Danay’s Musings

HOUSTON, Aug. 3 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Maximum TV and e-NNOVVA, the digital company, from the same business group as RCN / TV Colombia, announced today their partnership to start providing a catalog of Spanish language TV programs on the Maximum TV online video service, targeting the US Hispanic market.

e-NNOVVA and Maximum TV will bring news content from NTN24 to the market.

Broadband connected US Hispanics will be able to watch compelling TV shows from the NTN24 network like “Flash Fashion” (covering trends in the world of fashion), “Cazanoticias” (background behind important news) and “Contador de Historias” (a unique view on the news anchored by Alvaro Velez).

Furthermore Maximum TV will feature the popular program “Entrevista Andrea”, with celebrity interviewer Andrea Serna.

These popular TV programs, all produced by the NTN24 team in Colombia, will be presented via Maximum TVs online television service at http://www.maximum.tv.

As episodes come online, they can be enjoyed in stunning video quality, in a full-screen experience. This brings top news content to US Hispanic consumers via the internet in an unprecedented way.

“News from around the world, but particularly Latin America and the US, are in high demand for US Hispanics. As this segment of the population moves more and more online, Maximum TV brings convenience, free access, and up to date programming to the US Hispanic,” said Erik Vanderlaan, Chief Technology Officer of Maximum TV.

“We are always looking for ways to reach and connect with our audience, wherever they are. The daily availability of news segments is now expected by the connected US Hispanic, and Maximum TV helps us deliver that promise to the audience,” said Carolina Angarita, President of e-NNOVVA.

About Maximum TV Inc.
Maximum TV is a broadband television service bringing quality and premium programming from Latin America and around the world, to the tens of millions of US Hispanic households eager to enjoy TV programs, clips and movies relating to their Hispanic heritage.

Maximum TV offers advertisers a unique opportunity to tailor a brand presence with one of the content categories or across the full service.

Programming is available at the service destination site or via syndication with partners.

The service is available at http://www.maximum.tv

About e-NNOVVA – http://www.e-nnovva.com
e-NNOVVA was born in late 2008, with a team of only 10 people. Today, e-NNOVVA employs 140 young men and women; creative thinkers, graphic designers, animators, engineers, and merchandising experts, for the most part. The world of cinema and new technologies has been infused in each and every one of them, so that they are able to integrate these worlds with specific communication and entertainment objectives.

e-NNOVVA creates strategies, aligns them into campaigns and valuable content which is then broadcasted on online and offline media, achieving our main objective: to provide clients for our clients. e-NNOVVA has three main lines of business: New Media, Films, and International Channel Distribution (NTN24, TVColombia).

For press information - contact:
publicrelations@maximum.tv

For advertising information - contact:
advertising@maximum.tv

SOURCE Maximum TV Inc

NORTH OLMSTED, Ohio, June 2 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — In an effort to better serve the Hispanic community in the United States, Moen launched a Spanish language version of its recently revamped English website. Consumers who prefer to browse Moen products and use web based resources en espanol can now log on directly to http://espanol.moen.com or click the global access link at the top of the Moen.com homepage to access the site.

The Spanish website is a direct adaptation of the English version. To translate the site into Spanish and keep it updated Moen engaged MotionPoint Corporation and leveraged Hispanic PR partner VanguardComm to oversee content adaptations. MotionPoint combines human translation with technology to deliver a fully enabled, multilingual web experience. VanguardComm ensures that content and adaptations remain culturally relevant.

Now, Hispanic consumers can immerse themselves in the site designed with user-friendly features that will help even the first time do-it-yourselfer feel at home. The new Spanish site will provide consumers with the leading kitchen and bath resource tool on the Internet. They will get inspiration for a kitchen or bath-remodeling project, learn the latest trends, or find the right kitchen or bath faucet.

“Whether a consumer is building a new home, remodeling a bathroom or simply replacing a faucet, we know that the Internet is often the first resource he or she will turn to for guidance,” said Ginny Long, Director of online and direct marketing, Moen. “Our goal with our new website is to provide efficient, easy-to-use solutions for the most common needs of our Spanish-speaking site visitors.”

US Hispanics are an important market segment for Moen. The launch of the Spanish website further demonstrates Moen’s existing commitment to the Hispanic community. For the past several years, Moen has supported the Hispanic community through it’s Alcanzando Suenos con Moen (Achieving your Dreams with Moen) program that supports affordable housing and home ownership in the US.

US Hispanic Internet user growth currently outpaces that of the general market. Additionally, Hispanics today demonstrate higher plan-to-buy index for purchase of kitchen and bathroom fixtures than other ethnic and racial groups.

“As the number one faucet brand in North America, we felt it was our responsibility to provide our Spanish-speaking consumers with the leading kitchen and bath resource tool on the Internet,” added Long.

“The new enhancements on moen.com are the first steps we’re taking to accomplish this mission, and we’re excited to share our next wave of Internet innovation in the near future.” The new site offers an array of services, including: Interactive Faucet Selector - One of the most unique aspects of the site, the faucet selector is an interactive tool that visually helps users filter products by attributes from style and price to mount type and finish faucet. The tool will then suggest the most appropriate faucets to fit your needs.

Enhanced Product Catalog - The catalog features more product information and is more encompassing - including bathroom accessories and Home Care(R) by Moen bath safety items.

Visual Replacement Parts Finder - This efficient tool walks visitors, who don’t know their model number, through a step by step illustrated questionnaire to facilitate the identification of their needed part.

In addition to these new enhancements, consumers will find a number of reliable tools including a sustainability section featuring Moen’s water-efficient products, programs and processes; a location finder which provides the nearest

Moen retail outlet or plumbing showroom; and a number of consumer support services. Moen offers a diverse selection of thoughtfully designed, on-trend kitchen faucets, bathroom faucets, showerheads, and stainless steel sinks for residential and commercial applications. As the #1 faucet brand in North America, customers have come to rely on Moen to deliver dependable products and service. Moen is part of Fortune Brands, Inc. (NYSE: FO, www.fortunebrands.com), a leading consumer brands company.

SOURCE VanguardComm

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

“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.”

In addition to sitting on Batanga, Inc’s Board of Directors, Ms. Clarizio serves on the Board of Directors of Human Rights First and on the President’s Board of Visitors of UMBC. She is a member of the Leadership Council of Princeton University’s School of Engineering and Applied Science and of Princeton’s Women in Leadership Steering Committee. Ms. Clarizio was named one of 2008’s “Women to Watch” by Advertising Age and one of 2009’s “25 Executives to Watch in Digital Entertainment” by Digital Media Wire.

About Batanga, Inc.
Batanga, Inc., is the leading U.S. Hispanic-focused online media company. The Batanga Network reaches the most U.S. Hispanics online, across all categories and all demographics. Utilizing market exclusive targeting technologies, the network effectively aggregates and delivers online audiences within culturally relevant online environments. Batanga.com, one of its premier online destinations, has consistently been one of the top online destinations for U.S. Hispanics over the past ten years. Batanga, Inc. maintains offices in Miami, New York and Mexico City. For more information visit www.batanganetwork.com.

SOURCE: Batanga, Inc.

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