News Corp.'s Fox launching LatAm online ad network

NEW YORK (AP) -- News Corp. is pooling some of its Web sites, including the newly acquired Wall Street Journal properties, to better sell financial ads targeting Latin America. It is the latest traditional media company to launch an ad network for helping Web sites sell higher-priced ads targeted to specific audiences, such as parents or travel enthusiasts, keeping brand-name advertisers from fleeing to larger Internet companies like Google Inc. and Yahoo Inc.

The new ''Worthnet.Fox'' network, announced Monday, will be anchored by News Corp.'s Fox International Channels. Participants include Web sites for The Wall Street Journal, Barron's and MarketWatch, all of which News Corp. acquired through its December acquisition of Dow Jones & Co.

Ads sold through the network will target online consumers of financial news and investment advice, with a focus on audiences in Latin America.

Other recently launched media ad networks include the lifestyles-focused Martha's Circle from Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc. and a collection of hundreds of independent financial blogs assembled by the online unit of Forbes Inc.

Generational Communications 2008 - A must attend Conference

The Millennials, or Generation Y, born between 1976 and 2001, represent the largest generation since the Baby Boomers. Almost all of them own a computer, cell phone, and use instant messaging and social networks every day. They rely on their friends for everything in terms of what influences their buying behavior. The Baby Boomers, born between 1945 and 1964, will start to retire in 2011. Boomers spend money and consume products very differently from later generations. Organizations who understand the Boomer's changing needs have a large but challenging opportunity in front of them. We will explore case studies from leading companies who have successfully segmented their communications according to generation.

Go to Conference website

Five More Days Until The Hispanic Radio Conference

MIAMI -- May 14, 2008: Angelica Balderas, VP of National Sales for Bustos Media, has gathered top Hispanic advertising agency and marketing minds for the "Hispanic Radio and Advertising Parity: Pipe Dream or Possibility?" panel.

The session, Monday afternoon at Radio Ink's Hispanic Radio Conference, will be an eye-opening discussion on the realities of selling through the misperceptions and general-market conventions sellers of Hispanic radio encounter. Balderas has asked panelists to share their insights on the challenges Hispanic radio faces in achieving greater parity and a larger piece of the pie. Here are some of her reflections on why this session matters to Hispanic broadcasters.

The Radio Ink Hispanic Radio Conference is only six days away! Be there, May 19-20 in Miami. Click here for information and registration.

Blogs Blossom into a Big Business

The expansion of the blogosphere into mass-market proportions is reflected in eMarketer's forecasts of the numbers of US bloggers and blog readers.

The number of people creating blogs in the US will reach over 35 million by 2012—roughly 16% of the Internet population.

Read full article

Comcast To Acquire Plaxo, Add Social Networking To TV

In a move expected to bring social networking to TV viewers, Comcast Corp. has agreed to acquire seminal online social networking platform Plaxo for upwards of $175 million, according to various published reports. The news comes the same day that another television industry giant, CBS Corp., announced a deal to acquire online technology information publisher Cnet for $1.8 billion (see related story in today's edition), and signals a continued push by traditional media companies into the online world. ... Read the whole story

Online Ad Spend Surpasses $21B

Online ad revenue climbed to $21.2 billion last year, marking a 26% increase from 2006, the Interactive Advertising Bureau and PricewaterhouseCoopers reported today.

Though that's less than the 35% bump seen between 2005 and 2006, online is still growing at a rate far exceeding traditional advertising. "This achievement is a testament to the continued vitality of interactive. Explosive innovation in the industry is providing marketers with new and unique ways to reach consumers," Randall Rothenberg, president and CEO of the IAB, said in the report.

While search remains the single largest category of online ads, accounting for 41% of the total (up from 40% in 2006), display claimed a solid 21% (down from 22%).

Marketers spent 2% of their online ad dollars on digital video last year, marking the first time that Web video drew significant ad revenue. Sixteen percent of ad dollars were spent on classified ads, down from 18% in 2006. There's some indication that law enforcement actions against lead generation companies might be taking a toll on the space. Lead gen accounted for just 7% of the total online ad spend -- down from 8% the year before.

The IAB's report wasn't the only current indication that online media is still thriving. CBS today said it plans to acquire CNet for $1.8 billion cash, marking one of the largest media company consolidations in recent years. CBS is paying a 45% premium for CNet, which reported a $6.1 million loss in the first quarter.

Mayor Bloomberg and Latin Media and Entertainment Commission Announce New Efforts to Position New York City as the Center for Latin Media and .....

