TRAFFIQ Expands Latino Media Marketplace Adding Over 100 New Hispanic Outlets to Its Platform

Expanded Platform Affords Digital Agencies Deeper Reach into Valuable Hispanic Market with Greater Efficiency in Digital Media Buys

NEW YORK, Oct. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- TRAFFIQ®, the web-based digital media management platform built for advertisers, today announced the addition of more than 100 leading Mexican and Latin American media outlets to its growing list of Latino marketplace members, including the most important regional news sources throughout Mexico, like Univision, Telemundo, Impre, Holaciudad, and Impre. The addition affords U.S. advertisers on the TRAFFIQ Latino platform greater access to the coveted Hispanic audience by enabling them to directly target the growing number of Latinos living in the United States who seek out and consume media originating from their home countries and other Spanish-speaking locations.


"Not only are Hispanics in the U.S. very active online, but they are also highly motivated to stay connected with their culture, making them eager consumers of media originating from their home countries," explained Kent Kirschner, executive managing director of TRAFFIQ Latino. "By expanding our reach within the Latino media, the TRAFFIQ platform provides agencies and advertisers with a real competitive advantage, making it easier and more efficient to target this growing audience."


Hispanics are the nation's largest minority group with an estimated 48 million people – nearly 16 percent of the total population—and the market represents approximately $3 billion in digital ad spending across all forms of media.


As an indication of the growth in Hispanic media consumption in the U.S., for the first time ever, a Spanish-language station—Univision—became the most popular network among television viewers aged 18 to 49 years old during the week of Aug. 30-Sept. 5 and beat out all other broadcast networks for the month of July among viewers aged 18 to 34.


"This is a clear reflection of the new Latino market dynamics—it is now larger than ever and advertisers and their agencies want to tap into this potential on a global scale," Kirschner said. "With our geo-targeting capabilities, we can now deliver some of the most desirable publishers and audiences in a streamlined system to improve return on investment."


TRAFFIQ's easy-to-use digital media management platform offers buy-side clients a single system for handling everything from planning and RFP distribution to order execution, optimization and billing. Media planners can negotiate and buy inventory from Web publishers on a one-to-one basis or propose campaigns widely, enhancing an agency's buying power and a publisher's selling strength.


"The power of an open and transparent marketplace is its ability to scale quickly, and TRAFFIQ's zero cost of entry has enabled our Latino team to quickly aggregate a lot of supply in this growing market," said Chris O'Hara, TRAFFIQ's SVP of sales and marketing. "We are looking forward to working with advertisers who need a place to quickly discover and acquire both Latin American inventory and U.S.-based Hispanic audiences, and manage their media with the efficiency and data that our platform brings."


For more information about how TRAFFIQ Latino's web-based media management platform for advertisers can help streamline the digital media planning and buying process for agencies of all sizes, visitwww.traffiq.com.


About TRAFFIQ


TRAFFIQ ( http://www.traffiq.com/ ) is an end-to-end digital media planning, buying and management platform. It facilitates the buying and selling of display media with ease and efficiency, yielding maximum return on investment. Marketplace members include the leading advertisers, ad agencies and publishers. The company recently ranked #50 on the coveted Inc. 500 annual list of the fastest-growing private companies. TRAFFIQ is headquartered in New York City, with offices in Vienna, VA. For more information, contact info@traffiq.com .


SOURCE TRAFFIQ

2010 LatinVision CEO Summit Conference Recap

by Nikelle Feimster, Media Relations Specialist, Business Wire/New York


LatinVision’s CEO Summit Conference 2010 was held on Monday, Oct 4th at the Time Warner Center in New York City. CEOs and marketing executives from companies including HipCricket, Telemundo, Univision , People en Español, HBO, and Business Wire were present. They shared insight into how marketers and advertisers can engage and connect with consumers in the Hispanic market through various channels including social media, and mobile and online marketing.


The first panel discussed how social media has evolved in the multicultural space, and how advertisers are taking advantage of social media platforms. It was revealed that Latinos visit more social networking sites, news sites, and maintain more blogs than the general market.


Today, there is an increase in the number of companies that are using social media as part of their overall strategy to reach and engage Latinos. Monica Talan, VP Corporate Communications, Univision, said companies should try to engage in conversations. Univision had a lot of success with the World Cup by providing blogs and social media fan pages to engage users and new audiences. According to Talan, every department of a company is part of their social media strategy. “It can be challenging but you have to put the resources in it and stay committed.”


