Agency
Principal Media: Friend or Foe?
I will start with a belated public shout-out to Jared Belsky, recently named Ad Age's 2025 Agency Executive of the Year. That is quite the honor as this recognition is reserved for just one person, in an industry rich with many talented people. While there were multiple reasons that Jared was selected, what stood out was his public stance against principal media.
Blue-collar workers are less satisfied at work, less attached to their jobs than other U.S. workers
Blue-collar workers have been at or near the center of much public discussion in recent years, from their political leanings to their wages and cultural impact.
In the Interest of Good Science: A Closer Look at the World Happiness Report
How happy the citizens of a country are is a better measure of how well that country is doing, more so than the gross national product (or GDP). To promote and draw attention to this concept, the United Nations has observed the International Day of Happiness on March 20th annually, since 2012. On that date, the World Happiness Report (WHR), which ranks countries by their populations' happiness levels, is published by the joint efforts of the UN, Gallup, and Oxford’s Wellbeing Research Center. This year, according to the 2025 World Happiness Report, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Norway remain at the top of the list of happiest countries, as in previous years.
The Role of Race in Consumer Behavior and Inclusive Markets [PODCAST]
In this episode of The New Mainstream podcast, Dr. Sonya A. Grier, Kogod Eminent Scholar Chair in Marketing at the Kogod School of Business at American University, examines how race influences consumer behavior and why businesses must go beyond diversity to create inclusive marketplaces.
Gen Z Fashion Fans Outgrow TikTok: The Generation that Demands Authenticity and Credibility
A generation that is often viewed as impulsive, immature, and naïve, Raptive has proven with its new study, "DECODING GEN Z: The New Rules of Digital Trust and Influence," that gen Z has outgrown these stereotypes. Gone are the days of trendy, TikTok-influenced purchases, especially when it comes to fashion. Instead, gen Z are making informed purchases using the open web and turning toward authentic content creators with honest reviews and recommendations. For a generation that grew up in the digital age, it is more important than ever to gen Z consumers that the content they consume be trustworthy and credible.
84% of CMOs Report High Levels of Strategic Dysfunction
A survey of 403 CMOs conducted in October through November 2024 revealed organizations with high levels of strategic dysfunction are 36% less likely to report strong business and marketing performance. CMOs report multiple forms in which strategic dysfunction appears
Radio Creative Wear-Out Study Validates Mark Ritson’s Conclusion That Consumers Don’t Get Tired Of Ads, Only Marketers Do
One of the most frequently asked questions the Radio Advertising Bureau receives on audio creative involves wear-out. Wear-out is defined as the point where creative testing declines from its peak due to message frequency fatigue. By Pierre Bouvard
Think like an Immigrant.
World class leaders and companies rarely get defeated. They decide to defeat themselves by a) not taking emerging competitors with new models seriously , b) paying scant attention to underdogs with fewer resource and different approaches, and/or c) by refusing to align with the forces of the future. By Rishad Tobaccowala
Why First-Party Data Is Critical for Personalization (and Why Syndicated Data Alone Won’t Cut It Anymore)
In the age of hyper-connected customers and rising expectations, personalization is no longer a nice-to-have—it’s a baseline requirement. Brands are expected to understand who their customers are, anticipate their needs, and deliver the right message at the right time, through the right channel. And to do that, the kind of data you use matters—a lot. By Monique De La Rosa - Translating complex data into actionable, experience-led solutions -- architecting Personalized Interactions with Storytelling ... where Data Talks & Strategy Speaks
Why Sacrificing Channel Expertise Can Lead to a Vicious Cycle of Diminished Performance – Cutting costs or cutting corners?
The conversation between CMOs and CFOs has become increasingly focused on cost efficiency. Faced with rising scrutiny on budgets, many CFOs are questioning the value of maintaining multiple specialized agencies and advocating for consolidation to reduce fees. For CMOs, this creates a dilemma: How can they justify the need for channel expertise when every dollar is being watched?
Earned Media Strategy in 2025: Tips, Trends & Tactics [INSIGHTS]
As public relations (PR) evolves at lightning speed, earned media remains a powerful way to build trust and reach new audiences. In fact, in the 2025 Comms Report, 30% of PR professionals say they’re relying more on earned media than last year. Smart brands are also rethinking their earned media strategy to stay ahead in a landscape shaped by artificial intelligence (AI), social proof and changing consumer behavior. Understanding the latest earned media trends and tactics can help you boost visibility and drive real results.
