Betty's Cucina

The battle for the hearts and minds of Hispanics heats up in the U.S. with word that General Mills is launching a custom publication called Que Rica Vida (What a Beautiful Life). A story in Ad Age says that 2 million copies of the magazine will be distributed either by mail or through Hispanic retailers.

The new magazine will essentially be going up against another custom publication produced by Toronto-based Redwood Custom Communications, Comida y familia, published for Kraft Foods (the Hispanic version of What's Cooking in Canada and Food & Family in the U.S.)

"Que Rica Vida has content we know is important to Latinos, about education, meals, and health and wellness, with recipes by the Betty Crocker kitchen," said Rudy Rodriguez, General Mills' multicultural marketing director.

Que Rica Vida, created in partnership with Spanish-language contract publisher Editorial Televisa, will come out three times a year. The direct to home version is entirely in Spanish, while the 32-page retail version is bilingual. The first issue includes coupons and nine pages of ads for General Mills cereals and other products.