Caribbean Mega-Church Stakes Claim On Development In New Virtual World

Carolina, PR (PRWEB) January 29, 2010 -- Pastor Otoneil Font, Senior Pastor of Fountain of Living Waters Church in Puerto Rico, has signed a contract to break digital ground on an exact replica of his church to be constructed in the Universe of Faith (http://www.universeoffaith.com), the premier, browser-based virtual world for the Christian community.


Developers at Entertainment Arts Research, Inc, the creators of Universe of Faith, will be working with Font to construct the church and city in the virtual world as it appears in real life. This will allow users around the world to have access to Fountain of Living Waters Church as if they were actually attending and participating in worship. For a ministry such as Fountain of Living Waters Church that already reaches thousands of people in the Caribbean, Universe of Faith provides a one of a kind platform to offer more ministry resources to even more people across the globe.


“I am very excited about the potential Universe of Faith has for the Christian community. To have a resource like this at our fingertips is going to allow our church to reach so many more people with the love of Christ”, said Pastor Font. “I am so proud to have our church represented in Universe of Faith. In order to reach the new generation, we have to use every resource available. Great things are to come. Great things.”


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Revenue From Mobile Applications Expected To Soar

Revenue from mobile applications is expected to total more than $6.7 billion this year, and grow to $29.5 billion by 2013, according to a new forecast from Gartner. The research firm also predicts that the number of mobile-app downloads will grow to 21.6 billion in 2013 -- up from an estimated 4.5 billion in 2010.

The mobile-apps market to date has been dominated by sales to tech-savvy buyers of Apple's iPhone. But as high-end smartphones come down in price, the average user will become less tech savvy and more reluctant to pay for applications, said Gartner Research Director Stephanie Baghdassarian.


"It will widen the addressable market for an offering that will be advertising-funded," Baghdassarian said. "The value chain of the application stores will evolve as rules are set and broken in an attempt to find the most profitable business model for all parties involved."


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MyScreen Completes Integration With Mobile Operator Partners to Launch Mobile Advertising Technology in Mexico, Brazil, Argentina

MyScreen Mobile, Inc. (MyScreen) (PINK SHEETS: MYSL) (FRANKFURT: WICI) today announced the company has successfully completed testing of its mobile advertising technology and integrated its platform with its mobile operator partners in preparation for its commercial launches in its first three Latin American markets: Mexico, Brazil and Argentina. All key components of the first-of-a-kind advertising solution have been tested internally by MyScreen, and its operator partners are now completing their own testing.


MyScreen's patent-pending technology delivers full-screen advertisements to the mobile phones of opt-in subscribers and provides them with rewards such as free services, special offers and discounts.


"We are pleased our technology is performing exceptionally well and the integration with our mobile operator partners is near completion," MyScreen CEO Maurizio Angelone said. "Essentially, all elements of our business model are set for execution: We are ready to register and activate subscribers, deliver and display advertising content to their mobile phones, and provide them with rewards according to the programs selected by their mobile service providers."


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Mobile-Ad M&A Frenzy May Continue

by Olga Kharif


Michael Bayle has been fielding a lot of phone calls in the two months since Google bought mobile-ad company AdMob for $750 million. Bayle is a vice-president at Amobee, also in the business of placing ads on wireless handsets. "Our phone has been ring-ringing off the hook," Bayle says. "We are speaking to a number of parties."


Startups that specialize in mobile advertising are getting a lot of phone calls these days. Possible acquirers are gunning for a slice of an industry that according to ABI Research may generate $1.14 billion in sales this year, almost four times the $297 million spent in 2008. "Mobile ads are [one of] the hottest areas in technology right now," says M&A expert Tom Taulli.


There's especially high demand for so-called mobile-ad networks, such as Amobee, which act as middlemen between advertisers and wireless service providers to broker the placement of ads in games, videos, and other mobile content. Then there are mobile-ad exchanges, such as RingRing, which often get involved earlier in the process, helping connect advertisers with mobile-ad networks


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With Its Tablet, Apple Blurs Line Between Devices

SAN FRANCISCO — After months of feverish speculation, Steven P. Jobs introduced Wednesday what Apple hopes will be the coolest device on the planet: a slender tablet computer called the iPad.


For all the hoopla surrounding it, however, the question is whether the iPad can achieve anything close to the success of the iPhone, which transformed the cellphone and forced the industry to race to catch up.


Apple is positioning the device, some versions of which will be available in March, as a pioneer in a new genre of computing, somewhere between a laptop and a smartphone. “The bar is pretty high,” Mr. Jobs acknowledged. “It has to be far better at doing some key things.”


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Batanga, Inc. Adds Online Ad Network Expertise to Its Board

MIAMI, Jan. 27 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ -- Batanga, Inc., the leading Hispanic-focused online media company based in Miami, Florida, today announced that Lynda Clarizio was appointed to the company's board of directors. With broad experience leading one of the industry's largest digital advertising platforms, Ms. Clarizio will provide a wealth of knowledge and support to the company.


"We are privileged to have Lynda join our board," said Batanga, Inc. Chairman and CEO, Rafael Urbina. "As we continue to expand our digital offerings and grow Batanga Network, currently the largest Hispanic pure-play online advertising network, we will benefit from her expertise and insights. We welcome her and look forward to her contributions."


