Latin America's Digital Lag

Despite the region's rep as a hub for creative brilliance, Latin America lags the rest of the world when it comes to digital innovation. Blame it on small budgets that correspond to consumers' relatively slow uptake of digital media.

Daniel Granatta, technological-creativity director of Grupo W, the most notable digital agency in Mexico and a shop that's prominent within the region, says something both alarming and brutally true: "In Latin America, with the salvation of the digital creative force from Brazil, you only spot great efforts that, although being on the right track, are isolated. It's more of a region with certain brilliant pieces, rather than a region of integrated campaigns."

Echoing that is Fernando Barbella, interactive creative director of BBDO Argentina: "In Argentina, we still handle a kind of approach to digital media that's more related to technological resources than to the search for a [solid] concept or idea."

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Internet Ad Revenues Top $23B in '08

Internet advertising revenues in the US remain strong, with Q408 revenues hitting $6.1 billion, and revenues for the year topping $23 billion, according to the 2008 Internet Advertising Revenue Report from the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC), writes MarketingCharts.

Despite a difficult US economy, the report indicates that interactive advertising’s continued growth - though at a slower pace - confirms marketers' increased confidence in the value in reaching consumers online.

Key report highlights:
Full-year 2008 revenues totaled a record $23.4 billion, exceeding 2007's performance ($21.2 billion), by $2.2 billion, or 10.6%.
Q408 revenues of $6.1 billion mark the first time the interactive advertising industry achieved, and surpassed, $6 billion in a single quarter. The figures represent a 4.5% increase from Q308 total of $5.8 billion and a 2.6% increase from 2007's fourth quarter, which had revenues of $5.9 billion.

This is the fifth consecutive year of record results.

Search Drives Revenue Growth
Search remains the main driver of revenue growth according to the report, showing a 19.8% increase over 2007. display banner advertising, the second largest format, accounted for 21%, followed by classifieds (13%), lead generation (7%) and rich media (7%) of 2008 Q4 revenues.

The Mexicanal® Network Adds Corpus Christi To Growing Digital Distribution

Atlanta, GA – March 30, 2009 – The MEXICANAL® Network has signed a new multicasting agreement with High Maintenance Broadcasting’s KUQI-DT2, a move that will add 103,000 Hispanic households to its reach. Beginning June 2009, television viewers in Corpus Christi, Texas will gain access to MEXICANAL’s quality Spanish-language lineup, with regional news, sports, popular entertainment and culturally relevant programs direct from regions throughout Mexico (i.e., Jalisco, Michoacan, Guanajuato, Aguascalientes, Guerrero, Oaxaca, State of Mexico, Nuevo Leon, San Luis Potosi, Sonora, Hidalgo, Campeche and Yucatan).

Today’s news represents continued digital growth for the MEXICANAL Network, which was formed jointly by Castalia Communications and Cablecom in 2005. Corpus Christi—a burgeoning market on the Mexican border—ranks 26th in the nation’s Hispanic homes, with many families linked to the multiple regions from which MEXICANAL’s programming originates.

“MEXICANAL sets itself apart from other Spanish-language TV networks for its clear focus on the news, entertainment and sports that matter most to Mexicans,” said Luis Torres-Bohl, MEXICANAL’s President. “And we are very pleased to work with KQUI-DT2 in delivering our unique and fitting network to Corpus Christi’s growing Mexican population.”

Don Gillis, General Manager of KQUI-DT said that the station is extremely excited about offering MEXICANAL to its Hispanic viewers because of the news it delivers to them from their native country and states. “With the thousands of Mexicans who live in Corpus Christi and with the amount of family and friends who visit them during the year, this gives them an excellent way to stay in touch with news and information from Mexico,” said Gillis.

MEXICANAL’s programming lineup features the Network’s very own daily half-hour news program, MX• 24 Noticias, which covers top regional, national and international news; De Kiosko en Kiosko, which explores the culture, customs and traditions of Jalisco’s different municipalities; Al Dia Tu Casa, a daily magazine show; and Experidiverido, an educational show for children. Additionally, MEXICANAL produces a number of specials throughout the year, including El Grito de Independencia and El Dia de Muertos.”

With more than 44 million Hispanics living in the US, it is the goal of MEXICANAL to deliver its unique brand of programming to this vast audience.

About the MEXICANAL® Network
The MEXICANAL Network, a television channel formed jointly by Cablecom, from Mexico, and Castalia Communications, from Atlanta; provides Mexicans living in the United States with news and entertainment programming from their hometowns. The Network's lineup features the best programming from public broadcasters, independent producers, and local access stations in various regions across Mexico, including Jalisco, Michoacan, Guanajuato, Aguascalientes, Guerrero, Oaxaca, State of Mexico, Nuevo Leon, San Luis Potosi, Sonora, Hidalgo, Campeche and Yucatan.

