Univision Interactive Media honored with Mobile Excellence Award for Univision Marcador Sports App

NEW YORK, NY– DECEMBER 13, 2011 - Univision Interactive Media, Inc., the digital division of the leading media company serving Hispanic America, Univision Communications Inc., has once more been recognized for its industry-leading accomplishments in the mobile space. At the annual Mobile Excellence Awards, the Univision Marcador App developed in partnership with July Systems, the leading provider of mobile development platform to businesses worldwide, was honored in the “Business” category for “Best Mobile International.” This is the Company’s second Mobile Excellence Award recognition – in 2010, the Univision Deportes App for World Cup was selected as a finalist for Best Community Fan Content.

“The Univision Marcador App is an important part of our suite of mobile offerings and we are thrilled to have been recognized for our product development and promotion capabilities by one of the most coveted awards program in the industry,” said Kevin Conroy, president of Univision Interactive Media and Enterprise Development. “We are committed to serving our audience and will continue to pioneer new interactive products that will keep Univision and its partners top of mind for Hispanics as they continue to influence and shape the digital landscape and drive the growth and expansion of the U.S. mobile marketplace.”

Alexander “Sandy” Brown, president of Sports, Univision Communications Inc. added, “This award reinforces our reputation as Hispanic America’s leading brand for sports content. The Marcador App is one of the many examples of Univision’s commitment to provide Hispanic sports fans content across all platforms.”

“Univision Marcador App winning a Mobile Excellence Award is a strong validation of the capabilities of Mi™ platform to deliver a compelling user experience with real-time updates on sports to multi-lingual audiences worldwide,” says Kelvin Rowlette, president and GM for July Systems, USA who received the award at this event. He also added, “Mi™ Platform extensible platform can render standard unicode fonts for Spanish, Portuguese, French, Arabic, Hindi and many more; something that has been key to many of the global businesses we serve today.”

Since its launch in February, the Univision Marcador App has brought die-hard sports fans free, real-time scores and stats from top soccer leagues reaching over 300,000 users, across the iPhone, iPod touch and Android platforms. The app channels Univision’s popular sports content to mobile devices, with nonstop, customizable stat updates on top soccer tournaments and leagues from around the world, engaging passionate sports fans with the latest results. (Download information is here)

Univision Interactive Media has had a major impact on the U.S. Hispanic smartphone audience with one-of-a-kind apps for iPhone, iPad, Android, BlackBerry and Nokia platforms. These include:

• The Univision App includes video clips, photos and articles of the latest national and local news, celebrity gossip, popular Univision shows, and favorite sports. (Download information is here)

• The Univision Marcador App provides die-hard sports fans real-time scores and stats of games and matches from top soccer leagues and other sports. (Download information is here). The English-language Univision Scoreboard App is also available.

• The Univision Deportes App keeps users updated with the latest from their favorite soccer and sports around the world throughout the year. (Download information is here)

• The Univision Video App features short and long-form content from some of Univision’s top-rated news, entertainment, soccer, and sports shows, plus horoscopes and special events. (Here is download information) 

• Univision Cocina App, which provides recipes for the best in Latin cuisine and beyond, in addition to cooking videos, tools and tips from Univision chefs and fellow users. (Download information is here).

Produced by Axis PR & Entertainment and presented by Verizon Developer Community, the Mobile Excellence Awards is the most influential and prestigious organization that recognizes and honors excellence in mobile entertainment and technology. The MEA’s award excellence in execution of corporate approach, consumer services, consumer experiences, content creation, and marketing devices or revenue generators across the entire mobile ecosystem.

This is the third recognition that Univision Interactive Media has received for its apps this year. The Univision Radio App won for Best Socially-Savvy Radio App” in Advertising Age’s Media Vanguard Awards, and the Univision App received a Bronze Award in the in the “Interactive Applications Promotion Campaign” category at this year’s PromaxBDA Latin America Awards.

SOURCE Univision

PRISA DIGITAL partners with AcheiUSA

MIAMI, Dec. 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- PRISA DIGITAL has partnered with AcheiUSA to further extend its growing portfolio of properties and to increase AcheiUSA's expansion into the US and LATAM markets.

With the agreement, PRISA Digital becomes a sales representative for AcheiUSA across the Spanish, Portuguese and US Hispanic Markets. "We're excited to partner with PRISA DIGITAL to support our growth across the US and Latin America," said AcheiUSA's CEO Jorge Moreira Nunes.

The partnership opens doors to exposing new audiences to PRISA's content through future integration of its properties including El Pais, AS and other original productions.

Jose Luis Ortega, Director of Business Development for PRISA DIGITAL Americas said, "AcheiUSA is a leading online destination for Brazilians in the US. This partnership will enable PRISA DIGITAL to provide high quality Portuguese content to our users from Brazil across the US and Latin America, as well as allow us to expose our content to a whole new audience."

About PRISA Digital

PRISA DIGITAL is the new area designed to lead the digital transformation of PRISA, the leading media company in the production and distribution of news, entertainment and education in the Spanish and Portuguese speaking world. With a focus on multi-channel access, it has over 100 websites, visited by over 36 million users a month across different segments including Print, Radio, TV, Publishing and Online. PRISA is at the forefront of multi-device content distribution with an ambitious launch strategy offering products and services tailored to the consumption habits of users through smartphones, PDAs, game consoles, and other mobile devices.

About AcheiUSA

AcheiUSA is a weekly newspaper, in the Portuguese language, for the Brazilian community living in the United States. Founded in October 2000 by the advertisement professional and journalist Jorge Moreira Nunes, it rapidly gained popularity because of its huge free classified section and soon became one of the most important publications in the Portuguese language outside Brazil.

Univision and Kargo partner for mobile video

Dec 15, 2011 | by George Winslow

In a notable expansion of their digital offerings targeting Hispanics, mobile publisher Kargo and Univision Interactive Media have launched a mobile video site that features entertainment, sports, news and special interest clips on such subjects as cooking, beauty, music and horoscopes.

The site, which is accessible via mobile devices at videos.univision.com, also includes short form video content from select Univision TV shows and novelas, as well as clips from local Univision TV stations.

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NBC News announces English-language Latino news and lifestyle site, www.NBCLatino.com

Dec 15, 2011 | by Jon

NBC News announced Thursday that it is launching a new English-language Latino news and lifestyle website called NBCLatino.com. The website will focus on news, information and lifestyle content and offer Hispanic angles on big general market stories.

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Exclusive: NBC News plans Latino-targeted site

Dec 14, 2011 | by George Winslow

In a move that reflects the growing importance of Hispanic audiences for news divisions, NBC News is planning to launch an NBCLatino.com site targeting Hispanics sometime in early 2012, reports NBC News president Steve Capus.

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The Cisneros Group of Companies propels mobile expansion with RedMas

MIAMI, Dec 15, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- The Cisneros Group of Companies announced today the initiation of their new business enterprise, RedMas, a leading Hispanic Mobile Ad Network and Mobile Studio. 'Red' -- the Spanish word for network, and 'Mas' - the acronym for Mobile Ad Studio, marks the business progression of LatCel. The new name and business focus reflects the company's broader product and service offering.

"Our evolution as a company and value offering translates to 'RedMas' and represents our commitment and focus on mobile advertising for the affluent Hispanic market," stated Jorge A. Rincon, CEO of RedMas.

RedMas is an integral part of the Cisneros Group's commitment to be at the forefront of the industry and the progressive digital world, a part of the business strategy envisioned by Adriana Cisneros de Griffin, Vice-Chairman and Vice President of Strategy. In addition to providing a comprehensive reach in mobile advertising network, RedMas will focus on current and prospect partners with the design and development of mobile strategies, which include building mobile sites in HTML5 and mobile applications for various mobile operation systems, such as Android, IOs, Windows, Symbian, and tablets.

"RedMas reflects our new focus on advertising, we are increasing the level of investment in the company because we strongly believe that the Hispanic mobile market represents a great opportunity for all brands to establish a strong link with their existing and potential customers," emphasized Victor Kong, Vice President of Digital Media of the Cisneros Group. "We can add value with this proposal as we have done in the past when the Cisneros Group helped found Univision in 1986. We are now the first to invest in mobile media for Hispanics."