Currently, Ms, Clarizio is the CEO of INVISION, Inc., a leading provider of advertising planning and sales solutions in the television industry. Most recently, Ms. Clarizio served as President of AOL's Platform-A, the industry's largest digital advertising platform. Prior to Platform-A, she served as President of Advertising.com since 2006, managing the largest third party online advertising network.


"Batanga's evolution over the past ten years is impressive and clearly demonstrates innovation and forward thinking at its best," said Ms. Clarizio. "I was thrilled to accept the appointment and am excited to be a part of the company's future growth."


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AT&T Among Top Five Most Inclusive Fortune 100 Companies for Hispanics

Often, the big companies score well with the customers by catering to small but influential sections of the customers. AT&T provided an example for the same when the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility (HACR), one of the most influential advocacy groups in the U.S., voted AT&T (News - Alert) among the 2009 index of most inclusive companies for Hispanics.


HACR has advocated for the inclusion of Hispanics in Corporate America at a level commensurate with the U.S. Hispanic community’s economic contributions for the past 23 years. The Corporate Inclusion Index (CII) survey will measure comprehensive outreach and inclusion of the Hispanic community within our four pillars of employment, procurement, philanthropy and governance.


The HACR's 2009 Corporate Inclusion Index, which measured Fortune 100 companies and HACR corporate members on their level of commitment to Hispanic inclusion in the areas of employment, procurement, philanthropy and governance, provided the second highest score to AT&T with scores of 80 of 100. A total of 30 companies and HACR corporate members that took part in the survey were evaluated across various areas, including corporate executive leadership, corporate governance, workforce representation, community philanthropy, and supplier outreach and development.


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HBO Latin America Brings the Best Programming for 2010

MIAMI, Jan. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- HBO LA announced its programming schedule for 2010, which includes premiers, new original productions and many surprises. Like in previous years, HBO LA will keep offering subscribers the best in entertainment as they continue their commitment to the development of the television industry in Latin America through their original productions.


"HBO is the leader in entertainment in Latin America due to our technology, our innovation strategy and our high quality content," assured Emilio Rubio, president of HBO Latin America. "Furthermore, our partnership with major studios allows us to have the most successful films in the box office. This is how we will continue to offer our subscribers the best programming in 2010," he stated.


Shows and Miniseries
This year will be filled with excitement for HBO viewers, especially with premiers of such mega productions like the new miniseries The Pacific, produced by the same team that brought Band of Brothers to the screen -- Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg and Gary Goetzman. The story line of this show revolves around different perspectives of the World War II conflict between the United States and Japan.


Also premiering is The Prisoner, based on the successful British series from the 1960's, which tells the story of a man who inexplicably finds himself in a place called The Village. Without knowing how he arrived there, the protagonist begins to explore his environment and discovers that the inhabitants of this strange place are identified by numbers instead of names and are less trustworthy than they at first appear to be.


HBO LA will also be premiering the new seasons of the successful, Golden Globe nominated shows: Big Love IV, Entourage VI and VII, Mad Men III, True Blood III, and Hung II.


HBO Latin America Original Productions
Also, 2010 marks the beginning of the first comedy in the region and the fourth original production in Brazil, Mulher de Fases. The show follows the adventures of a divorced woman who is searching for a man to rebuild her life.


Also premiering in 2010 is the second season of the successful series Capadocia, nominated to three awards at the 2009 International Emmy(R) for Best Series, Best Actress for Cecilia Suarez and Best Actor for Oscar Olivares. The series will feature new actors and new storylines that take place around a privatized government prison in Mexico City.


Movies
HBO has exclusive rights to the biggest blockbuster films in the world and from such major motion picture studios like Warner Bros. Entertainment, New Line Cinema, Buena Vista, Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture and Sony Pictures Entertainment. Included among the films that will premiere on HBO in 2010 are Seven Pounds, starring Will Smith; The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, with Brad Pitt; Gran Torino, directed and starring Clint Eastwood; Angels and Demons, based on the book by Dan Brown and starring Tom Hanks; and The Hangover, a comedy that tells the story of four friends who travel to Las Vegas to celebrate the bachelor party for one of them.


Sports
The Next Boxing Generation (NBG) franchise will continue to broadcast the best in boxing, and each month, in a premium showcase, it will give the current and future stars of Latin American boxing the opportunity to display their talents and their careers on their quest to capture the World Championship Title.


Cinemax and Maxprime
Cinemax, as part of a group of channels belonging to HBO Latin America Group, is a premium channel that offers movie lovers productions from the largest studios, international independent films, the most acclaimed documentaries and those movies worth watching again. In 2010, Cinemax will continue to offer a wide range of award-winning independent titles from around the world. Productions such as Vicky Cristina Barcelona (Spain/USA), Rachel Getting Married (USA), Mongol (Russia/Mongolia), Let the Right One In (Sweden), are a few of the titles that will be part of the programming. Additionally, Cinemax will debut Hollywood blockbusters like Mad Money, I am Legend, We Own the Night, and many more.


Maxprime will continue to offer its male subscribers a select range of action, comedy, blockbuster and erotic titles, reinforcing their brand positioning. It will also continue broadcasting the most acclaimed and controversial shows every Wednesday, as well as the more daring PENTHOUSE adult content, every weekday after midnight.