Lovemionline.com Launch

New York, NY -- March 28, 2009 -- Lovemionline.com - an intimate, multi-media website where Latinas and other women of color come to dish, learn, and experience everything about love, sex, and relationships - is launching on March 31st, 2009. It is a website like no other as it not only focuses on all aspects of love but is also a website for women of color by women of color. The website is owned by Sujeiry Gonzalez, a Dominican American who is the author of Love Trips, a popular relationship column previously published on migente.com and sitv.com and now on lovemionline.com. Sujeiry has taken on the role of Editor-in-Chief and is also one of the six Contributing Writers, who are all of Latino and/or African American descent. Lovemionline.com is determined to provide entertaining, honest, witty, and insightful written and video content that is as addictive as love itself.

Female audiences around the world will enjoy what lovemionline.com offers. If they need love and relationship advice, they can peek inside Daily Love Consejos and watch Jeiry: The 1st Lady of Love dispense her love advice. Visitors can also catch up on Sujeiry's novela-like Love Trips inside the Love Trips love chamber. Need a sex toy or two? Enter the Love Sex boudoir and get a little naughty. Need a little lift or reminder that you're a fabulous mujer? Slip into Love Self and read the transformational and helpful stories.

Whether a woman's love poison is reading daily Hollywood love gossip, learning about yummy recipes, purchasing stimulating sex toy products, or laughing along to hilarious film shorts and web series, they will find it all on lovemionline.com. So go on...go tolovemionline.com and unlock the love.

Magazines Run Online

The numbers are sobering. In the US 525 magazines were shut down in 2008. So far in 2009, 87 more titles have folded.

In a sign of the times, the April issue of Portfolio magazine set a dubious record. With 106 total pages and 21 ad pages it is the slimmest monthly issue ever published by Condé Nast.
The revenue flow for magazines is simply drying up.

eMarketer estimates consumer magazine print ad spending in 2008 was down 7.1% to $13 billion.

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Language Choice? Cualquiera!

The Hispanic market has always been defined by exclusively Spanish-language media - until now. As this demographic undergoes historic population shifts and growth, Spanish is no longer the default language, but an option. And reaching this multifaceted audience demands a newfound understanding of language usage and preference.

Today, the birthrate of Hispanics in the U.S. outpaces the rate of immigration, and U.S.-born children to immigrant parents typically result in bilingual homes. The growth of this population is so exponential that the U.S. Census Bureau has revised its projections for a majority-minority-nation by eight years, from 2050 to 2042. Yet, the way most tend to think of language does not reflect this shift.

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Hispanic Radio, Magazines Take Hits

After years of rapid growth, Hispanic media has shown it's not immune to the effects of the general economic downturn, registering big drops in revenue for Hispanic radio and magazines in recent months. Moreover, some Hispanic radio broadcasters are facing the possibility of default under the terms of their lending covenants.

Earlier this week, Spanish Broadcasting System said its revenue fell 19% in the fourth quarter of 2008 compared to the same period in 2007 to $8.2 million. For the full year, revenues fell 14% to $24.1 million.

According to SBS Chairman and CEO Raul Alarcon Jr., the losses were due to s slump in local ad sales across the board, except for the Puerto Rico market. On the positive side, Alarcon noted that "we continued to generate industry-leading audience shares across our portfolio."

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Hispanics Rush to Get Online with Cell Phones

­As Internet technology spins ahead, US Hispanics are clamoring to stay on top of the latest and greatest in online communication. A new report from market research firm Mintel shows that online Hispanic adults are quickly surpassing other demographic groups in acquiring new online communication skills.

Mintel’s consumer survey found Hispanics who use the Internet devote nearly three times as much time weekly to browsing websites on their cell phones (1.1 hours versus 0.4 hours for non-Hispanics). Additionally, online Hispanics spend nearly twice as much time using social networking websites or chatting via instant messaging (5 hours versus 3.5 hours).

“As technology prices drop and the number of bilingual Hispanics in the US grows, we see more Hispanic adults relying on the Internet for day-to-day communication and learning,” comments Leylha Ahuile, Multicultural Expert at Mintel. “US Hispanics who get online via their cell phones provide a great opportunity for marketers who want to reach them in a personal, direct way.”