RedMas was founded in 2004 under the brand LatCel with a business strategy focused on the Hispanic demographic, operating several businesses in the mobile industry, including one of the most important mobile advertising networks in the U.S. Hispanic market, fast expanding its reach in the Caribbean, Central America, Mexico, Venezuela and Colombia. RedMas' mobile advertising network incorporates dozens of publishing partners, including GolTV, Televisa, Univision, Todobebe, AccuWeather, Sprint and MetroPCS, to mention a few, providing over 200 million mobile ad impressions per month with approximately 80 percent concentrated in the U.S. Hispanic market.

SOURCE: RedMas

Tablet & EReader use soars among Latinos

Dec 13, 2011

With holiday season shopping reaching its peak, more and more Latinos are buying iPads, Kindles and other tablet or ereader devices, according to a new study.

E-marketer research shows that 12.6 percent of Latinos used tablet devices monthly, putting them as the second highest group behind Asian-Americans. African-Americans and whites came in with just over 10 percent.

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Apple launches iTunes Store in 16 Latin American countries, including Brazil, Argentina

Dec 13, 2011 | by Stan Lehman

SAO PAULO (AP) — Apple has launched its iTunes store in Brazil and 15 other Latin American countries, the company said Tuesday, making available for sale more than 20 million songs in a region where music piracy is rampant.

One top Brazilian music industry official said he thinks the launch of the online iTunes store, along with expectations that Taiwanese manufacturer Foxconn will soon produce iPods, iPads and iPhones in Brazil, will put a dent in piracy in Brazil.

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New family channel launches on YouTube for Hispanic moms

MIAMI, Dec. 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Todobebe, Inc. the leading producer of family friendly parenting and entertainment content for the Hispanic market, announced today the launch of a new family channel on YouTube, providing content moms, dads, kids and the whole family can enjoy. The new channel can be found at http://www.youtube.com/todofamilia.

The channel draws from over 1,000 original video shorts across parenting, kids, dads, humor, reality, celebrity interviews, funniest home videos, and more.

The new channel brings the best of inspiration, humor, education and entertainment, to YouTube's active audience of Hispanic moms. It also provides a new opportunity for consumer brands and marketers to collaborate in content development in order to reach this important consumer segment.

YouTube's innovative platform and Todobebe's decade of experience in branded entertainment with top companies such as Walmart, P+G, Fisher Price, Disney, and Clorox, make the Todofamilia channel http://www.youtube.com/todofamilia an ideal place for brands and marketers.

About Todobebe, Inc.

Todobebe, Inc is a leading mom and family media company founded in 1999. Its properties provide the best in family entertainment and expert advice through TV formats, radio, digital community and content websites, promotions, mobile applications, consumer research, events, licensing, and more. In 2010 it was named the #1 Digital Content Provider to Hispanic Markets (Portada Awards). Its history of production and distribution of Emmy nominated TV shows include Univision Network, Telemundo Network, Televisa, and more. Its digital website properties include "Todobebé®, "Viva La Familia®" , "Blogs de Mamás", "Todofamilia®" and "Embarazo". Apps in English, Spanish & Portuguese available on iTunes by searching keyword "Todobebé" and include "PhotoMoments", "FirstABC123", "FirstColors", and "FirstSounds."

SOURCE TodoBebe.com

The Huffington Post Media Group and El Pais partner to launch The Huffington Post in Spanish

NEW YORK & MADRID, Dec 12, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- The Huffington Post Media Group and El Pais today announced plans to launch El Huffington Post, an international Spanish-language version of The Huffington Post, the popular American news, opinion, community and social engagement web destination. The announcement was made by Arianna Huffington, President and Editor-in-Chief of the Huffington Post Media Group and Juan Luis Cebrian, president of El Pais and PRISA'S CEO.

El Huffington Post will combine the local editorial expertise of El Pais, the leading Spanish newspaper and one of the most widely-respected global news dailies, with The Huffington Post's pioneering combination of original reporting, aggregation, a leading-edge commenting forum and dynamic social engagement tools, and a vibrant platform for a wide range of bloggers.