About HBO Latin America
HBO Latin America is the leader in television network broadcasting, who besides being recognized for the quality and diversity of its original programming, movies and documentaries, delivers services of the highest technology in SD and HD formats in over 23 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean through its channels HBO(R), HBO(R) Plus, HBO(R) Family, Cinemax(R) y Maxprime(SM) and its SVOD service.




SOURCE HBO Latin America

Meet the disruptors of Marketing, Advertising, Branding and PR

We are proud to announce that LatinVision is an Affiliate Partner for AlwaysOn’s  OnMedia 2010. OnMedia NYC is where cutting-edge technology CEOs from Silicon Valley meet the global advertising and media establishment. This two-and-a-half-day event features CEO presentations and high-level debates on which forces are disrupting user behavior and creating new opportunities in the marketing, branding, advertising, and public relations industries.

AlwaysOn is offering LatinVision members a 50% discount to OnMedia!

Click here to buy your ticket at the discounted rate
Click here to view the current program
Click here to view a complete event overview

LatinVision Media

Olympusat Launches Six More Hispanic Networks on Comcast San Francisco

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. & SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Olympusat, the country’s market leader in the development and distribution of independent Spanish-language, faith and family, and emerging TV networks, welcomed the New Year with the launch of six Hispanic networks on Comcast’s San Francisco Bay Area systems. Available to Comcast’s CableLatino subscribers throughout the Bay area, the new additions to the channel lineup include:

• Cable Noticias (channel #643), the recognized news leader across Latin America
• Gran Cine (channel #663), a commercial-free network featuring recent blockbusters and compelling series
• La Familia Cosmovisión (channel #660), a wholesome entertainment channel that celebrates the rich Hispanic culture and honors core family and faith values a family-friendly entertainment
• ¡Sorpresa! (channel #635), the nation’s first and only 24/7 Spanish-language children’s network in the U.S.
• TV Chile (channel #637), general entertainment channel whose dramatic productions captivate Hispanics everywhere, highlighted by weekly championship Chilean Soccer League matches and more
• TV Colombia (channel #634), known as RCN around the world, Colombia’s top-ranked TV family-focused network offers coverage of the Colombian Professional Soccer League, as well as productions from one of the most prestigious Colombian entertainment companies

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How To Launch An In-Language Internet Program

When our clients ask me whether an in-language Internet program is necessary to the success of their Spanish-language advertising campaign, I ask them if their marketing goals long- or short-term. If a client's goal is short-term testing of a product or service, an in-language Internet program is nice to have but not necessary, but if a client has long-term marketing goals that aim to build loyalty among Spanish-speaking consumers, then an active digital campaign is essential.

While Hispanics are online at roughly the same usage rates as the general market, e-commerce has remained underdeveloped. The reason for this is that Hispanic consumer confidence in online transactions remains low. While some have tried to launch major e-commerce hubs, like Amazon or eBay, that cater specifically to the Hispanic market, many have failed in recent years. Univision, the premiere Spanish-language media company in the country, just recently announced that it will try again.


However, any company that makes a serious commitment to the Hispanic market must commit to an in-language web strategy at some level. There are two ways to enter the market with an in-language web campaign, and really no in-between: passive and active.


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Multicultural Agencies Must Beef Up Their Digital Offerings

A trend is starting to sweep across new account awards as digital agencies continue to win agency-of-record advertising contracts. This trend has been building for a few years. Starting in 2007 with Ikea U.K.'s decision to make interactive shop Agency.com its AOR, it heated up in late 2009 with a string of big AOR assignments for digital shops such as R/GA, Tribal DDB and others. While there is a great debate taking place in the industry as to whether digital shops should take the lead, the existence of the trend cannot be denied.


But what does that mean for multicultural advertising agencies?


Multicultural advertising has historically been a few years behind the general market. That three-to-five-year lag is lessening with the growth of technology in advertising and media. However, it would likely still take one or two years for the digital AOR trend to make an impact.


For instance, it has been reported that JetBlue is switching agencies. As a company that spends the majority of its marketing expenditures on digital advertising, it is natural to think that if JetBlue wanted to hire a multicultural agency, it would need to be a digital shop. But, if JetBlue looked at multicultural agencies right now, it would have a hard time finding one that could claim leadership in digital advertising.


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Latino and black children have highest rates of media usage -- and it shows

A new national study by the Kaiser Family Foundation, Generation M2: Media in the Lives of 8- to 18-Year-Olds, reinforced what too many Latino and black families already knew -- our children spend way too much time in front of the television, walking around with earplug cords dangling around their necks or playing games on their cell phones.


There are substantial differences in children's media use between members of various ethnic and racial groups. Black and Hispanic children consume nearly 4½ hours more media daily (13:00 of total media exposure for Hispanics, 12:59 for Blacks, and 8:36 for Whites).
Some of the largest differences are in TV viewing: Black children spend nearly 6 hours and Hispanics just under 5½ hours, compared to roughly 3½ hours a day for White youth.


The only medium where there is no significant difference between these three groups is print. Differences by race/ethnicity remain even after controlling for other factors such as age, parents' education, and single vs. two-parent homes. The racial disparity in media use has grown substantially over the past five years: for example, the gap between White and Black youth was just over two hours (2:12) in 2004, and has grown to more than four hours today (4:23).


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Digital Media Investments - What Opportunities Are Being Considered?