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Creating A Memorable Brand Experience 5th Annual Voz Latina Hispanic Marketing Conference

NEW YORK – The 5th annual Voz Latina Hispanic Marketing Conference on Thursday, April 23rd 2009 at the Eden Roc, A Renaissance Beach Resort and Spa, in Miami, Florida, today announced the “Creating a Memorable Brand Experience” panel, which will review State Farm Insurance and Alma DDB FiRe’s new ‘Los Felinos de la Noche’ multimedia campaign.

State Farm Insurance and FiRe recently enlisted regional Mexican musical group Los Felinos de la Noche to lead its new multimedia advertising campaign, which is targeted to the Hispanic population of the United States. The trio, which played together informally before being cast by the insurer, is also working on a pilot for a reality show and other forms of entertainment in which the State Farm brand can be integrated.

The “Creating a Memorable Brand Experience” panel will take an intimate look at State Farm’s highly entertaining and relatable branded content experience and how it not only connected emotionally with the consumer audience but also how it reached deeper to fully engage the press, the trade and the culture at large.

“Creating a Memorable Brand Experience” panelists include:
· Edward Gold, Advertising Director, State Farm Insurance Companies
· Luis Miguel Messianu, President & CCO, Alma DDB

The 5th annual Voz Latina Hispanic Marketing Conference is hosted by thought-leaders from Adweek, Brandweek, Mediaweek and Billboard and held in conjunction with the 2009 Billboard Latin Music Conference & Awards. In addition to the “Creating a Memorable Brand Experience” panel, Voz Latina will explore the latest trends in Hispanic marketing, reveal exclusive market research data and provide vital networking opportunities for marketing professionals. Conference attendees will gain invaluable insight on how to reach the 46 million Hispanic Americans, who command $900 billion in annual purchasing power.

For information and registration, click here

Three-Quarters of the World's Messages Sent by Mobile

Worldwide communication in the future will be done through mobile devices.

According to TNS Global, 74% of the world’s digital messages were sent through a mobile device in January 2009, a 15% increase over the previous year.

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Voz Latina is the ultimate opportunity to discover how to effectively market to Hispanic consumers

Registration includes access to The Billboard Latin Music Conference Superstar Q&A, The Billboard Bash, The Billboard Latin Music Awards & After-Party!

Voz Latina is the ultimate opportunity to discover how to effectively market to Hispanic consumers and tap into their $900 billion in annual purchasing power.

For more information and special conference price, click here

Hispanic Magazine Ad Pages Down 17 Percent Through February

Folio Magazine - New York,NY,USABy Jason Fell Hispanic magazines have been hit just as hard as the rest of the US consumer magazine industry during the recession, according to a new report ...See all stories on this topic

Google Gearing Up to Launch Venture Capital Arm

San Francisco - Google (NASD: GOOG) may be gearing up to officially launch a rumored new venture capital arm, as someone was spotted at a conference last week with "Google Ventures" printed on his name tag, Reuters reported.Rich Miner, who joined Google in 2005 when the company acquired his mobile operating system firm Android, was wearing the name tag in question.

"It's a project we're working on," a Google spokesman told Reuters when asked about a prospective venture capital unit. "But we're not able to discuss the details right now." The Wall Street Journal reported last year that a venture capital arm was in the works at Google. Other media firms that have active venture capital units include Amazon, Disney and Comcast.

Marketers Moving to Social Media

It took a while.

Even though tens of millions of users were flocking to social media sites every day, most marketers stayed away. They either didn’t understand how to join the conversations—without sounding like shills—or they were frightened away by the prospect of associating their brands with questionable content.

But things are changing.
Companies are learning how to leverage social media and tap into the rising tide of consumers participating in social network sites, blogs, wikis and Twitter.

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Hispanics 211% More Likely to Download Digital Content

Though their use of broadband is slightly lower, online Hispanics in the US are 211% more likely to download digital content than the average US adult internet user. They are also significantly heavier users of cell-phone features, according to (pdf) a study by Scarborough Research (via MarketingCharts).

The study finds that 42% of Hispanic internet users have downloaded some form of digital content during the past 30 days, compared with 35% of the total internet population. Music is the top download category for both Hispanics and the total online population. Almost one-third (32%) of Hispanic internet users and almost one-quarter (24%) of all internet users have downloaded music during the past month.

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Batanga Deploys Pluck Integrated Social Media Tools

Mar 20, 2009 Pluck, a subsidiary of Demand Media and a provider of social media capabilities to publishers, brands and retailers, announced that Batanga has implemented the Pluck SiteLife platform to power its social media interactions on its flagship Web site, Batanga.com.

