Posted by Elena del Valle on October 31, 2006
Fernando Espuelas, Voy CEO
Photo: Voy
New York, New York — To reach the highly desirable 16 million Hispanic Internet demographic Voy LLC launched a broadband network, Voy TV. It is promoted as the first broadband television network to combine programmed content with user-generated videos and sharing tools. On the launch date, the homepage is populated mainly by video content with a handful of Voy blogs and podcasts. According to promotional materials it is designed to be a next generation destination for Latinos seeking an “entertaining and social experience.”
The company uses broadband, wireless, television, film, music, and DVD tools to reach consumers and hopes this diversity will attract content creators and advertisers. Voy TV executives hope to attract its Voy Plaza base of 2.6 million. The company promises a combination of acquired original programming, licensed content and user-generated video; including thousands of videos arranged in an array of user-generated and premium channels where visitors can share video clips, create blogs and meet other Latinos.
“Voy was conceived as a brand, independent of any particular method of distribution, recognized for its ability to bring entertainment that resonates with the Latin mindset to audiences that are increasingly turning to digital media,” said Fernando Espuelas, founder and CEO of Voy. “Voy TV takes advantage of broadband distribution to reach this underserved audience and connect with millions of viewers hungry for relevant content and social networking.”
Select Voy premium channels include: Voy Filmmaker Showcase with short films, music videos and commercials made by Latinos or featuring Latinos; LatinEyes, a licensed broadcast magazine show, about Latin culture; Voy to Hollywood with celebrity interviews, and behind-the-scenes news on movies and shows that interest Latinos; LatinoCam, a weekly series, invites Voy members to be virtual reporters for news, current affairs and entertainment; Hola America!, a news magazine series about Latino personalities making an impact in the United States.
Voy, Spanish for “I go,” is a digital media company targeting English-speaking Latinos. The company was founded in 2003 and has offices in New York, Los Angeles, Miami and Buenos Aires.
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Posted by Elena del Valle on October 30, 2006
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Brothers Antonio and Noah Otalvaro from Barrio305.com
Photo: Barrio305.com
A podcast interview with Antonio Otalvaro, chief creative officer and producer, and Noah Otalvaro, who leads business development, information technology and marketing strategies of Barrio 305, is available on the Podcast Section of Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations, HispanicMPR.com. During the podcast, they discuss reaching Latino youth online and with multimedia tools and Barrio 305 with Elena del Valle, host of the HispanicMPR.com podcast.
Antonio is a graduate of Pratt Institute in New York. Following his graduation he worked as a freelance editorial illustrator and as a creative assistant at McCann Erickson and DMB&B. His most notable work as an illustrator was a commission to showcase the Advertising Club of New York’s Andy Awards Annual in 1996. In that same period his work as a designer was also recognized when he was selected to participate in the Art Director’s Club first ever exhibition of “New York’s Most Wanted Young Gun’s” exhibit.
Following these accomplishments he was invited to contribute as a conceptual artist at Fabrica, the Benetton Think Tank in Italy. Antonio worked directly under Oliviero Toscani, the individual responsible for Benetton’s controversial campaigns throughout the 80s and 90s. While at Fabrica, Antonio developed communication strategies for entities such as Greenpeace and the United Nations. Next he became creative editor for Benetton’s Colors Magazine. Upon his return to the United States Antonio made the switch from print to digital media when he joined his brother at WallStreet Electronica to lead the design team and develop marketing strategies for the online broker dealer.
Noah is one of the founding members of WallStreet Electronica, a privately held online broker dealer that has been ranked among the top online brokers by Barron’s for the past ten years. He was reponsible for the development and implementation WallStreet Electronica’s IT infrastructure, managing the data center operations, network design and connectivity, and development of the firms proprietary online trading platform. He also led business development and marketing initiatives for WallStreet Electronica. Noah graduated from Boston College in 1991 with a degree in Psychology.
To listen to the interview, scroll down until you see “Podcast” on the right hand side, then select “HMPR Antonio and Noah Otalvaro,” hit the play button or download it to your iPod or MP3 player to listen on the go, in your car or at home. You can also subscribe to the podcast by right clicking over the podcast box and selecting “copy shortcut” then inserting the URL address in the podcast section of your iTunes program listed under the “advanced” column. The podcast will remain listed in the October 2006 section of the podcast.
