Danay’s Musings

AOL has not been having a happy new year. Continuing an effort that began late last year, the newly independent web giant will lay off 1,200 workers this week as it tries to reduce its work force by one-third.

Close to 1,100 workers accepted buyout offers from AOL, but the company wants to cut 2,500 in total, according to The New York Times. The cuts are part of a major cost-cutting initiative from AOL CEO Tim Armstrong, who wants to trim the company down and focus on important areas, such as content and advertising.

Things aren’t expected to get much easier for AOL after the layoffs either. J.P. Morgan analyst Imran Khan expects AOL will have a fairly rough year as it tries to distance itself from former selling practices that undervalued its inventory.

source: iMedia Connection

Product Upgrades Connect U.S. Hispanics to What Matters Most to Them, Including More Ways to Experience, View, and Share Their Online and Offline Worlds

MIAMI, Dec. 17 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Yahoo! En Espanol today debuts the next evolution of two of its most popular products. Yahoo! Search and Yahoo! Messenger have been enhanced to deliver richer and more personally relevant experiences to users, making online search and instant messaging more social and fun with Yahoo!.

“With these new versions of Yahoo! Search and Yahoo! Messenger, the company is focused on further connecting users to what matters to them most,” said Armando Rodriguez, general manager, Yahoo! Hispanic Americas. “The renewed focus on providing a more personally relevant online experience will continue to come to life not only across Search and Messenger, but also in other upcoming product rollouts, including the new Yahoo! En Espanol Front Page and enhanced Mail, all on track to launch in upcoming months.”

With these new versions of Yahoo! Search and Yahoo! Messenger, the company is focused on further connecting users to what matters to them most

New Yahoo! Search Experience Gives You Personally Relevant Results
Yahoo!’s new search results page is aimed at making Web search more personally relevant. The product delivers a differentiated search experience that lets users better explore the things, people and websites that matter to them most. New enhancements include:

– Results Filtering Options - Provides new tools for refining search results, including exploring related concepts, displaying only results from popular Yahoo! and third-party sites, and narrowing results by different types of content such as videos and discussion forums.
– Easy Access to Search Controls - Provides quick access to Search Scan/SafeSearch, which helps protect users from viruses, spyware and search spam.
– Search Pad - A personal research assistant that lets users capture, organize, save and share information they find while researching online.

For example, now when users search for “Futbol” on Yahoo! En Espanol, on the left hand side of the page they will find Search Pad Options, Search Scan/SafeSearch, as well as links to other major online resources to obtain news on the subject. In the middle section, users will find the most popular links along with quick view photo and video images on their subject.

With the new design, Yahoo!’s powerful query assistance is still available directly below the search box, but is also incorporated into the left-hand column for quick access lower on the page, even when the Search Assist layer is hidden. Users can use this column to easily explore and discover concepts related to your query, and they can also share these search results with friends by using the Search Pad option.

Yahoo! Messenger Keeps You Instantly Connected
Yahoo! Messenger 10 allows users to instantly communicate with friends and family around the world through new interactive and social features. Enhancements include:

– Video Calls - New high-quality video calling enables full-screen,
face-to-face chats at no cost, using the familiar and easy-to-use Yahoo! Messenger environment.
– Updates Tab - A new tab helps people easily discover Updates from friends and family, including status updates, recent Flickr uploads, Yahoo! Buzz stories, Twitter updates and more.

About Yahoo!
Yahoo! attracts hundreds of millions of users every month through its innovative technology and engaging content and services, making it one of the most trafficked Internet destinations and a world class online media company. Yahoo!’s vision is to be the center of people’s online lives by delivering personally relevant, meaningful Internet experiences. Yahoo! is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California. For more information, visit http://pressroom.yahoo.com or the company’s blog, Yodel Anecdotal(http://yodel.yahoo.com).

SOURCE Yahoo! En Espanol

JUNE 26, 2009

Dr. Felipe Korzenny
Director of the Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication
Florida State University

eMarketer: What are best practices for sites and marketers that want to reach the Hispanic audience?

Dr. Felipe Korzenny: Spanish, as long as you don’t make it too regional or too colloquial, is pretty much understandable to everybody. US Hispanics have formed a new sense of kinship with people from other Latin American countries. It’s almost like a reaction to the way that the census has classified us and the way that they’ve talked about us over the past 30 years or so.

Even though we might not use the label “Hispanic” because we find it annoying, we have a commonality with people from Latin America. We share 400 years of dominance from Spain that has left a huge amount of cultural heritage in Latin America, regardless of the country.

“I don’t think it works to say, ‘This is a site for Hispanics and this is a site for others.’”