Batanga.com features a collection of streaming Latin content with exclusive online radio stations, on-demand music videos, lifestyle news and gossip from the Latin entertainment world. The Pluck implementation of the SiteLife platform maintained the dual-language consumer experience present on Batanga.com, ensuring the launch of the new "Batanga Community" and associated social media features would continue to attract and engage a bilingual, bicultural U.S. Hispanic audience.Since implementing Pluck social media tools, Batanga stated that it has experienced encouraging results on their music Web site, with a 38 percent increase in registrations and a 28 percent increase in consumer engagement in the week after launch. Batanga Community members are encouraged to rate songs, become a fan of an artist or radio station, upload photos to public galleries, and write their own album reviews.

"Music enthusiasts are a discerning group, and we are constantly searching for new ways to keep our users engaged and enthusiastic," said Shana M. Fitch, vice president of marketing at Batanga. "After incorporating Pluck's social media capabilities on Batanga.com, we immediately saw a spike in registrations to the Batanga Community and an obvious increase in the level of audience engagement. Pluck features enable Batanga's users to not only discover great music but share their musical opinions, and this plays an essential role in enhancing the complete online music experience we provide."

Study of Hispanic consumers shows narrowing of "digital divide"

More than half of U.S. Hispanic adults are Web users, compared to 69% of all U.S. adults, while 68% of Hispanics online are connecting via broadband, compared to 71% of all U.S. users, Scarborough Research is reporting in "The Power of the Hispanic Consumer Online." Adweek

Study Probes Online Power of Hispanic Consumers

NEW YORK Not so long ago, a report on Hispanic Americans' Internet usage would likely have been focusing on a "digital divide," with Hispanic and other minorities lagging far behind the general population in online access and activity. The title of a Scarborough Research report released today, "The Power of the Hispanic Consumer Online," gives a quick hint at how times have changed.

The report finds Hispanic Internet users to be "avid downloaders of digital content," thanks in part to a broadband adoption rate mirroring that of the nation's overall online population.Scarborough says 54 percent of Hispanic adults are online, vs. 69 percent of total U.S. adults. (If anything, the gap is likely to be narrower now, as the national data for the report were gathered between February 2007 and March 2008.) Among Hispanics who are online, 68 percent have a broadband connection in their household, as do 71 percent of U.S. Internet users in general.

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HipCricket Expands To Latin America

KIRKLAND, Wash. --(Business Wire)-- HipCricket, named the "early leader" in the United States in mobile marketing, is expanding internationally beginning with a strategic partnership in Mexico that has brought the first comprehensive mobile marketing solutions to that country's mobile operators, broadcast stations and brands.

HipCricket is teaming with prominent Mexican investors Pablo Peralta and Enrique Lopez-Negrete, accomplished executives in the Mexican telecommunications and media sectors for more than 10 years.HipCricket de Mexico will produce measurable, ROI-driven programs for entities seeking to reach Mexican consumers. There were nearly 78million mobile subscribers in Mexico, according to statistics provided by the mobile operators

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Bebo launches Latino version

SAN FRANCISCO - Bebo on Monday launched a Latino version of the US social networking website as the Internet service owned by America On Line strives to gain ground in a market led by Facebook and MySpace.

Bebo’s US Latino website is built with a Lifestream platform that lets users link to their accounts at YouTube, Flickr, Twitter, Facebook, MySpace or elsewhere on the Internet.

The site, launched at bebo.com/c/latino, will feature videos, photo galleries, polls, quizzes, and surveys from Hearst Magazines Digital Media as well as bilingual US online portal AOL Latino.

Along with Bebo Latino, AOL launched a Tecnopadres.com technology news and information website aimed at Spanish-speaking parents.

"Expanding into new markets is a key pillar of our growth strategy, and we see huge potential for the growing Latino audience in the United States," said Bebo International vice president Nicole Vanderbilt.

"Our platform allows users to connect with other users, entertainment and brands, both globally and locally."

Bebo claims to have more than 22 million users of its online social-networking services in Britain, Ireland, Poland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States.

Free Verizon FiOS TV Spanish Language Packages Available to New FiOS TV and Internet Customers

NEW YORK – Verizon continues to bring customers the ultimate home entertainment experience, with the company’s latest promotional offer for new and existing subscribers.  New customers who sign up for FiOS TV, FiOS Internet, or both services, before April 19 can receive the FiOS TV Spanish Language Package free for the first 30 days and a waived activation fee. Existing customers who upgrade their packages and sign up for either new TV or new Internet service from Verizon also are eligible for the new promotion.* The free programming and waived activation fee represent a $46 savings.

