Business
2025: A Transformative Year for Multicultural Marketing
As the clock ticks toward 2025, a pivotal year emerges for multicultural marketing. In a landscape shaped by diverse audiences, new challenges, and shifting priorities, the stage is set for both disruption and opportunity. 2025 holds the promise of redefining how brands connect with America’s diverse consumer base—an engagement critical for long-term growth and success. By Jose Villa - Advertising Executive, Entrepreneur, Cross-cultural & Marketing Strategist
Holding Company Consolidation: The Omnicom/IPG Merger and Implications for Communicators and Clients
The announcement of Omnicom Group's acquisition of Interpublic Group (IPG) may seem like a blockbuster moment in the marketing world and it is. Still, arguably, it’s more indicative of a failing model than a cause for celebration. The $13 billion all-stock deal creates the largest advertising agency by revenue, yet it also underscores the bloated, outdated nature of the traditional holding company system. Many clients are no longer looking for size—they demand agility, efficiency, results and accountability. In this light, the merger feels less like a step forward and more like a final attempt to hold on to a structure that is becoming obsolete. By Claudia Gioia - Co-Founder and Managing Partner PERCEPTUAL ADVISORS. Business Communications Executive | Marketing, Communications, Crisis Communications & Public Affairs Expert Consultant
The big just got even bigger (but not better)
As I write this, Omnicom has confirmed that it plans to buy IPG for around $14 billion. If completed, it would create the world's largest advertising holding company. The industry headlines make it sound inevitable. Scale is everything. Except... is it? By Amar Chohan - Founder - Department of Creative Affairs.
Alex Lopez Negrete to be inducted into the AAF Advertising Hall of Fame of 2025
The American Advertising Federation (AAF), "The Unifying Voice for Advertising," announced that Alex Lopez Negrete will be inducted into its 2025 Advertising Hall of Fame.
Omnicom to Acquire Interpublic Group to Create Premier Marketing and Sales Company
Omnicom and The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. announced their Boards of Directors have unanimously approved a definitive agreement pursuant to which Omnicom will acquire Interpublic in a stock-for-stock transaction. The combined company will bring together the industry’s deepest bench of marketing talent, and the broadest and most innovative services and products, driven by the most advanced sales and marketing platform. Together, the companies will expand their capacity to create comprehensive full-funnel solutions that deliver better outcomes for the world’s most sophisticated clients.
Global Advertising Forecast Projects 9.5% Growth in Total 2024 Advertising Revenue [REPORT]
GroupM, WPP’s media investment group, published the topline findings of its End-of-Year Global Advertising Forecast for 2024. The report, which analyses advertising investments over the last 12 months and shares projections for 2025 and beyond, finds that strong performance of the largest sellers of advertising and increased digital expansion have propelled growth in global advertising investment to 9.5% this year. The industry will surpass $1 trillion in total revenue for the first time in 2024 (excluding U.S. political advertising) and grow another 7.7% in 2025 to reach $1.1 trillion.
Media Innovation to Propel the Global Ad Market Towards the Trillion Mark
The winter update of MAGNA’s “Global Ad Forecast” reveals that media owners’ net advertising revenues (NAR) reached $933 billion in 2024, growing +10.3% over 2023. This is in line with MAGNA’s mid-year prediction (+10.0%) and a significant acceleration on the global growth recorded in 2023 (+6.4%). +10.3% is the strongest growth rate observed by MAGNA in 25 years (excluding the post-COVID surge in 2021 of +23%).
Two out of three (65%) marketers expect business to improve next year while a third (34%) expect marketing budgets to increase
Optimism around business in 2025 appears to be higher, with two out of three (65%) of marketers expecting improved trading conditions, though marketing budget expectations aren’t quite as positive, according to The Voice of the Marketer 2025, a new report by WARC released today based on an in-depth survey of more than 1,000 marketers worldwide.
Empathy and AI Shape Today’s Leading Customer Experiences [REPORT]
Top performing US companies in customer experience leverage values-based empathy, personalization, AI, and other innovative technologies to gain a competitive edge, according to the new KPMG US Customer Experience Excellence (CEE) report.
MUJERES LATINAS EN ACCIÓN: A Story 50 Years in the making ……
After an exclusive premiere in Chicago, Illinois, Mujeres Latinas en Acción (Mujeres) is elated to announce the first official Puerto Rico screening of the documentary, Mujeres Latinas en Acción: A Story 50 Years in the Making by filmmaker, Glorimar Marrero-Sánchez at the Caribbean Cinemas Fine Arts Miramar on Wednesday, December 11, 2024.
The real cost of business abandoning inclusion
Following Walmart and others’ withdrawal from DEIB initiatives, consultant Lisette Arsuaga explains how these businesses are out of sync with real Americans’ expectations. By Lisette Arsuaga, Co president and co CEO
ANA EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION encourages Giving Back to Marketing Industry’s Next Generation
Kicking off on GivingTuesday and through the end of the year, the ANA Educational Foundation (AEF) is doubling down on donations for its University Membership Program. The ANA Educational Foundation’s Give the Gift of ANA University Membership program allows organizations to donate an ANA membership to a school of their choice. These memberships enable both professors and students to tap into the vast network of industry programs, speakers, and curricula that the ANA and the AEF offers academia and future talent.
The future of media agencies: Is long-overdue innovation on its way?
Media agencies are under immense pressure. With new models emerging and more evidence of what advertisers want in the new world, change is afoot.
‘Get me on Rogan!’: PR scrambles to navigate new media
Corporate executives and other public figures emerged from this month’s election with a new task for their handlers: urgently figure out how to make them more like the loose, podcast-friendly Donald Trump, and less like the scripted and corporate Kamala Harris.
The Long Tail of the Advertising Business
To remain relevant — and profitable — agencies must regularly reevaluate their offerings to ensure they are optimizing the dynamics of the long tail of the advertising business.
Rolling Back DEI Initiatives
I considered writing a think piece on what Walmart rolling back its DEI initiatives means, but as I started, it hit me: they were never really about DEI. By Mario Xavier Carrasco / ThinkNow
Marketing is dead. Advertising is deader. Long live growth hacking? Part 3
By Gonzalo López Martí - Creative Director
- Many growth hacks are glorified, carefully orchestrated bait & switch maneuvers.
- Throw in a little word of mouth* and BINGO.
25TH EDITION OF HMC HISPANIC MARKET GUIDE: A comprehensive Playbook to help Marketers STOP Latino Coating & Reach Hispanic Market with Authenticity [DOWNLOAD GUIDE For Free]
On the heels of launching its #STOPLATINOCOATING campaign, the Hispanic Marketing Council (HMC) has released its highly anticipated 2024 Hispanic Market Guide as a roadmap to help marketers effectively and authentically connect with U.S. Latinos, currently positioned as the fifth largest global economy. This year marks the 25th edition of the market guide, which has served as a valuable resource for the industry and a vehicle for helping brands tap into the Hispanic opportunity.
4 in 5 Gen Z Employees Say They’re Victims of Generational Stereotypes, Costing Them Jobs and Promotions
Generation Z (Gen Z) knows they’re considered hard to work with, and they’re frustrated about it.
Stopping Burnout
Exhausted teams risk losing talent and producing substandard work — to keep them fresh, marketing leaders must prioritize their teams' mental and physical well-being