NEW YORK, May 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg will announce today at the annual "Made in NY" Awards reception held at Gracie Mansion new efforts of the Latin Media and Entertainment Commission (LMEC) to position New York as the center for Latin media and entertainment. The announcements include the City's first ever Latin Media Guide of events taking place throughout the city, the appointment of eight new commission members, the formation of a working group with educational institutions and industry leaders, and a newly re-launched website on http://www.nyc.gov/.

"The Latin Media and Entertainment Commission was established to showcase our city's Latino arts and entertainment community and create new opportunities and jobs in these fields," said Mayor Bloomberg. "The Commission has brought together executives from Latin media and business organizations, and over the past four years these leaders have put their talents to work on the city's behalf. By welcoming eight new members and launching a new website and Latin media guide, the Commission is strengthening the art, music, and entertainment industries that make New York City the Latin Media and Entertainment Capital of the World."

As part of the Commission's efforts to create and support events that provide the most enriching Latin cultural experiences, the LMEC has partnered with the bilingual Latino website NYRemezcla to create the first-ever Latin Media Guide. The 2008 edition of the guide includes 14 events supported by LMEC. These events range from Latin film screenings to outdoor Latin music concerts and combined are expected to have an estimated economic impact on the city of over $60 million.

"We continue to work closely with the Mayor to identify, build, and tout top destinations in New York City featuring Latin advertising, new media, films, music, dining, art galleries, and more," said LMEC Chair Mario L. Baeza, Chairman and CEO of the Baeza Group, and Founder and Executive Chairman V-Me Media, Inc. "We are committed to fostering the growth of Latin organizations in New York in order to continue growing and enriching the cultural fabric of our great City."

This year, LMEC's goal to promote economic development for Hispanic advertising and media companies will be re-enforced by the addition of eight new board members: Patrick Dolan, Senior Vice President, Interactive Advertising Bureau; Robert Federico, Executive Director, Repertorio Espanol; Angela M. Freyre, Senior Vice President, Nielsen Media; Jacqueline Hernandez, COO, Telemundo; Jorge Reynardus, President/Partner, Reynardus & Moya; Jeffrey Thompson, Vice President Global Diversity, Disney; Joe Uva, CEO, Univision; Carlos Sanchez, President & General Manager of Telemundo 47.

The event listings in the Latin Media Guide are also part of a comprehensive calendar featured on the LMEC's newly redesigned website that can be found on www.nyc.gov . Some of the up-coming LMEC-endorsed events appearing in the new Latin Media Guide include TeatroStageFest being held June 2-15, the Latin Alternative Music Conference being held July 8-12, the New York International Latino Film Festival taking place July 22-27, the Latino Cultural Festival at the Queens Theater July 23-August 3 and the New York Salsa Congress August 27-31.

The new LMEC website will also include a summary of New York business incentives, an Online Business Survey, a directory of industry and Latino cultural institutions and subscription to a newsletter that will keep the public updated and informed about the LMEC's work and upcoming Latin events. The website will also highlight the LMEC's joint effort with many of the City's top colleges and universities and executives in the "new media" and Hispanic advertising fields to develop and strengthen New York City's growing Latin media and entertainment workforce. The partnership seeks to bridge the gap between educational institutions and the changing demands of the industry to provide opportunities to students.

About the Latin Media and Entertainment Commission (LMEC)
On October 28, 2003, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg created the NYC Latin Media & Entertainment Commission (LMEC) by Executive Order No. 43. The LMEC advises the Mayor on business development and retention strategies for the Latin media and entertainment industry and works with City agencies to pursue the LMEC's goals. Through research and strategies, the LMEC develops initiatives to retain, recruit, and expand New York City's Latin media and entertainment productions, businesses, and jobs as well as to attract and host high-profile Latin entertainment productions and events in New York City. The Commission is made up of leaders from the Latin and mainstream media industry, community leaders from the nonprofit and cultural sectors, and leading executives from the financial, advertising, and real estate sectors. Commission members include honorary Chairpersons Jennifer Lopez and Robert De Niro; LMEC Chairman Mario Baeza, Chairman and CEO of the Baeza Group and Founder and Executive Chairman V-Me Media, Inc.; and the Mayor's Advisor and Liaison to the Commission, Willie Colon. The heads of seven City agencies, under the direction of the Deputy Mayor for Economic Development, serve on the commission as ex officio members.

Source: Latin Media and Entertainment Commission

Hispanic-Americans Are Heaviest Media Users

In February 2008 the average Hispanic-American over the age of 11 spent more time online than watching television, according to the Terra Networks-sponsored "Hispanic Syndicated Study," conducted by comScore Media Metrix.

"In general, online Hispanics—independent of their language preferences and acculturation levels—are heavily engaged in technology," wrote the report's authors. Every day, more than half (56%) of Hispanic-Americans surveyed said they spent at least an hour online, which was slightly more than the 50% who spent an hour or more watching TV.

Read full article

Univision Online Continues to be the Leading Digital Resource for Hispanics

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Univision Online, Inc., the interactive subsidiary of Univision Communications Inc., the nation’s leading Spanish-language media company, today announced the results from a custom nationwide study conducted by Forrester Consulting, Inc. (Nasdaq:FORR - News), an independent technology and market research company that provides pragmatic and forward-thinking advice to global leaders in business and technology. The study found that Univision.com was the most-visited Spanish-language website in the U.S. among Hispanics who used the Internet at least once in the 30 days prior to taking the survey.1 According to Univision.com’s Media Rating Council Accredited traffic measurements, the website delivered an average of 16.5 million monthly unique browsers, 36.5 million monthly visits and 12.5 million monthly video streams in 1st quarter 2008.3

Read full article

2.2 Million Hispanic-Owned Firms Estimated to Generate Almost $400B

Entrepreneurship--the willingness to take a risk and start one's own business--has always been the driving force of the U.S. economy. Research indicates that among American minority groups, Hispanics are the most likely to start their own businesses. The most recent government data show Hispanics own the largest number of firms. HispanTelligence® estimates that existing trends support projections of at least 2.2 million Hispanic-owned businesses generating close to $388.7 billion in revenues in 2008.

Viigo Partners With Leading South American Newspaper

TORONTO & ORLANDO, Fla. — Viigo Inc. (www.viigo.com), developer of the popular mobile content and services delivery platform for smartphones, announced today that Chilean newspaper publisher La Tercera (www.tercera.cl), one of South America's largest media organizations, will use Viigo to distribute content to their readers. La Tercera is now offering a free, branded version of Viigo to its readers, giving them one-click access to a wealth of information including breaking news, sports, entertainment, weather, stock market performance, traffic alerts, blogs posts and much more while on the go.

"By mobilizing content in an incredibly compelling way, Viigo provides a unique opportunity for media companies to create new revenue streams while providing value to subscribers in ways not possible before," said Mark Ruddock, CEO of Viigo. "Many traditional news outlets are starting to look to Viigo to more effectively mobilize their content, reach new readers and bolster ad revenue."

Read full article

Fox Sports en Español takes Content and Integration to the next level

Eleven years after launching as the first national Spanish-language sports network in the United States, Fox Sports en Español has not only evolved into the most dominant sports network in Spanish-language cable television, but stands as the country’s most widely-distributed sports brand with its multi-platform assets. The network hosted its eighth upfront presentation today before an audience of nearly 1,000 media and advertising professionals at Cipriani in New York City.

Fox Sports en Español unveiled key programming properties, and its extensive brand capabilities for the year ahead. Fox Sports en Español showcased to the advertising community it’s fully integrated content delivery platforms, utilizing both its linear TV channel, and its multiple non-linear brands. “For Broadcast Year 2009, we continue to be the leader in multi-platform innovations, utilizing our extensive content rights, and powerful distribution platforms,” said Tom Maney, Senior Vice President of Ad Sales for the network.

Jumpstarting the Mobile Internet

Mobile social networking stands a good chance of jumpstarting mobile Internet adoption because mobile social networking is based more on communication than content. Time and again, communication services have led the way for content and advertising to follow. In the case of the Internet, it was e-mail and discussion boards—not Web pages—that triggered the explosion from early adoption to mainstream consumer use. SMS services drove mobile data use and they still account for the majority of mobile data revenues by carriers.

Read the whole article

Ten Steps To Success With Online Viral Marketing Campaigns

There are no guarantees when it comes to planning a viral marketing campaign, but that doesn't mean there's nothing you can do to improve your chances of success. Here are 10 things to keep in mind when it's time to begin your next project.

More..

DirectoryM Offers U.S. Hispanic and Latin American Publishers and Advertisers a Local Online Solution

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — DirectoryM, one of the fastest-growing local advertising platforms on the Web, today announced new services targeted squarely at the fast-growing, U.S. Hispanic and Latin American markets. With this initiative DirectoryM now offers content partners and advertisers a vehicle to engage with more diverse and local online audiences in Spanish and Portuguese speaking markets in the U.S. and Latin America.

