beata Wojna, Canadian Ambassador Pierre Alarie, Luis de la Barreda, and Diego Fernández de Cevallos.
PROGRAMS
5
At the Technological Forefront
TV Azteca
Makes Its First
4K
Broadcast
To offer the public the highest possible content quality, TV Azteca made its first
live TV broadcast in 4K together with Totalplay and Sony. The Mexico-Paraguay
soccer match was the vehicle that spearheaded this innovation, which offers
four times the quality of regular HD.
Each party to this triple collaboration played an important role: TV Azteca has
the infrastructure needed to make 4K productions; Sony makes high-quality
television sets that give audiences a better experience; and Totalplay, whose
coverage is on the rise, launched a new decoder that makes it possible to enjoy
this content.
With this, TV Azteca has consolidated itself as a pioneer in technology use, since
it has been the first Mexican television network to broadcast not only live in 4K,
but also in HD and 3D.
6
Better Online Navigation and Purchases
Elektra.com.mx,
the First Specialized
Retail Site
in the Cloud
Recently, Grupo Elektra revamped its
e-commerce portal to take advantage
of the national Hot Sale and project a
more attractive image with an intelligent, user-friendly browser responsive
to mobility with a wider range of products and forms of payment. It also uses
the Oracle platform, making it the first
Latin American specialized retail site in
the cloud, with great flexibility and capacity for responding to clients.
In addition to products that can be
found on showroom floors, the new
Internet site offers products exclusively found online like software licenses, premium-brand smartphones,
heart-monitor watches, high-end major
appliances, exclusive brands of mattresses, perfume, glasses, and a wide
selection of electronics. Today, 40% of
the products featured on the portal can
only be purchased online.
The site is protected against viruses,
online threats, identity theft, and fraud.
It has the seal of approval and trust of the
Mexican Internet Association (AMIPCI)
and is a member of the Mexican Online
Sales Association (AMVO).
The new Grupo Elektra portal boasts
more than 2,000 products classified
into 26 categories. Several of them are
displayed in highly-detailed, 360-degree photographs. This facilitates customer purchasing experiences and
keeps Elektra at the forefront of the
market.
During the 2016 Hot Sale, the portal recorded 500,000 hits from throughout
Mexico and several cities in the United
States, pushing up the ratio of online
sales.
7
The Best Purchasing Opportunities for Our Customers
Elektra´s Successful
Sales Campaigns
Every year at Tiendas Elektra, we offer
big opportunities for our customers to
purchase the products needed in their
homes using different sales approaches, each with its own advertising campaign.
Día Elektra
For a single day of the year, we offer the
opportunity to purchase our products in
every country where we operate under
the best market conditions, paying in
cash or with Banco Azteca credit.
Each campaign’s messages go out to
our customers through our stores, in
TV Azteca advertising, and recently,
with the growing importance of social
networks, on Facebook, where Tiendas
Elektra is on the verge of having a million followers.
Días Rojos
Five days a year, we design big promotions for our customers to make purchases using Banco Azteca credit.
Every year, we hold advertising campaigns that target specific buying
seasons: Mother’s Day, El Buen Fin
(pre-Christmas), or Back-to-School
time. However, for other dates, we have
also created widely-accepted commercial events of our own, like Día Elektra
(Elektra Day), Días Rojos (Red Days),
the Hot Sale, and, more recently, Por Fin
Es Junio (It’s Finally June).
Hot Sale
This is our online campaign held on
certain days, with exclusive sales as
incentives to purchase online. elektra.com.mx has the advantage that it
not only targets people in our stores,
but also creates new buyers used to
e-commerce.
Por Fin es Junio
We began this event this year, and it
was widely accepted in the market from
the very first day of the campaign, so we
hope to repeat it in the future. The campaign alludes to the end of a long wait,
and June is when many families will be
able to take advantage of the best sales
in Elektra to purchase that product
needed in their home.