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Posted by Elena del Valle on October 27, 2006
“El Platanal” by Elizabeth Erazo Baez
Art: Elizabeth Erazo Baez
Six artists, from almost as many Latin countries, will display 29 works at a show called “Colors of Hispanic Heritage” from October through December 8, 2006. The exhibit can be seen at the Broward Community College administrative art space on the panoramic 12 floor of the Willis Holcombe Downtown Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Elizabeth Erazo Baez, a painter whose works will also be on display, will curate the show for the second year in a row. She has organized a mix of media, including photography and glass sculpture. The other exhibiting artists are Mirta Lopez, Lourdes Crosby, Mima Marin and Luis Matos, who hail from Puerto Rico, Cuba and the Dominican Republic.
The event is presented by the Broward Community College Board of Trustees, Viva Broward! and BCC President Dr. Larry Calderon. The artists are contributing several pieces for a silent auction that will be held for the benefit of ASPIRA, a nonprofit organization devoted to helping Latino youth.
Posted by Elena del Valle on October 26, 2006
Monica Gutierrez, experiential director, and Fede Duberti, account director, The Bravo Group
Photos: The Bravo Group
The Bravo Group, one of the leaders among the United States’ Hispanic integrated communications agency groups, reshaped its management team by hiring Federico Duberti as account director, Carla Tesak as creative director, and Monica Gutierrez as experiential director in the New York office.
“These talented individuals not only bring with them global, Hispanic and general market experience but a real appreciation and enthusiasm of the value that lies within the Hispanic community, which will help Bravo continue to build the creative, strategic planning and experiential product of the agency,” said Linda De Jesús-Cutler, COO and president of The Bravo Group.
Carla Tesak, The Bravo Group
Bravo’s new leaders have directed other top Hispanic agencies and won awards for their work. Duberti worked as an account director for Vitruvio/Leo Burnett in Madrid, as well as for Delvico Bates S.A. and VegaoImosponce/Lowe in Buenos Aires. He has been honored with several prizes in international advertising festivals, including gold medals in El Sol. Tesak previously worked at Young & Rubicam, where she worked on 17 global and domestic brands. Her credentials include several awards such as the gold and bronze medals from the Houston Art Director’s Club and a Silver Addy in 2006. Gutierrez held the position of creative director and producer of Experiential Marketing at Trixel Inc. She was also an independent journalist for Live Events Producer, Broadbang Inc, as well as a consultant for brand integration to interactive television.
The Bravo Group is a Young & Rubicam Brands company established in 1980. Bravo headquarters are in New York. The company has offices in San Francisco, Chicago, Miami and Irvine, California. — Sergio Carmona
Posted by Elena del Valle on October 25, 2006
Summit speakers Otilia Barrett, Nancy Lopez Pedrosa and Selma Bouhl
Photos: Geoscape International
Experts from leading marketing corporations and research firms will share insights with attendees on how they can better serve growing ethnic groups, including Hispanics, in this year’s Multicultural Intelligence Summit. Presented by Geoscape International, the event will be held at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Miami, Florida from October 25-27 and will include keynote presentations, workshops, case studies, and entertainment. Ethnic marketing experts, mostly Geoscape staff, clients and partners, will discuss Hispanic, Asian, African American, Middle-Easterner, and Eastern European markets in the U.S. during the event.
“Participants are CEOs (chief executive officers) and vice presidents of marketing that want to understand and have major access and data,” said Smilka Valenzuela, director of the summit. “That way, they can do a benchmark on how many customers they have. For example, if a company comes and understands total population of Hispanics, then they can do a benchmark of analysis and that’s a benefit of data.”
Some of the experts will focus on reaching the ever-growing Hispanic market. Carl Kravetz, chairman of the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies and chairman/chief strategic officer of cruz/kravetz:Ideas, will present the workshop “Hispanic in New Economy: Growing and Thriving” on October 26. He is expected to discuss the latest trends and issues in the market and present information and projections for 2007.
“Hispanics form about fifteen percent of the population,” said Valenzuela. “In terms of multicultural markets, the case studies deal more with Hispanic markets than Asians and African Americans due to the population [size].”
The case studies scheduled for discussion during the three-day summit are “Insurance and Financial Services,” presented by Selma Bouhl, marketing manager of Allstate Insurance; “Consumer Packaged Goods,” presented by Nancy Lopez Pedroza, Foreign Trade Brand marketing manager of Nestlé; “Telecommunications,” presented by Anderson Hernandez, sales director of Americate; and “Pharmaceutical and Health Care,” presented by Otilia Barrett, vice president of Latino Health Solutions, United Healthcare.