In the United States alone, the Latino population presents a huge marketing opportunity for local advertisers. With an estimated purchasing power of more than $680 billion, according to Kalorama Information, Latinos are the most rapidly-expanding market in the United States. However, even as the market for local online advertising expands, the Hispanic/Latino market remains vastly underserved. According to Hispanic Business, 48 percent of Hispanic American Internet users prefer Spanish language destinations.

Read whole article

Why Attend Radio Ink's Hispanic Radio Conference?

MIAMI -- May 8, 2008: Every panel at Radio Ink's upcoming Hispanic Radio Conference, coming up May 19-20 at the Biltmore Hotel in Miami, covers something essential about Spanish-language radio. But who better to talk about it than the industry experts who are serving as panel moderators? Here's Peter Remington, VP/Market Manager for Spanish Broadcasting System's KLAX and KXOL/Los Angeles, who's moderating the "How to Develop Better Reps and More Revenue for Hispanic Radio," May 20 at 8 a.m.

Why should I get out of bed before 8 a.m. for Peter Remington's panel? With college communication courses more and more diversified and focused on "New Media," we are finding that our talent pool is dwindling because of the many career choices a graduate can make. What do we need to do as an industry to be heard over the noise that radio is still a new medium with "New Media" in its portfolio? Come listen to four expert panelists answer some tough questions that might give the right solution to your recruitment and sales needs. "Just because you have always done it that way doesn't mean it's not incredibly stupid."

Click here for a complete conference agenda and registration information.

Apple inks Latin American deal for iPhone

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- In another step in the worldwide march of Apple Inc.'s iPhone, the top mobile phone operator in Latin America said Wednesday that it has inked a deal to bring the multimedia gadget to more than a dozen countries starting later this year.

America Movil SAB, controlled by Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim, said it plans to bring the iPhone to all of its Latin American operations but didn't offer more details about the arrangement, including whether it would be the exclusive iPhone provider in the targeted countries.

Read whole article

Online & TV Ad Firm Spot Runner Gets $51M Round From Daily Mail,Televisa, Others; More M&A Coming

Spot Runner, which helps marketers buy TV ad spots on local cable and broadcast using its online service, has raised a big $51 million fourth round from an international group of investors with an eye on expansion beyond the U.S. New investors include UK media group *Daily Mail* and *General Trust*, Spanish-speaking media giant Grupo Televisa, hedge fund Legg Mason Capital Management and French luxury group Groupe Arnault/LVMH. Also participating, some of the existing investors; not sure who specifically but the original group included Allen & Company, Battery Ventures, Capital Research and Management, CBS (NYSE: CBS), Index Ventures, The Interpublic Group, Tudor Investment Corporation and WPP.

Read whole article

Yahoo Presses Ahead With Panama Rollout in Emerging Markets

Yahoo plans to soon roll out its Panama search advertising platform in the few remaining markets in Asia and Latin America where it's not yet available, completing plans to make the platform available worldwide, a company executive said Tuesday.

"Within the next coming weeks we will have Panama, our search marketing platform, launched globally," said Prashant Mehta, vice president and head of Yahoo's Advertiser and Publisher Group for International Emerging Markets.

Read whole article

Will mobile ads get past the experimental phase?

Mobile ads generate about $1 billion in spending worldwide -- a tiny fraction of global marketing spending, according to analysts. Many observers say that mobile ads will become ubiquitous in the coming years, while others feel that projections ranging from $19 billion to $25 billion annually within the next five years are overly optimistic.

For more information

2008 Terra comScore Hispanic Digital Study Provides New Insights Into The Diverse Hispanic Online Community

MIAMI, May 5 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ -- Terra, the largest original digital content producer for U.S. Hispanics, released today the top line results of a new research study conducted by comScore for Terra, revealing important information about the diverse Hispanic digital market. The study was conducted between January 31 and February 28 of 2008 and a total of 3,513 consumers 12+ completed the survey, making it the most comprehensive to date with 1.65% margin of error.

"We are committed to helping our clients and marketers better understand the fast growing, fast changing Hispanic online market. This study provides key information that will allow them to target specific segments and thus improve their return on online advertising investment," said Fernando Rodríguez CEO of Terra Networks U.S.A.

Read whole article

Telefonica to Launch Mobile Banking Across Latin America

Telefónica says that it is to launch a new mobile banking (m-banking) initiative, targeting the 175 million people in the Latin Amercia region who have mobile phones but do not currently have banking access, will be delivered in partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB).