At Tiendas Elektra, we design the best
campaigns to serve our customers all
year round!
8
With Special Programming
AZ Cinema Celebrates
First Anniversary
AZ Cinema, the cinema and entertainment channel available
in Mexico, the United States, and Latin America through AZ
TV de Paga, a TV Azteca subsidiary, celebrated its first anniversary in May.
It marked the occasion by announcing special programming
called 365 días de emociones inolvidables (365 Days of Unforgettable Emotions), which included the launch of Luma,
historia del cine (Luma, History of Cinema), a 13-chapter
documentary.
9
Throughout the year, as a result of important efforts to digitalize and restore films by more than 130 directors, AZ Cinema will broadcast material from its stock of 20th-century
Mexican movies, with special emphasis on films produced
in the Golden Age of Mexican cinema.
It will also feature series, interviews, and debates among
directors, producers, and actors.
In Constant Evolution
Italika
Expands Its Lineup
Italika, a socially responsible company,
launched the ATV 180, an intermediate model for our all-terrain vehicle or
quad bike line. The new ATV offers the
thrill of the four-wheel experience with
a single-cylinder motor and automatic
transmission with a reverse gear, letting the driver get over anything in his
or her way on the road, riding outside
the city both safely and audaciously.
The company also launched the VX 250,
which takes us into adventure cycling.
This model is ideal for long highway or
dirt-road trips, with its dual-purpose
tires, spoke rims, and inverted front
suspension that make it more comfortable no matter what terrain you’re
riding on. The new bike has a 250cc
water-cooled engine, guaranteeing the
best performance all the way, and also
boasts three storage compartments.
Roberto Martín del
Campo, marketing
director, with the
ATV180. Below,
the VX250
At our partner department store, Liverpool, we also launched the Italika
170Z, a strong, light, easy-to-handle
motorcycle, making it an excellent option for enjoying the road. It’s ideal for
getting around the city in style since it
offers sporty accessories that set it apart from other bikes in its category.
As part of its on-going process improvement, Italika has developed 100%-reusable packaging for its motorcycles: a frame made completely of metal that
comes back from its destination completely intact, making it totally reusable.
10
Aprende y Crece Internet Portal Launched
Roberto Ruiz
launches the
Aprende y
Crece portal in
Honduras
Banco Azteca
Launches
Financial
Education
Program in
Honduras
Financial education is a key tool in creating inclusive financial and social systems, and a fundamental pillar for every country’s economic development. That
is why Banco Azteca is launching its Aprende y Crece (Learn and Grow) program
in Honduras.
The aim is to offer the general public the basic know-how needed to have healthy
personal finances and promote entrepreneurial culture. Every possible medium
is used in the program: publications, lectures, interactive theater, workshops,
and the latest in digital technology, all with clear, entertaining and accessible
language.
APRENDE Y CRECE CREATES
PUBLIC AWARENESS ABOUT
THE IMPORTANCE OF
FINANCIAL CULTURE FOR
TAKING CARE OF YOUR
MONEY AND HELPING
DEVELOP THE SKILLS NEEDED
TO MAKE YOUR BUSINESSES
SUCCESSFUL.
11
A central part of the program was the presentation of
the new Internet portal Aprende y Crece Honduras
(www.aprendeycrece.hn), the most robust financial and
business platform in the country.
This program will revolutionize financial education in
Honduras by using cutting-edge teaching tools like technological innovations (apps for children and adults), TV
content (series, novelas), didactic materials (interactive
stories, magazines, bulletins), and events to be organized throughout the country (films with debate, theater, musicals, forums, and workshops, among others).
Improving Inclusion and Financial Education Habits
Aprende y Crece
Site Recognized for Accessibility
Aprende y Crece and Banco Azteca are
committed to financial and business education
for everyone, including people with disabilities.
That’s why their website complies with
international accessibility requirements and
guidelines to ensure appropriate navigation
for everyone.
