The True Hollywood Story of ‘El Zeo’

This tale is safe for work … and highlights only some of El Zeo’s (Altura’s mascot) background, for his full story remains wrapped in a taco shell of mystery.

However, as legend and fate would have it, his fantastic life does interweave with members of the Altura Interactive team.

The following is based on true events. The names have not been changed. However, some of the details have been augmented for comedic effect. You have been warned.

Zeph Snapp

zeph snapp

 

Long ago, Zeph Snapp embarked on a spiritual quest to answer the age-old question:

 

 

As he often told his family, Zeph’s quest for answers necessitated frequent river rafting retreats with friends. While on one of his “spiritual retreats,” Zeph was jettisoned from a river craft while eating a sandwich. Separated from his friends, desperate, and frankly disappointed he didn’t get to finish the sandwich, Zeph drifted aimlessly …

… his waning strength finally relenting to the river’s unknown will.

Suddenly, his exhausted body (with stomach only slightly filled with sandwich) was rescued from the river’s grasp. Delighted to be alive (yet still disappointed about … you know), Zeph’s eyes fixed on what was to become Altura destiny…

 

It turns out, the yeti was more interested in the sandwich, yet more than happy to save Zeph from imminent peril. After initial inquiry, it was revealed the yeti was actually from America and came to Mexico in 2016 to see Phish play in Quintana Roo.

 

altura mascot

 

The yeti had been roaming LATAM since and came to love the land. With heart filled of gratitude and stomach empty of sandwich, Zeph made an executive decision. He would take his rescuer under his wing and provide him with a job.

Zeph’s interests in international business and marketing led to his eventual career and establishment of Altura Interactive. Loving the thought of providing a way for American brands to establish wealth in Latin America, he founded his company, team, and began offering Spanish SEO, Content Marketing, and Pay-per-Click Advertising.

Having a soft spot for burgeoning talent, Zeph invited the yeti to come back to Altura, where he met Selene.

Some of Zeph’s posts:

Remittances and Mexico

Newsjacking for PR

Top Hispanic Marketing Campaigns

Selene Santes

Selene helped onboard … the yeti? Being skillful in translation and transcreation, Selene knew the “yeti” translated to the “abominable snowman” in westernized pop culture.

selene santes

She thought her new friend was deserved of something less generic and more aligned with Altura’s values and mission. Selene and Altura seek ways businesses can grow throughout Latin America.

So, she have the yeti the nickname of “El Zeo,” a mashup of founder, Zeph, and Altura’s main service, SEO.

Selene and El Zeo realized they shared a love for satire and South Park. Satire is a way of raising awareness.

Selene and team raise client awareness by creating an English-to-Spanish style guide. That way, all marketing materials remain on-brand while creating relations with new markets in Latin America.

As mentioned, Selene, being interested in transcreation, the process of maintaining the essence and integrity of brand messages while relaying it to consumers in another language or region, began schooling her new friend on how to introduce brands to Latin American markets.

After building a foundation in understanding English-to-Spanish transcreation, it was time to move-on and do client work with Sandra.

Selene Suggests:

ccTLDs in Latin American SERs: A Case Study

Hispanic SERPs in the USA

Sandra Vázquez

Sandra is the in-house go-to person when it comes to finding Spanish translation mistakes and applying Spanish transcreation to client PPC campaigns, content marketing initiatives, and brand messages destined for social media.

Sandra Vázquez

To counter his free spirit, El Zeo gets his steel gaze and mindset of keeping eyes on the prize from Sandra. With a background in law, she’s ready to lay order to your content marketing and brand messaging throughout Latin America.

Being from America, El Zeo had no idea the Spanish language was so diverse. For example, when trying to find a (concert) ticket, El Zeo wondered why he was met with such bewildering eyes (aside from the fact he’s a yeti) when inquiring about a “multa.”

That’s because “multa” translates to parking ticket. But, he wanted “la entradas” or concert tickets. As he came to find, many American brands make similar mistakes when translating messages from English to Spanish. Brands use incorrect translations or apply translations in regions that host different customs, word usage, and associations.

Some of Sandra’s posts:

What is Transcreation?

Why and How to Create a Style Guide

In time, El Zeo made Altura his home, learning Spanish SEO, helping with English-to-Spanish translation, and providing ideas for upcoming client campaigns.

To Be Continued . . .

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