Marketing

The island of Puerto Rico as many of our readers know is a territory of the United States governed by United States Federal Law.  It also considered a major US Hispanic Market, but since it resides on an island many place it under the international division.  But it has turned into a petri dish for many of this century’s testing: birth control, mass sterilization, agent orange and more up to the ad industry’s test of transparency.

With responses from nearly 70 food retailers representing more than 4,600 stores across 34 states, the comprehensive study details growing investments in social media, mobile and more relevant promotions by U.S. grocers in response to changing consumer buying behavior.

More than 80% of women claim to distrust the news media, citing “inadequate fact checking” and “political bias” as the primary causes.  When asked about their trust in advertising, the response was similarly distrustful: 80% of women say they don’t trust ads.

Femininity: its definition, role and perceived value within society is rapidly changing. In the wake of such change, the route to equality is being redefined. No longer is equality simply about obtaining the same status as a man (and likely having to fit into a world designed by and for men to do so), women can now aspire to a world designed to suit both genders. One where feminine needs and traits are valued as much as traditionally masculine ones.

At Nielsen, we analyze the return on investment (ROI) across thousands of brands every year through our marketing mix models, and we’ve seen a wide variety of ROI results among Spanish TV advertising efforts. And the good news is that driving strong ROI from Spanish-language advertising is obtainable, and our research points to some key tips that can help advertisers achieve strong outcomes more consistently.

Growing penetration is the main growth driver available to marketers, but unless that growth is achieved at a price point that generates profit it may prove self-defeating. Over-reliance on price promotion to bolster volume sales has led many companies to fall into the price promotion trap.  by Nigel Hollis

Multicultural marketing has created a marketing economy based on segmenting the population by ethnicity. While ethnicity segmentation has worked for the past several decades, as I pointed out in an earlier column, that foundation is starting to crack. Our industry is experiencing a paradigm shift. As we attempt to make sense of this existential crisis of marketing models, we should consider how we segment and why.  by Mario Carrasco – Partner, ThinkNow Research

Latin restaurant chains get lost crossing continents when they lose touch with their brand culture, their true recipe for success. Menus may not translate to new U.S. markets, even heavily Hispanic ones, but authentic brand culture and communications will always transcend time and place.  by Stephen Rosa / (add)ventures

It’s hard enough to hold one person’s attention, let alone an entire generation’s. Millennials—now the largest generational group in the U.S.—have grown alongside advancements in technology and media platforms, placing them in intriguing territory with regard to media habits. When it comes to television, their eyes are glued to the screen. With commercials, they’re still tuned in—but their eyes are on their cell phones.

One central theme running through the content marketing sessions at the Social Media Week conference this week in New York can be summed up with a question: Are brands spending too much money on the wrong content?

The insatiable demand for quality content requires organizations to move beyond traditional advertising and to harness their ability to produce truly authentic, credible and relevant content.

Imagine, if you will, a thick hamburger patty being pulled off a sizzling grill and laid on a freshly toasted bun. Cheese slowly melts on the patty while it’s topped with lettuce, tomato and secret sauce drips as the top bun is perfectly placed. Now imagine two hands reaching to grab the delicious-looking burger. You see the person open their mouth, take a bite and close their eyes to enjoy each moment of the experience. Their eyes open and the only thing left to do is smile.  Which of these moments — the images of the burger or the person eating it — do you think communicates great taste at higher levels?

I was fortunate to have a great talk the other day with Kevin McNair, Britvic’s marketing director, in which he asserted the need for marketers to have the financial prowess of a CFO and the insight and business acumen to act like a CEO, as reflected in the headline for our interview.

Sometimes revolutions sneak up on you. For ages, boring bloggers (this one anyway) have been going on about the need for change, the coming of the transparent era, how the media agencies’ future resides with planners, how buying will become increasingly automated and on and on and on. And guess what? Suddenly it all seems to be starting to happen!  By Brian Jacobs / The Cog Blog

I admit that ‘brand health’ is one of those concepts used in marketing that is often ill-defined. Maybe that is why there are so many conflicting beliefs about it. So in this post I thought I would address three of the most frequent myths that I have heard concerning brand health.  by Nigel Hollis

Nielsen data has already shown that multicultural consumers are driving trends across alcoholic beverages, but a recent study found they are also influencing fresh categories in the grocery store.

Influencers are taking an increasingly large chunk of the digital ad market, and many individuals with hefty, engaged social media followings are charging top dollar to work with brands to spread the word about their products and services.

It’s tough being a marketer today. Consumers have a barrage of choices in front of them, leaving marketers scrambling to establish value, stand out and deliver. Marketers need ingenious ways to reach and increase brand appeal, and find their way into consumers’ shopping carts. Add to it a cluttered media landscape and rapid advancements in technology, brands are finding themselves increasingly challenged to capture consumer mind share.

I recently read an article in Market Leader by Judie Lannon titled, ‘Lost in translation: is the digital age weakening brand meanings?’ I think her proposition that cultural fragmentation has eroded brand strength is valid, but in part it has to do with how marketers are using digital media.  by Nigel Hollis

Media is viewed as a complex headache by advertisers who are failing to provide leadership in this critical investment area, according to a new report from media change consultants ID Comms.