Banco Azteca’s financial education
program Aprende y Crece (Learn and
Grow) works tirelessly to improve financial inclusion and education habits
through its online platform in Mexico, Peru, Guatemala, El Salvador, and
soon in Honduras and Panama.
12
The aim is to not only reach people traditionally excluded from the financial
sector, but also those with different
capacities who have motor, visual, auditory, or learning problems.
The objective is to use assistance
technology to make navigating the
Internet simpler so they can access
the Aprende y Crece platform without
problems.
The page has a Statement of Accessibility provided by the Hearcolors company, which highlights the importance
of programming and maintaining accessible websites, detailing all the criteria that portals should comply with
to be considered accessible.
To Show Its Offering of Services
Advance America
Campaign to Support
Its Customers
Advance America recently began an ad campaign called
“Power On” to highlight the company’s unique offers and
celebrate their clients’ strength in overcoming financial
problems.
“This campaign explains the role that Advance America has
in helping consumers overcome their financial challenges,”
said company President and CEO Patrick O’Shaughnessy.
“We are glad to be able to tell the whole country that the
company has financial solutions that help consumers ‘power on,’” he added.
As the campaign has progressed, Advance American has
identified the qualities and values that people appreciate
most about the company, like its excellent service, a strong
commitment to technology, and a broad portfolio of financial products and services that surpass customers’ expectations.
The company uses radio and TV ads that show customers
overcoming adversity and financial problems. The publicity
also underlines Advance America’s empathy with its target market and shows
that the company is there to help them get over financial hurdles.
Advance America trusts that the campaign will help show the company’s value
to the community, increase awareness of its financial products, and encourage
more consumers to visit its website and branch offices. This will have a favorable
impact on the growth of its client base.
13
Experiencing the Value of Generosity
El Pelotón de la Alegría
Goes National
Nine years ago, at a working meeting
with consultant Noel Tichy to develop ideas based on the Grupo Salinas
value of generosity, auditor Enrique
Cárdenas Sánchez created El Pelotón
de la Alegría.
Enrique (Don
Keko) Cárdenas,
the creator of
the Pelotón de la
Alegría
ENRIQUE CÁRDENAS WAS
HONORED AS THE FIRST
GENEROUS PARTNER FOR
HEADING UP THIS NOBLE
CAUSE, AND NOW HE HAS
BEEN ASKED BY RICARDO
SALINAS TO TAKE THE
PELOTÓN DE LA ALEGRÍA
NATIONWIDE.
This initiative started with the participation of 15 Grupo Salinas auditors
who supported the idea of leaving behind the stiff trappings of suit and tie
for a day to volunteer together with
their families and friends, dress up like
clowns, and take joy and fun to children and senior citizens in hospitals,
shelters, and group homes.
El Pelotón de la Alegría has grown over the years and is now a team of more
than 100 volunteers from Tiendas Elektra, Banco Azteca, TV Azteca, Italika, Punto Casa de Bolsa, and Totalplay, who perform a comedy show called The Musical
Caravan.
After almost 40 years of being known as Don Keko the Clown, Enrique Cárdenas
has organized visits to different kinds of institutions like children’s homes, orphanages, hospitals, and group homes, where, besides the show, the members
of El Pelotón de la Alegría take food and beverages they contribute themselves.
In addition, they pass out gifts donated by Jorge Garralda, host of the TV program A Quien Corresponda and by volunteers from different divisions of Grupo
Salinas.
Find out more about their work at
http://www.gruposalinas.com.mx/es/el-peloton-de-la-alegria-de-grupo-salinas
14
Addiction Prevention Campaign
VIVE
Comes of Age
The VIVE
campaign
has brought
thousands of
youth together
The Fundación Azteca VIVE campaign celebrated its 18th year at the offices of
Mexico City’s Milpa Alta Borough. More than 2,000 youth at the event heard a
message to prevent addictions and violence, about the correct use of social networks, and the importance of sports and artistic activities.
