Marketing
Census and OMB Data Collection of Latinos Can Be Improved with Inclusion of “Street Race” [REPORT]

The UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute (UCLA LPPI) has published “Latino is Not a Race: Understanding Lived Experiences through Street Race,” a new report authored by Cecilia Nuñez, Julia Silver, Misael Galdámez, and Dr. Nancy López. The report examines the complexities of racial and ethnic identification within Latino communities in the United States, focusing on the concept of “street race,” or the race a stranger would assume you to be based on your physical appearance. The report finds that current Census and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) methods for collecting and analyzing racial and ethnic data do not accurately reflect the lived experiences of many Latinos, especially Afro-Latinxs.
ANA New Marketing Ethics Code Essential to Consumer Trust

Self-regulation and ethical marketing is critical to the success of the marketing and advertising industry as it hinges on building consumer trust over the long term. Best practices lead to solid growth over time, while unethical marketing leads to broken reputations and loss. We have all seen poor practices by marketers. The Center reviews hundreds of consumer complaints about marketing each year — and most are easily remedied through best practices and common solutions.
The Death of DEI? Not So Fast – As DEI efforts meet resistance, new studies show that many brands continue pushing onward

It may not qualify as a total reversal of attitude, but it's awfully close. Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) — heralded not long ago as the core to corporate America's future — is in retreat, as companies reduce and/or eliminate their DEI programs altogether. In late June, for example, rural lifestyle distributor Tractor Supply Company shut down its DEI initiatives after receiving backlash from some of its customers and right-wing commentators regarding the company's inclusion policies and support for the LGBTQ+ community. Industry rival John Deere followed suit in July, saying it would no longer sponsor diversity events following similar complaints. Indeed, companies are "reassessing decades-old anti-discrimination strategies and rewriting policies that once emphasized race and gender to prioritize inclusion for all," according to the Washington Post. Such developments stand in stark contrast to the bandied efforts among many brands to foster DEI following George Floyd's murder in 2020, which sparked a racial reckoning throughout the country.
P&G’s Signal Summit 2024: Driving Market Growth and Value Creation

Innovation is the driving force behind our ability to deliver superior products. By Marc S. Pritchard - Chief Brand Officer at Procter & Gamble
Top Trends Pulse Check [REPORT]

In today’s dynamic marketplace, cultural alignment is a powerful driver of brand success. With 63% of people more likely to buy a product if the brand is part of cultural trends they care about — and companies that are believed to be culturally relevant being twice as likely to have loyal customers — it’s clear that cultural relevance is not just a preference but a priority.
What Marketers Need to Know When Their Agencies Act as ‘Principals’

Principal-based trading is ‘everywhere,’ industry observers say. Marketers need to define their comfort level with the practice. Agencies that secure ad space for marketers are increasingly buying inventory and taking ownership of the media they then resell to those clients, versus buying it on behalf of that marketer as an agent.
Global CMO Growth Council Leadership Assembly at Cannes LIONS 2024: Topline Recap and Key Takeaways [REPORT]

For the seventh consecutive year, the Global CMO Growth Council convened its leadership community at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. This pivotal forum brought together CMOs from top brands around the world to share progress and prioritize leadership initiatives for the remainder of 2024.
Using Principal Media Requires a Keen Eye

Brands need to push for transparency if they buy media from their agency partners, per a new study
Outlook of an Eternal Optimist: Status Report of an Unsinkable Industry

The first half of 2024 has been nothing short of a whirlwind. Ad industry conversations have centered around many exciting opportunities, like using Generative AI as a tool to elevate all steps of the creative storytelling process, from research to insights to a much broader scale of personalized content. At the same time, we are having substantive discussions around major barriers that can thwart our clients’ ability to evolve at the pace of the changing consumer landscape. One would be the mounting attempts at undoing DEIB practices and protocols, which can – and has – had a direct impact on the priority placed and budgets allocated to Multicultural Marketing. Another is the legislative agenda to strip any consumer data related to race, ethnicity and other identity-related demographic information from critical data sources, which can severely limit our ability to identify, study, reach and engage the multicultural consumer segments with the most relevant content and brand solutions. By Louis Maldonado
B2B Marketing Tactics for 2024 [INSIGHTS]

If you do not have a B2B or B4B strategy, what are you waiting for?
NFL Selects MEL to Rally U.S. Latinos to Make Their Voices Heard and Score Votes This Election Season

This year, the NFL partnered with the Hispanic integrated communications agency MEL to launch a non-partisan "Latino Votes" national campaign encouraging U.S. Latinos to vote for their country’s future as part of the NFL Votes initiative. The initiative focuses on three components of the electoral process, voter education, registration, and activation, and encourages eligible voters to actively engage in the upcoming election cycle by helping them prepare for election day.
Not All Racial and Ethnic Groups Are Aging At National Pace

The nation as a whole is getting older, but not all race and Hispanic origin groups are aging at the same pace, a pattern that promises to alter the makeup of the U.S. working-age population for decades to come.
Is the Ad Agency Model Broken? [PODCAST]

Agency-client relations are seldom easy, even for companies that have been partners for years. However, in the last few years — amid the unrelenting wave of online marketing and digital media — agency-client relations have become even more problematic.
2024 State of Gen Z and the Future of Advertising [REPORT]

This report from Comscore provides marketers with the key digital and social media trends they need to reach this digital-first cohort with the right message exactly where they are most receptive to receiving it.
The Enduring Importance of Inclusive Marketing in a DEI Adverse World [PODCAST]

In this episode of The New Mainstream podcast, Devoreaux Walton, MBA, a Brand & Marketing Senior Consultant at relevant and host of The Inclusive Consumer podcast, discusses the relevance of inclusive marketing in today’s complex business landscape.
ANA and Global CMO Growth Council Launch Major Talent Initiative to Bring CMOs Directly to Academia

The Global CMO Growth Council, Association of National Advertisers (ANA) and LIONS announce the launch of 'Global CMO Homecoming,' a collaborative initiative designed to bridge the gap between the marketing industry and academia. This initiative aims to bring Chief Marketing Officers to university campuses to share their insights and experiences with marketing students, preparing the next generation of marketing leaders.
6 Marketing Leaders on How to Better Understand Your Consumer

Being "consumer-obsessed" isn't a new idea for marketers. We are living in an age where data is used to refine targeting, and marketers target products and services to different demographics by tailoring messages (and how those messages are received). However, to do this successfully, consumer demographics need to be understood beyond shallow and superficial narratives.
Hispanics are less likely to be worries about AI [REPORT]

“Check out Amrak Solutions’ latest insight drop (via LinkedIn) where they delve into Hispanic sentiment regarding AI and other emerging technologies. Explore the optimism and excitement of the Hispanic community as they look towards the future.”
A CMO’s Guide to Unlocking the Potential of Human-Centered AI – Creating better experiences for consumers requires a human touch and an AI boost

As digital experiences continue to influence how brands interact with consumers, paradoxically, human experiences are more critical than ever to building the strong emotional connections required to secure purchase and loyalty.
AI Campaigns and Case Studies

Artificial intelligence (AI), and its applications, is at the forefront of many discussions in many industries and fields, from marketing to tech to healthcare to education to law. How to implement and leverage these tools in a helpful way for users can be challenging for teams. However, when used well, AI can help save time analyzing data, personalize content and information, enhance creative ideas, and find ways to promote diversity, equality, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB).