Blogante Business

PlayPhone, Inc., which operates the largest network of mobile content destinations in North America, announced today that it has launched its own market-leading destination at www.playphone.com in Spanish. From this point forward, the Latino community has access to top-branded mobile entertainment through a medium specifically tailored to their needs at www.playphone.com/espanol.

“PlayPhone understands the importance of the Hispanic community within the mobile entertainment ecosphere,” said Ron Czerny, founder and chief executive officer at PlayPhone. “With our content destination now available in Spanish, we can better provide our compelling content such as ringtones, wallpapers, games and more to a segment of the market that is key for delivering continued success.”

Hispanics are the fastest-growing population segment in the United States, according to figures provided from the Selig Center for Economic Growth, and are among the most avid consumers of mobile content and services. Additionally, they are the fastest-growing and youngest US mobile segment, with the highest average revenue per user of any demographic group, according to Telephia’s “Q2 2007 Mobile Hispanic Report.”

Consumers can access the Spanish site by going directly to www.playphone.com/espanol or selecting the Language menu at the top of the usual PlayPhone destination at www.playphone.com. Not only does the site feature navigation and valuable information in Spanish, but also promotes top mobile entertainment of interest to the Latino community alongside its usual compelling content from partners such as SONY BMG, EMI Group, Cartoon Network, SEGA, Bandai, Disney, Glu Mobile, Konami, Vivendi Universal, Sony Pictures Entertainment, ABC Television, Platinum Studios and many more.

PlayPhone gives consumers access to a new and exclusive media catalog spanning audio, video and gaming content from leading music labels and artists, game publishers and media companies. In addition to operating its consumer facing mobile destination at PlayPhone.com, it also powers mobile content destinations for entertainment and retail brands including Wal-Mart, ABC Television, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, SEGA, Real Networks, iPlay and many more.

About PlayPhone, Inc.

PlayPhone (www.playphone.com) is a leading global mobile media company present in 20 countries throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Latin America that provides cutting edge personalization and entertainment content to mobile consumers anytime, anywhere. PlayPhone founded the direct-to-consumer mobile media distribution standard in 2003 and continues to establish new means for delivering wireless entertainment. The company currently operates its own leading mobile entertainment destination at PlayPhone.com and powers subscription-based mobile portals for the world’s top entertainment and retail brands including Wal-Mart, ABC Television, Cartoon Network, SEGA, Real Networks and more. PlayPhone is based in San Jose, Calif. and is funded by top venture firms Menlo Ventures, Cardinal Venture Capital and Scale Venture Partners.”*

Many Hispanics were urged to buy homes during the real estate boom to achieve a new found independence. They wanted a taste of the American dream. Today, due to creative financing, second mortgages and rising interest rates, many Hispanics are close to having their homes taken away. The quest for the American dream has forced many Hispanics into debt due to loans that they were not fit to have. Many were given loans they were not qualified to receive due to a lack of credit history and/or inadequate monthly income. Many were sold adjustable rate mortgages with initial low interest ‘teaser’ rates which simply delayed the day of reckoning until the mortgage reset and full interest and principle payments were due. “*

Seeking to broaden their consumer reach into the U.S. Hispanic market, the Orange Glo and Oxclean site, www.AsCleanedOnTv.com, has created a Spanish version of its web site. The new site, located at spanish.ascleanedontv.com, features spanish-translated versions of most of its pages and hopes to attract loyal customers from the huge Hispanic consumer segment.

The Hispanic population currently represents the fastest growing group in the United States. According to market data, this group continues to grow at a phenomenal rate of about 4% to 5% per year. With such phenomenal growth, U.S. Hispanics possess incredible purchasing power – and many companies are noticing.

Jay Garces Jr., AsCleanedOnTv.com’s owner, says, “I remember reading about the explosive growth of the Hispanic population here in the United States. What I couldn’t believe was how this was largely an untapped market. Now, being a marketer, I’m always on the lookout for new opportunities. Being that I was already marketing the well-established and popular orange glo and oxiclean products online, I figured I could tap into this market by creating a spanish-translated version of my site”.

Having been originally and successfully marketed via TV infomercials, Jay feels that gaining consumers from the Hispanic market for the Orange Glo and Oxiclean products shouldn’t be as difficult as trying to introduce a brand new product. In addition, the products already have a loyal following among non-hispanic U.S. consumers. Because of this, Jay also feels the cleaning products will achieve mass appeal amongst Hispanics.

The Oxiclean and Orange Glo products were first introduced over 20 years ago by Orange Glo International. In 2006, the company was sold to Church & Dwight for about $325 million dollars. Church & Dwight is the parent company of name brand household cleaning products such as Arm & Hammer, Brillo, and Lambert Kay.

The growing U.S. Hispanic market represents tremendous marketing opportunities for companies. Of course, one would need to do more than just translate a web site into Spanish in order to successfully market to Hispanics. The U.S. Hispanic market is complex and dynamic. Nonetheless, with adequate research and proven marketing strategies – the sky’s the limit as to how successful a company can be selling to this multi-billion dollar market.

Spanish speakers and readers can view the new site at:
spanish.ascleanedontv.com

About AsCleanedOnTv.com
AsCleanedOnTv.com is a premiere website which markets Orange Glo, Oxiclean, Arm & Hammer, and Brillo cleaning products.”*

Mary Rodas, who was an original and youngest member ever admitted to the Hispanic American Hall of Fame and in her teens had her life story as the “Teenage Toy Tycoon” featured in magazines, newspapers, radio and television shows around the world, has announced that all Balzac2 balls are being given away Free at www.BalzacToys.com, the Balzac Toys website (shipping and handling charges apply - limit 1 to a customer.)

“After the tremendous success of the Balzac brand over the past 25 years, we want to thank our customers by giving away the Balzac2 Earth Balls which are great for educational use and outdoor play. We are putting them on BalzacToys.com where select items are featured and everything in the ‘World of Balzac’ section is Free,” says Mary. “We have been thrilled by the thousands of people who have made our website hot and we keep rewarding the kids and adults who visit it with these incredible new offers.”

Balzac, the famous balloon in a cloth sack ball, became a major hit and was distributed by such companies as Hasbro, Wham-O and other toy companies throughout the world. During the 1990’s the company underwent a brief period in Chapter 11 while licensed to a licensee that did not work out. However, in less than one year all creditors were paid off with interest and the company got their product back. The original Balzac is now a classic in the toy industry. It is still a favorite at DisneyWorld, a popular premium for major companies and a consistent seller for mail order houses.

Mary and her company are not resting on the past success of Balzac. “Balzac3 will be introduced in 2009 and it is a real revolution. It is another “knock your socks off” product!” announced Mary, without giving away any of the new features of her latest toy product. Meanwhile, she also works as both a philanthropist and as an advisor at New York College of Health Professions (www.nycollege.edu ). As a minority who has lived the “American Dream,” Mary is hoping that anyone who gets a Balzac2 for Free (a $22.00 value) might make a donation instead to www.barackobama.com . “When I became a Scholastic Mentor I was one of the few minorities whose story became required reading in elementary schools. But Senator Obama blows the ceiling off everything for every minority and I strongly support him.”

“In any event, take advantage of this unbelievable offer and have a Balzac2 on us, for nothing, and be on the lookout for next Balzac line. Balzac 3, well that will be a whole new chapter in this somewhat tired industry which we will jolt again,” says Mary.

For More Information, Please Contact:
Barbara Carver
516 921-3100 or via email at:

Work is accelerating a Spanish Colonial-style shopping center catering to a heavily Hispanic area of Mesa.

Mesa Ranch Plaza, a center on 18 acres of land at the northwest corner of Southern Avenue and Stapley Drive, will open early next year with two big retailers catering to Hispanic shoppers — La Curacao, a massive 100,000-square-foot electronics and home-appliance store, and grocer Pro’s Ranch Market.”*

1% of Hispanic households getting their free TV via rooftop or indoor antennas knew about the upcoming DTV switch, compared with 31% in a similar study in September 2007.”*

Leaders from the Hispanic business community held a press conference this morning to announce Tampa Bay as the first city in the United States chosen to host the 18th Annual Retailers of the Americas Conference. Present at the press conference to discuss highlights of the event were the following members of the Tampa Bay’s Host Committee:

– Derek Lloyd, President of Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce of Tampa Bay (CACCTB),
– Augustine Martinez, USHCC President & CEO,
– Julio Fuentes, President of the Florida State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

“The CACCTB is committed to the growth and development of the Tampa Bay region and Florida.” stated Mr. Lloyd. “We are pleased to welcome our Caribbean, South and Central America neighbors to Tampa Bay and provide a favorable setting which encourages numerous opportunities to promote and expand their business successfully.”

