By Rick Griffin
Qualcomm Ventures, the investment arm of the wireless technology giant, has launched a new website designed by MJD Interactive Agency, a San Diego digital marketing firm.
MJD officials said the new site features a Drupal open-source content-management system, is compatible for mobile viewing and engages visitors with subtle movement and highlighted specific content.
“We updated the look and feel with a fresh color palate that says innovation, but with a more personable and approachable tone,” said Lindsey Harris, MJD creative director.
In other MJD news, the firm has added six new employees. They include: Tracy Piner, director of production; Nikki Stevens, director of web technologies; Jen White, senior art director; Lindsay Matheson, senior user experience lead; Tonisha Whyte, quality assurance engineer; and Brigham Toskin, Android engineer.
MJD’s client roster includes Oakley Inc., Walt Disney Co., Red Bull, Procter & Gamble, Grammy Awards, Falken Tire, Stride Rite, Legendary Pictures, Vail Resorts and GoPro.
Union-Tribune Changes Enlace Name to Hoy San Diego
Enlace, the San Diego Union-Tribune’s every-Saturday, Spanish-language publication since 1999, is changing names to Hoy San Diego, and changing format size from broadsheet to tabloid, beginning Feb. 13.
The “Hoy” name also is used in Los Angeles and Chicago for Spanish publications owned by the Tribune Publishing Co., which purchased the Union-Tribune in May 2015. Tribune Publishing also owns the Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times and Baltimore Sun.
According to Roaldo Moran, Hoy publisher, content for Hoy San Diego will be written by San Diego-based reporters, as well as Hoy Los Angeles staff writers. Additional stories will be translated from the San Diego Union-Tribune and Los Angeles Times. No layoffs are planned, said a company spokesperson.
“Our reporters will bring exclusive local information that is culturally relevant to the reader,” explains Lilia O’Hara, editor of Hoy San Diego. “We are becoming a stronger instrument to advance the quality of life for Latinos in Southern California.”
Hoy San Diego will be delivered to 134,000 households and available at select retail locations and newspaper racks. It will include zone pages for the North and South regions of San Diego County, as well as Riverside and Baja California editions of Hoy Fin de Semana, which is another Tribune Publishing Spanish-language publication.
The Union-Tribune said it will continue to publish Vida Latina San Diego, a Spanish-language entertainment and lifestyle weekly. Vida Latina is available on Thursdays in 600 rack locations in south and central San Diego.
Billy Ray Smith and Kimberly Hunt to Emcee Boys & Girls Clubs Fundraiser
The Boys & Girls Clubs of East County have announced that husband-and-wife media personalities Kimberly Hunt and Billy Ray Smith Jr. will serve as emcees at the 50th annual Children’s Ball on Saturday, Feb. 20, at the Omni San Diego Hotel.
Proceeds from the gala fundraiser will benefit programs, activities and services provided annually to more than 3,000 children, ages 5 to 18, who attend the five facilities operated by the Boys & Girls Clubs of East County. Individual tickets begin at $325 per person. To RSVP, call Samantha Olsen at (619) 440-1600 or visit www.BGCEC.org.
Smith and Hunt have been married for the past 25 years. Smith, a former pro football player, is currently an afternoon sports radio talk show co-host with Scott Kaplan on XPRS 1090-AM The Mighty 1090. Smith played his entire 10-year NFL career with the San Diego Chargers during the 1980s and 1990s. He is a member of the Chargers Hall of Fame and has been ranked as one of the 50 greatest Chargers of all time.
Hunt is an Emmy Award winner and weeknight news anchor for KGTV/Channel 10. She has worked in the San Diego TV market since 1987. She currently co-anchors with Steve Atkinson on all evening weekday newscasts at 5 p.m., 6 p.m., 7 p.m. and 11 p.m.
Press Club’s Newsmakers Series Hosts Mark Kersey
The San Diego Press Club will host San Diego City Councilman Mark Kersey for its monthly “Newsmakers” program from 5:30 to 7 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 9, at Dobson’s Bar and Restaurant in the Spreckels Theatre building, 956 Broadway Circle downtown. Cost is free. For more info, contact Terry Williams at (619) 231-4340 or sdpressclub@cox.net.
Kersey, elected to the city council in 2012, chairs the council’s Infrastructure Committee and is vice chair of the Economic Development and Intergovernmental Relations Committee. He also is a member of the Special Charter Review Committee and the Budget and Government Efficiency Committee. He also serves as the city’s representative to the California League of Cities.
His fifth district includes the areas of Black Mountain Ranch, Carmel Mountain Ranch, Miramar Ranch North, Rancho Bernardo, Rancho Encantada-Stonebridge, Rancho Peñasquitos, Sabre Springs, San Pasqual, Scripps Miramar Ranch and Torrey Highlands.
Rick Griffin is a San Diego-based public relations and marketing consultant. His MarketInk column appears weekly on Mondays in Times of San Diego.
