Business

Marketing in Spanish in the U.S. may not seem like an innovation from our purview in 2017, but when the first recognized full service Hispanic advertising agency in the United States opened up in 1962 it was a paradigm-shifting marketing event. It was one of the first times national brands and companies marketed their goods and services in the U.S. using a language other than English. Again, upon retrospect this doesn’t seem like a significant innovation when we look at the immigration patterns and changing demographics at the time but for the courageous few that had the foresight and business savvy at the time to look at this shifting tide and create the business case, it was an innovation that birthed a multibillion dollar industry, Hispanic Advertising.  by Mario Carrasco

2016 may very well be remembered as the year that America’s racial divide became undone. The ubiquity of shootings of unarmed black men.  The ascent of Black Lives Matter, not to mention Blue Lives Matter and All Lives Matter.  The candidacy of Donald J. Trump and its nativist, prejudiced rhetoric.  Pick any random evening, turn on the nightly news, and you are sure to see evidence that, especially in racial terms, the country seems to be coming apart at the seams.  By David Morse – New America Dimensions

Massive cybersecurity breaches have become almost commonplace, regularly grabbing headlines that alarm consumers and leaders. But for all of the attention such incidents have attracted in recent years, many organizations worldwide still struggle to comprehend and manage emerging cyber risks in an increasingly complex digital society. As our reliance on data and interconnectivity swells, developing resilience to withstand cyber shocks—that is, large-scale events with cascading disruptive consequences—has never been more important.

By Gonzalo López Martí – Creative director, etc / LMMiami.com

• The way we package, ship and display goods will be disrupted dramatically in the coming years.
• If your job depends on the good old tried & true ways of selling CPGs to the masses, well, get ready for some upheaval.
• Some more upheaval, that is.
• The good news: shopping is not going anywhere.
• Shopping is freedom.
• Shopping is therapy.
• Shopping is our God-given right.

Brighter spirits may fuel a diverse mix of spending on experiences, self-gifting and gifts for others this holiday shopping season, according to Deloitte’s 32nd Annual Holiday Survey of consumer spending intentions and trends.

Bain & Company is forecasting 3.5% to 3.9% growth in US retail sales this holiday season, slightly above last year’s 3.5% growth and well above the 10-year average of 2.6%. Our optimism stems from positive macroeconomic indicators across the board, including rising wages, increasing employment and a strong stock market. We also see above-average growth in housing-related expenditures.  By Aaron Cheris, Darrell Rigby and Suzanne Tager

Over the last few months I’ve had the opportunity to speak with close to 50  marketers, friends, clients and former colleagues. I didn’t have an agenda or a pitch, just a conversation about their career paths and how they decided on their professions.  The conversation eventually made its way into a discussion of relationships they had with various consultants, advisors, and agencies.  Just for kicks, I built a word cloud from my notes and saw five themes emerge from what they wanted from a vendor.

Emilio Azcárraga Jean is leaving Grupo Televisa after being at the helm of the media company for 20 years.

While scientists have argued over the question of whether or not race is a real or artificial concept, complicating the issue, and perhaps lending credence to the idea that race is a societal construct, is that the federal government, in the form of the U.S. Census, has continually changed its system of racial categorization.  By David Morse – New America Dimensions

Technology-driven structural change is afoot: driverless cars,  robots at work, AI fueled investing, learning, decision-making.  Millennials are taking charge as the largest generation in the workforce. These phenomena are no longer far out on the horizon but are here today.

Univision Communications Inc. (UCI) announced the promotions of Ronald Estrada to Senior Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility & Community Empowerment and Stephen Keppel to Vice President, Social Impact & General Manager of Rise Up, effective immediately.

A few years ago, we made fun of the intended marriage of Publicis and Omnicom, which eventually fell through because neither Paris nor New York was prepared to compromise about where the new headquarters was going to be and who was going to lead the newly formed company. We laughed at “Publicom” or “Omnicis.” Silly guys, for falling out over such petty challenges.  by Maarten Albarda

With statistics showing a continual increase in the Hispanic population, the media industry needs to take the next step and build on the data to better reflect the findings within its employment ranks, Lisa Torres, president of multicultural for Publicis Media, said at the Hispanic TV Summit Thursday (Oct. 19).  By: R. Thomas Umstead / Courtesy of MultiChannel News and Broadcasting & Cable

By Gonzalo López Martí – Creative director, etc / LMMiami.com

• When a “fresh off the boat” Cuban arrives in Miami, one of the first rites of passage his or her friends and family put them through is “the supermarket experience”: visiting an American grocery store aisle for the first time.
• Some of them hyperventilate.
• A few have been known to drop on their knees and start sobbing.
• I kid you not.

ast week I referenced Richard Thaler, winner of the 2017 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for his ground-breaking work on behavioral economics. We now accept that the old economic models of rationality are wrong and it makes me wonder whether we should be questioning some more up-to-date assumptions.  by Nigel Hollis

Experts are evenly split on whether the coming decade will see a reduction in false and misleading narratives online. Those forecasting improvement place their hopes in technological fixes and in societal solutions. Others think the dark side of human nature is aided more than stifled by technology.

The customer aftermarket has become an afterthought for makers of home appliances, power tools, consumer electronics and other durable goods. Manufacturers and their retail partners have differing opinions when it comes to ensuring a valued, satisfying and profitable product ownership experience.

The Circulo Creativo announced the winners of their 2017 USH Ideas Awards competition.  Coral Gables based ALMA walk away with the largest cache of awards in multiple categories, along with Anomaly, LatinWorks, We Believers, WING and other shops.

The Hispanic Public Relations Association (HPRA) reveals the winners of the 2017 National ¡Bravo! Awards held at the Lotte New York Palace Hotel in New York City.

Pockets of growth seems to be a recurring theme amidst an era of economic change, modest growth and evolving consumption patters. Across the board, growth in Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) is getting harder to achieve but if you scratch below the surface, there are many examples of companies, segments and channels performing strongly.