Hispanics have a lot of commonalities, and it’s OK to talk about a group that has these sorts of common roots and interests. It doesn’t work well to try to segregate people. I don’t think it works to say, “This is a site for Hispanics and this is a site for others.”

View the rest of the story at emarketer.

Manuel Mazzanti to spearhead marketing activities for starMedia in Latin America and the U.S.

MIAMI, April 22 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — starMedia today announced that it has expanded its management team with the appointment of Manuel Mazzanti as Regional Marketing Director. Mazzanti, one of the industry’s most experienced marketers, joins starMedia from Yahoo! where he was responsible for marketing and public relations for Yahoo! Hispanic Americas.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070613/CLW103LOGO )

Mazzanti will be responsible for overseeing all starMedia’s marketing activities including market research, branding, public relations, product and campaign launches. The appointment marks further growth for starMedia, as the company continues its investment following the recent openings of new offices in Colombia, Chile and Argentina.

“I’m thrilled to join starMedia, where I will have the challenge to lead a growing marketing team that will allow us not only accelerate the pace of the activities, reinforcing starMedia’s leadership, but also to better serve both our audience and advertisers through one of the best online platforms in the region,” said Mazzanti.

Mazzanti has worked in the technology, internet, and telecommunications fields throughout Latin America for more than 15 years. Before joining Yahoo! in 2005, he owned a broadband company in Mexico. Prior to that he held senior marketing positions at Diveo Mexico, a leading outsourcing provider for mission critical IT systems, OptiGlobe Mexico, a leading Data Center services company in Latin America, Iridium South America and SkyTel Argentina.

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Mazzanti holds a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing from the Social and Business Sciences University (UCES) of Buenos Aires, Argentina.

About starMedia
starMedia is a free-to-web global portal connecting more than 24 million Spanish-speakers through the Internet as well as providing them with the most relevant and extensive information and services. starMedia has local operations in Colombia, Mexico, Spain, Argentina, Chile and throughout the United States (Los Angeles, Miami and New York); and, is wholly owned by Orange (http://www.orange.es ), a subsidiary of the France Telecom Group (NYSE: FTE).

SOURCE starMedia

According to Tendencias Digitales, latam use of social networks rose 83.3% last year. For Facebook, that increase represented 828.57% in 2007.

MIAMI, Aug. 5 - Yahoo! Telemundo today announced its Top 10 Searches for the month ending July 31

( http://yahootelemundo.com/lomasbuscado ), which include the Top 10 in overall searches, image searches, as well as the most searched for Men for the month of July, as established by the millions of Yahoo! Telemundo users.

Top Trends in Search for July include:

Top 10 Overall Searches
1. Without Breasts There Is No Paradise (Sin Senos No Hay Paraiso)
2. Miss Universe 2008
3. Animals
4. Monica Bellucci
5. Love and Sex
6. Aracely Arambula
7. Galilea Montijo
8. Marijuana risks
9. Ingrid Betancourt
10. Organic Foods

Sin Senos No Hay Paraiso (literally, Without Breasts There Is No Paradise), is a Spanish-language telenovela that debuted on Telemundo on July 16. A hit in Colombia, the telenovela tells the story of an attractive young prostitute who seeks massive breast implants to attract a rich cocaine smuggler. The show was one of the network’s most-watched premieres ever and, not surprisingly, nabbed this month’s number one spot on the Top 10 Overall Searches. Also topping the list was a group of beautiful women, including Miss Universe 2008 Dayana Mendoza, Italian actress Monica Bellucci, and Aracely Arambula, who just announced she is pregnant with boyfriend Luis Miguel’s second child. Rounding out the list was former FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) captive Ingrid Betancourt, whose recent rescue after six-and-a-half years of captivity created a worldwide media frenzy.

Top 10 Image Searches
1. Tattoos
2. Adriana Lima
3. Sceneries
4. Gemma Atkinson
5. Eva Longoria
6. Galilea Montijo
7. Barbara Mori
8. Vanessa Guzman
9. Isabel Madow
10. Naruto

The number one most searched for image on Yahoo! Telemundo in July was Tattoos - tattoos have experienced a resurgence in popularity in many parts of the world, particularly in North America, South America and Europe. A survey published by the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology found that 24% of Americans between the ages of 18 and 50 have a tattoo.