Lucinda Martinez-Desir, VP-Acquisition & Multicultural Marketing, HBO, did their entire “No Es Lo Mismo” campaign on Facebook, Twitter, mobile and online. For this campaign, everything was integrated and married to traditional media.


Everyone seemed to agree on the importance of having a social media strategy, not just a Facebook strategy. Here are a few tips on how marketers can leverage the Latino phenomenon on social media to their advantage:


o Start conversations that are really meaningful to consumers.
o Engage with people who have influence on consumers, like the world of bloggers, not the marketing department.
o Build brand equity.
o Have a conversation with the client – be innovators together so you both understand that there will be risks involved.

When it comes to mobile and online marketing, Ivan Braiker, Co-Founder & CEO, Hipcricket, said it’s all about engagement. Latinos are early adopters of technology, including mobile devices. In fact, Scott Hamilton, President & CEO, VoodooVox, pointed out that the mobile phone is the ultimate social network that existed before FaceBook. With over 5 billion text messages being sent per day, mobile is an effective way to engage an audience and it creates a deeper connection with your brand.


Here are some best practices for mobile and online marketing:


o Engage people with content early and make sure your site is current.
o Help clients design content specifically for mobile.
o Be able to use mobile and interact with the user to the point of sale.
o Know your audience and text the right people.

Business Wire’s President, Gregg Castano, participated in the panel discussion, “Digital vs. Print Media and the Language of the Next Latin Generation.” Castano pointed out that Latinos are the fastest growing online population with 85% of U.S. born Latinos using the internet. “The key to the success of brands is how they crossover to digital,“ said Castano. “Marketers should place quality content on relevant channels to attract the most eyeballs.”


Business Wire can help brand marketers and brand leaders actively engage with Latino customers. By utilizing our LatinoWire product line, companies can bolster their print and web marketing campaigns. With LatinoWire, your press release reaches the leading Spanish-language news and information outlets throughout the U.S., including more than 1,200 Hispanic print, broadcast and online media outlets.


LatinVision is a New York-based organizer of conferences and networking events focused on marketing to U.S. Hispanics and Latin American executives. Business Wire is a sponsor of LatinVision Media’s Marketing to Latinos Conferences. To learn more about the LatinVision Media 2010 Conferences Series visit www.latinvision.com/marketing



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Discovery En Español’s Narcosubmarinos Uncovers the Secret Underwater Routes of the Drug Trade

This impactful original production travels deep into to the jungles of Colombia to reveal the secrets behind one of the latest and most effective methods used for drug smuggling today

Miami, Florida, October 26, 2010 – On July 17, 2008, Mexican headlines throughout the country carried an astonishing piece of news: a 39 foot long semi-submersible had been intercepted by the armed forces about 250 miles from Oaxaca in the South East of Mexico. Aboard the vessel the authorities found cargo amounting to five and a half tons of cocaine on its way to the Sinaloa Cartel. This novel approach to drug trafficking, along with its origins and evolution, are explored at length in Narcosubmarinos (Narcosubmarines), a Discovery en Español original production premiering on Sunday, November 7 at 9 PM ET/PT.


Developed in Colombia over 20 years ago, these semi-submersibles have become a key method in the smuggling of narcotics from South America to Mexico and the United States. Their considerable load capacity of up to 10 tons and ability to navigate off coastlines and ports without being detected, has turned these vessels into the latest innovation in the drug trade, making them the successors of light aircraft, freight containers, and speedboats.


Filmed over an eight month period, Narcosubmarinos takes viewers deep into the Colombian jungle, uncovering the secret shipyards where these crafts are built using the most rudimentary materials. Through unedited video and exclusive images of seizures at sea, as well as the testimony of Miguel Angel Montoya, a former drug trafficker, members of the Colombian Armed Forces, and officials of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, the documentary details the evolution of these auto propelled submarines, their navigation routes, and the factors make their detection and interdiction a continuous challenge.


Narcosubmarinos is an original production by Discovery en Español under the direction of Michela Giorelli, executive producer and Rafael Rodriguez, supervising producer. The special was filmed in conjunction with Colombian production house Lulo Films, under the direction of Jaime Escallon Buraglia, who also contributed to two recent successes by Discovery en Español: Fuga de las Farc y El Rescate Perfecto.


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 http://www.discoveryenespanol.com/.

Univision's Spanish Conquest

Aiming to become the top broadcast network

By Steve McClellan, AdWeek. 


As the demographic balance of the nation tilts away from an Anglo majority, the largest TV network in the country will soon be Hispanic. Univision CEO Joe Uva is confident they’re on target to achieve this in as little as three years. But will advertisers follow?