Tampa was selected due to leading attributes such as its diverse Hispanic heritage and the opportunities that Tampa Bay region provides globally and locally for its cultural ties, airport facilities, port, industrial centers and distribution of goods. From a business perspective the Tampa Bay region provides more than just theme parks, it provides an industry that parallels the growth in global commerce and communication.

“Tampa holds such a talented cross-section of people, all looking to promote the city and what it has to offer,” said Augustine Martinez. “In our preliminary search for the perfect city to name as host for this one of a kind event, we were blown away by the Tampa community. We highlighted Tampa for the simple fact that, when thinking of how to bring commerce to the U.S., Tampa has it covered. Geographically and culturally, it is the perfect gateway to the Americas.”

“On behalf of the Florida State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, we show full support of this great conference,” said Julio Fuentes, FSHCC President. “We are excited that the city of Tampa was chosen and extend the invitation to Hispanic businesses in the rest of Florida to participate.”

“Small businesses play a significant and important role in our economy. We need to continue opening markets at home and abroad to raise living standards and consolidate democratic gains in the hemisphere,” said Senator Mel Martinez on the benefit the conference will have on Tampa and the state of Florida.

The 18th Annual Retailers of the Americas Conference, also known as XVIII Congreso del Comercio Detallista de las Americas, will host hundreds of business executives and dignitaries from across Latin America and the United States. The conference, expected to see an attendance of 3,000, will convene in Tampa between November 20 -22, 2008.

The press conference took place at the Embassy Suites (Downtown) at 10:30AM. Speakers also included the Honorable Faye Culp, Florida House of Representatives and Neighborhood Services Administrator Santiago Corrada.

Background:
The mission of the 18th Annual Retailers of the Americas Conference is to integrate the commercial sectors in the western hemisphere in a collaboration effort to develop strategies and initiatives directed at fortifying technological know-how, economic development and the creation of jobs. Previous host countries include, Dominican Republic, Uruguay, Panama, Costa Rica, Brazil, Peru, Mexico, Chile, Puerto Rico and Argentina.

About the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Founded in 1979, the USHCC actively promotes the economic growth and development of Hispanic entrepreneurs and represents the interests of more than 2.5 million Hispanic-owned businesses in the United States that generate more than $388 billion annually. It also serves as the umbrella organization for 200 local Hispanic chambers in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico, Bolivia and Uruguay.”*

More than a century and a half after Mexico lost Texas to the United States, Virgilio Garza wants a piece of it back.

A “Texas for Sale” sign and cowgirls in boots and white hats greeted Garza at the Convex center in Monterrey, Nuevo León, this month. Garza, a Monterrey developer and investor, was in search of foreclosed U.S. property to buy. “*

So did you know this? If you didn’t, perhaps you could send it to someone you know to help spread the knowledge and please tell them about HispanicTips.

View more “Did You Know?” facts in our “Did You Know?” section

TELSTRA boss Sol Trujillo today defended the company’s executives from suggestions they had indulged in a lavish lifestyle while travelling overseas to persuade investors to take up shares in the company’s final privatisation.

Mr Trujillo was making his first public appearance in Australia for some weeks, at the opening of a new Telstra “T (life)” mega-store in Melbourne, and did not answer other questions about the company’s earnings outlook and the consequences of a possible split of its operations. “*

For companies looking to make a move into mobile advertising, it might be good to a get a few bilingual Spanish speakers on staff. While money has already been following Hispanics online for a while, with Hispanic consumer spending expected to top $1 trillion by 2010, and use of mobile phones exploding within the Hispanic market, expect more and more mobile marketing targeted at Hispanics in the coming months.”*

Pro’s Ranch Markets opened its first store in New Mexico today, at 4201 Central Ave. NW in Albuquerque.

