Vivala Launches to Explosive Growth as it Fills a Void in the Millennial Latina Market
Winning User Engagement Strategy Marks CafeMom’s First Foray Beyond Moms
NEW YORK, Aug. 11, 2015 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Today, CafeMom launched Vivala.com, the first online platform of its kind fueled by user participation highlighting real stories, video and images that represent the unique voices of the millennial Latina. In its first month of beta launch, Vivala reached more than 300,000 unique visitors with its share-worthy content, mobile-first design and activation among its social audience of over 20,000 fans.
CafeMom has grown its business by becoming number one with the mom audience, reaching 30 million visitors and 260 million pageviews each month on its owned and operated properties. The company is already a leader in the Latina market with its property for Hispanic mothers, MamásLatinas, which reaches more than 4 million Hispanic women in the United States each month.
“We are thrilled to apply what we’ve learned serving moms to other key audiences, starting with the critically important millennial Latina market,” said CafeMom CEO and Co-Founder, Michael Sanchez. “We are confident in our ability to scale an audience with our highly participatory and sharable content, and bring partners custom solutions that resonate with the young Latina.”
Vivala is led by Editor-in-Chief, Zuania Capó, who brings years of expertise in leadership roles as Executive Editor for People en Español and Siempre Mujer. She has recruited a best-in-class team that reflects the millennial Latina audience from properties including CNN, Vogue.com, The Huffington Post, xoJane, Latina, and more.
“Vivala is redefining sharable and culturally relevant content for Latinas,” explained Capó. “Our Latinas are savvy, bold and real. We want to provide a platform that highlights their voices where they can find the stories that matter most to them. We felt there was a void of smart and authentic editorial offerings that truly spoke to this audience.”
Vivala is already breaking the mold by tackling topics including workplace empowerment, beauty tips that embrace the diversity of Latinas and stories of women who are making an impact in their communities. Reflecting the language of the target audience, Vivala’s content is offered primarily in English, but with some Spanish and a heavy dose of Spanglish.
Original Web Series with Founding Creators
In partnership with influential Latinas, Vivala has launched seven original web series as a key component of featuring its audience’s voices, showcasing relevant topics such as career, fitness, style, food and more. Vivala recruited well-known Latina bloggers and celebrities as “Founding Creators” who are hosting their own video series on the new property. Founding Creators include Jackie Cruz, singer and star of Netflix’s Orange is the New Black, celebrity fitness trainer to the stars Ary Nuñez, model and fashion blogger Natalie Suarez, and food blogger and lifestyle expert Alejandra Ramos.
“I just love that Vivala is focused on real people and not what people think of you,” explained Vivala Creator & actress Jackie Cruz. “That’s what’s really cool about being part of Vivala – I get to show people the real Jackie, not just the actress. Vivala gives girls like me the opportunity to share what we enjoy and what we are passionate about.”
Vivala Spotlight Search for Video Stars
In addition to being a Founding Creator, Cruz is part of the judging panel in the groundbreaking Vivala Spotlight Search, a contest providing undiscovered talent the chance to become one of the next generation of video stars. Vivala has put a call-out to its audience to share their ideas for a video series. Five winners will each star in their own video series produced by and featured on Vivala, with an estimated production value of $20,000 per series plus tens of thousands of dollars in promotional and advertising support. The judging panel includes the true experts – vloggers and online video stars including Cruz and VinylBlush YouTube star, Cindy Diaz.
Embracing user participation on a new level, Vivala gives its audience a channel to have their voices heard on the rapidly growing platform. Through its Insiders Program, Vivala gives hundreds of top users the chance to contribute original content as well as help shape the direction of the site.
For more information, please visit www.vivala.com or join in the conversation on social media @heyvivala.
About CafeMom
CafeMom is a rapidly growing digital media company that delivers highly participatory and shareable content to reach up to 75 million monthly users across its owned and operated Properties, Blogger Network, and Social Platforms.
CafeMom developed its formula for success by becoming #1 with the mom audience – its properties, which include CafeMom, MamásLatinas, The Stir, and Baby Name Wizard, generate a collective 260 million page views and millions of conversations every month. CafeMom also engages users beyond its properties, with 28 million social media followers and posts that get seen 450 million times a month on social media.
CafeMom develops custom content marketing and word-of-mouth programs that help brands add value to users’ lives and activate word of mouth. CafeMom also increasingly helps advertisers reach the right users through premium programmatic solutions.
CafeMom was founded by Michael Sanchez and Andrew Shue, with Highland Capital Partners and Draper Fisher Jurvetson as lead investors.