Marketing | VivirLatino

We warned you. Today through April 21, you can enter to win one AT&T Pantech Matrix Pro Smartphone. For me this phone was the perfect intro to smartphones and it had me tweeting, texting, sending fotos, and emailing up and down the 7 line and in the Mala/Mami’hood.

Want one?

Email us at info@vivirlatino.com, telling us how smartphone technology can help Latinos access and share information to further their political power (and you know I’m not just talking about electoral power). The most interesting (in my humble opinion) answer wins! Not only do you win the phone pero also a $100 credit for AT&T’s web site.

As much as I’m about promoting the Americas, the contest is only open to residents of the U.S.A. Sorry.

Mexican Government Up in Arms Over Burger King Ad

14 Apr 2009

Burger King has pissed off Mexico’s Ambassador to Spain because of a new ad campaign running in that country for a product called the “Texican Whopper”. Ambassador Jorge Zermeno wrote to Burger King in Spain to denounce what he called “denigration” of the Mexican flag.

“This advertisement denigrates the image of our country and uses improperly Mexico’s national flag,” Jorge Zermeno wrote in a letter to Burger King in Spain, the Reforma newspaper reported on Monday.

The ambassador contacted the local offices of Burger King after he saw the posters in Spain, Reforma said. The burger is only available in Europe, according to the paper.

Mexico has strict laws prohibiting the defamation of the flag, Zermeno said. He asked Burger King to cancel the ad campaign that “offends Mexicans and Mexico.”

You might remember from numerous posts on VL over the past few years that Mexico doesn’t like people doing weird things with their flag, and this offense can be punishable with harsh fines and even jail time.

Reuters reports that Zermeno’s complaint was related to posters (image above) for the campaign found around Madrid, but I wonder if he’s seen the TV version (video after the jump) – which from the looks of it was created for the U.S. or Canadian market — as it’s much worse.

Preparate : We’re Giving Away a AT&T Pantech Matrix Pro Smartphone and So are These Other Sites

10:00 am By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Marketing| Tech · 1 Comment

14 Apr 2009

Last month I reviewed the AT&T Pantech Matrix Pro Smartphone and wondered, seriously how did I live without a smartphone up to this point? Well you may not have to live without one either.

Vivirlatino is participating with another 25 websites to give away an AT&T Pantech Matrix Pro smartphone and a US$100 AT&T gift card each, to readers in the U.S. Apologies to our non-U.S. readers.

So you can have 26 chances to win this phone, pero sadly you can only win one.

Where can you win? Here is a list of the site participating and the dates their contests will run:

Tools for Thought (15-Apr 19-Apr)
ChipChick (16-Apr 20-Apr)
VivirLatino (17-Apr 21-Apr)
slashgear.com (18-Apr 22-Apr)
www.modaco.com (19-Apr 23-Apr)
Gadgetell (20-Apr 24-Apr)
GeeksRoom (21-Apr 25-Apr)
OSNN (22-Apr 26-Apr)
Techmamas (23-Apr 27-Apr)
Clintonfitch (24-Apr 28-Apr)
Justanothermobilemonday (25-Apr 29-Apr)
Geek.com (26-Apr 30-Apr)
MediaBlab (27-Apr 01-May)
Smartphonethoughts (28-Apr 02-May)
Mobilityminded (29-Apr 03-May)
The Gadgeteer (30-Apr 04-May)
Geekzone (01-May 05-May)
Techie Diva (02-May 06-May)
Bostonpocketpc (03-May 07-May)
GearDiary (04-May 08-May)
MobilitySite (05-May 09-May)
AbsoluteWindows (06-May 10-May)
Mobilejaw (07-May 11-May)
Experiencemobility (08-May 12-May)
HackCollege (09-May 13-May)
Gear Live (10-May 14-May)

So how do you win?

Actually the contests don’t kick off till Wednesday so you’ll have to wait till then. VivirLatino’s own giveaway will go live on Friday.

Pero if you just can’t wait check out this deal that will give you a free Jabra BT4051 Bluetooth headset when you buy an AT&T Pantech Matrix Pro.

Amazon Fail : Amazon Shows its Homophobic, Anti-Sex Side

13 Apr 2009

amazon-sucks After a full day of Easter activities yesterday, I came home to find that Amazon was hard at work, disappearing sales rankings from “adult” books. Amazon seems to have ~~interesting~~ fucked up way of deciding what is “adult” though, especially since the deleting of sales ranking and the blocking of the books from appearing in some searches, and appearing on some best-seller lists seems to target books dealing with gay, lesbian and trans themes, and no not all of them are even “dirty”. Take for example the following from Meta Writer who seems as of last night had compiled a list of the books affected :

The Advocate College Guide for LGBT Students
http://www.amazon.com/Advocate-College-Guide-LGBT-Students/dp/155583857X/
No protagonist, but intended for LGBT college-bound students.
(Sales rank removed)

Robert Adrich Who’s Who in Gay and Lesbian History (amazon.ca)
(Sales rank removed)

Really these are offensive perhaps? Adult?