This program, created by Ricardo Salinas and headed by Jorge Garralda, makes
its central focus warning young people about the risks and consequences of
drug use and other addictions. It promotes a healthy lifestyle free of violence,
offering information for fully-informed decisions.
The United Nations
recognizes the VIVE
campaign as the most
important of its kind in
the world.
15
Starting in 2013, VIVE became the new image of Vive sin Drogas because the campaign covers not only issues of drug and alcohol
consumption, but also other problems like bullying, smoking, eating disorders, and gender violence.
Jorge Garralda has signed a cooperation agreement with
OEM to increase the campaign’s reach and impact.
Benefitting Relatives of Hospitalized Patients
Successful
92nd Movimiento
Azteca Fundraiser
The 92nd Movimiento Azteca raised more than Mex$13 million that will be used
by the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) to purchase 4,000 chair-beds
for the relatives of patients hospitalized in rooms and wards, surgery recovery
rooms, and intensive care units.
The money raised comes from donations from the TV audience and the support
of sister organizations. Esteban Moctezuma Barragán, executive president of
Fundación Azteca, presented the check to IMSS Foundation Executive President Patricia Guerra.
In its nine years of activity, the Movimiento Azteca campaigns have reflected
the commitment and solidarity with which Grupo Salinas, Fundación Azteca,
and other institutions support society.
Ricardo Salinas,
Esteban
Moctezuma, and
Patricia Guerra,
executive president
of the IMSS
Foundation
16
Program Growth Benefits More Children
Esperanza Azteca Orchestras
in Malinalco and Tlaquepaque
Make Their Debuts
As part of Grupo Salinas and Fundación Azteca’s socially responsible activities, the Malinalco Esperanza Azteca Symphony Orchestra made its debut with its inaugural concert.
Ricardo Salinas
and María Laura
Medina de Salinas
at the Malinalco
concert
Among those present were Ricardo Salinas, State of Mexico Minister of
Culture Eduardo Gasca, Malinalco Mayor Gerardo Baldemar, Fundación
Azteca Executive President Esteban Moctezuma, and Carmina de María,
the president of the Malinalco Esperanza Azteca Orchestra Board of Trustees.
The Tlaquepaque Esperanza Azteca Symphony Orchestra also made its
debut recently, performing an exciting concert that closed with popular
Mexican tunes accompanied by a mariachi band.
The aim of Esperanza Azteca is to strengthen the fabric of society involving children in initiatives that allow them to use their free time in activities
that teach them to work as a team and be part of a community. The orchestras also back the idea that culture is indispensable for transforming
society.
To date, the 86 existing orchestras and the participation of 16,000 youth
illustrate the success of the project.
17
Support for Public Assistance Institutions
Fundación Azteca
Organizes First Conference of
Civic Groups
Since 2004, Fundación Azteca’s Donativo Hormiga
has supported the institutions in the Azteca Social
Network, benefitting thousands of people based on
cooperation, not paternalistic relief.
The First Conference of Civic Organizations of the Azteca Social Network was
held in May. It addressed the current
challenges faced by public assistance
institutions and the ways of optimizing
their efforts and good practices to empower them and strengthen leadership.
Fundación
Azteca experts
gave talks to civic
organization
representatives
At the conference, Fundación Azteca
hosted talks and workshops about
strategies for fostering sustainability.
Included among the speakers were experts like Víctor Hugo Marín, of the Area
of Corporate Social Responsibility and
professor at the Monterrey Technological Institute Business School; Samanta Sarmiento Padín, the head of Limpiemos
Nuestro México; Erika Martínez Yépez, director of ¡Que Viva la Selva Lacandona!
Laura Porte-Petit, who heads up Red Social Azteca; Marisol de la Madrid Fuentes, the director of DEV México’s Digital Marketing Division; Federico Núñez, head
of the National Network for the Prevention of Disabilities (RENAPRED); Sergio
Valencia Miranda, an executive from Grupo Salinas’ fiscal division; and Esteban
Moctezuma, the executive president of Fundación Azteca.