The 79,000-square-foot store is the Ontario, Calif.-based chain’s tenth location. There are four in California, one in El Paso and four in Phoenix. There are plans to open two more in Phoenix. “*

Makena Technologies, creator of the popular social virtual world There.com, today announced a partnership with NaCo USA, the authentic Latino clothing brand that targets consumers through funny and irreverent bilingual slogans and culturally relevant designs. The partnership aims to reach the 19.5 million US Hispanics online as well as non-US Latin Americans, many of which have already started to migrate to There.com. In 2006, children under the age of 18 accounted for 20.3% of the US population, many of which still remain elusive to many marketers.

In Mexican Spanish, naco is a derogatory slang word used to describe
tackiness, but NaCo has reinterpreted the term through their clothing to
describe a self-assured style that disregards what others think is cool.
NaCo and There.com have created a specialty catalog in-world that will
include nine pieces of unique merchandise for members to buy and wear
virtually, with the availability to purchase real-world merchandise as
well.

“Because of There.com’s demographic mix, the platform is a perfect fit
for us to engage and connect with our target audience. We believe
There.com’s Hispanic audience will understand and appreciate our brand,”
said Edoardo Chavarin, NaCo’s Founder and Chief Creative Officer. “Our
customers spend a considerable amount of time on social networking sites
and we believe that There.com’s virtual world is the next evolution for
interacting with our customers wherever they may be.”

The partnership represents a unique opportunity for both NaCo and
There.com to target the Hispanic community currently found in the virtual
world and to attract additional Hispanic members. While there is no
official measurement of the size of the U.S. Hispanic online market, a
recent ComScore study of U.S. Hispanics online estimate the display
advertising segment alone may account for around $140 million.

“The Hispanic population in There.com is growing and comprises a very
active segment of our community. We’ve seen an increase in the areas of our
world that showcase this cultural influence and there are currently over 15
clubs in There.com that cater specifically to Hispanic audiences,” said
Michael Wilson, CEO of Makena Technologies. “With our members focused on
self-expression and socialization, the fun, offbeat messages on NaCo’s
clothing offer our audience another unique way to express themselves.”

About Makena Technologies, Inc.

Makena Technologies is the parent company of There.com, a fully
interactive, 3D online virtual world where members can customize and create
their own 3D character, meet and hang out with friends in real-time using
voice and text chat, build their own virtual homes, participate in events
ranging from car races to paintball to fashion shows and even create and
sell their own virtual items. There.com is a safe and exciting “PG-13″
environment for ages 13 and up that has something to offer nearly anyone.
Makena Technologies has offices in San Mateo, CA and Laguna Beach, CA. For
more information, visit www.there.com.

About NaCo USA

The NaCo brand was created in 1998. What started as a hobby of playing
off words commonly mispronounced by Latinos, has turned into an
internationally known brand of t-shirts, hats, bags and other apparel and
accessories. From its offices in Mexico City, Miami and Los Angeles, NaCo
sells its products in boutiques, department stores, specialty retailers and
through its online store, www.surropa.com. The company has produced
limited edition lines for events such as the Latin GRAMMY’s, MTV Latino
Awards, Los Angeles Latino Film Festival, Coachella Music Festival, among
many others. NaCo has also entered into successful alliances with
internationally recognized brands such as Vans, Mun2, MySpace Latino and
Coca Cola. For more information about NaCo go to
www.usanaco.com/presentation or visit the company’s Web site at

The Second Annual Hispanic Digital and Print Media Conference & Networking/Awards Dinner will be held in New York City on October 9, 2008.

Organized by Portada (www.portada-online.com/conference/main.aspx?cid=2) — a major trade publication (online and in print) and resource to Hispanic and Latin American media, publishing and advertising professionals-the event will feature highly-focused panels and presentations by the best minds in Hispanic and Latin American media and advertising.

