Posted by Elena del Valle on November 14, 2006
Rafael Urbina, CEO, Batanga.com
Photo: Batanga.com
Miami, Florida – Batanga, one of the largest Hispanic streaming media websites in the U.S., recently launched an online music store. Sponsored by GM, the site boasts more than 21 music categories including the latest reggaeton, hip hop, salsa and bolero sounds.
“We are pleased to provide Hispanic music fans with an online store where they will be able to search and listen to a variety of music genres,” said Rafael Urbina, CEO of Batanga.com. “We are committed to delivering music fans around the world with rich and relevant content. As the Latino community continues to grow and diversify their multimedia needs, we continue to roll-out products specifically tailored to them.”
According to the latest comScore Media Metrix U.S. Panel data, Batanga is now the fastest growing U.S. Hispanic online destination with 4.5 million unique visitors per month during the past year. According to promotional materials, visitors on Batanga spend five times more time than average per monthly user than the nearest competitor.
Once they complete registration via the Batanga website, visitors are able to browse through different categories such as the Top 10 Best Selling Songs, Top 10 Best Selling Albums, Favorites and the latest releases for $.99 per song download. They are also able to enter a drawing to receive their first 20 downloads for free by registering at the site.
Batanga.com claims the largest inventory of streaming media, including video and audio, 26 online Latin radio stations, thousands of on-demand videos, and custom content in the music, sports, autos, women and entertainment categories.
Posted by Elena del Valle on November 8, 2006
La Vibra Grammy Latino 2006 cover
Photo: La Vibra
Los Angeles, California – ImpreMedia recently launched La Vibra, a weekend entertainment publication, and LaVibra.com, a companion website targeting young urban Latinos with original content, music and movie coverage, interviews with artists, and gossip, as well as information about local entertainment news, clubs and concerts. La Vibra will be distributed weekly in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, San Francisco Bay area, Orlando and Tampa.
La Vibra hopes to have a significantly expanded distribution with online access and print distribution of 530,000 in six key Hispanic markets. The publication will reach Latinos through ImpreMedia’s newspapers. Thursdays it will be included with La Opinión in Los Angeles, El Diario La Prensa in New York, La Prensa in Orlando and La Prensa in Tampa. Fridays it will be in La Raza in Chicago and Sundays it will be in El Mensajero in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Monica Lozano, CEO and publisher, La Opinión
“With its original content and dedicated entertainment editorial teams across the country, La Vibra brings exclusive entertainment stories for those who want to be-in-the-know about the hottest and latest entertainment news,” said Monica Lozano, CEO and publisher of La Opinión. “La Vibra delivers to entertainment aficionados a wide array of entertainment choices in their backyard. For anyone looking to be well-informed about local and national entertainment, they need only to turn to La Vibra.”
In Southern California, La Vibra has been published in La Opinión every Thursday since 2000. The company plans to offer content from all ImpreMedia markets, along with interviews and interactive features such as audio, video and photo-galleries on the La Vibra website.
To create awareness and buzz for the new entertainment publication, a teaser promotional campaign will commence in the Latin Grammy issue and 12 winners, two winners in each market and two winners on LaVibra.com, will be selected to receive an iPod nano between October 26 and November 19. The campaign will be promoted online with banners and emails to online users.
ImpreMedia publishes Spanish-language newspapers in six Hispanic markets: La Opinión and La Opinión Contigo in Los Angeles, El Diario La Prensa and El Diario Contigo in New York, La Raza in Chicago, El Mensajero in the San Francisco Bay Area and La Prensa in Orlando and Tampa.
Posted by Elena del Valle on November 6, 2006
John Mayerhofer, founder and CEO, VoiceIndigo
Photo: VoiceIndigo
A podcast interview with John Mayerhofer, founder and CEO, VoiceIndigo is available in the Podcast Section of Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations, HispanicMPR.com. During the podcast, he discusses mobile phone audio products and the Hispanic market with Elena del Valle, host of the HispanicMPR.com podcast.
John has more than 15 years of experience in the software industry, including twelve years of experience in international general management, executive level sales management, and marketing roles dealing with emerging market software products and geographies. Prior to founding VoiceIndigo, John was vice president of Worldwide Sales at Westbridge Technology, a leading XML web services security infrastructure company, and a member of their founding management team. John’s focus during much of the 1990s was Internet electronic commerce.
Prior to Westbridge, John was vice President of International Operations for Comergent Technology, where he led their efforts to establish field operations in markets outside of North America. John was the founding member of BroadVision’s European executive management team where he started and managed various BroadVision businesses in Europe and the Middle East.
Prior to BroadVision, John managed Gain/Sybase’s interactive new media sales efforts in Europe and developed software as an engineer at Oracle Corporation. John is also co-founder of Clearport Technology Group; a non-profit organization that provides on-demand hosted application technology to socially oriented non-profits. John graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana with a Bachelors of Science in Chemical Engineering.
To listen to the interview, scroll down until you see the “Podcast” on the right hand side, then select “HMPR John Mayerhofer” hit the play button or download it to your iPod or MP3 player to listen on the go, in your car or at home. To download it, click on the arrow of the recording you wish to copy and save to disk. The podcast will remain listed in the November 2006 section of the podcast.