Are you currently running a Digital Media Technology or a Digital Media company or other media related companies and considering raising capital? This is one of the highly sought after sectors by the angel, venture capital and other investors. However, as the technology and industry evolve, the definition of "New Media" or "Digital Media" or "Internet Media" is becoming more and more broad. For capital seekers, it is a great trend as this means more companies are now expanding their mandate to include "media" assets, in this article, we revealed the our latest interviews and findings from VCs and Angel Investors about what kind of sectors and segments they will be looking in 2010.


What are they seeking?


In essence, the term Media / Digital Media is generally applies to companies whose business activities are engaged in the following:


1. Internet Media


In broad terms, this means "website" business, one fund manager suggested they will look at companies similar to ebay, Amazon and other web retailers; another fund manager suggested news websites that have unique and selective target audiences; such as Hispanic news portal, or a particular Internet TV as investment opportunities.


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Mobile Shopping Takes Hold Worldwide

Marketers and retailers have been waiting for the m-commerce revolution, and, according to a Motorola report, more than one-half of Internet users worldwide made a mobile device part of their shopping activities in December 2009.


Generation Y respondents came out ahead on every measure of mobile shopping activity that Motorola studied, while boomers lagged behind. In some cases, the usage gap was significant. Gen Y users, for example, were 6.5 times as likely as baby boomers to have gotten coupons or special offers via mobile.


And crucially, they were more than three times as likely to have made a mobile purchase over the past two weeks.


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HBO Latin America and Flow Reached Broadcast Agreement

KINGSTON, Jamaica, Jan. 18 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ -- HBO Latin America Group (LAG) and Flow, Jamaica's Broadband Company, formally announced today that both Companies have signed an agreement for the transmission of the HBO LAG channels to be broadcast in Jamaica at a media reception held in Kingston.


Under the Agreement, Flow has already started to re-broadcast the HBO package developed for this region, which includes channels such as HBO, HBO Plus, HBO Family, Cinemax, Max Prime, HBO HD, and the Warner Channel, among others. As part of the agreement, Flow customers are able to enjoy a "free-view" until January 31. Starting February 1st, viewers will be able to choose and subscribe to their favorite HBO channels to see original series, movies and sporting events.


"HBO Latin America is very enthusiastic about the signing of a new and long-lasting agreement with Flow and its subscribers. After weeks of negotiating with us, Flow is making sure that Jamaican viewers enjoy Premium programming that includes the acclaimed original series True Blood, Entourage and Hung," said Javier Figueras, Sales Vice President, HBO Latin America Group. "We both share the mission to deliver the most innovative shows in the best technology available to the market."


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More Haiti Relief Initiatives From Radio, FCC

January 15, 2010: As relief and rescue workers continue their labors after the devastating earthquake in Haiti, radio and other media outlets are adding to their fundraising efforts. Univision Communications is partnering with the American Red Cross to help support relief fundraising, using its radio, TV, and online outlets to reach Hispanics who want to contribute.


"The people of Haiti have suffered unimaginable devastation and are in dire need of assistance," Univision President/CEO Joe Uva said. "We have partnered with the American Red Cross to inform the caring and generous Hispanic community in the U.S. on how they can contribute to the disaster relief effort."


Univision's 68 radio stations will be airing PSAs, while its TV outlets will have PSAs along with special reports live from Haiti and Haitian communities in the U.S.


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Minorities like Internet, don't visit regularly

When it comes to the Internet the majority of working adults and students would say it is indispensible. We use it for work, play, communication, shopping. The list goes on. When it comes to the Hispanic and African-American demographics, most adults agree: the Internet is important. The problem is that only about 40% of these minority groups logon regularly, which means much advertising targeted to them may be missing the mark.
by Kristina Knight


According to a study from Cornell Belcher and Brilliant Corners Research only 42% of African-Americans and Hispanics use the Internet on a regular basis. But most agree that the Internet is crucial in achieving success.


Surprisingly both demographics agree that similar activities have great importance. Staying in touch with family, education, accessing information (news, weather, traffic, maps) and work activities top the list of important online activities. Social networking, downloading music, playing games and watching video/television were low on the list for both demographics.


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Gartner: Mobile To Outpace Desktop Web By 2013

Mobile phones will overtake PCs as the most common Web access devices worldwide by 2013, according to a new forecast by research firm Gartner. That's an even more aggressive outlook than Morgan Stanley's projection that the mobile Web will outstrip the desktop Web in five years.


Gartner estimates the combined installed base of smartphones and browser-equipped enhanced phones will surpass 1.82 billion units by 2013, eclipsing the total of 1.78 billion PCs by then.


But the firm warns that many sites still are not optimized for the mobile Web, even though cell users expect to make fewer clicks on their phones than on a PC. To successfully expand into mobile, publishers will have to reformat sites from the small form-factor of handheld devices.


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Poll: Most won't pay to read newspapers online

Would you pay to read your favorite newspaper online? Most say no, at least according to a new Harris poll.


With traditional print newspapers struggling to turn a profit, many have turned to the Web as a means to stay afloat. While some offer their online content free of charge, other papers have played around with subscriptions by charging readers a monthly fee. But that strategy may backfire, says a Harris poll released Wednesday.


Among more than 2,000 online adults surveyed, 77 percent said they wouldn't pay anything to read a newspaper's stories on the Web. And among those willing to pay, 19 percent would cough up between $1 and $10 a month; only 5 percent would shell out more than $10 each month.