The one day event will have several sessions and panels focused on growing the Hispanic and Latin American digital and print media industries. Particular topics like Private Equity and M&A in Hispanic Media, Latin American Media Buying, and Hispanic Online Video Advertising will be discussed in breakout sessions next to the main hall of the Altman Building, located on West 18th Street in the heart of Manhattan.

An impressive array of speakers has already been confirmed, including:

Greg Anthony, SVP Multicultural Sales, Alloy Access

Craig Desens, Chief Development Officer, NSA Media and President of Home Depot account

Beth Fidoten, Print Director, Initiative Media

Tim Hahn, Director of Interactive, LatinWorks

Rick Marroquin, Chief Marketing Officer, Batanga

John Paton, CEO, Impremedia

Nada Usina, President, JumpTV

The conference will conclude by recognizing industry pioneers, innovators and their campaigns through Portada’s Hispanics Digital and Print Media Awards.

Secure your ticket today and Save more than $350 (www.portada-online.com/conference/registration.aspx?cid=2) with the early bird discount, putting this link in your browser: www.portada-online.com/conference/registration.aspx?cid=2

The following companies already have signed up as Premium Sponsors of the Second Annual Hispanic Digital and Print Media Conference & Networking/Awards Dinner: Impremedia Digital (Platinum), Batanga (Sponsor of the Hispanic Digital and Print Media Awards Dinner), MediaSpace Solutions (Silver Sponsor), JumpTV (Bronze), Todobebe (Bronze), Alloy Access (Bronze).

Sponsorship Opportunities:

Portada’s Annual Hispanic Digital and Print Media Conference is a high-profile brand that is highly respected in the Hispanic and Latin American Advertising and Publishing world. For information on how to align your brand with this high-profile conference, please e-mail Annette Fielman at Annette@portada-online.com or contact her at (631) 470-2253.”*

The National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP) has signed a two-year agreement with VivaReal, operated by Bilingual Marketing Group, an online real estate media company, that will give its 15,500 members prominent placement on the recently launched Spanish-language web site VivaReal.us (www.vivareal.us). The online portal, which is in beta, provides Hispanic home-buyers with home-buying how-to videos, podcasts and educational content all in Spanish and links them with bilingual local real estate professionals and property listings they are interested in.

“VivaReal.us offers a perfect online meeting space for NAHREP members and Hispanic buyers that want to learn about the home-buying process, connect with experts and search for properties,” said Timothy Sandos, NAHREP President & CEO. “This is a great benefit for members because it also gives them a forum to share their expertise in their local markets through social media networking tools.”

Under the agreement, NAHREP members will be able to create a professional profile, upload property listings and generate a blog on the Hispanic home-buyer network that is gaining popularity with potential homebuyers.

“The sub-prime crisis has highlighted the need to educate Latinos at every step of the home-buying process,” said Brian Requarth, CEO of Bilingual Marketing. “We understand the growing need to have one reliable place online where Hispanics can start pursuing their dream of owning a home. VivaReal’s partnership with NAHREP brings together information specifically for Hispanic home-buyers, property listings and local professionals to help them make educated decisions to make that dream come true.”

VivaReal.us features user-friendly audio and video content in Spanish that communicates clearly with Hispanic home-buyers who want to learn more about the home-buying process. Topics such as “Choosing an Agent,” “Getting Prequalified for a Loan,” “Looking for and Finding the Right Home,” “Negotiating an Offer,” are just a few of the subjects covered.

The Spanish language web site currently has listings in major markets and, with recently agreed partnerships, will increase its database by over 100,000 listings in the coming months.

Under its partnership with NAHREP, Requarth and his company will teach bilingual agents how to create an effective blog that builds their profile in the online real estate community with other Spanish speakers. The service is free for NAHREP members.

According to a study issued earlier this year by the Pew Hispanic Center, more than one-in-two Latinos goes online and 76 percent of bilingual Hispanics use the Internet.

About VivaReal.us

VivaReal.us is where Spanish speaking professionals and home-buyers go to learn about buying and selling homes.

VivaReal is operated by Bilingual Marketing Group, which is a privately owned California company with offices in Santa Rosa, California and Bogota, Colombia.

