Agency

It is very easy to think of brands as a fixed entity defined by a logo and a set of specific characteristics; however, because the real power of brands originates in people’s minds maybe we need to think about a brand as an evolving entity that morphs and changes over time. Our job as marketers is to shape that evolution to best grow sales.  by Nigel Hollis

Recent technological and logistical innovations in Latin America have given rise to myriad growth opportunities for retailers to engage with consumers across digital channels and geographic areas. One critical aspect that is helping expand ecommerce is the rising trust consumers have in making transactions online.

There’s definitely a car theme running through the latest advertiser rankings in radio, TV and cable. Just past the halfway mark of 2019, the top advertising categories are all related to driving: automotive dealers, insurance providers and fast casual-quick service restaurants.

Continuing its efforts to market to Hispanic vacationers, Carnival Cruise Line, the world’s most popular cruise line, has partnered with full-service marketing firm Pinta to expand focus on cross-cultural audiences.  

The U.S. Census Bureau released new tables from the 2017 and 2018 Current Population Survey.

The ARF conducted its second annual Privacy Study among 1,100 American consumers during the week of March 26th, 2019. The first study was conducted during the week of May 28th, 2018. Both surveys were conducted using a Qualtrics online sample and platform and were weighted to U.S. population estimates for age, gender, and region.

Three of the first four businesses on STORES Magazine’s Hot 100 Retailers list are supermarket chains ultimately owned by foreign-based companies. At the top of the chart is Lidl, part of Lidl Siftung & Co., based in Neckarsulm, Germany. In the No. 3 slot is Grupo Comercial Chadraui, Mexico’s third-largest retailer whose stores in the United States operate under the El Super banner. Right behind at No. 4 is Don Quijote, Japan’s largest discounter, which bought the Hawaiian chain Time Supermarkets two years ago.

Naming new brands is one of the most nettlesome marketing tasks. But now it’s getting even more challenging, taking up additional bandwidth among time-strapped marketers.

The future of the U.S. is multicultural, and has been trending that way for years. In fact, since 2010, 92 percent of the population growth in the U.S. has emanated from Hispanic, African-American and Asian population groups. In this episode of the Why Behind The Buy, Monique talks with multicultural marketing expert Cesar Melgoza about effective multicultural marketing. She also talks with Sonia Cisneros, manager of the Pacific Northwest region for Novamex, a food and drink distributor that is out front in marketing to multicultural consumers in the CPG space.

The United States has spent the past century expanding its economic power, and it shows in American families’ wealth. Despite income stagnation outside the circle of high earners, median family wealth grew from $83,000 in 1992 to $97,000 in 2016 (in 2016 dollars).

I want to share some information for agency owners and new business leaders this week. I’ve written previously about how meet your annual sales goals, but I want to share it in a format that makes it easy for you to apply to what you are doing right now. This is the basic math of agency new business. You should be able to put it into practice immediately to help you reach your year-end targets.  by Mark Duval – The Duval Partnership

We’ve heard it before: Don’t treat your agencies as mere vendors, unless, of course, a commodity is what you are seeking. But the label “vendors” shouldn’t be such a dirty word. In principle, “vendors” are delivering services that have reasonable commercial value and getting paid for them. The real issue is in such a competitive environment, relying on a “vendor” or transactional type of relationship to fuel your growth won’t cut it anymore.

Want to trigger impostor syndrome? Try this: Imagine being invited to a blind wine tasting. With a bunch of French wine buffs. You’ll have to guess each wine’s region and year and defend your position in an in-depth discussion. Sweaty palms yet?.  by Maren Seitz – Director, Global Connect Center – Kantar

It’s increasingly clear that societal fragmentation is at least partly driven by fragmentation in personal identity. The acceleration of lifestage fluidity, the rising multiracial population, the expanding gender spectrum, and a plethora of other identity markers intersect uniquely for everyone. The emergence of microculturalism is a major test for businesses seeking to understand, reach, and accurately depict consumers.

NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises announced it acquired the internationally-renowned production boutique Underground Producciones based in Argentina.  The new wholly-owned subsidiary will become an extension of the successful Telemundo Global Studios designed to super charge its growth and premium content production capabilities for prime time and digital platforms.

Nearly a third of U.S. adults (31%) follow local news very closely, but local news does not play an equally vital role for all Americans. Older Americans, black adults and those with a high school education or less show considerably more interest in local news than their counterparts, according to a new analysis from Pew Research Center. These same groups prefer getting their local news via the TV rather than online.

Nielsen launched Continuous Diary Measurement (CDM) with the first data delivery in five of the 46 markets converting to monthly reports effective with the July 2019 survey.

Despite losing subscribers for the first time in the past eight years, Netflix is still the preferred method used for watching TV programs among U.S. consumers, followed closely by YouTube. Preferred by 61% of consumers for the past two years, the streaming giant’s dominance hasn’t been marked so much by growth as it has been by the drastic decline of Live TV across 2017, 2018, and 2019. In a matter of 3 years, linear television went from 68% in viewership down to 36%.

As the just-released “Retail Renaissance – A Growth Story” report from IHL Group points out, retail stores are definitely not going away. According to the report, for each company closing stores, 5.2 are opening stores. For every segment of retail, there are more companies opening stores than closing stores. Even the much-maligned department store category has more brands opening stores than closing them.

CBS and Viacom, two of the world’s leading entertainment companies, announced they have entered into a definitive agreement to combine in an all-stock merger, creating a combined company with more than $28 billion in revenue.