With double-digit ratings growth so far this season, Univision is off to a better start than any of the major English-language nets. Uva (pictured) believes he has the wind at his back in the ratings race.


The new Census is expected to show a nearly 45 percent increase in the number of Hispanic Americans since 2000, to a total of 50 million. This couples with continuing audience erosion at the major networks and Univision’s recent deal with Mexican programmer Grupo Televisa, which locks up the source of much the network’s popular programming for at least another decade.


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Spanish group buying site Groupalia lands another 5 million euros

Groupalia, a Spanish group buying site, has raised 5 million euros in its second institutional round after securing 2.5 million euros back in May.


Again, the funding comes from Nauta Capital, and Caixa Capital Risc, Spanish bank la Caixa’s venture capital division.


Previous angel investors also participated in the round, namely Groupalia CEO Joaquin Engel in tandem with Lucas Carné and Jose Manuel Villanueva (the founders of Privalia, another Nauta portfolio company).


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Discovery En Español Debuts “Rescate Imposible: 70 Días Bajo Tierra,” The Chilean Miners’ Miracle

Also in October, the network brings viewers a fresh new look at another historic rescue that captured the world in: “Ingrid Betancourt: seis años en la jungla”

Miami, Florida, October 21, 2010 – With exclusive access to the harrowing drama endured by 33 Chilean miners and the unprecedented rescue operation that freed them after 70 long days, Discovery en Español brings viewers the worldwide premiere of RESCATE IMPOSIBLE: 70 DÍAS BAJO TIERRA. This one hour special airs on Discovery en Español Thursday, October 28th at 9 PM ET/PT (with an encore presentation on Sunday, October 31 at 8 PM ET/PT).


“This documentary explores the extraordinary scientific and technological innovations employed in this miraculous rescue from the depths of the earth,” explains Luis Silberwasser, Senior Vice President and International Head of Content for Discovery Networks International. “In true Discovery fashion, we will provide an exclusive inside look into the myriad of characters, arduous planning as well as the victories and setbacks the 70-day rescue mission meant for all those involved.”


The special will offer Discovery en Español’s viewers exclusive access to:

• The room set aside for reunions between rescued miners and their families
• Andre Sougarett, head of the rescue operation
• The workings of the three drilling machines used in the rescue operation
• The engineers and technicians in charge of each of the three rescue plans (Plans A, B and C) and the drilling machines
• The “control room” where daily planning meetings took place
• Medical teams, including Dr. Jean Romagnoli, one of the health experts who kept the miners alive
• Interviews with one of the heroic rescuers who descended into the mine during the final phase of the operation to show the miners how to use the escape capsule

The program will also feature interviews with the miners’ families and loved ones, Chilean Mining Minister Laurence Golborne, Dr. Michael Duncan of NASA (who advised the medical team in charge of the miners during their captivity) and several of the engineers and drillers on site.


Also, as part of a slate of October exclusives for U.S. Hispanic audiences, Discovery en Español premieres “Ingrid Betancourt: seis años en la jungla”. This impactful documentary, airing on Sunday, October 31st at 9 PM E/P, presents the first ever personal accounts by the controversial former presidential candidate about her capture, including rarely seen file footage.


Through the testimonials of Ingrid Betancourt, Clara Rojas, Luis Eladio Pérez, Marc Gonsalves and guerrilla commander Martin Shadow, the documentary lays evidence to the painful experiences of thousands of kidnapping victims in Colombia. At the same time the special allows viewers to gain insight into the daily challenges of life in the jungle, the mindset of the kidnappers, and the difficult decisions that those in captivity are sometimes forced to make.


Rescate imposible: 70 días bajo tierra is executive produced by Michela Giorelli for Discovery en Español and by Brooke Runnette for Discovery Channel US, with the assistance of Pacha Films.


Ingrid Betancourt: seis años en la jungla was directed by Angus Macqueen, of Ronachan Films, who also served as the film’s producer along with Christopher Jorg, of Pumpernickel Films. The interviews for this documentary were conducted between the months of March and June of the 2010.


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

Hispanic media influence grows in election year

By LAURA WIDES-MUNOZ
The Associated Press


MIAMI -- Note to candidates: What plays in Spanish no longer stays in Spanish.


Spanish-language networks and publications are taking on a more prominent role this election season, nabbing debates with major candidates and increasingly seeing their political coverage spin out into mainstream English-language media.