HMC Honors AT&T with the 2025 Marketer of The Year Award
The Hispanic Marketing Council (HMC) has honored AT&T with the prestigious 2025 HMC Marketer of the Year Award. This recognition places AT&T among an elite group of brands that have demonstrated a strong commitment to multicultural marketing and engagement. AVP, Corporate & Brand Advertising Lianne Sinclair will accept the award at HMC’s Annual Summit on April 8 in New York City.
Positive Perceptions emerges as key attribute for Driving Brand Performance on Social Platforms [REPORT]
MAGNA and Pinterest release illuminating new research that explores the links between ad environment attributes and brand outcomes on social platforms. This study centers users’ emotions as core data to inform media planning and drive brand alignment. The robust research project measures brand impact, unconscious neuro-metric response, and sales impact through marketing mix modeling (MMM) to provide comprehensive insights for advertisers, who are relentlessly focused on KPIs and adapting to the changing media landscape.
Marquez Brothers acquires YoGusto Brand
Marquez Brothers International, Inc. (MBI), a family-owned company dedicated to the production and distribution of authentic quality branded Hispanic foods, announced that it reached an agreement to acquire Hato Potero Farms- owner of YoGusto® brand, one of the leading drinkable yogurt brands in the Southeastern United States. This strategic move marks a significant milestone in MBI's mission to expand its product offerings and strengthen its presence in the US food market.
What is the Job of Financials and Metrics for Creative Agencies?
The world of finance seems to be elusive for many digital, marketing and creative agencies. This post will highlight some practical ways to understand financials and what the financials are meant to provide a creative agency owner.
From Performative to Performance: If You Cut “DEI” You Probably Weren’t Measuring ROI- What Now?
Could it be that if you cut "DEI" you probably weren’t investing in the right strategies, or you turned it into a compliance effort? Was DEI performative and not about performance? Here is my take and humble reflections, above the noise and fears of the moment. You can call it whatever, rebrand it, or kill it, but the market is the market, and the growth drivers are the growth drivers, and the power of culture as the new mainstream remain strong. By Lili Gil Valletta - Chief Executive Officer
How are your peers splitting their media budget between traditional and digital channels?
With the increasing prominence of social and retail media, how can advertisers strategically allocate resources between digital channels, optimized for bottom-funnel conversions, and traditional channels, like TV and radio, for building brand equity and awareness at the top of the funnel?
24 COMPANIES EARNED A SPOT ON HMC’S 2025 STRATEGIC EXCELLENCE AWARDS SHORT LIST
The Hispanic Marketing Council (HMC) announced the short list for the Strategic Excellence Awards, the only award competition of its kind recognizing strategic excellence in Hispanic marketing and advertising and cultural fluency.
MAGNA rleases U.S. Advertising Forecast Spring 2025 Update – “Uncertain Times”
MAGNA always anticipated a market slowdown in 2025 due to the strong comparables, but we have further reduced our growth forecast in this update. The lack of economic visibility and a decline in confidence may impact marketing and advertising budgets in the short term. In this uncertain economic environment, the most vulnerable industry sectors include consumer goods (packaged food, beverages, and personal care), quick-service restaurants (QSR), and automotive. Despite the challenges posed by economic uncertainty, organic growth factors—such as media innovation, AI, retail media, and ad-supported streaming—will continue to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of advertising formats, encouraging advertisers to maintain or expand their budgets. Factoring all drivers and inhibitors, media owners’ advertising revenues are projected to grow by +4.3% in 2025 (down from the previous forecast of +4.9%). When adjusting for cyclical spending in both years (political advertising and the Summer Olympics in 2024), non-cyclical ad revenue growth in 2025 is revised from +7.3% to +6.7%, still solid by historical standards.
TELEMUNDO celebrates 25 years of Andres Cantor’s Unforgettable Calls & Coverage
Telemundo celebrated the 25th anniversary of the legendary soccer commentator Andrés Cantor with a special on-air tribute during its live coverage of the FIFA World Cup qualifier between Argentina and Brazil yesterday March 25. This April 1 officially marks Cantor’s 25th year with Telemundo, a milestone that recognizes his unparalleled contributions to sports broadcasting.
