Agency

Following the release of the new How Disruption Can Fuel Brand Growth report Bill Pink, Head of Brand Guidance Analytics in North America, and I have been mulling over whether big data is likely to inspire disruption. Our answer is that to do so you need more than just data, big or small.  by Nigel Hollis

On Aug. 26, 1920, the U.S. Congress ratified the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, giving women the right to vote. Today, Susan B. Anthony and other suffrage leaders who fought for social equality 100 years ago would be proud to witness the fruits of their labor as women maintain a prominent position in determining election outcomes across our 50 states.  That hard-fought influence of the female voter is sure to be felt with the upcoming statewide gubernatorial, senate and house races taking place in almost every state this year.  But are all female voters alike, and will a one-size-fits-all media strategy work as candidates vie to get their messages heard by this important voter segment?

The Cannes Festival of Advertising, where Lions come from, may not have jumped the shark yet, but it’s headed that way. That’s important not just because the Lions are the Oscars of advertising, but because the festival itself is a mirror of our industry. This year’s look in the mirror gave a rather unflattering reflection. What happened?

The shifting of advertising budgets into the digital space brings a number of great opportunities and efficiencies, but it also brings many complexities. Without question, targeting audiences across digital channels is a challenging feat for advertisers, agencies and publishers. And it is not getting easier.

How have programmatic platforms and other new technologies disrupted the marketing creative process? In the new episode of eMarketer’s “Behind the Numbers,” we discuss some of the changes with guest Grant Munro, co-founder of Shutterstock Custom.

Telemundo doubles down on its commitment to provide youth the opportunity to play soccer, empower future champions and expand educational opportunities for Latino youth by investing over $35,000 in scholarships to high-need, distinguished student athletes from across the country.

The practice of brand integration is nothing new. Since the early days of entertainment — and specifically soap operas, daytime television wholly sponsored by brands — it has been an engaging and compelling arrow in a marketer’s quiver. There are many historical markers around brand integration since that time. E.T. and Reese’s Pieces. The Bond franchise and multiple brands including Aston Martin and Heineken. FedEx and Wilson in Cast Away. These integrations are considered the gold standards, but thousands and thousands of others may not necessarily grab the headlines but are equally impactful — and sometimes more so.

Based on analysis of huge attitudinal and behavioral data sets Kantar Millward Brown finds that meaningfully different brands grow faster than average and can command a price premium. But how do you know whether a brand has the potential to grow faster than average?  by Nigel Hollis

The bilingual TV spots consist of three executions in which hardcore and novice soccer fans come together to enjoy the 2018 FIFA World Cup every morning over McDonald’s breakfast. As the tournament progresses our novice fans learn more about The Beautiful Game and even some Spanish along the way. World Cup commercials are seen very frequently over a one month period, so we created a series of spots that told a bigger story as a whole and rewarded the viewer with fresh executions throughout the tournament.

Aida E. Rosario has been named Director of Community and Communications for Telemundo 47.

I attended the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity for the first time this year (long overdue).  One of the highlights was my participation in a discussion titled “Trust, Transparency and Driving Business Outcomes” with MasterCard CMO Raja Rajamannar that was led by Jay Sears, MasterCard’s Senoir Vice President Media Solutions.  One of the issues discussed was progress being made improving trust and transparency between marketers and their agencies.  Unfortunately, I feel that’s been a mixed bag. 

Unless you’re deep in the ad tech weeds on a daily basis, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by the industry’s perpetual changes. For those who need some catching up, here are a few charts that show how programmatic advertising is evolving.

Agencies, like brands, need consistency. Agencies used to have access to the C-suite within brands but that’s no longer the case. It’s time for agency leaders to step up and rebuild agency C-suite relevance again.  By Thomas Barta

The implication: as more consumers avoid ads, marketers need to examine how they manage ad campaigns today and in the future, particularly if they are targeting groups with a higher propensity to do block ads or have relied on linear TV.

Can Spanish-language radio serve as a powerful platform for the expansion of a very regional brand that seeks wider growth opportunities? Yes. Louisiana-based roaster Community Coffee is using AMs and FMs targeting Hispanic consumers to great success in Texas. In this Hispanic Radio Podcast, advertising agency head Alex López Negrete — whose resume includes Spanish-language play-by-play for an NBA franchise — shares his thoughts on why radio works for advertisers.

Risk drives reward.  We’re all familiar with the financial maxim which defines investment return as a function of risk incurred.  Can this construct also better describe how we view marketing investments?  Organizations showing increased expenditure on stock buybacks and dividends relative to growth investments (advertising/marketing and R&D) tend to be more risk averse.

The data reflects the world people know and experience today. Patterns in that data may reveal opportunities for optimization, better steering behaviors in favor of a specific brand, but are unlikely to reveal opportunities for disruptive growth.  by Nigel Hollis

Given how large the millennial generation is, more and more companies these days are keen on creating a collective millennial marketing strategy.  By Danielle Ramirez

Young adults today are marrying at lower rates than previous generations, and self-reports suggest that a lack of economic security plays a role in the decline.

Ana G. Méndez University System (AGMUS) has been awarded the 2018 Excellence in New Communications Award in the Communications, Communities and Collaboration – Academic Division by the Society for New Communications Research of The Conference Board (SNCR) for the Tu Tienes Valor (You Have Courage) campaign.