HBC’s Netmio.com Working To Be Leading U.S. Hispanic Local Online Community.

With the help and strength of its parent company Hispanic Broadcasting Corporation, Netmio.com has been silently gathering a large online community of U.S. Hispanic Internet users. Initially, unveiled in May, 2000 as a network of thirty-seven bilingual radio station Web sites, Netmio.com has evolved into a network of locally focused, bilingual, community and culturally relevant Web sites for the top ten U.S. Hispanic markets in which Hispanic Broadcasting operates.

Netmio.com’s strategy is highly focused. Different from the largest Internet portals, Netmio.com is strictly aimed at U.S. Hispanics, which according to the U.S. Census has become the fastest growing population segment. Netmio.com further separates itself from the pack of nationally or internationally Hispanic centered portals by targeting culturally relevant content, interactivity, communities and advertisers in the Web site visitors’ local area.

“We are uniquely advantaged by having the opportunity to drive traffic to our Web sites through the radio stations,” commented Lawrence Arevalo, Netmio.com’s general manager. “The Internet gives us the opportunity to extend our reach and frequency with our listeners and provides our advertisers another medium to extend their brands with a total marketing package. Our visitors benefit from the access to information, products and community of people that is closest to their homes and interests.”

Netmio.com also leverages other promotional capabilities of the radio stations by hosting celebrities that visit the stations in live Web chats complimented with in-studio Web cameras. In recent months, Netmio.com has hosted, Alejandro Fernandez, Patricia Velasquez, Hillary Clinton, Celia Cruz, Vicente Fox and many more. In addition, the radio stations reserve quality giveaways for Web contests. In recent months Netmio.com has given prizes such as trips to the Latin Grammy Awards and Trinidad vs. Vargas fight, Ricky Martin autographed t-shirt, tickets to local concerts and many more.

Netmio.com returns value by providing a network of thirty-seven bilingual individual radio station Web sites. These sites provide interaction with radio station personalities, daily updated information related to the radio stations’ programming, advertisers, promotions, local events and contests.