The project will launch from July 2008 and be rolled out across the region.
This announcement was made by Matthew Key, CEO of Telefónica Europe, as he joined other global industry leaders, senior figures from the United Nations and international politicians at the UN Millennium Development Goals Business 'Call to Action' event in London. Mr Key also signed the Business Call to Action Declaration on behalf of Telefónica, which endorses the company as a supporter of the Development Goals and commits it to tangible development action alongside governments and other organisations.

Read whole article

Reader Advocate: Spanish ads appeal to growing niche

Some of our readers were upset this week with Spanish-language advertising that was delivered in their copies of The Salt Lake Tribune. This reader typified some comments: "Included in my morning paper of May 1, was a pamphlet advertising Wal-Mart. The real problem is this ad was written completely in Spanish.

"My opinion is that the majority of people in this country that speak Spanish-only are here illegally, thus I am highly offended that you are catering to these people at my expense. If your paper intends to continue in this manner, I feel I no longer need to be a subscriber."

Read whole article

Latin Internet Ads Jump

Online advertising is growing faster in Latin America than the world average. It is also typically outpacing other marketing channels, new data from ZenithOptimedia shows.The strong growth is mainly due to growing Internet penetration combined with increased usage per person, says Bruno Almeida, advertising and sales director of US Media Consulting, a Miami-based company that place ads in Latin America for companies such as Porsche, Hewlett-Packard, Starwood and Puma.

"More and more people are spending more and more time online," he says. "This makes the medium attractive to advertisers."

Read whole article

Global Communications 2008 - Connecting Across Borders and Understanding Different Cultures

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Date: Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Time: 8:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Venue: The Graduate Center/CUNY: 365 Fifth Avenue; New York, NY 10016

Please visit the website for more information:
http://www.bdionline.com/globalcommunications

The “Made in NY” Production Conference & Career Fair:

Presented by the Borough of Manhattan Community College in conjunction with the
Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting

Friday, May 9, 2008
9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Borough of Manhattan Community College
199 Chambers Street, New York, NY 10007

For more information

Where Is Ad Spending Headed?

The economic slowdown will eventually take its toll on total US media ad spending, but not in the immediate future. Spending increases in 2008 across all media will bounce back from last year’s flat growth to a 3.3% gain. Much of those increases will be in TV advertising, especially with the national election and the summer Olympics.

Even then, the retail, financial services and automotive industries, three large sectors for TV advertising, are already feeling the economic downturn. As Sarah Fay, the CEO of Aegis’s Carat, said in a recent interview with Advertising Age, “When there is a recession, marketers often feel the pressure to work with efficient forms of TV buying, so they are really starting to look hard at the Long Tail of TV or having cable play a bigger role.”

Read the whole article

Nielsen Online Launches New Digital Services Group

Nielsen Online has launched a new digital services group to help clients manage their images across the social media landscape and navigate the wild-and-woolly world of consumer-generated media.

Led by Nielsen EVP Peter Blackshaw, the Digital Strategic Services group will provide research-supported guidance and a solid plan of action for marketers. "We're able to educate clients and help them make the right choices to seize digital opportunities to connect with consumers and grow their brands," he says.

Read the whole article

Influential Hispanic Consumers Spend 30 Hours Per Week Sharing Views Online

According to a study released April 17th and conducted by Burston-Marsteller, Hispanic-fluentials spend more time per week interacting with others online (30 hours) than the general population of U.S. influencers, called e-fluentials (25 hours). They also have more interaction offline in face-to-face conversations (30 hours vs. 21 hours). Overall, the study found Hispanic-fluentials to be extremely well-networked, as they communicate in person, on the phone or online with many more family members, friends and coworkers each day (58 individuals) than general e-fluential population (45 individuals).Source: “Influential Hispanic Consumers Spend 30 Hours Per Week Sharing Views Online”, burson-marsteller.com, April, 2008.

Hispanics now 15 percent of population

New Census Bureau figures show that the nation's Hispanic population grew by 1.4 million in 2007 to reach 45.5 million people, or 15.1 percent of the total U.S. population of 301.6 million. Blacks ranked as the second-largest minority group, at 40.7 million people.

Read the whole article

MySpace Latino, SBS partner to reach Spanish speaking Latinos online

In an effort to extend their reach MySpace Latino and Spanish Broadcasting System (SBS) television and radio properties are partnering to launch a creative campaign they hope will draw one million Spanish speaking Hispanics to MySpace Latino. Plans are to promote “Queremos Un Millón de Amigos” (“We Want a Million Friends”), as the project has been dubbed by marketing staff, on SBS television and radio stations and their websites.

Red the whole story