Agency

By Gonzalo López Martí – Creative director, etc./LMMiami.com

• Technology finally confirmed what we had suspected all along (especially us cynics in the ad biz): nobody gives a damn about those brainy, carefully fact-checked foreign policy op-eds that appear on the Sunday paper.
• Our newfangled ability to track what people click on on their various devices is one rude awakening: most folks out there seem to have quite corny consumption habits.
• To put it mildly.
• Dancing cats, wardrobe malfunctions, celebrity gossip, the Paul bros, conspiracy theories.

Most digital strategies don’t reflect how digital is changing economic fundamentals, industry dynamics, or what it means to compete. Companies should watch out for five pitfalls.  The processing power of today’s smartphones are several thousand times greater than that of the computers that landed a man on the moon in 1969. These devices connect the majority of the human population, and they’re only ten years old.

In this report, Chick Foxgrover, 4A’s EVP of creative technologies and innovation, shares his perspective on this year’s CES conference — including key take-aways for agencies, insights on voice technology, VR, smart homes, and more.

Employ these five key tactics of growth hacking and supercharge your brand or company’s growth.

OK, I admit it. Every now and again I talk to myself, usually under moments of stress or excitement. And it occurs to me that with the advent of voice-first technologies digital designers, advertisers and researchers could get a whole new set of insights into how people experience their content. Of course, they might not always like to listen to what people say.  by Nigel Hollis

Hogarth’s Miami operation is led by Mauro Baz, who boasts more than 15 years of experience in the advertising and marketing industry, partnering with major companies including Nestle, Mattel, Johnson & Johnson, and Unilever. Mauro joined Hogarth Worldwide in London in 2011, and after helping to successfully launch its Brazil and Mexico operations, moved to Miami in 2016 to establish the Hogarth brand in the Americas.

The 4A’s asked industry-leading agency search consultants to provide “One Piece of Advice” that the association could share with members as they begin thinking about their 2018 new business plans.

TurboTax focuses on Latino EmpowermentTurboTax announced the launch of its new integrated Latino marketing campaign aimed at giving Latinos the confidence that with TurboTax their taxes are done right with a guaranteed maximum refund.  

Two consumer behaviors are driving brands’ ability to gain insights into purchase behavior: the rise of pre-shopping research on products, and the adoption of ecommerce. Even as in-store buying remains far and away the preferred method to purchase groceries, the insights gained through digital touchpoints are helping consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands shape the new customer journey.

FCB International President Sébastien Desclée announced the creation of the FCB&FiRe network: the result of a new alliance between FCB and FiRe Advertainment.

Univision Communications Inc. (UCI) announced that Jessica Rodríguez has been appointed to the newly-created role of President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of UCI Networks, effective immediately. In her new role as President and COO of UCI Networks, she will also report to Isaac Lee, Chief Content Officer, UCI and Grupo Televisa (“Televisa”). In addition, Rodríguez will continue to serve in her existing role as Chief Marketing Officer of UCI, reporting to Randy Falco, President and Chief Executive Officer.

The recent outcry about headline speakers at CES ignited another round of debate and discussion about our industry’s diversity/gender equality issues. Yes, it would have been better had there been a more diverse slate of CES presenters. And all conference and event planners — including the ANA — need to ensure that we practice what we preach. I know we don’t always get it right, so we need to do a better job to create agendas inspired by a diverse slate of speakers.  By Bob Liodice, CEO, ANA

Expect the trend of marketers expanding and/or launching in-house agencies to continue in 2018. If the Ad Age 2017 Marketer of the Year does its creative in-house, that’s certainly a model that should be considered for many others.  By Bill Duggan, Group EVP, ANA

H Code Media announced the launch of a new division called H Code Studio—a full-service content studio combining the identity of a brand, the storytelling of a production house, and the scale of a digital platform.

The idea of going cashless isn’t too far off, especially with giants like Starbucks and Amazon already taking the leap.

In the latest episode of “Behind the Numbers,” eMarketer staffers consider recent regulatory changes covering internet access, and discuss the implications for platforms, marketers and consumers.

Laurence Green does not believe that we have reached “peak purpose”. As he wrote in a recent opinion piece his experience of judging Best Use of Brand Purpose at the 2017 WARC Awards led him to conclude that purpose was alive and well.  by Nigel Hollis

For more than 100 years, the share of money Americans spent at the store for the food and beverages they would later eat at home remained fairly constant. But change is inevitable, and our habits have finally started to shift.

By Gonzalo López Martí – Creative director, etc. / LMMiami.com

• Oddly enough, as much as our culture pays lip service to teamwork, we tend to end up paying groupie tribute to illuminated individuals.
• It is not uncommon in the marketing & advertising racket, for instance, to let one creative director take all the credit for a successful campaign in which dozens of people took part.
• Happens in all walks of life.
• It is an ancestral human atavism.
• Our brittle brains seem to be wired that way.

ThinkNow Research announced even though consumers experienced greater employment and steady or slightly increased income last year, they are less optimistic about the economy in 2018.