The partners will also focus on original editorial content through an affiliated network of journalists and bloggers. El Huffington Post is recruiting an editorial team in preparation for launch the first quarter of 2012.

About the Huffington Post Media Group

The Huffington Post is part of AOL's Huffington Post Media Group ("HPMG"), a leading source of news, opinion, entertainment, community and digital information comprised of a diverse network of destination websites, including The Huffington Post ("HuffPost"), Moviefone, Engadget, TechCrunch, Patch, Stylelist, and MapQuest. HPMG's sites combine journalism, technology, engagement, and video to reach a global audience on every platform. The Group has over 20,000 bloggers -- from politicians and celebrities to academics and policy experts -- who contribute in real-time on a wide-range of topics making news today. HuffPost has 37 million unique visitors a month, per comScore (November, 2011), and has an engaged community that posts over 5 million comments a month. The Huffington Post UK and The Huffington Post Canada both launched this year, and Le Huffington Post France and Le Huffington Post Quebec, are launching soon.

About AOL

Having helped millions of Americans to get online, AOL Inc. is on a mission to inform, entertain and connect the world. The home of a world-class collection of premium brands, AOL creates original content that engages audiences on a local and global scale. We help marketers connect with these audiences through effective and engaging digital advertising solutions.

About El Pais

El Pais, born in 1976 and published in Spain, Europe and Latin America, is part of Prisa Noticias, the press division of PRISA, including also the business newspaper Cinco Dias, the sport daily paper AS, and a group of magazines in Spain and Portugal. Elpais.com, the web site of El Pais, is one of the most visited news sites in Spanish language. PRISA is the world's leading Spanish and Portuguese-language media group in the fields of education, information and entertainment, thanks to its multi-channel offer of high-quality products. Present in 22 countries, it reaches more than 50 million users through its global brands El Pais, 40 Principales, Santillana and Alfaguara. Its presence in Brazil and Portugal and among the growing Hispanic community in the US has given the group a Latin American dimension and has opened up a potential global market of 700 million people. PRISA is also Spain's leading company in the production of digital news and information, education and entertainment with a clear focus on multichannel access. It has over 250 web pages, visited by 52 million users a month across different product segments, with streaming figures of over 18 million songs.

SOURCE AOL Inc.

Hispanics are online, but marketers don’t see them

Dec 07, 2011

Here’s a question for online marketers: What percent of U.S. online advertising spending do you think is targeted to Hispanics?

Let me give you a couple of clues. The digital marketing site eMarketer expects U.S. online advertising spending to reach $31 billion in 2011. Hispanics make up about 15% of the total US online market. 

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CPG food brands expand digital marketing in the Hispanic segment

Dec 06, 2011 | by Tony D'Andrea

In an effort to develop a stronger relationship with Hispanics, marketers have been expanding and more fully integrating their digital assets with marketing strategies. It is no longer about having a website showcasing product lines in Spanish, but in creating consumer communities based on a multi-functional digital platform. Brand loyalty is now driven by engagement as a direct goal or metric in digital strategies. In this wake, CPG food brands have been pioneers in integrating website, social media and mobile with richer content and user experience translating in call-to-action opportunities.

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Digging deeper to understand the Hispanic mobile opportunity

Dec 01, 2011 | by Jose Villa

Use of cell phones is second nature among U.S. Hispanics in the U.S; it seems to build upon this group’s cultural affinity for close connections. I would even venture to say that for many Hispanics, across age groups and acculturation levels, mobile is the first (and often the only) way they experience the Web; from recent immigrants to young 2nd or 3rd generation U.S. born Hispanics, the mobile Web IS the Internet. Considering that Hispanics are the fastest growing demographic group in the U.S., and that their purchasing power is expected to reach $1.3 trillion by 2015 (source: Packaged Facts, 2010), understanding how to reach them via mobile devices will increasingly define which brands will able connect with this coveted group, and how they will engage them successfully.