At the event’s closing ceremony, Carmina Murga, from Metamorfosis Global,
A.C., which offers assistance to children, young people, and women with mental
disabilities who have been abandoned, was honored.
18
Commitment to Caring for the Environment
13th ¡Que Viva la Selva
Lacandona! Contest Slated
Fundación Azteca launched the call for the 13th ¡Que Viva la Selva Lacandona!
drawing contest, demonstrating the commitment of Grupo Salinas and Ricardo
Salinas to the environment. For more than 10 years, this competition has sought
to create awareness among participants about caring for nature.
The call is open to boys and girls aged 9 to 15, inviting them to submit a drawing
about conservation of the Lacandona Rainforest. A jury will select one winner
from each state and Mexico City, who will travel to the Montes Azules Biosphere
Reserve to complete their vision of this ecosystem’s importance.
The Lacandón Rainforest is not only rich in flora and fauna, but it also performs
important services to the environment, such as regulating the temperature in
the region and capturing carbon.
Contest rules are available at www.fundacionazteca.org
19
Estrenan la obra “Canto a la música”
Names
and
Faces
“At Grupo Salinas,
honesty, generosity,
and teamwork are
fundamental. These
are values I practice in
the office
and at home.”
Enrique shows
us that auditing is
not at odds with
joy and fellowship
Enrique Cárdenas Sánchez
Pantalla TV Azteca Audit Manager
Enrique joined TV Azteca 14 years ago to take charge of validating that broadcasts
complied with program guidelines.
Since then, technology has advanced enormously. What began as a rudimentary
activity, literally taping local programming samples in situ on VHS to be analyzed
later, has become the Comprehensive Center for Media Monitoring, where important information can be consulted about all Grupo Salinas businesses in the press,
radio, TV, and Internet portals.
His area monitors all TV Azteca broadcasts in Mexico, in addition to Azteca America, Azteca Honduras, and Azteca Guatemala.
With a youthful team, he says that his area is a seedbed for the group, and the
teaching of analysis with values trains people for success in other areas.
Parallel to his professional career, he follows one of the group’s values, generosity, by leading El Pelotón de la Alegría, a social program that takes laughter and
entertainment to children and senior citizens in Mexican institutions. He says that
the idea was born out of an experience he had with his nephew, who experienced
physical complications that forced him to be hospitalized very young. “That’s
where I saw firsthand the value of a smile for helping patients.”
20
Estrenan la obra “Canto a la música”
The Best
of Social
Networks
21
Estrenan la obra “Canto a la música”
The Best
of the
Blog
The Insanity About Mexico
I recently read a very on-target opinion piece written by Bret Stephens in The
Wall Street Journal, concerning the existing insanity in the US presidential race
with regard to Mexico. Since the start of his campaign, the front-runner for the
Republican nomination, Donald Trump, has not stopped attacking Mexicans and
their descendants in the United States. Today, even the leaders of his own party
believe that these attacks are racist. Our countries deserve much more than the
sad spectacle of unfounded attacks being offered up by this election campaign.
22
www.ricardosalinas.com/blog
Estrenan la obra “Canto a la música”
Contacts
Editorial
Committee
Bruno Rangel
Jesús Velázquez
Daniel McCosh
Arturo Longares
Linda Garcidueñas
Rolando Villarreal
Mitzi Ramírez
Investor Relations, Grupo Salinas
Bruno Rangel • (5255) 1720-9167 • [email protected]
Public Relations, Grupo Salinas USA
Nathalie Rayes • (818) 683-4178 • [email protected]
International Press Relations, Grupo Salinas
Daniel McCosh • (5255) 1720-0059 • [email protected]
Information GS Hoy
Jesús Velázquez • (5255) 1720-5777 • [email protected]
w w23
w.gruposalinas.com