Victoria’s Secret Supermodel Adriana Lima, an ever-popular name on the Top Searches lists, is still making headlines after it was announced that she and basketball star boyfriend, Marko Jaric of the Minnesota Timberwolves, will be tying the knot. Following in Lima’s footsteps - four more models were among the most searched for images in July: British lingerie model (and reality TV star) Gemma Atkinson; Uruguayan-Mexican actress/model Barbara Mori, star of the hit telenovela remake, Rubi; as well as model Isabel Madow, known for her appearances on the Mexican edition of Big Brother VIP. Mexican actress and model Vanessa Guzman (a former Miss Mexico) also peaked users’ interest as she recently went public with information that she and boyfriend Uberto Bondoni, an actor from Uruguay, were blackmailed for a sex tape that was allegedly taken from their home in Mexico.

Top 10 Men Searches
1. Thomas Beatie
2. Chespirito
3. Lil wayne
4. Don Omar
5. Luis Miguel
6. Vicente Fernandez
7. Juanes
8. Cristiano Ronaldo
9. Tito El Bambino
10. Ricardo Arjona

Ironically, the most searched for man this month is really a woman. Thomas Beatie, the world’s first person to conceive a child after a gender-reassignment operation, gave birth this past month to a healthy baby girl. Mexican television icon Roberto Gomez Bolaios, known to the world as Chespirito, also topped the list. Bolaos, best known for his roles as “El Chavo del Ocho” and “El Chapulin Colorado,” has been touring Latin America to present his play “11 y 12.”

In the number four slot, Puerto Rican Reggaeton star Don Omar has been cleared of all drug and weapons charges in relation to an incident dating back to 2004. The 30-year-old has been on trial in a court in Carolina, Puerto Rico for the last two weeks, after he was arrested in September 2004 by drug enforcement officers, who claim to have found him and two pals smoking marijuana. The agents also allegedly found a gun and $1,200 in cash in his possession. Portuguese footballer and heartthrob Cristiano Ronaldo, who currently plays for Manchester United, has also generated interest amidst speculation about a move to Real Madrid. Last but not least, Guatemalan singer-songwriter, Ricardo Arjona, also generated buzz as he officially launched “Fundaci�n Adentro,” an initiative to teach music to poor children in his native Guatemala.

Every month the Yahoo! Telemundo Top 10 Searches showcases the diverse interests and concerns of U.S. Hispanics around the net, from gorgeous celebrity sightings and salacious political news to funny jokes and the latest consumer obsessions. The monthly list includes a recap of the Top 10 Overall Searches, Top 10 Image Searches and Top 10 Searches in a revolving category, which changes monthly. To come up with the Yahoo! Top Searches list, Yahoo! scans anonymous query logs from Yahoo! Search across a variety of categories to see what themes and trends bubble up to the surface. Individual searches are never used to develop these lists. For more information on Yahoo! Telemundo’s Top 10 Searches, visit http://www.yahootelemundo.com/lomasbuscado .

About Yahoo! Telemundo:
Yahoo! Telemundo ( http://www.yahootelemundo.com ), is a commercial venture between Yahoo! Inc. and Telemundo Communications Group, Inc., and is a leading online media and services community for Hispanic consumers in the U.S. This comprehensive and engaging online community for U.S. Hispanics brings together Yahoo!’s leading technology, Internet tools and services with the online assets and original television content of Telemundo, connecting the U.S. Hispanic community to their passions, their communities and the world’s knowledge.

CONTACT
Yahoo! Telemundo
Lourdes de la Torriente
lourdes@delagroup.com
305-282-4264

Source: HispanicPRWire

The Incredible Hulk will be tearing a trail of destruction across more than just cinema screens today. The volatile superhero takes up rich media residency on MSN Spain’s homepage for the day.

The takeover, which is live for today only, sees the gargantuan green beast crashing his way through the MSN homepage to promote the official release of the Universal Pictures movie in Spain. A single display unit triggers his arrival, followed by a high definition trailer, and coupled with full background artwork depicting characters from the movie.

The campaign, which was conceived and planned by OMD Spain and facilitated by technology from Eyeblaster, is expected to receive between 12 and 18 million impressions in the 24 hours it’s live.

According to OMD Spain Online Manager, Cristina Barranco, this is only the third time this technology has been used in Spain, and the first time it has been used to promote a movie.

“Users are increasingly attacked by ads online, so we try to give our creatives more impact,” said Barranco. “We’re constantly pushing to do more innovative things. It’s about quality over quantity,” she added.

The takeover marks the peak of a week-long digital campaign leading up to the release of the action film. Other online activity has included traditional digital display and rich media ads across sports, national newspaper and online gaming sites, targeting an audience of 18-30 year-old males. Ads have also been placed on MSN’s Messenger service, as well as on Yahoo.

Manuel Ferreiro, Eyeblaster’s creative customer service manager for the Latin region suggested agencies within Europe are perhaps more adventurous than in the U.S.