Here are some other books impacted: “Heather Has Two Mommies”, A Biography of Ellen Degeneres,

Oh just to show that they are equal opportunity haters and that Amazon doesn’t think disabled peeps should be getting down: “The Ultimate Guide to Sex And Disability” has been stripped of its sales ranking.

No se, some of it seems random and not unified pero it still feels dangerous especially since Playboy books and a book about porno guy Ron Jeremy still have their sales ranks up as do hateful books like “A Parent’s Guide to Preventing Homosexuality”. Certain glbt films/dvds still have sales rankings.

Amazon is saying that the stripping of sales ranking, which impacts searchability and therefore accessibility is a “glitch”, one that has been going on since at least February according to some. More likely is that this is a result of some organized “pro-family” orgs who have been complaining to Amazon via flagging certain titles.

For more information follow #Amazonfail at Twitter

In the meantime you can contact Amazon executive customer service via email: ecr@amazon.com and the customer service phone number is 1-800-201-7575 if you wish to share your views with them.

There is also a petition up here.

Via / Jezabel, LA Times, Mark R. Probst, Smart bitches, Trashy books

Mexican Tourism Board: Mexico Needs an Image Makeover

24 Mar 2009

1949726238_351271f9eb_o As much as I love Mexico, I have to admit that lately all of the violence — from severed heads in ice chests to massive roadside graves — makes it harder and harder to convince people who don’t know the country that that’s not what it’s about. The Mexican Tourism Board appears to realize that this is becoming more and more challenging, and its Secretary says that the country needs to “rebuild its image” in the eyes of foreigners, namely potential tourists. El Universal reports:

At a conference, [the Secretary] stated that it isn’t about an advertising campaign but doing anything necessary “to compensate for the attacks that Mexico has suffered in the last several weeks.”

Accompanied by the director of the Council for Tourism Promotion, Oscar Fitch Gómez, the Secretary explained that the intention isn’s just to rebuild Mexico’s image to attract visitors but to improve the country as a whole.

The Secretary also stated that potential tourists hear many things about Mexico that just aren’t true, some as extreme as the notion that the country is “at war”. He also mentioned that the ex-director of the CIA advised his own son not to visit Mexico because the narcos were planning to attack Spring Break revelers, and that the responsibility of convincing American tourists that these rumors are false belongs to Mexico.

I symphathize with this effort. I always hated when people tried to tell me things about Mexico City — you can’t walk down the street at night without getting robbed, nor get into a cab without getting kidnapped, etc. — when I lived there and knew the truth. But at the same time, we have to be realistic and realize that cosmetic changes won’t fix a problem that is getting worse and worse every day. This isn’t a job for the Tourism Board but for President Felipe Calderon.

Via / El Universal

Not on my Shopping List: Justin Timberlake Tequila

11:57 am By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Celebrities| Marketing · Comments Off

23 Mar 2009

Justin Timberlake might be OK for bringing sexy back, but for making tequila? Ehh…

Looks like Justin wants to play rap star and hawk his own liquor. I think I’ll stick to my Herradura Reposado.

Via / ITN

Happy Mardi Gras and Pancake Day?

7:55 am By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Marketing · 2 Comments

24 Feb 2009

If you’re a cured Catolica like me, the day before Ash Wednesday isn’t anything that special. Nonetheless, today is Mardi Gras, your last chance to get naked and eat lots of meat before Lent officially begins mañana and you can repent for all your evil ways.

Pero did you know that today is also National Pancake Day! Apparently IHOP is even giving away free pancakes!

Speaking of pancakes, this commercial still makes me crack the hell up even if I hate Denny’s.

While VivirLatino was Down, Mala Was Out

21 Feb 2009

While behind the scenes an entire team was frantically dealing with hackers and figuring out how to get VivirLatino back online, your truely was also engaging in a little fashion frivolity and networking gracias to Buzz Corps, HP and Vivienne Tam.

First on the agenda: A visit to Vivienne Tam’s boutique at 40 Mercer Street, NYC, on February 18, 2009, for a look at her Fall/Winter 2009 collection which revolved around the theme of an Exploration of Nothingness.

One of the reasons I was there is not cuz I’m such a fashionista. I was sent the HP Mini Vivienne Tam edition to review and this was all part of the marketing and promotional fun, porque carajo, especially when our site was down and we were pulling our hair out trying to get it up for you, the VL team needed some fun.

Ay pero lest you think that as I was having fun that I wasn’t paying attention to the multiple ironies around me, I’m working on a follow up that will go into the politics of this adventure porque you know mala, I make everything personal and professional political.

Salud!

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