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Domain.com Launches Dominio.com, a Total Web Experience in Spanish

VANCOUVER, Wash., Jan. 13 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ -- Recognizing the importance of giving Latin American, Hispanic, and Spanish-speaking small businesses the tools they need to reach the burgeoning global online market, Domain.com, a leading domain registration and web hosting company, announces today that the entire Domain.com experience including all product offerings, account management, and customer support is now available in Spanish through Dominio.com.

Today there are more than 5 million registered Domains Names across Latin America according to statistics from LatinoamerICANN. Moreover, the study concluded that the total regional domain registrations increased by almost 18 percent in 2009. Also, Searchenginewatch.com determined that the Hispanic population spends twenty percent more time online than other demographics with more than half their time spent on Spanish language websites. These statistics provide insight into a growing opportunity for Spanish-speaking small businesses to get online and to reach one of the world's fastest growing demographics.
"The best way to be successful online is to go where your customers are and to provide the most relevant information possible," says Aurelio Rodriguez, International Business Development, Dominio.com. "Spanish-speaking small business owners have the unique perspective and cultural understanding necessary to connect with these growing Spanish-speaking audiences. Now Dominio.com has everything they need to accomplish their goals."
Dominio.com offers a full range of solutions for creating and marketing a Spanish website, including:


- Domain registration and total DNS management
- Web Hosting
- Virtual Private Servers (VPS hosting)
- Email
- Website Design
- SSL Certificates
- Marketing (including solutions from leading email marketing provider, EmailBrain.com)


"At Dominio.com our mission has always been to provide the best solutions at the best price," says Rodriguez. "Domain.com already has a strong global presence with customers in over 200 countries. With our new comprehensive Spanish site, Dominio.com, including dedicated Spanish-speaking support, Domain.com is emerging as an international leader helping small businesses leverage the power of the web."


To explore the new Domain.com in Spanish website visit http://www.dominio.com/

New Spanish-Language Reality Show Competition Focused on Healthy Living to Debut Exclusively on WAPA America

MIAMI, Jan. 12 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ -- On January 30, Puerto Ricans and other Hispanics living in the United States can tune in to a new original reality show competition aimed at giving Puerto Ricans a Total Transformation of lifestyle, which will air in the United States exclusively on WAPA America, the U.S. cable network arm of Puerto Rico's leading broadcaster, WAPA Television.


The new show, titled "Transformacion Total" (Total Transformation), will place 18 contestants from all regions of Puerto Rico together in a house for 15 weeks where they will work with a group of professionals as they take important steps toward adopting a new, healthy lifestyle.


While living in the house the contestants will train physically, participate in seminars and receive counseling while overcoming various challenges as part of the competition. A team of experts, including doctors, nutritionists, physical trainers, motivational coaches, image consultants and psychologists, will guide the contestants as they work to adopt healthy lifestyle habits.


Former Miss Universe Zuleika Rivera will host the competition, which will be based on a point system that takes into account the contestants' healthy lifestyle transformation, participation in the different challenges, ability to live together in the house, and performance in the Final Challenge. The show's grand prize winner will receive $50,000 in cash, in addition to other prizes.


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OLX.com is the next generation of free online classifieds.

OLX is the largest free classifieds site no one's ever heard of!
- OLX has over 100 million unique visitors per month and 500 million page views per month!
- Almost 2 million new ads are posted monthly on OLX!
- OLX has raised $28.5 million in funding since March, 2006 a.. Americans are not likely to have heard of OLX because its popularity lies mainly outside of the United States in places like Spain, India, Portugal, Mexico, South America, China, and the Philippines a.. OLX has offices spread over the globe with 125 employees working out of New York, Buenos Aires, Beijing, and Moscow a.. OLX provides a simple solution to the complications involved in selling, buying, trading, discussing, organizing, and meeting people near you, wherever you may reside a.. OLX is the first classified sites to merge Web 2.0 functionality with the ease of use and simplicity of Craigslist a.. OLX is now present in 90 countries and 39 languages


On OLX you can:
- Easily design rich colorful listings with pictures and videos a.. Control your selling, buying, and community activity in My OLX a.. Display your listings on your social networking profile (Facebook, Myspace, ...) a.. Access the site from your mobile phone a.. View OLX in your local language

Report: Mobile M&A Active in '09, Social, Not So Much

When it came to merger and acquisition deals in 2009, mobile was hot and social networking was not.


Per a year-end report issued by the New York-based investment bank Peachtree Media Advisors, there were 85 transactions in the mobile arena in 2009, more than double the number of such deals that occurred in 2008 (41). Conversely, social media saw the biggest drop off in M&A activity last year, as 47 deals occurred versus over 100 in 2008.


According to Peachtree’s report, as consumer interest in smartphones took off in 2009, driven by the iPhone and Google’s Android software, dollars began to pour into the burgeoning mobile space.


Meanwhile, as more Web publishers faced an abundance of inventory and a data, along with a weak display market - the back end operations side of the digital media business received increased attention—and deal making. Peachtree found that companies focused on services such as ad optimization, targeting, analytics and operations were red hot last year, resulting in 144 transactions, up from just 74 in 2008.