Additional experts giving presentations include Jo Muse, chairman/CEO of Muse Communications, Julia Huang, president of the Asian American Advertising Federation and CEO of InterTrend Communications, and Cesar Melgoza, CEO of Geoscape International. Other activities offered to attendees are yoga and live music, including a performance by Javier Garcia of Latin Fusion. –Sergio Carmona
Posted by Elena del Valle on October 24, 2006
Alex Garcia, Alberto Delgado, Eloy Salazar, Luis Diaz, Omar Rodriguez, Angela Gonzalez-Rowe, Orr Rivero, and Floyd Pitts at the Hilton HOAA check signing
Photo: Hilton
The Hilton Hotels Corporation became a Founding Corporate Partner of the Hispanic Hotel Owners Association (HHOA). Hilton provided the initial funds required for the association’s formation and preliminary development.
“From its inception, Hilton Hotels Corporation has been supportive of our vision,” said Angela Gonzalez-Rowe, president and founder of HHOA.
The Association was formed as a result of Hilton’s outreach seminar “Hospitality 101.” During the seminar, minority entrepreneurs were trained on the basics of hotel development.
“We are pleased to support HHOA on its mission and believe our involvement speaks volumes on our commitment to Diversity,” said Floyd Pitts, senior director of diversity programs for Hilton Hotel Corporation.
The association is one of the many minority based hotel industry organizations. Others such as the National Black Hotel Owners Operators and Developers (NABHOOD) and the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) have also received support from Hilton.
The non-profit organization is headquartered in Washington, DC. Its mission is to increase the number of Hispanic owned and operated hotels. In addition, HHOA representatives would like to see more executive level employment opportunities within the lodging industry. Hilton Hotels Corporation is a leading global hospitality company, with more than 2,800 hotels in 80 countries. – Melissa Gonzalez
Posted by Elena del Valle on October 23, 2006
Pitbull
Photo: TVT Records
Cuban American rapper Armando Perez “Pitbull” takes on a political approach for his second studio album, “El Mariel,” scheduled for an October 31 release. According to promotional materials, in the new album he describes the image of Cuba and focuses on President George W. Bush’s war efforts. The album is a far cry from his previous work as the bilingual hip-hop artist tries to prove that his songs are more than just about getting dirty.
“They have this misconception,” said Pitbull, 25. “They’ll say, ‘He’s just this Latin rapper, he’s a reggaeton act, he’s crunk.’ They don’t know what to say about me. [After El Mariel] a lot of folks are gonna start saying, ‘You gotta watch out for that boy Pit.’”
“El Mariel” is named after the Cuban boatlift that relocated almost 125,000 Cubans to Miami, Florida. The album contains rap ballads and club bangers. Pitbull’s aim for the album is to educate his listeners regarding this event. The artist’s life parallels that of some of those who came in the 1980 boatlift.
“Some [Marielitos] yes were criminals, some came from a negative background, but you have those who became politicians, lawyers, judges, and doctors, you name it,” said Pit. “Now that I got my foot in the door it’s time to take opportunities like the Marielitos did.”
Pitbull was born to Cuban immigrants and was raised by a single mother in Miami who worked three jobs. His childhood consisted of frequent relocations and he wasn’t reacquainted with his father until he was 18. The two were on friendly terms until his father’s passing last year.
In 2005, Pitbull surpassed gold status for the sale of more than 500,000 copies of his debut album, “M.I.A.M.I.: Money Is A Major Issue,” released in the United States in 2004. Aside from the “El Mariel” album, the artist will debut his first full-length Spanish only album, “Armando,” in 2007. He is also scheduled perform at the Latin Grammy Street Party in New York, and will do the voice of one of the characters in the upcoming video game, “Scarface: The World Is Yours,” based on the 1983 film. — Sergio Carmona
To listen to “Ay Chico” from “El Mariel” click on the play button below.
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Posted by Elena del Valle on October 20, 2006
“The Latin Legends of Comedy” DVD cover
Photo: Fox Home Entertainment
Century City, California — Described in promotional materials as “wild, irreverent and totally uproarious,” three Latino comedians, Joey Vega, J.J. Ramirez and Angel Salazar appear in the soon to be released “The Latin Legends of Comedy” DVD on Key Video, a label of Fox Home Entertainment. “The Latin Legends of Comedy” will be available for $19.98 ($25.98 Canada).
“The Latin Legends of Comedy” was presented at the New York International Latino Film Festival, Chicago Latino Film Festival, Boston International Film Festival, Phoenix Film Festival and Palm Beach International Film Festival.
The DVD features uncensored performances by Vega, who has toured with Chris Rock and Marc Anthony; Salazar, seen on “In Living Color” and “Showtime At The Apollo;” and Ramirez, a regular on Comedy Central and Showtime.
Part stand-up comedy concert and part documentary, the recording showcases the struggles and successes of the first Latino comedians who, over twenty years, broke into and became pioneers of New York’s stand-up comedy scene. The comics have been friends from the beginning of their careers. The DVD is presented in widescreen and features English stereo sound and English and Spanish subtitles.