The attention highlights not only the growing influence of Hispanics, the nation's largest and fastest-growing minority group, but also the power of the companies that provide much of their news.


Take recent comments by U.S. Rep. Loretta Sanchez, D-Calif., during a Sunday morning talk show with Spanish-language Univision Network anchor Jorge Ramos.


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U.S. Department of Education Awards HITN $30 Million for Ready to Learn Initiative

Partnership with Callaway Digital Arts and Michael Cohen Group LLC Will Create Learning Apps, and Educational Media for Reading and Math Targeted at Closing Achievement Gap

Download image NEW YORK, Oct. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Department of Education (USDE) today announced that the Hispanic Information and Telecommunications Network, Inc. (HITN), in partnership with Callaway Digital Arts and the Michael Cohen Group LLC (MCG),was awarded a $30 million Ready to Learn grant for Project LAMP (Learning Apps Media Partnership). The project is an early childhood media-based education initiative.

Project LAMP will create highly engaging, digital learning applications to build reading and math skills for children ages two through eight. The focus of the student-centered learning applications will have broad market appeal and educational impact, and will specifically target low-income children, English Language Learners (ELL), and their families.


"Our goal is to help close the achievement gap. As a former educator, I know it's important to create quality content that helps childcare providers, parents, grandparents, and teachers prepare kids for kindergarten and reinforce reading and math through elementary school," said HITN President and CEO Jose Luis Rodriguez. "Many kids are already reading and watching stories about Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Friends and Nova the Robot. Now they can interact, direct the story, and learn via a variety of platforms. I am also excited about producing a new product specifically for ELL. This will be student-centered learning and family support at its best."


Project LAMP targets next-generation learners including children from low-income groups. The content will be largely available as an open educational resource and use a transmedia storytelling approach through books, iPAD/Touch Screen applications, mobile device and phone applications, console and hand held gaming applications, sing along DVDs and CDs, an interactive Website, and television. The USDE, in 2010, expanded the Ready to Learn grant program to include transmedia storytelling.


John Lee, President and CEO of Callaway Digital Arts, the company behind the digital content for Project LAMP said, "Similar to our best-selling iPAD application, Miss Spider's Tea Party series by David Kirk, we will develop additional e-book applications that include rich, imaginative worlds brought to life through interactive artwork, engaging stories and educational games. We're thrilled to be a part of the innovation being incentivized by the U.S. Department of Education. Long-term, our objective is to sustain the meaningful benefits of Project LAMP by building commercially viable content and products with the widest possible appeal."


Project LAMP will leverage the existing characters of Callaway's Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Friends (ages 2-5) and Nova the Robot (ages 5-8).It will also create a third new ELL property produced by HITN. Content in all three properties will align to the 2010 Common Core State Standards in Math and Reading and promote the essential skills defined by the National Early Literacy Panel and the National Mathematics Advisory Panel.


An essential component of Project LAMP will be the ongoing use of research and evaluation. Dr. Michael Cohen, President of the Michael Cohen Group and one of the co-Principal Investigators of the project said, "As the project activities move forward, we foresee new forms of educational media being developed. As a result, new assessments will be required to provide the producers with useful information on children's learning and comprehension. This is an exciting process for evaluators because research findings will aid in product development, determine if goals are met, and contribute to our general understanding of the role and impact of media in young children's lives." Cohen added, "Our plan is to evaluate the applications at different stages of development by testing with children, teachers, and parents. Research will help ensure that the curricula, design, and narrative are age-appropriate, appealing, and result in student learning."


The 2010 Ready to Learn grants include outreach monies in addition to program funding. Project LAMP outreach activities will leverage wireless network technology, social media, and community-based organizations to engage children, parents, caregivers, and teachers in New York, Connecticut, and Texas the first year alone. Over the life of the grant, Project LAMP will partner for exchange of ideas, opinions, and results with: 1) persistently low achieving schools, 2) a media production program at an accredited postsecondary institution, and 3) a teacher preparation program at an accredited postsecondary institution focused on early childhood education.


The Hispanic Information and Telecommunications Network, Inc. (HITN) was established in 1983 as a non-profit organization. HITN's mission is to advance Hispanics by providing engaging educational entertainment that expands their horizons, and enables them to serve as an ever-growing engine of intellectual power and progress. HITN is a unique source of educational, cultural, news and public affairs programs delivered to the homes of Hispanics in the United States and Puerto Rico.