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Three reasons to use phones to reduce the digital divide

Dec 01, 2011 | by Elahe Izadi

There have been a number of ideas on how to reduce the digital divide, or the disparity in access to technology and the Internet among people of different races and income levels. One strategy: make high-speed Internet cheaper for low-income families, which major cables companies will start doing next summer. But will that tactic actually get more people connected? Maybe not. Here are three reasons why improving mobile broadband access, not cable Internet, might be more effective:

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Remezcla expands digital operations to create largest lifestyle content network for U.S. Hispanic millennials

NEW YORK, Dec. 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Remezcla.com and three of the country's leading independent, blog-focused web sites — Guanabee.com, LatinGossip.com, and LatinoReview.com — have partnered to create the Remezcla Media Network, a digital vertical advertising network designed to reach the numerous interests of Hispanic millennials.

The Remezcla Media Network will focus on delivering high user engagement via select partnerships with independent lifestyle sites that have developed a loyal following and a reputation for quality content. Unlike traditional ad networks that aggregate sites, the Network will offer advertisers customized digital experiences and solutions with sites that truly fit their brand and allow them to leverage each site's content assets.

"Five years ago we started Remezcla to satisfy a demand for Latin oriented content that was relevant to young and culturally savvy Hispanics. We are proud to partner with sites that have cultivated their audiences and build their own strong brands. This new venture allows us to present a multi-dimensional offering to advertisers and to continue to provide our audiences with information that is relevant to their tastes and affinities," says Andrew Herrera, CEO.

The new digital initiative allows the six partners to offer unparalleled collective intelligence on the Hispanic demographic. "Guanabee is thrilled to be joining forces with Remezcla to create this partnership that allows our brand to focus and grow our audience while sharing key operational resources," says Daniel Mauser, founder and publisher of Guanabee.com. Remezcla will support partner sites in their strategic growth, technology infrastructure, and sales operations.

Remezcla's Andrew Herrera recruited Martin Giraldo, formerly from BBDO Colombia and Starmedia Networks, to lead the new digital division. Giraldo brings a wealth of experience in online strategy and app development for consumer brands such as Pepsi, Mountain Dew, and Dannon.

About Remezcla

Remezcla is an indie Latin media and creative studio specializing in cultural innovation. Leveraging its expertise in emerging Latin music and culture, Remezcla has built a dynamic environment for idea generation and execution that is based on the convergence of cultural, creative, and new media strategies. Remezcla has been tapped by leading brands such as Heineken, Pepsico, Levi's, Nissan, Microsoft and others to develop progressive marketing programs for young and trend-setting Latinos. For more information go to www.remezcla.com.

About Remezcla Media Network (RMN)

Remezcla Media Network, the publishing and new media division of Remezcla is the leading provider of music and lifestyle content for acculturated US Hispanics. The network consisting of 4 websites generates 15,000,000 page views and 1.5 million unique visitors per month.

SOURCE Remezcla

U.S. based Cherple launches localized online SMS service in Asia, Latin America

SAN DIEGO, Dec 02, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Globaltel Media is strengthening its focus in Asian and Latin American markets by launching localized versions of its free PC-to-cell SMS chat application known as Cherple. Since the launch of the original English site in 2009, India, Mexico, Brazil and the Philippines have emerged as top users of the chat service; now Cherple Websites are available in the country's native tongue.

"We are tapping more directly into these markets in order to achieve greater penetration for Cherple," said Robert Sanchez, CEO and president. "A localized site makes it easier for computer users to text chat with friends and family in the United States."

About 41 percent of Cherple international users come from Asia, including the Philippines, India, Taiwan, Korea, Thailand and Vietnam, Sanchez says. Mexico and Brazil account for an additional 15 percent of all users.

Sanchez says Globaltel Media has chosen to target these countries due to their high mobile cellular phone subscriber base and mobile marketing infrastructure.

"Given that SMS texting is such a big part of India's everyday communication, Cherple levels the field for its millions of mobile users who don't have a smart phone or data plan by bringing the ability for its users to stay connected anytime and anywhere with friends and family overseas," Sanchez said.

Localized Cherple sites are currently in India, the Philippines, Mexico and Brazil. Since the launch of the Hindi site in India in July of this year, SMS traffic has more than doubled, with traffic expected to soon top one million SMS messages per month, Sanchez says.

