Advertisers continue Rapid Adoption of Programmatic Buying

Advertisers are spending more than expected on real-time bidding, which is expected to account for a significant share of all display ad spending in the US this year and in the near future, according to a new eMarketer report, “Programmatic Advertising: Forecast and Future Growth Trends.”

The Cost Of Complexity: Lessons From Obamacare [INSIGHT]

Is Healthcare.gov different from Expedia.com?

Lately it’s been hard to let a day go by without following the next intrigue on Obamacare. At this point, it’s probably fair to say there isn’t a living soul who considers the website a success. And while I’ll refrain from expressing a point of view on the legislation itself or on the details of project planning or technical competency, I did want to dig deeper to understand the nature of the “complexity” that has marred the heart of Obamacare—the exchange. After all, there are many technologically complex data exchanges that we depend on—airline traffic management, ticketing, loan offers on lendingtree.com, the stock exchange, eBay, Paypal…the list goes on.

National Pork Board celebrates Hispanic Holiday Season

The National Pork Board will launch a social media promotion –  “21 Dias de Tradiciones Navideñas” (21 Days of Christmas Traditions) – on its Spanish-language Facebook pageas part of its efforts to engage with Hispanic consumers during the holidays.

Penetration of Smartphones, Tablets grows among US Teens

Both smartphone and tablet use saw a large leap among US teenagers ages 13 to 17 between 2012 and 2013, according to an October 2013 survey from the nonprofit Family Online Safety Institute (FOFSI) conducted by Hart Research Associates.

Wolfe Pereira named CMO at Datalogix

Datalogix announced that it has named former Starcom MediaVest Group executive Steven Wolfe Pereira as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) for the company.

Tadin Herb & Tea Co. taps Sensis

Sensis will develop a social media campaign for Tadin Herb & Tea Co. Sensis has begun developing the social media strategy and will begin rolling out elements of the campaign before the end of the year.

Top Opportunity for the Holiday Season: All Newly Employed “Santa’s” Are Multicultural [INSIGHT]

Hispanic and Asian American segments are leading the current job recovery as indicated by positive Labor Force growth, Employment, and decrease in unemployment (negative numbers in chart). While White Non-Hispanics are leaving the Labor Force instead of staying as other Multicultural segments and have caused a rapid reduction in the labor market.   By Carlos Santiago / Santiago Solutions Group

Potential Changes in Deductibility of Advertising Expenses within Tax Reform Legislation Would Only Serve to Stifle Economic Activity

Senator Max Baucus (D-MT), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, released his discussion draft of tax reform legislation that includes a provision that will, if enacted, severely impact the economy and lead to significant job loss. This provision would allow advertisers to deduct only 50 percent of all advertising expenses in the first year and amortize the remaining 50 percent over the next five years. Advertising currently is treated as a fully tax deductible ordinary and necessary business expense.

Retailer anticipate +3.1% increase on Black Friday Sales

Despite some early season promotions, retailers still expect consumers to be active for the official start of this year’s holiday shopping season. According to a survey of top retail chief marketing officers by BDO USA, LLP, retailers anticipate a 3.1 percent increase in sales on Black Friday this year, mirroring their projections from last year. However, retailers have moderated their expectations for growth in Cyber Monday sales, predicting that sales will grow by 3.7 percent this year, down slightly from last year’s sunnier 4.3 percent growth projection.

Are Blogger Moms ‘Measuring’ Up?

We started working with mom bloggers nearly eight  years ago, at a time when hardly anyone knew who or what they were and persuading brands to trust this new and mysterious form of media was a lengthy, painful and, for a long time, unsuccessful experience.

Speed’s Hot, Apps not, Price Matters – Sometimes

United States consumers, who are “addicted to speed” and often willing to pay more to get it, toggle between Wi-Fi and fourth-generation (4G) wireless technologies to get the fastest possible connection for their mobile devices.  Deloitte’s third edition “Global Mobile Consumer Survey” (GMCS) offers insight into consumer purchasing habits, wants and trends in the U.S., with a focus on mobile devices, technologies and services.

US Telecom Industry nears $5 Billion in Ad Spending

As the market for broadband connectivity, wireline and wireless services becomes saturated, US telecom carriers, cable TV operators and internet service providers are using online and mobile channels to promote new technology, faster networks, superior video quality and more profitable “bundled” services and data pricing plans, according to a new eMarketer report, “The US Telecom Industry 2013: Digital Ad Spending Forecast and Key Trends.”

Marketers should Focus more on Media Performance, Not Just Price

Virtually every week, there is another story about major marketers putting their media agency in review. Most of the reviews these days are driven by price, not performance. Marketers — through their procurement officers — want lower media prices, and they want to pay lower media agency fees. Certainly, marketers and their media agencies also spend a lot of time on media performance, but it seems that the pendulum has swung a bit too far to the cost control side lately.

DraftFCB shutting down Puerto Rico operation

Advertising agency DraftFCB is shutting down its Puerto Rico operation next month, leaving its 33 local employees out of work.  Employees were informed by a stateside executive who was sent down to deliver the bad news to the team of nearly three dozen in Puerto Rico.  Courtesy of Caribbean Business

Five Trends For 2014 (And Beyond) [INSIGHT]

Teens are the gatekeepers of cool, always willing to try new things and setting the standard for what’s hot and what’s not. They are early adopters and an important barometer for brands. Following are a few trends we’re seeing take off with teens, pointing to what will be hot or not on the horizon. While some present challenges for youth marketers, some also offer opportunities for us to better understand and reach today’s teens.

Univision brings Fans access to Latin Grammys via Social TV & Digital Integrations

Univision Communications Inc. unveiled plans to connect and deliver fans with direct access to the 14th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards® through first-of-its kind digital and social television integrations offered on any awards show to-date. Fans had the unique opportunity to interact with their favorite celebrities and ask questions as they participate virtually in an exclusive Google+ Hangout featured on a video wall during a green carpet broadcast.

Skip to content