Callaway Digital Arts (CDA) is the premier, global, multimedia application publishing company specializing in the creation of unique and compelling interactive content for touch screen tablet and mobile devices. Using a strategic combination of design, production, advanced mobile technology and storytelling, the company produces the highest quality learning and how-to applications that have a lasting impression on audiences of all ages. For more information about CDA, visit www.callaway.com.


The Michael Cohen Group LLC (MCG) is an internationally recognized evaluation firm responsible for all formative research and summative testing for the project. MCG specializes in conducting research with children and youth, their teachers, and their families, addressing all the dimensions of young peoples' lives -- including education, entertainment, health and media -- from various perspectives: students, family members, peers, consumers, and young citizens.


SOURCE Hispanic Information and Telecommunications Network, Inc.

Showtime for Univisión

When Nielsen Media Research sent out its weekly television ratings report for the first week in September, TV programmers and marketing directors across America blinked, rubbed their eyes, then blinked again. Could it really be? Spanish-language Univisión finishing first? Not first in the Spanish rankings, not first in Miami or Los Angeles: First in the whole United States, ahead of Fox, CBS, ABC and NBC.


It could be. It was. And, says Univisión Networks President Cesar Conde, it will be again.


``Our goal is to be the No. 1 network in this country regardless of language,'' says Conde, from his office in Doral. ``[If] we continue to perform the way we have -- and you have to have some macroeconomic trends continue -- that is feasible, that Univisión, a Spanish-language network, can be the No. 1 network in this country regardless of language, within the next five years.''


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ImpreMedia Launches New Hispanic Market Blog

Brings the Latest in News, Resources and Information to Hispanic Marketers

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ImpreMedia, the leading US Hispanic news and information company, announced the launch of its company blog, “www.hispanicmarketinfo.com.” The blog provides the latest in news, research, and upcoming event information on marketing to Hispanics in the U.S. Topics range from statistical information on the Hispanic consumer to the latest trends in marketing.

“There are numerous blogs out there dedicated to the Hispanic market, but none quite like this one,” says Mary Zerafa, VP of Strategy and Integrated Marketing. “Hispanic Market Info is designed specifically for those companies who want to capitalize on the Hispanic market. Savvy businesses and marketers understand the importance Latino consumers are to driving revenue and growth. The importance of the market will be even further pronounced with the upcoming release of the census data that estimates that there are 48 million Hispanics representing 15.8% of the total U.S. population.”


Hispanic Market Info is written by authors who are recognized authorities in Hispanic marketing and media. The goal is to provide marketers with information they need when targeting Hispanics. The blog offers marketers insights from the No.1 Hispanic news and information company in the U.S. and gives them the opportunity to capitalize on the importance of the Hispanic market.


About impreMedia
ImpreMedia (http://www.impremedia.com/) is the No. 1 Hispanic News and Information Company in the U.S. in Online and Print. ImpreMedia’s multi-platform offerings range from Online to Video, Widgets, Social Media, Mobile, Audio and Print and encompass products on 7 platforms, including the portal www.impre.com and its McClatchy partner. 31% of all U.S. Hispanic Adults use an impreMedia network product. The network is also the nation’s largest Hispanic newspaper publisher with newspapers in the top 7 U.S. Hispanic markets, reaching 16 markets total and representing 61% of the U.S. Hispanic population. Its leading publications include La Opinion in Los Angeles and El Diario La Prensa in New York. ImpreMedia portals and publication websites are: http://www.impre.com/, http://www.imprerewards.com/, http://www.lavibra.com/, http://www.impreautos.com/, http://www.laopinion.com/, http://www.eldiariony.com/, http://www.hoynyc.com/, http://www.laraza.com/, http://www.laprensafl.com/, http://www.elmensajero.com/, http://www.rumbonet.com/, http://www.vistamagazine.com/, and http://www.contigola.com/.

Bilingual tech magazine links its print content with its website

STARTING A PRINT magazine about technology seems like a case of the message killing the medium. But not to Mel Gomez. He just wanted a magazine that spoke to him - in two languages.


So Gomez, the director of niche publishing for the Southwest Philly-based Bartash Printing, started Tek Lado, which hit the street Sept. 27, bearing the tagline, "A technology and pop culture magazine for the new bilingual generation."


Tek Lado will publish bimonthly (the next issue is due in late November), but Gomez foresees a switch to monthly publication by April. It's free and can be picked up at red honor boxes around the city. All content, which is generated by freelancers, is aimed at a Philadelphia audience.


"There isn't another magazine like this in the U.S.," said Gomez, who worked as a radio-frequency engineer and had no experience in publishing before coming to work at Bartash.


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