Posted by Elena del Valle on October 19, 2006
Jagdeep Wadhwani, advertising sales manager, GolTV
Photo: GolTV
GolTV recently hired Jagdeep Wadhwani as advertising sales manager, a graduate of Florida International University (FIU). He began his career as business development manager for the FIU Beacon Newspaper; where he was responsible for managing staff sales representatives and serving as the main liaison between the University and national advertisers.
Later he joined the Miami office of Corporación Interamericana de Entretenimiento (CIE), a live entertainment company with a focus on U.S. Hispanic and Latin American audiences. There Wadhwani fine tuned his skills by working on the implementation of sponsorships and advertising for events backed by recognized brands such as American Airlines, Burger King and Aguardiente Crystal.
His experience also includes work for Animus Group as an executive consultant focusing on client services for major initiatives into the U.S. Hispanic market and the ad sales operation for GolTV. Now in-house, his experience in the advertising and event marketing sectors may help clients interested in on-air and off-air capabilities. Wadhwani already has been instrumental in the acquisition of a number of GolTV advertisers including Terra Networks, Lay’s, Daimler Chrysler, Gatorade, Buena Vista Pictures, Lucas Oil, Western Union, and the Office of National Drug Control Policy.
Posted by Elena del Valle on October 18, 2006
By Carlos Pelay
President, Media Economics Group
Top 10 new brands, campaigns in Hispanic magazines
Advertising in Hispanic magazines in August totaled just over $22 million ($22.7m) – a 27.4 percent increase from the previous year. Ad pages were also up by 5.1 percent to 980.81 for the month of August.
Latina and People en Español both posted impressive year-over-year gains in both ad pages and dollars. At People en Español, ad pages were up by 60.1 percent and ad dollars rose by 78 percent. Latina’s ad pages rose by 82.6 percent and ad dollars soared by 89.3 percent.
While People en Español and Latina posted whopping increases in August, the year-to-date comparisons are lower – though still quite good. Through August, ad pages at Latina are up by 7.6 percent and ad dollars are up by 13.4 percent. At People en Español, ad pages are up by 20.1 percent and ad dollars by 32.6 percent.
In August, strong showings by the Personal Care Products ($4,843,177; +49.7 percent), Automotive ($3,748,802; +49.3 percent), and Health Care Products ($1,911,713, +78.6 percent) categories helped to boost overall results.
The strong showing by the Automotive category is especially promising given that weak spending in this category has dampened overall year-to-date ad spending in Hispanic magazines. On a YTD (year to date) basis (Jan-Aug), Automotive spending is still down by 2.7 percent from the previous year.
[A look at our Advance estimates for September suggests that auto spending will likely also post another strong year-over-year increase in September (our Advance estimates are based on a sample of the largest monthly Hispanic magazines). Our Advance estimates show a 14.6 percent increase in Auto spending in September, 2006 compared with previous year.]
Toyota led the Auto spending recovery in August with a year-over-year increase of $383,455 (+122 percent), followed by GM which increased spending in Hispanic magazines by $321,304 (+34 percent). Ford also increased spending significantly by $314,203 (+148 percent).
At the brand level, new campaigns for Volkswagen Jetta ($297,858) and the Toyota Camry SE ($270,674) led the category in spending. Campaigns for new auto brands such as the Jeep Compass ($224,199), Dodge Caliber ($197,473), and the Saturn Aura ($133,447) also helped to boost spending in the Auto category in August.
Besides YTD weakness in the Automotive category, closures of major titles like Shape en Español this year, and Cristina and Nuestra Gente in the latter part of 2005, have also hurt YTD comparisons. Through August, ad dollars are up by 16.5 percent while ad pages are down slightly (-1.6 percent).
August, 2006 Key Stats:
The August, 2006 update includes detailed advertising data for:
- 480 active brands
- 308 active advertisers
- 980.81 total ad pages (+5.1 percent from 2005)
- $22.7 million total ad$ (+27.4 percent from 2005)
Year-to-Date (Jan. – Aug., 2006) Key Stats:
- 1,753 active brands
- 1,016 active advertisers
- 7,368.16 total ad pages (-1.6% from ’05)
- $145.4 million total ad$ (+16.5% from ’05)
New advertising activity for August, 2006 includes 87 New brands/campaigns totaling 167.06 ad pages and $4.2 million in new spending; and 17 new advertisers (parent-company level) totaling 14.47 ad pages and $202,175 in new spending.
Carlos Pelay is founder and president of Media Economics Group, a research firm which provides advertising competitive intelligence services for the multicultural market.