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Economy forces cutbacks, but advertising priorities remain high

The repercussions of the economic downturn are still being felt for suppliers of winter produce from Central America and the Caribbean. Suppliers say they are trimming costs and looking for new ways to provide value and keep sales flat this year.


“We’re hoping that there has been a little boost of the economy,” said Lou Kertesz, vice president of Fresh Quest Produce, Inc., Pompano Beach, Fla., who said the industry is also hoping demand will pick up in what is becoming a smaller marketplace for exporters. “Every year less and less growers are involved in the Central American deal. It is survival of the fittest, down to three of us as main shippers.”


Larry Leighton, president of Caribbean Fruit Connection Corp., Miami, said many in the industry are working extremely close to their margins, and the risk of credit is becoming especially poignant right now.


“We are being very, very prudent on our sales and extension of credit, and our customers are telling us that they are doing the same. So that activity in itself tends to contract the market,” he said. “You hear people say, ‘We sell what we know we can collect for.’”


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Promotion at Discovery Networks Latin America/US Hispanic

MIAMI: Discovery Networks Latin America/US Hispanic has announced the promotion of Michael Bremer to senior VP, CFO and COO.


He has led the financial processes for the company since 2007, and in addition to these responsibilities, Bremer will assume day-to-day management of the research, administration and strategy departments for the region, working in partnership with the senior management to ensure efficiencies and drive profitability. In addition, Bremer will work closely with the regional IT team and lead administrative oversight of Discovery’s office in Argentina. He reports to Enrique R. Martinez, the executive VP and managing director at Discovery Networks Latin America/US Hispanic.


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The Mobile Advertising Industry Is Worth At Least $1 Billion Now

Following Google’s purchase of AdMob and news that Apple is buying Quattro Wireless, the mobile advertising industry has passed the $1 billion in value—which is quite the accomplishment given that the total U.S. mobile advertising market was only worth $416 million in 2009. In 2010, the U.S. market will equal about half, or $593 million, of what Google (NSDQ: GOOG) and Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) just spent, according to eMarketer.


The $1 billion-dollar figure comes from adding the $750 million Google paid for AdMob, and the rumored $270 million Apple paid for Quattro. To be fair, both Google and Apple are not just looking at the immediate revenue opportunity, but rather the total future value, so it’s not correct to compare the purchase prices to one year of revenues, but it works as a point of comparison.


The billion-dollar figure is also something for other startups in the space to salivate over because it has created a high valuation for companies in the space. Yesterday, when the news leaked out that Apple was sniffing around Quattro, the rumor mill accelerated with those crossing their fingers that the $270-something figure was correct. And today, a number of mobile ad networks provided glowing statements about how the two deals validate the space. AdMob stated: “We believe that Apple’s proposed acquisition of Quattro serves as yet another validation of the vibrant mobile advertising industry and can help accelerate the pace of innovation and competition in this space.” And, Jumptap’s CMO Paran Johar took it a step further: “If there is any doubt that 2010 is the year of Mobile Advertising, Apple just cleared up any speculation. For pessimists who thought the Google acquisition of Admob was a fluke, this reinforces that mobile advertising is here to stay.”


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RegaloCard gets $7M to send gift cards via mobile phones

RegaloCard is announcing today a $7 million round of funding for a free, instant way to send gift cards from the US to friends or family in Latin America.


The service works like this: You buy a RegaloCard gift card — redeemable at certain retailers and restaurants in Latin America — here in the US. You provide the recipient’s mobile phone number, and they immediately receive a text message with a PIN number that can be used to redeem the amount on the card.


Considering the number of Latin American immigrants in the US who want to send money to family at home, it sounds like a service that could have real appeal. Transferring money internationally through PayPal or Western Union entails fees, and the RegaloCard service is free and fast. Since it’s a free service, it also means small amounts of money can be sent, which is somewhat pointless with PayPal and the like thanks to convenience charges.


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Discovery en Español delivers double-digit year-over-year growth for the fourth consecutive year

Miami, Florida, January 07, 2010 - Discovery en Español (DSCE) had an impressive year in 2009, demonstrating its ability to consistently increase its audience delivery. Since becoming a measured network in 2005, DSCE has reported 4 straight years of year-over-year growth in the key categories of HHs, P2+ and P/M/W18-49.


Out delivering sports and youth-driven music networks, DSCE is now ranked as the #2 Hispanic Pay-TV network, +24% ahead of its nearest competitor.


Monday-Sunday 7-11p


(Jan-Dec) 000s – 2009 P1849 M1849 W1849


GALA
90
60
30


DSCE
46
29
17


FSE
37
27
10


ESPN D
35
27
8


Mun2
23
14
9


GolTV
9
6
3




“It is a testament to our philosophy that audiences continue to be drawn to Discovery en Español’s programming. Our success validates our central mission of providing Spanish-speaking audiences a world of spectacular experiences via intelligent, engaging, high quality content that enriches their lives. In 2010, we look to continue this growth trend by staying true to our commitment of providing compelling content that resonates with U.S. Hispanic audiences,” said Luis Silberwasser, Sr. Vice President & General Manager of Discovery Networks U.S. Hispanic Group.


