“The Hispanic community is rapidly becoming the most influential voice in pop culture, business, and politics; their trendsetting impact will make or break the success of those seeking to gain brand popularity, market share and / or win the next election,” Forbes reports. 

And nothing demonstrates the cultural prowess of the demographic like the upcoming TV upfronts, broadcasters' annual dog-and-pony show where networks tout their upcoming lineups to advertisers. Both Univision—the No. 1 Hispanic network—and Telemundo, coming off its highest-rated January in network history, will hold upfronts on May 14. Univision’s newly rebranded UniMas, formerly TeleFutura and Galavision will also hold their upfronts that day, while Hispanic broadcaster Azteca has slated its presentation for May 13.

A step ahead of the game, Univision announced Mary Kay, MetroPCS, State Farm and Western Union as sponsors of the original web series, Arranque de Pasión, La Historia de Ela, which premiered April 1.Continue reading...

Virgin Mobile Australia's latest campaign features a celeb by association: "This is Doug Pitt, the second most famous Pitt in his family. Unlike his brother, Doug's not a super star, he's never been featured on the front page and never made big bucks from a celebrity endorsement. Virgin Mobile believe in a fair go for all, and want your help to make things a little fairer in the Pitt family. Visit fairgobro.com.au and show Doug some 'like'."

The race for NFC-based mobile payments is heating up with projections for 2013 exceeding $13 billion globally, up from just over $7 billion in 2011, according to Gartner research.

Isis, the mobile-payments joint venture backed by AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon, has signed up Coca-Cola, Macy’s, Aéropostale, Dillard’s, Foot Locker (and its subsidiary Champs Sports) and Jamba Juice, as well as hundreds of local retailers in Texas and Utah who will start accepting Isis payments by this summer.

Both Isis and competitor Google Wallet use NFC chips that store user’s credit card data or pre-loaded digital cash. Both companies are also working with check-out scanners and retailers including Gap, Office Max, Toys ‘R’ Us and Walgreens. 

Google Wallet is currently available on four Sprint handsets and none from the mobile operators backing Isis. Sprint is the only U.S. carrier backing Google Wallet and to that end just released the LG Optimus Elite for Virgin Mobile.Continue reading...

If nothing else, it has to be a lot of fun being associated with businesses owned by Virgin. Behind them all, whether it's Virgin Bingo or Virgin Hotels or another of the myriad Virgin-branded businesses, you can always bank (literally) on the sometimes loony but always shrewd iconic entrepreneur, Richard Branson, Virgin's brander-in-chief. Don't think of them as brand extensions so much as Branson extensions — reflections of the Virgin founder's personality, passions and interests.

You can pretty much depend on Branson's trademark wit and showmanship in the promotion of a Virgin brand. The latest campaign from Virgin Mobile USA is testament to that, going so far as to depict what it must have been like "growing up Branson."Continue reading...

Amazon's original programming plans draws speculation.

Apple prepares for iPad (HD?) reveal frenzy today while new device also could be boon for Verizon Wireless; and company receives key patent for iWallet.

Arby's uses holistic approach to social media to boost Klout score.

Bank of America is bullish on girl power.

Bentley's 'ugly' SUV the talk of the Geneva Motor Show.

Boeing forms alliance with Chinese jet maker.

Carbonite sees stock price drop after withdrawing advertising from Rush Limbaugh, as radio host sees 30+ advertisers leave, including Netflix.

Chevron faces criticism after gas-rig fire off Nigeria.

Cosmopolitan reaches 100K paid digital subscriptions.Continue reading...

Apple stock price looms large as iPad 3 (aka iPad HD) debut nears, and the company is sued by a firm that has a patent deal with Microsoft.

Boston Beer expands beyond Sam Adams.

BT and TalkTalk lose case against UK's anti-piracy legislation.

Chevy Volt woes may take solace from Toyota Prius.

Dunkin' Donuts brings pork doughnuts and LeBron James to China.

GM and Peugeot cement alliance.

Geneva International Auto Show opens amid slump in European car sales as Volkswagen shows off a Bentley concept SUV.

Jack Daniels opens "drinking school" with Zac Brown Band.Continue reading...

Plenty of people overextend themselves financially to afford such things as cell phones, but if you live in Kansas City, you might be able to get yourself a cell phone even if you don’t have enough cash to actually afford one.

Sprint Nextel, which is based in the Kansas City suburb of Overland Park, is providing free phones and minutes for some low-income families, according to the Kansas City Star. The company’s newest pre-paid brand, Assurance Wireless, launched this week as a subsidiary of Sprint Nextel that Virgin Mobile USA, Inc. operates. Assurance offers lifeline telephone service, meaning it offers free phones and 250 free minutes to qualifying households, and uses the Sprint national wireless network in the U.S.

Paying customers subsidize the free phones and minutes, just as they have for years with land lines. The Universal Service Fund and federal Lifeline Assistance program that you may find on your phone bill are ways that those with more cash have helped get phone service to the poor, particularly in rural areas, the Star notes.

Now Sprint Nextel is using that money to help subsidize the free phones and minutes it is handing out to those who qualify.Continue reading...

General Mills' "Coccoon" spot is oddly disturbing, not great at making people want to eat fruit snacks.

Creepy but more effective: Warner Bros. promotes new movie Matt Damon/Gwyneth Paltrow movie Contagion with a "bacteria billboard in Toronto."Continue reading...