About NAHREP

The National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals, a non-profit 501c6 trade association, is dedicated to increasing the homeownership rate among Latinos by educating and empowering the real estate professionals that serve them. Based in Washington D.C., NAHREP is the premier trade organization for Hispanics and has more than 15,500 members in 48 states and 62 affiliate chapters. “*

Central Florida has some of the top Hispanic-owned companies in the nation, according to the latest national ranking by California-based Hispanic Business magazine.

Florida also has the most top-ranked Hispanic businesses in the nation, with 124 companies generating $12.8 billion in revenue last year.

The findings are part of the magazine’s directory of the “500 Largest U.S. Hispanic-owned Companies,” a yearly listing of top performers published this month.”*

The Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 contains two provisions that provide tax benefits for businesses.  The first provision increases the limit up to which a business can expense property purchased and placed in service during its 2008 tax year.  The second provision provides an additional 50 percent special depreciation allowance for property acquired and placed in service during calendar year 2008.

Unlike the economic stimulus payments that millions of individuals have already received, the tax benefits for businesses are not automatic; businesses must act to take advantage of the new provisions by purchasing qualifying property.

There is a new fact sheet available on IRS.gov regarding the business provisions of the Economic Stimulus Act.  I would encourage you to share this information with the members of your organization by publishing it in your newsletter, sending it out to your list-serve, or posting it on your website. 

Hispanic Group, la primera agencia de publicidad independiente propiedad de una minoría y especializada en ofrecer estrategias dirigidas a nacionalidades específicas dentro del mercado hispano de Estados Unidos, informó hoy que la campaña “Construye Perú, Compra Perú”, lanzada hace solo un mes, ha generado un gran interés entre los peruanos que viven en Estados Unidos.  De hecho, el anuncio se ha convertido en uno de los videos más vistos en YouTube, a nivel mundial y comerciantes ya han experimentado un incremento en la demanda de productos peruanos.

“En Hispanic Group sabemos que la comunidad hispana en los Estados Unidos no es homogénea y que para ser efectivos en la comunicación de nuestros clientes debemos buscar símbolos acordes con la idiosincrasia de cada uno de los grupos dentro dicha comunidad.  “Construye Perú” es un ejemplo de nuestra creatividad a la hora de generar campañas étnicas efectivas,” dijo José Luis Valderrama, presidente y fundador de Hispanic Group.

La Cámara Peruano-Americana (PERUSA Chamber of Commerce) es cliente pro-bono (de servicio social sin costo) de Hispanic Group y fue así como la agencia de publicidad se involucró en el desarrollo creativo de la campaña “Construye Perú, Compra Perú”.  La misma está dirigida a alentar a los peruanos en Estados Unidos, a comprar los productos de la nación sudamericana.

El anuncio comienza con una simple pregunta: “Tú eres peruano, vives en Estados Unidos. ¿Qué harías por Perú?”. Las respuestas incluyen: construir un puente, una escuela o una cancha de fútbol y finaliza diciendo “elegir productos peruanos, voy a comprar peruano porque cada vez que lo hago le doy trabajo a un peruano”.

El equipo de Hispanic Group desarrolló el concepto creativo y consiguió que el talento musical, Eva Ayllón entre ellos, donara los derechos de la canción para que pudiese ser adquirida gratuitamente a través del web site de PERUSA. Además, la agencia maximizó la visibilidad de la campaña al añadir al plan de medios la utilización de YouTube.

“Nuestro objetivo es llevar el mensaje a la mayor cantidad de personas. La campaña va a través de televisión y prensa escrita, principalmente en medios dirigidos a la comunidad peruana. Entre los auspiciadores de la campaña está Sur Corporation, con sus Canales Sur y Sur Perú. Además, Hispanic Group vio la posibilidad de ayudar a PERUSA al alojar el video en YouTube y la reacción del público ha sido maravillosa,” indicó Valderrama.

En menos de un mes el video “Construye Perú, Compra Perú” ha sido visto por más de 24,000 personas y ya ha sido incluido en la lista de los 80 videos mas vistos en YouTube.  Este sitio en la web es muy popular ya que aloja una gran variedad de clips de películas, programas de televisión, vídeos musicales y vídeos caseros. Lo que significa que el anuncio desarrollado por Hispanic Group ha logrado captar la atención de los visitantes de este sitio aún cuando compite contra contenido de origen muy variado.