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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 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 September 28, 2006
Johnny Cobos, CEO, Parlante
Photo: Parlante
A national Spanish-language health magazine, Médico de Familia (“Family Doctor”) is being readied for a January 2007 launch, a joint venture between the Interamerican College of Physicians and Surgeons (ICPS) and Parlante Inc. Médico de Familia articles will be written by ICPS-member doctors who the publishers feel will be especially familiar with the needs and concerns of Hispanic patients.
An initial qualified monthly circulation of 60,000 will be distributed at over 20,000 medical clinics in major Hispanic markets. Javier Martínez de Pisón serves as managing editor and Carlos Bernales is creative director of the new magazine.
“Besides lack of insurance coverage, the single biggest barrier to adequate health care in the United States is language. By using one of the most trusted members of the Latino community, the family doctor, as intermediary, Médico de Familia will help bridge that gap,” said Johnny Cobos, CEO, Parlante.
The Interamerican College of Physicians and Surgeons (ICPS) was founded in 1979 to promote cooperation among U.S. Hispanic physicians and advance their professional and educational needs. ICPS is one of the largest associations of Hispanic physicians in the nation, reaching 39,000 Hispanic physicians the United States and Puerto Rico and a growing number of health professionals in Mexico, the Caribbean, Central and South America, and Spain through its publications, conferences and links to Hispanic medical societies.
Since its inception in 2002, New York city-based Parlante has provided an advertising medium for national and local companies to tailor their marketing messages to the Hispanic community. The company principals, Neil Porter and Johnny Cobos, develop Spanish-language advertising and custom-publishing solutions.
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Posted by Elena del Valle on September 27, 2006
By Elena del Valle, MBA
Principal, LNA World Communications
Elena del Valle, MBA
Photo: Cristian Lazzari
You are a spokesperson for your company, representing it for public speaking and media interviews. You are going about your everyday affairs, granting media interviews on a new product or service your company launched or a timely topic of general interest. All is going well and a Hispanic media representative calls. What should you do?
Should you respond to the request as you do with other general market requests? If you are wondering about the reach and importance of Latino media and Latino audiences nationwide, note that Hispanic buying power is estimated at around $700 billion a year and increasing rapidly. At the risk of stereotyping, remember Latinos are loyal buyers, especially for high ticket items, spend more than mainstream and other minority market buyers on basic products and like to purchase the best they can afford.
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“Latino Media and Hispanic Media Training” audio recording
Presenters Federico Suverbi, Ph.D. and Elena del Valle, MBA
To purchase a downloadable or CD audio recording with presentations on Hispanic media training by Elena del Valle and on Latino media by Federico Subervi, Ph.D. visit the HispanicMPR.com Resources Section
Posted by Elena del Valle on September 21, 2006
Samsung digital camera
Photo: Terra.com
Samsung digital camera has launched its first online campaign “imagine NV A New Voyage Awaits.” This is the project’s first venture online as well as Samsung Digital’s first campaign targeting U.S. Hispanics via an online outlet. The campaign, called “imagina NV ¡Un nuevo viaje te espera!” in Spanish, can been seen online only at Terra.com and targets the young Hispanics online audience.
The campaign includes 728×90, 160×600 and 300×250 flash banner ads and newsletters to drive awareness to FotoGenios, a content hub on Terra.com. Content modules on the Terra.com home page will direct online users to the FotoGenios hub and Samsung retail partners.
FotoGenios provides visitors instructions “from click to print” and includes photography tips such as avoiding red eye. The section also features a guide of photo editing software, digital album or Internet upload image storage instructions.
In addition to advice on taking pictures with a digital camera, FotoGenios showcases new features available in the Samsung NV series (NV3, NV7 and NV10). The FotoGenios mini-site and all creatives were designed by Terra Networks in conjunction with Samsung. To see it go to Terra.com
Posted by Elena del Valle on September 20, 2006
Esteban Arce new co-host of “Mexico Lindo y Futbol”
Photos: Baral Group Studios
One of GolTV’s shows, “Mexico Lindo y Futbol,” will have a new co-host who prides himself on his sense of humor and familiarity with soccer. Television veteran Esteban Arce will join Javier Vargas and Gerrardo Ruiz Massieu on a show about Mexican soccer and Mexican culture. More than 50 percent of the audience for the show, produced by South Florida based Baral Group Studios, is Mexican.
“Esteban, Javier, Gerardo and the entire team of correspondents present a very entertaining, fun, illustrative, and exciting show about Mexican soccer and Mexican life,” said Alina Baraldi, the show’s executive producer. “This is a different way to show Mexico, the culture, their passion, the way of living, their people. This is a program every Mexican living in the United States wants to watch and our audience participates very much with many interactive themes.”
Alina Baraldi, executive producer, “Mexico Lindo y Futbol”
According to the promotional materials, Arce is known for his humor and has often joked about Mexican superstars including Maria Felix, Luis Miguel, and Irma Serrano. His television experience includes creating and presenting the Televisa production, “El Calabozo,” experience on a radio program, “The Crazy World of Esteban Arce,” and hosting “Cotorreando,” on Telemundo-NBC in the United States. Arce also brings to the table a professional soccer career as a player in Mexico in the 1980s.
“Mexico Lindo y Futbol” made its debut on May 5, 2005. It airs daily Monday to Friday at 11 p.m. ET in English and Spanish and presents highlights, scores, statistics, and aspects of Mexican life and the world of soccer. More information can be found at GolTV.tv — Sergio Carmona