“In Spain we like to take risks. Of course the markets are different, but maybe the U.S. is a little more conservative than Europe. The most creative and high impact work is coming from within Europe and Asia at the moment,” he said.

The online campaign will run alongside TV, print and traditional outdoor campaigns. The MSN takeover is live for today, June 20, only.

source: clickZ

But they still trail in Internet access

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

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“In general, online Hispanics—independent of their language preferences and acculturation levels—are heavily engaged in technology,” wrote the report’s authors.

Every day, more than half (56%) of Hispanic-Americans surveyed said they spent at least an hour online, which was slightly more than the 50% who spent an hour or more watching TV.

On a weekly basis, Terra reported that more Hispanic-American Internet users spent 13 or more hours online (30%) than watched TV for the same amount of time (23%).

Average Time Spent Weekly Using Select Media among US Hispanic Internet Users, February 2008 (% of respondents)

Hispanic-Americans ages 12 to 34 were on the Internet more than those 35 and older, who tended to spend more time watching TV than online.

Time Spent Surfing the Internet and Watching TV among US Hispanic Internet Users, by Age and Generation, February 2008 (hours per week)

Three-quarters of respondents multitasked, saying they always or very frequently used the Internet and TV together. Of those, 44% e-mailed or instant messaged about the shows they were watching and 40% researched products being advertised on TV. More than one-third went to the Web site for the show being watched.

Click here to read more…

MIAMI, April 28 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Batanga, Inc., the leading media and entertainment company reaching Hispanics, announced today that they reached 10.8 million U.S. unique visitors according to comScore Media Metrix, March 2008. The total audience measured includes the company’s flagship website, Batanga, and the newly acquired HispanoClick ad network.

HispanoClick was acquired by Batanga, Inc. in January 2008. Composed of over 800 premium Spanish-language sites, HispanoClick provides various segmentation options and rich media solutions for its advertisers. The leading Hispanic ad network, HispanoClick offers a variety of channel listings, including entertainment, automotive, business and more.

Our keen understanding of the Hispanic consumer, combined with targeted marketing efforts continues to make Batanga.com the site consumers seek out for all things Latin music

“We were confident that in acquiring HispanoClick, Batanga, Inc. would be able to deliver the critical mass advertisers are seeking,” said Rick Marroquin, Chief Marketing Officer of Batanga, Inc. “This addition to the company’s portfolio provides advertisers with a new set of resources to effectively carve out and reach their brand’s marketing target.”

Batanga has consistently outpaced all exclusively Hispanic targeted websites for the last five months surpassing 3 million U.S. unique visitors month-over-month. Adds Marroquin, “Our keen understanding of the Hispanic consumer, combined with targeted marketing efforts continues to make Batanga.com the site consumers seek out for all things Latin music.”

About Batanga, Inc.
Batanga, Inc. is a leading media and content company reaching U.S. Hispanics. Batanga publishes across several media vehicles, including Batanga.com, the flagship and top online destination for Hispanic consumers, Batanga Publishing and Batanga Live. Batanga.com, the source for Latin music, boasts over 50,000 free user generated radio stations, a burgeoning social network and the largest inventory of streaming media in the Hispanic marketplace. In addition, it owns the largest ad network targeting Hispanics in the U.S., HispanoClick. Batanga, Inc. maintains offices in Miami, New York, and Greensboro, NC. Learn more at http://www.batanga.com .

About HispanoClick
HispanoClick, the premier online Hispanic advertising network, offers best-in-class solutions for advertisers targeting the Spanish-speaking and bilingual audiences in the U.S., Latin America and Spain. Leveraging a network composed of over 800 premium websites, HispanoClick empowers marketers to raise brand recognition, sales, and lead generation with a variety of segmentation options. A wholly-owned subsidiary of Batanga, Inc., HispanoClick maintains offices in Miami, FL and Montreal, Canada. Learn more at http://www.hispanoclick.com .

* comScore Media Metrix, March 2008

source: Hispanic PRwire

NEW YORK, April 15 /PRNewswire/ — MultiVu(TM), PR Newswire’s multimedia and broadcast PR company, in conjunction with its newly-formed Hispanic division, MultiVu Latino, today announced the launch of the Interactivo Multimedia News Release, the first-ever social media press release targeted to the U.S. Hispanic audience.

Videos
news video MultiVu Launches Interactivo Multimedia News Release
news video MultiVu inaugura su Interactivo Multimedia News Release

To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/multivu/32477/

The Interactivo MNR (IMNR) is a Web 2.0 interactive multimedia platform that is unique among multimedia press release offerings because it features distribution and placement of video, audio, photos and text in Hispanic social network and news sites. From language translation to content development to web distribution, MultiVu Latino works with each client to create dynamic news announcements that are tailored to a Hispanic audience and delivered directly to news and online sources that are valued by the Hispanic community.