Los enlaces a vídeos de YouTube pueden ser también puestos en blogs y sitios web personales.  Muchos de los que han visto “Construye Perú, Compra Perú” ya han transferido el video a sus sitios personales.  Además, la gran mayoría ha dejado mensajes en el blog de YouTube expresando el impacto emocional que ha tenido el ver estas imágenes de su país al estar lejos.

“Logramos nuestro objetivo de maximizar el mensaje ya que hemos llegado a todo tipo de personas, desde peruanos jóvenes recién mudados hasta personas mayores que llevan mucho tiempo fuera de Perú. YouTube ha registrado clicks de todos los estados de la nación Americana, además de países tan lejanos como Sudan y Argelia,” comentó Valderrama.  “Este anuncio es el ejemplo perfecto de que al tocar los botones racionales y emocionales de la audiencia se logra la acción deseada.”

Y es que los mismos visitantes del blog en YouTube se han puesto como meta generar un millón de visitas al video y así fomentar la demanda por productos peruanos alrededor del mundo.  Esto ha desarrollado una oportunidad no solo para el comercio tradicional, sino para el comercio electrónico.  Por ejemplo, muchos han tratado de conseguir, a través de la Internet, las camisetas que usan los protagonistas del video.

Según Javier Payet, dueño de Belmont International Trading Corp., una empresa que ha introducido la marca Belmont en el mercado Hispano y dedicada a la distribución de productos peruanos tanto en supermercados como en restaurantes, ya se ha notado el incremento en la demanda de bienes peruanos. “Por lo general, los peruanos están muy orgullosos de sus raíces y consumen productos peruanos.  Sin embargo, luego del lanzamiento de la campaña quienes no sabían dónde conseguir ciertas marcas, ya han comenzado a procurarlas en tiendas y se está generando una demanda adicional,” afirma Payet.

Esta es la fase inicial de una campaña que contará con un segundo anuncio esta vez dirigido a la comunidad estadounidense invitándole a probar un producto peruano. La iniciativa forma parte de los proyectos que desarrolla PERUSA para aprovechar las ventajas que ofrece el Tratado de Libre Comercio (TLC) firmado en 2007 entre Estados Unidos y Perú.

Para ver el anuncio favor de visitar: http://www.perusachamber.com/

Acerca de Hispanic Group

Hispanic Group es la primera agencia de publicidad independiente propiedad de una minoría que se especializa en ofrecer estrategias a la medida para dirigirse a nacionalidades específicas dentro del mercado hispano de Estados Unidos. La empresa ocupa el lugar #12 entre las Agencias Hispanas de Publicidad en Estados Unidos y está entre las 10 primeras firmas hispanas independientes, según  la lista que publica la revista Advertising Age en el suplemento Hispanic Fact Pack. Con su sede principal en Miami y oficinas en Nueva York y Los Ángeles, la empresa tiene un equipo de 40 profesionales con amplia experiencia en mercadeo, posicionamiento de marca, publicidad, televisión y compra de medios. Hispanic Group se caracteriza, además, por su capacidad única de ofrecer acceso inmediato a equipos locales de investigación de mercado en 42 ciudades de Estados Unidos con más de 700 personas trabajando en campañas específicas según las necesidades de sus clientes.

Starting July 24, 2008, ultra low cost carrier Spirit Airlines is offering daily non-stop service from its Fort Lauderdale home to Bogota, Colombia. In addition to this new non-stop service from Fort Lauderdale, Spirit also offers convenient connections from its network of 16 other destinations in the United States to Bogota.

Spirit is celebrating this new service with $69 roundtrip introductory fares* available today and tomorrow at www.spiritair.com. In addition, $69 each way fares for travel on Mondays – Thursdays from September 4 – October 31, 2008, are also available today and tomorrow at www.spiritair.com.

The new route will be operated by Spirit’s new Airbus fleet, the youngest in the Americas.