Both series and specials form part of the programming which contributed to the network’s overall performance. Some examples of how they ranked in their respective time periods follow:


Specials




SUPERVOLCÁN (Super Volcano)


5/17/2009, 8-10:30pm


#1 P/M/W1849, out delivers free-TV AZTECA




ANIMALES DENTRO (Animals: The Inside Story)


9/13/2009, 8-11pm


#1 P/M/W1849, out delivers free-TV AZTECA (tie among Women)




DUBAI FUTURISTA (Impossible City)


12/6/2009, 9pm


#1 P/M/W1849


EL CASO COLOSIO (The Colosio Case)


12/13/2009, 9pm


Original production, #2 program of the year, #1 P/M/W1849






Series:




HISTORIAS DE ULTRATUMBA (A Haunting)


Wednesdays (12/29/08 - 12/27/09) 10P-11P


#1 among P/W18-49, #2 M1849




CRUDO Y SIN CENSURA (Untamed & Uncut)


Thursdays (4/02/09-12/27/09) 8P-9P


#2 among P/M/W18-49




DESTRUIDO EN SEGUNDOS (Destroyed in Seconds)


Mondays (7/20/09-12/27/09) 9P-10P


#2 among P/M/W18-49




MORDIDAS MORTALES (I was Bitten)


Mondays (12/14/09 – 12/27/09) 8P-9P


#1 among W1849, #2 P/M1849






Below are the actual percentage increases year to year from January - December (2008 vs. 2009) by viewing category (7-11pm) from Monday-Sunday).




HHs +16% (38K vs. 44K)
P2+ +11% (62K vs. 69K)
P1849 +10% (42K vs. 46K)
M1849 +12% (26K vs. 29K)


W1849 +6% (16K vs. 17K)




For Discovery en Español programming information, interactive games and more, viewers may log onto discoveryenespanol.com.


About Discovery en Español


Discovery en Español is the Spanish-language voice of Discovery. It is the premiere network dedicated to offering the finest in quality programming in the areas of science and technology, world culture and history, nature and wildlife as well as real-life drama. The network creates an indelibly enriching experience by collecting the best of what Discovery’s networks have to offer in combination with its own original Spanish-language content. Created by the world’s most trusted media brand, Discovery en Español translates not just the words, but the feeling of Discovery, educating and engaging audiences nationwide with fascinating glimpses into the incredible world they inhabit. For more information, visit discoveryenespanol.com.

The Donny Osmond Show Launches With Citadel Media

NEW YORK, Jan 06, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ ---- Entertainment icon Donny Osmond will host a new lifestyle-driven music radio show targeting the advertiser-coveted female demographic for radio syndication network Citadel Media. The Donny Osmond Show was developed with broadcast industry consultant Mike McVay of McVay Media and will be the first offering from McKay Syndication. The program will air weekdays from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. and will launch nationally on January 18 with 60 stations. The Donny Osmond Show will provide an energetic, upbeat option for stations seeking a workday connection with their listeners and is designed for both adult contemporary and classic hits radio formats.


"Donny Osmond is a classic American performer who has spent the majority of his life bringing smiles to audiences around the world and continues to captivate his tremendous fan base today," said Carl Anderson, Senior Vice President of Programming and Distribution for Citadel Media. "The opportunity to bring his talents to a national radio platform aligns perfectly with our network initiative as we offer affiliates customized depart programming with the personalities stations are looking for. As a legendary entertainer known for his friendly, humorous presentation, Donny will be able to deliver immediate results for our partners."


"Our team is extremely proud to be part of introducing The Donny Osmond Show to radio listeners across the country," said Mike McKay, President of McKay Syndication. "Donny is such a relatable, natural personality and has historically drawn the interest of a wide-ranging audience. His recent popularity and success on "Dancing with the Stars" has reminded all of us what a dynamic performer he is and charmed a new generation of fans as well."


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Red, Brown, and Blue Delivers Important Multicultural News and Opinions

Red, Brown, and Blue is a recently launched website which features important cultural news and political commentary for Americans who don't see themselves in mainstream media or who want a multicultural perspective on the news of the day. With Red, Brown, and Blue, people from all walks of life have a convenient platform to read culturally-important news and opinion, while also having the opportunity to join in on important discussions regarding the challenges facing all Americans.


Houston, TX (PRWEB) January 4, 2010 -- Red, Brown, and Blue provides Americans from all backgrounds with important multicultural perspectives. These perspectives include commentary from a range of columnists which include intellectuals, social advocates, authors, political thinkers, and other thoughtful contributors. What Red, Brown, and Blue hopes to accomplish is a better understanding of the cultural ties between Americans of all backgrounds, while also providing Americans with the tools to get more involved in the democratic process, as it is certainly a shared belief among the contributors of Red, Brown, and Blue that we could all benefit from the community becoming more involved in the process of changing and progressing American society, whether it involves improving the economic, political, or social landscape within the nation.


Rudy Ruiz is the founder of Red, Brown, and Blue, and aside from being hailed "a cultural visionary" by the National Hispanic Institute, Rudy Ruiz has many accomplishments under his belt since graduating from Harvard University; these include launching Interlex, a multicultural marketing agency which is currently one of the top 20 Hispanic ad agencies in the nation. Despite these and other entrepreneurial, writing, directing, and producing successes, Rudy Ruiz has remained committed to the idea of building important bridges between cultures in order to create a better society for all people of this and future generations.


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Planning Your Next Move in Ad Land

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- For many, 2009 will be remembered as a year the marketing world will happily put behind it. The lingering recession has depressed consumer spending and marketers have sharply curtailed their outlays on advertising. Two Detroit automakers filed for bankruptcy. TV and print have been trying to find their way in a digital future and agencies have been put in a vise by clients demanding better return on investment.


