Business

Rapid adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Intelligent Automation (IA) brings a host of broad questions leaders must thoroughly consider as their organizations move into the automation age. A new KPMG LLP report explores these potentially massive issues and provides important insights to help drive decision making as robots and cognitive technology begins to outpace human intelligence.

Few sectors have experienced as much disruption as banking over the last decade or so. The trusted partner personified by a high street presence and friendly bank manager has given way to an uneasy hybrid of digital and telephone services. Recession, digitisation, and high-street closure have changed our relationship with banks from trusted partner to service provider. Banks have suffered from their lack of customer centricity, focusing on sales rather than forging the long-term relationships of old.

BOTTOM LINE: Marketer trade group the ANA has released a detailed report on fee transparency issues in the commercial production ecosystem, which is the focus of a Department of Justice probe. While the report does not detail any specific agency or holding company’s wrong-doing, the description of practices and recommendations to marketers may add to the scrutiny marketers are increasingly applying to their agency and holding company contracts.  By Brian Wieser / Pivotal Research Group

Bernardo Rodriguez will be responsible for advancing J.D. Power’s digital transformation with responsibility for new product development, branding, marketing and mergers and acquisitions. In this role, Rodriguez will be responsible for the design and content of J.D. Power’s digital interface with clients and consumers, reporting directly to Finbarr O’Neill, Chief Executive Officer and President.

María Elena Salinas, an influential voice in television and Hispanic America for more than three decades, announced that she plans to leave the Univision News anchor chair at the end of the year.

The agency refusal to cooperate infuriated procurement. As one exasperated executive told me in 2003, “Who the hell do they think they are, anyway? A bunch of prima donnas. I’m going to whack their fees by 10% — maybe that will send them a message.”  By Michael Farmer – Madison Avenue Manslaughter

Univision Communications Inc. (UCI) on the heels of promoting Steve Mandala to president of Advertising Sales and Marketing, announced a new leadership team to manage its growing portfolio of ad-driven platforms.

Lionsgate and Hemisphere Media Group have launched PANTAYA, the first Spanish-language over-the-top (OTT) service dedicated to premium content for the Hispanic community in the U.S.

Consumer products giant Procter & Gamble Co. on Thursday reported better-than-expected fiscal fourth quarter profit and sales, but if you think this means things are turning up for the struggling US consumer packaged goods sector, think again.

The latest quarterly results from P&G once again raise the question of the real value of digital advertising. If a major company can cut digital spend by $140 million and sales increase, what does that imply about the effectiveness of that spend?  by Nigel Hollis

Univision Communications Inc. (UCI) announced the appointment of Steve Mandala to President of Advertising Sales and Marketing, effective immediately. Mandala, who was most recently Executive Vice President of Advertising Sales, will remain based in New York and will report to Tonia O’Connor, Chief Revenue Officer.

Univision Communications Inc. (UCI) announced that Tonia O’Connor has been promoted to the newly-created role of Chief Revenue Officer (CRO), effective immediately.

Add this to the retail worry list: There are signs that Hispanic consumers, dubbed the “new mainstream” by some, may be changing their spending behavior amid shifting immigration enforcement policy in the US.

On the one-year anniversary of the Association of National Advertisers’ landmark study and subsequent recommendations on media transparency, it’s time to review the issues in this ongoing debate and see where we stand today.  The issues raised in the transparency debate are complex and dominated the advertising industry’s discourse in 2016.

“Toto, I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore” is how Dorothy speculated she was probably a long way from home, and it’s arguably how the advertising industry is feeling right now. It’s no longer us against them for a brief — it’s us against them and the consultancies. It’s the talk of London as to

Latinum Network announces the launch of new umbrella brand, Collage Group.

Oath, a new Verizon company, resulting from the combination of AOL and Yahoo brands, products, and operations, has defined its leadership structure for Latin America.

The issues raised in the subsequent transparency debate are complex, and if the allegations against the agencies are true, the behavior is reminiscent of past high-profile financial scandals.  By Bob Liodice and Doug Wood

Programmatic is certainly not going away, but I do think marketers are starting to smell it for what it really is.  It’s a cost-saving strategy, which attempts to create the same ROI for a fraction of the cost when compared to more “traditional” forms of advertising.  

Lehman Brothers, Tyco, Enron, Worldcom, step aside!  Media agencies and their owners belong in the same lineup as Bernie Madoff, Dick Fuld, Dennis Kozlowski, Ken Lay, Jeffrey Skilling and Bernie Ebbers!  By Michael Farmer