“The Interactivo MNR is the first communications platform designed specifically for companies and organizations looking to deliver high-quality, targeted multimedia content to the Hispanic market,” said Manny Ruiz, president, Multicultural Markets & Hispanic PR Wire for PR Newswire. “The IMNR’s strength comes from the unique combination of MultiVu’s industry-leading MNR production and delivery capabilities and the breadth of Hispanic PR Wire’s media distribution network, enabling organizations to take their messages to general web audiences as well as to influential media outlets and content providers that cater to the Hispanic community.”

All Interactivo MNRs are delivered over PR Newswire’s vast distribution network to thousands of media outlets, thousands more website and online databases, and nationally to Hispanic PR Wire’s network of more than 3,000 unique Hispanic news outlets. Additionally, IMNRs will receive placement on over 100 Hispanic media websites. Video content from Interactivo MNRs is further uploaded to more than a dozen Hispanic-related video sites including MiGente, MyGrito, starMedia, and Tu.TV, Hispavista, as well as mainstream video portals, including You Tube, Google Video, Yahoo!Video, Metacafe, and Blinkx.

Headlines and photos from IMNRs are also posted in Spanish for the first time ever on the 7,400 + square foot Reuters Digital Billboard in New York City’s Times Square. All Interactivo MNRs are also optimized for search engine visibility and enhanced for Web 2.0 distribution through embedded HTML links and social media tags, such as del.ic.ious, Digg and Technorati.

“The booming U.S. Hispanic Market is right now one of the most significant emerging markets globally and the best part of that for companies large and small is that this market is right in our backyard and ready for the taking. MultiVu Latino created the Interactivo MNR to provide companies with a simple, yet dynamic medium for communicating with the Hispanic community in a manner that is both compelling and understanding of the unique attributes that make the Hispanic culture so vibrant,” Ruiz said.

In addition to its flagship Interactivo MNR, MultiVu offers clients the ability to supplement any regular geographic distribution over Hispanic PR Wire with an Interactivo Basic. The Interactivo Basic includes press release and photo posting on more than 80 of HPRW’s 100 Hispanic online news partner sites such as LatinaStyle magazine, Catalina magazine, Diario Las Americas, Vida Nueva and El Latino de San Diego, among others; press kit posting in PDF, including fact sheets, biographies, newsletters, brochures, calendar of events, registration forms and more; a full screen, live preview of the Web site related to the press release providing easy navigation through a client’s Web site from within the HPRW press release page; text hyperlinks to relevant, search engine-friendly keywords such as company, product and service brand names; and a quote box, spotlighting a significant quote or sentence from a client’s story that best highlights what the story is about.

For more information on the Interactivo MNR or Interactivo Basic, please call the dedicated toll free “bilingual” number 866.580.5326 or send an email to MultivuLatino@multivu.com.

About MultiVu(TM)
MultiVu(TM), a PR Newswire company, provides unsurpassed broadcast and multimedia production and global distribution services to organizations that want to reach the media, financial community, general public and other key audiences with their visual and audio messages.

Using the latest technologies and the vast distribution resources of PR Newswire, MultiVu(TM) multiplies the number of opportunities an organization has to communicate with specific audiences. A variety of current and developing platforms for tape and digital content make this possible, including traditional broadcast TV and radio, financial networks, company intranets, the Web and wireless devices.

About PR Newswire
PR Newswire Association LLC (http://www.prnewswire.com) provides electronic distribution, targeting, measurement and broadcast services on behalf of tens of thousands of corporate, government, association, labor, non-profit, and other customers worldwide. Using PR Newswire, these organizations reach a variety of critical audiences including the news media, the investment community, government decision-makers, and the general public with their up-to-the-minute, full-text news developments.

Established in 1954, PR Newswire has offices in 14 countries and routinely sends its customers’ news to outlets in 170 countries and in more than 40 languages. Utilizing the latest in communications technology, PR Newswire content is considered a mainstay among news reporters, investors and individuals who seek breaking news from the source. PR Newswire’s leading services include ProfNet(SM), eWatch(TM), MEDIAtlas(TM), Search Engine Optimization, MediaRoom, MediaSense(TM), MultiVu(TM), U.S. Newswire, the preeminent policy newswire in the industry, Vintage Filings, the fastest growing Edgar filing company, and Hispanic PR Wire, LatinClips and Hispanic Digital Network, the foremost Hispanic communications services. PR Newswire is a subsidiary of United Business Media plc of London.

source: HispanicPRWire