The FiOS TV Spanish Language package includes 27 of the most popular Spanish-language channels including CNN en Espanol, Discovery Familia, EPSN Deportes, Gol TV and Toon Disney en Espanol, and other news, sports and entertainment programs for the entire family to enjoy.  

 “FiOS TV’s Spanish Language Package offers a distinctive channel lineup -- everything from sports, movies and news to cultural heritage programs for the Spanish-speaking community,” said Shruti Joshi, director of marketing for Verizon.  “Verizon FiOS TV delivers the best in picture-and-sound quality and highly diverse cultural programming, providing viewers with a home-entertainment experience that goes beyond old-fashioned cable.”

Movie buffs will enjoy Cine Latino, offering adventure films, dramas and documentaries; De Pelicula, featuring the most popular contemporary and classic movies; and De Pelicula Clasico, featuring classic films from the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s.

La Familia Cosmovisio and Canal Sur provide entertainment for entire family to enjoy.  Canal Sur broadcasts news and unique programming from Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean.  La Familia honors Hispanic culture through music, programs for children and talk shows. 

Verizon’s all-digital FiOS TV and FiOS Internet services are delivered over the nation’s most advanced fiber-optic network straight to customers’ homes and businesses.  This means 100 percent digital quality on every TV channel, superior picture-and-sound quality, the most HD channels, more and more video-on-demand choices, and a broad spectrum of content diversity.   It also gives customers ultra-fast broadband speeds with download connections as high as 50 Mbps and upload connections as high as 20 Mbps.

For more information on FiOS TV, customers can visit www.verizon.com/fiostv or call 888-438-3467.  For more information on all the products and services Verizon offers in Spanish, visit www.verizon.com/espanol.  For assistance in Spanish, customers can call 800-VERIZON (800-837-4966) and press '2.' 

2008 Third Consecutive Year With More Than 100 Million New Mobile Connections for GSM-HSPA in Western Hemisphere

BELLEVUE, WA - 3G Americas, a wireless industry trade association representing the GSM family of technologies including LTE, today reports that GSM-HSPA technology continues its momentum throughout the Western Hemisphere, adding more than 100 million new connections for the third consecutive year (ending December 31, 2008). The GSM family of technologies totaled 525 million subscriptions in North America, Latin America and the Caribbean at the end of December, having passed the milestone of half a billion subscriptions in October 2008. This brings the increasing market share in the region to 70% according to data from Informa Telecoms & Media.

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Cabletelevision Advertising Bureau Forms Resource for Hispanic Media Buys

Mar 04, 2009 (Close-Up Media via COMTEX) -- For marketers looking to maximize efficiency in their Hispanic media buys, Hispanic Marketers' Guide To Cable is a resource of the planning season.Released by the Cabletelevision Advertising Bureau (CAB), the book provides a wealth of local and national demographic information as well as "cultural cues" that give deeper insight into who key viewing segments are and how they watch television.

"In challenging economic times like these, it's crucial for marketers to increase their return on investment," said Cynthia Perkins-Roberts, VP of Diversity Marketing and Sales Development for the CAB. "The only way to accomplish that is to identify your target and extend your reach of that segment buy connecting with them in a relevant manner." Hispanics, especially young ones, are driving population growth in the U.S. In response to their growing population, the number of media outlets targeting them is expanding rapidly. With Hispanic cable networks programming to segments as specific and diverse as male sports fans and music-loving youth, cable offers advertisers the opportunity to reach these consumers in the most cost-efficient way possible.

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U.N.: 4.1B mobile subscriptions worldwide

Mobile connectivity is growing fast, particularly in the developing world, according to a report by the International Telecommunications Union, a United Nations agency. There were an estimated 4.1 billion mobile subscriptions worldwide by the end of 2008, compared to 1 billion in 2002, and the ITU reports that about one-fourth of the world's population uses the Internet. The Guardian (London)

Univision Announces Multi-Year Carriage Agreements With Insight Communications

NEW YORK, March 5 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ -- Univision Communications Inc., the premier Spanish-language media company in the United States, announced today a multi-year distribution agreement with Insight Communications, the 9th largest cable operator in the United States.

The company also announced carriage agreements with more than 50 distributors across the country, including Atlantic Broadband, Baja Broadband, Etan Industries, Grande Communications, Guadalupe Valley Communications, Qwest Communications, Service Electric and TVMAX. These agreements include continued distribution of Univision's broadcast networks, Univision and TeleFutura, and cable network, Galavision, and in certain markets, carriage of stations owned and operated by Univision.

Certain of the agreements include carriage of affiliated stations owned and operated by Entravision Communications Corporation (NYSE: EVC) and Equity Media Holdings Corporation.

The terms of the agreements were not disclosed.