The city of Bogota, with a population of seven million inhabitants, has become one of the most important capitals and business centers in the region. Its year-round spring-like climate and location at an altitude of 9,000 feet above sea level, provides a pleasant location for walking, and an excellent backdrop for restaurants, shopping, nightlife, coffee production and commercial centers. Bogota also has become a primary destination for congresses, fairs and conventions for the entire Latin America and Caribbean region.

“We are excited about liberating millions of Colombians in Bogota from high fares as we’ve already done in Cartagena and other cities in the region,” said Spirit Chief Marketing Officer Barry Biffle. “This new service will offer over 100 million people low fare access to Bogota through our Fort Lauderdale gateway.”

Referring to Spirit’s new flight to Bogota, Colombia, Oscar Rueda García, Vice Minister of Tourism of Colombia said: “Spirit’s arrival marks a new stage in the history of Colombia’s tourism, in which we are eagerly awaiting the best fares in order to promote tourism for the country. This new stage of flying, which began to Cartagena on May 8, 2008, met with great success and we hope that very soon will cover other tourist destinations throughout the country.”

$69 Introductory Fares*

Schedule for Spirit’s Fort Lauderdale-Bogota Service Effective July 24, 2008:

*Arrives and departs Bogota 1 hour later starting November 2, 2008.

Connections: Aguadilla, Atlanta, Atlantic City, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Myrtle Beach, New York-La Guardia, Orlando, Ponce, San Juan, Tampa and Washington, DC.

About Spirit Airlines

Spirit Airlines, Inc. (www.spiritair.com) is the largest Ultra Low Cost Carrier (ULCC) in the United States, Latin America and Caribbean. Its all-Airbus fleet, the youngest in the Americas, flies more than 200 daily flights to 43 destinations. The company is based in Miramar, Florida, and employs 2,300 professionals.

Casio executives recently decided to introduce one of their products to Spanish speaking Latinos in the United States for the first time. Revolucion NYC won the account with an ad campaign touting the benefits of the EXILIM EX-S10, a thin digital camera, and recruiting television celebrity Lili Estefan, known by her nickname La Flaca, as spokesperson.

“Why don’t we have La Flaca selling another flaca,” said Amy Gomez, managing partner and director, Account Services at Revolucion NYC about the brainstorming session where the campaign was born. “Two weeks after that thought we were shooting in Miami.””*

In what is possibly the largest one-time, cross-platform upfront deal between a Hispanic media agency and a Hispanic TV network in history, Zubi Advertising of Miami and Univision have completed an all-encompassing media advertising deal approaching $80 million.

The deal includes advertising on all three Univision TV networks–Univision, TeleFutura and Galavision–as well as 64 Univision owned-and-operated TV stations, Univision radio stations and the online units of all those properties (plus mobile). It was hammered out by the sales team at Zubi Advertising and by Peter Lazarus, executive vp of network sales at Univision; and Carlos Deschapelles, senior vp of Univision network sales.”*

Brazil currently dominates the business news out of Latin America, but how does Mexico compare when it come to business opportunities and outlook?

To help answer that question, Latin Business Chronicle took a closer look at these 11 factors:

* GDP size for 2007, 2008 and 2012;
* GDP per capita for 2007, 2008 and 2012;
* Inflation for 2007, 2008 and 2012;
* Competitiveness,
* Doing business indicators (including starting a business and tax regime),
* Capital access for entrepreneurs,
* Economic freedom,
* Corruption,
* Security,
* Technology level and
* Overall business climate”*

A statement to the Spanish stock exchange regulator on behalf of a company called Blueprime said it had already signed a deal with one Popular investor, represented by Spanish investor Trinitario Casanova, to acquire a 3.5 percent stake for 14.20 euros per share.

“No other agreements have yet been signed, although agreement is close to being finalized with a number of other shareholders with whom we are in advanced negotiations,” the statement added.”*

A commercial real estate company is suing the Mexican Consulate in Dallas, alleging that it failed to pay for consulting services received in 2007.

A complaint filed on Monday before the U.S. District Court in Dallas states that Blake Box, president of a real estate firm, worked as a consultant for the Mexican Consulate throughout 2007, when it was in the process of finding a new and larger building for its offices. “*