Cherple is used in more than 160 countries. The no-fee and no-subscription service allows people to send SMS text messages from any Internet-connected PC to any U.S. mobile cellular device and receive messages back.

Unlike other online SMS platforms, Cherple's standard text-messaging rates apply to the U.S. cell phone receiving and replying to any Cherple message, but there is no cost to the online user who initiates and maintains the conversation.

The Cherple application can be used for free or downloaded to any desktop at www.cherple.com . To view the localized site pages, visit www.cherple.ph for the Philippines, www.cherple.com.br for Brazil, www.cherple.mx for Mexico and www.cherple.in for India.

SOURCE Globaltel Media

Tecate launches “12 Gifts” holiday retail program and mobile application

NEW YORK (December 1, 2011) – Tecate, cerveza con carácter, announces the launch of its holiday retail program “12 Gifts”, featuring the brand’s first-ever smartphone application in the U.S. By scanning a special QR code on thematic POS placed at off-premise accounts around the country, adult consumers will receive a series of 12 Chicas Tecate mobile wall paper and video greetings, boxing information, jokes, drink responsibly messages and other special offers with which to celebrate the holiday season.

According to a recent study by Hispanicize, mobile phones are the preferred internet connectivity device for 25 percent of Hispanic online adults, and a majority of them express a desire to learn about products and services through mobile internet campaigns. The “12 Gifts” program is designed to connect with these individuals, reflecting Tecate’s recent shift in communication strategy celebrating the character of all Hispanic men.

“As a brand with carácter, we aim to create campaigns that celebrate the boldness, ingenuity and humor of Hispanic men, and leverage their passions. While we’ve incorporated text-based mobile promotions into our boxing programs in the past, we’re excited to further connect with the acculturated and tech-savvy Latino consumer through this interactive smartphone application,” said Felix Palau, VP of marketing for Tecate.

Details of the promotion will be communicated to consumers through thematic POS displays at retails venues across the brand’s key U.S. markets including California, Texas, Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico. Bilingual materials include cooler decals, tuck cards, pole toppers and price cards featuring the special “12 Gifts” QR code. Adults will also have access to multipanel and on-pack IRC and MIR offers for holiday essentials from the meat department, tequila and even wireless phone bills and home improvement tools (where legal).

About Heineken USA

Heineken USA Inc., the nation's premier beer importer is a subsidiary of Heineken International BV, which is the world's most international brewer. European brands imported into the U.S. include Heineken Lager, the world's most international beer brand; Heineken Light; Amstel Light, a leading imported light beer brand; Newcastle Brown Ale, the leading imported ale in the United States; and Buckler non-alcoholic brew. Heineken USA is also the exclusive USA importer for the Tecate, Tecate Light, Dos Equis, Sol, Carta Blanca and Bohemia brands from Mexico. For a safe ride home, download the Heineken USA-sponsored Taxi Magic™ application from your smartphone at taximagic.heineken.com. Please visit www.EnjoyHeinekenResponsibly.com. 

SOURCE Heineken USA

iTunes preparing for broad Latin American launch

Dec 02, 2011 | by Leila Cobo

Following its successful foray into Mexico, iTunes is preparing to launch in other Latin American countries by year's end or by the first quarter at the latest, say sources familiar with the conversations.

An iTunes spokesperson declined to comment, but a wide array of executives from different areas of the music industry say the retailer will definitely open shop in Argentina and Brazil and probably in several other countries in the region. Some sources say the Brazilian store will be open as early as mid-December.

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CBeebies’ website expands to U.S. Hispanic Market

Nov 30, 2011 | by Marissa Graziadio

MIAMI: The CBeebies preschool service has extended its website to serve the U.S. Hispanic market.

The website features a variety of video content, allowing visitors to access information and activities related to the program of their choice, as well as games and activities. Crea y Colorea (Create and Color) offers painting with virtual brushes; Ver y Escuchar (Look and Listen), contains educational materials; and Tiempo de Canciones (Music Time), encourages children to sing along with songs from their favorite shows. There is also a section for adults with articles about CBeebies’ programming and information about the benefits of activities such as drawing, cooking and music for developing skills and abilities in children.

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