http://www.terrapinn.com/2008/pblatam/

Growth in Latin American high net worth assets continues as local economies boom

It has been a bumper year for private banks in Latin America. Net incomes for private banks increased in Brazil by 29.3%, in Mexico 19.5%, in Argentina 18% and Chile 11%.  Total investable assets held by HNWI in Latin America are now estimated to equal $5.5 trillion

http://www.terrapinn.com/2008/pblatam/

Convergence 2008 Conference

http://www.latinvision.com/conference/

Convergence 2008 Conference

Hi5 goes mobile: It’s a bigger deal than you think

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10025661-2.html

The biggest social networks, like Facebook and MySpace, have operated mobile sites long before anyone ever held an iPhone. Midsize social networks are still warming up to the concept: Hi5, a San Francisco-based company that counts its biggest following in Latin America, formally launched Hi5 Mobile on Tuesday.

The social site has launched its mobile edition in 26 different languages, a testament to its multicultural image, and has optimized it for the iPhone, BlackBerry, and select handsets from manufacturers like Nokia and Samsung. Those translations, Hi5 says, are done on the part of locals rather than the company to make the site more “culturally relevant.”

But more importantly, Hi5’s mobile site is a marketing effort to reach its most loyal customers. MySpace and Facebook’s current mobile sites are intended as supplements to the browser-based editions, but Hi5 openly targets the “millions of international users who primarily use mobile devices, instead of a personal computer, to stay connected with friends, family and colleagues.” After all, access to PCs is less common in many Latin American countries than in Hi5’s home country.

Recent statistics from ComScore indicate that Hi5 has doubled its visitor count over the past year and that much of its foothold is in Latin America; the social-networking industry in that region of the world has grown by a third since mid-2007, according to the same statistics.

While other social networks like MySpace are working hard to make headway in the Latin American market (and MySpace says its market share there is growing), launching a mobile site is a savvy move on Hi5’s part.

Originally posted at The Social

Social networking is spreading worldwide as Facebook and others adapt locally

Aug 15, 2008

http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5gyIkr2i8d9-1xDGYac9OtUeFnUKg

MONTREAL — Social networking is spreading worldwide as Facebook and other sites adapt to local cultures and languages with use in Latin America, Europe and Asia Pacific all shooting upward.

By contrast, the growth of new users of social networking sites in North America is beginning to level off, says a report by U.S.-based comScore, an online data marketing firm.

“The real growth is obviously occurring internationally with respect to social networking in broader terms, but even more specifically with certain sites like Facebook and Hi5,” senior analyst Andrew Lipsman said Friday.

“The sites that have made an emphasis on speaking to a specific market are the ones that are growing rapidly.”

In Latin America, social networking on the Internet is up 33 per cent with 53.2 million unique visitors to social networking sites in June 2008 versus June 2007.

“They tend to be very highly engaged in Latin America in different forms of communications online,” including text messaging and chatting, said Lipsman.

“I think social networking goes along with that.”

Facebook.com took over the global lead among social networking sites in April, now more popular than MySpace, comScore said.

In Europe, social networking grew by 35 per cent to 165. 2 million unique visitors in June ‘08 versus the same period a year ago. In Asia, it grew by 23 per cent to about 200 million unique visits.

While comScore found that social networking is up 66 per cent in the Middle-East and Africa to 30.1 million unique visitors for the same time period, Lipsman said the growth is only from Israel and South Africa.

Lipsman said Facebook, which lets friends and families stay in touch, has users in many languages.

“In a lot of regions we are seeing where it had a minimal presence last year, it’s quickly moving up the ranking in a lot of cases and taking the No. 1 spot.”

Facebook had 132.1 million unique visitors worldwide in June ‘08 versus a year earlier, up 153 per cent. MySpace had 117.5 million, up three per cent for the same time period.

“Facebook is seeing strong growth just about everywhere.”

Analyst Carmi Levy said worldwide users are making Facebook relevant in their own regions.

“Facebook doesn’t provide the content, it simply provides the venue for people to connect with each other in whatever culturally acceptable way they deem fit,” said Levy, senior vice-president of strategic consulting at Toronto’s AR Communications Inc.

“There really is no American message incorporated within Facebook or MySpace or any of these other services.”

Lipsman said about two-thirds of MySpace’s traffic is still coming from the United States, making it less diversified than Facebook.

Hi5, an international social networking site with a local flavour, finished third behind Facebook and MySpace. Hi5 doubled its traffic in June ‘08 with 56.3 million unique visitors versus June ‘07.

Andrew Moore-Crispin, editor of HUB:The Computer Paper, said it’s common for successful social networking sites to be translated into as many languages as possible.

Social networking sites become regionalized with their own cultural differences, Moore-Crispin said, adding he has friends overseas who approach Facebook more as entertainment than as a way to connect with people.

“Things that I find interesting, you are not going to find interesting and vice versa and across the pond, people’s tastes are different as to what they want to do online,” he said.

http://www.telecom.paper.nl/news/article.aspx?id=226592&nr=

Google has named Alex Dias as its new head of Brazil operations. He replaces Alexandre Hohagen, who was appointed executive director for Latin America. Dias comes from pay-TV provider DirecTV, where he most recently worked as head of operations inf Argentina and Uruguay. Google also announced that its corporate headquarters for Latin America will be based in Sao Paulo. The internet company previously ran the Latin American business from its world headquarters in California. The previous Latin America chief Daniel Alegre is moving to Singapore, to run Google’s Asia business.

 

http://www.telecom.paper.nl/news/article.aspx?id=226592&nr=

DIRECTV to Present at the Merrill Lynch Media Fall Preview

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/directv-present-merrill-lynch-media/story.aspx?guid=%7B76A49B25-657A-4722-A971-6B6BF7BBE4C1%7D&dist=hppr

The Future of Hispanic-Latin Entertainment, Media and Technology Markets Conference Attracts Influential Lineup of Speakers to Explore the Transformation of These Industries

TELEMUNDO CEO Don Browne, UNIVISION CEO Joe Uva, GOOGLE Director of Latin America John Farrell join a roster of Notable Speakers; to discuss and explore the theme “Going Mainstream” as a Key to Harnessing the Digital Revolution

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/future-hispanic-latin-entertainment-media-technology/story.aspx?guid=%7BCE7D83F7-9038-4168-B1F5-50A917877A3B%7D&dist=hppr

NEW YORK, Sep 03, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) — The Latin Media and Entertainment Commission of the City of New York (LMEC) and LatinVision Media announced today the full lineup of participants in this year’s Wednesday, October 15 Convergence 2008 – The Future of Hispanic-Latin Entertainment, Media and Technology Markets Conference. Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New York City and Janet Robinson CEO of The New York Times will do the opening remarks.

Univision Selects MediaOcean for National Sales

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/univision-selects-mediaocean-national-sales/story.aspx?guid=%7BFAC6BD52-284E-4706-9C24-DE714E9340FC%7D&dist=hppr

Televisa, Univision headed back to court in royalty case

http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssTechMediaTelecomNews/idUSN0439934220080904

NASDAQ issues delisting notice to Spanish Broadcasting

http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/stories/2008/08/25/daily2.html