A new decade might mean a fresh start, but there will be significant challenges ahead in ad land. Ad Age asked its correspondents to look ahead to the coming year and identify the single-most important issue faced by the industries they cover in 2010.


AD AGENCIES
Chat with any agency executive these days and there's a good chance the dreaded "procurement" word makes its way into the conversation. It's a safe bet that pushback from agencies will continue in 2010.


Although clients have long invited procurement departments to weigh in as they choose their ad agency partners and decide how to compensate them, the amount of power procurers wielded grew as the economy worsened and marketing budgets were stretched. In 2009, it wasn't chief marketing officers, but procurement officers who were increasingly leading the discussion in ad-agency reviews. Decisions in some of the biggest pitches of last year -- from media duties for Danone to creative duties for Volkswagen and UPS -- leaned heavily on what procurement had to say.


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E-Commerce Makes a Comeback as Stream of Revenue for Media

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- At a time when media is trying to diversify its revenue, big and small brands such as Martha Stewart, The Wall Street Journal, Lucky and Salon have recently introduced new or renewed shopping areas on the web.


What they're finding is that being a media brand may offer some advantages in launching an e-commerce business -- and the web pages where products are displayed are a pretty good place to sell more advertising.


Regular e-commerce companies spend millions on search, e-mail and other marketing expenses to drive traffic and convert sales, said Michael Kessler, managing director at Veronis Suhler Stevenson, a private-equity firm that partly specializes in media. "The media companies have an advantage in this regard, in that their content is already driving significant traffic to their site."


They've also found the insight they have about their consumers -- knowledge typically used to sell ads -- can be deployed to stock their virtual shelves properly. "One of the challenges to a typical online retailer is how to figure out what to sell," Mr. Kessler said. "If you understand your readership and the demographics of your audience really well, you have a kind of information advantage."


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Mobile Looks to Mature as a Creative Discipline Next Year

Industry players say that each major mobile marketing format -- short-code message service (SMS), smartphone apps, and Web-based display ads -- evolved in a positive or interesting direction this past year. But which will emerge in 2010 as the best vehicle to drive sales?


Even though apps marketing has been all the rage, eMarketer's recent research suggests that text messages will continue to hold a huge audience share for the next few years. It projects that only 26.9 percent of the U.S. populace will use the mobile Internet next year -- a modest increase from 2009's 22.3 percent. The New York-based research firm's report also predicted only incremental growth over the next few years, to 39.5 percent in 2013.


In other words, most consumers will be viewing their mobile messages on flip-phones and the like for quite some time. So while marketing to iPhone, Android, and BlackBerry users via apps or Web-based messaging continues to be popular, ad professionals who focus on smartphone consumers to the exclusion of the SMS audience are leaving money on the table.


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Time Warner and Fox Reach a Cable Deal

The News Corporation and Time Warner Cable struck a deal just in time for the Sugar Bowl.


The two companies said Friday evening that they had agreed on new terms for a contract covering Fox stations in New York, Los Angeles, Orlando and other markets, averting a blackout of the weekend’s college bowl games in millions of homes. They did not disclose the terms.


The deal between the News Corporation and Time Warner caps weeks of sparring over the price that the cable company — and by extension its customers — should pay to watch Fox, ahead of an end-of-the-year contract expiration.


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2010 Predictions Round-Up

Looking ahead

Over the course of December eMarketer weighed in with predictions for 2010 trends in several key areas. The following are a few highlights.


Seven predictions from eMarketer CEO Geoff Ramsey. Ad dollars will continue to accelerate their move from traditional to digital, though aggregate media spending will fail to return to former levels. Marketers will be emphasizing deeper engagement and earned media.


Video. More marketers will increasingly embrace online video advertising, supported by the twin boom of video streams and video ad networks. Further support for video ad growth will come from sites that offer a deeper catalog of professional, premium video content, which will need to introduce hybrid plans that combine subscription fees with advertising.


Usage. The number of Internet users will begin to stabilize, as penetration reaches 66% of the US population, or 205.3 million people. Year-over-year growth will slow from 3.3% in 2009 to 2.36% in 2013, reaching 70% penetration in four years. Meanwhile, estimates of broadband penetration may change based on new guidelines from the FCC.


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Where Digital Marketing Is Heading in 2010

In our discussions about what will happen in the digital marketing industry during the next 12 months, one overarching trend emerged: The basic rules of brand building are just as important for innovations in the digital space as they are for traditional forms of communication.


Using new technology won't in itself bring success; your digital communications still need to be creative, engaging and relevant if they are to cut it during the second decade of this century. Here are the first five of our top 10 trends for 2010. (We'll post the next five here tomorrow.)


Online display: Don't be blinded by the shiny and new.
In 2010, advertisers will experiment with new, larger ad formats. These formats may be initially attractive because they are different, but the basics of brand building beyond awareness shouldn't be ignored. Most of the new formats perform very well in the short term. Dynamic Logic has previously reported the high performance (brand impact) of video ads when they were first introduced. They found that video ad performance, relative to average ad performance, declined over a two year period following introduction as the novelty wore off. We'd expect this to be true for most of the new, larger ad formats and their progeny.


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