When you're here, "eres familia"

Olive Garden today announced they will have a stand-alone Spanish website beginning September 28.

There is nothing on the link right now. I'm assuming they sent out this release for shareholder reasons otherwise they violated a big no-no in Web marketing, which is generating web traffic to nothing.

According to their PRNewswire release on Yahoo!, their new site is "designed to be an extension of the in-restaurant experience, addresses the language needs of Spanish-speaking guests and is the most extensive Spanish-language site among casual dining restaurant companies."

"Like our other communications tailored to Hispanic guests, the new Web site
conveys the messages of warmth and Italian generosity in a way that is
culturally appropriate," said John Caron, executive vice president of marketing
for Olive Garden. "We are excited to share our passion for Italy and the genuine
Italian dining experience with an even broader audience."

The release also says that while there are some similarities to the English site, "special attention was paid to the language translation to ensure that it resonates with U.S. Hispanics, regardless of their country of origin, making it culturally relevant and linguistically appropriate."

The site was developed by Captura Group. The release also says the site is part of Olive Garden's overall Hispanic marketing effort, which includes television advertising in 11 U.S. markets.