Agency

As far as choice goes, there’s never been a better time to be a consumer. Thanks to globalization and connectivity, consumers around the world have access to a wider array of products than ever—a trend that’s likely to continue going forward. And the bevy of choice involves products and services from both multinational and local brands. So in an era of massive choice, how much weight does the “made in” moniker carry when it comes to purchase motivation?

This past year marked a turning point for the White Non-Hispanic population which declined for the first time ever, 10 years before the U.S. Census projection. Multicultural segments made up 100% of U.S. population growth last year according to recently released 2016 ACS. While U.S. population growth is slowing overall, Multicultural segments are driving the expansion of the U.S. consumer base making up 4 in 10 Americans with Hispanics continuing to drive half of the entire U.S. growth and the Other/Mixed Race segment delivering the fastest growth. Looking to the future, the Multicultural population in the U.S. is projected to reach 131 million in 2018. This tipping point is causing many marketers to reconsider with which segments to lead their growth efforts.

A recent study shows that 55% of U.S. Hispanics identify as bicultural. It’s important now more than ever to represent bicultural Latinos and tell their stories. Verizon is at the forefront of this storytelling with their most recent dedicated and original Spanish/bilingual ad for Verizon Fios starring American actor Gaten Matarazzo (known for his role as “Dustin Hendersen” in “Stranger Things” (2017), the thrilling Netflix sci-fi drama) and actor Marcel Ruiz (known for his role of “Alex Alvarez,” in the Netflix’s 2017 reboot of “One Day at a Time”), portraying bicultural families in a fun and creative way with relatable family dynamics.

The difference between connecting and pandering to your Hispanic consumer is a fine line. When you reach out to Hispanics solely for your needs and with little authenticity (soccer balls and Mariachis everywhere!), you’re pandering. When you reach out to address mutual needs in an authentic way, you’re connecting. Awareness of this difference can mean gaining the loyalty of your audience versus being an object of ridicule, as politicians from Hillary Clinton to Donald Trump, as well as major brands have learned.  By Lee Vann / Capture Group

NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises and consumer intelligence firm Maru/Matchbox have announced an innovative partnership and a first for the Hispanic market: a combined insight community, spanning the full spectrum of U.S. Hispanics across variables such as country of origin, language in the household and acculturation level.

RAZE, the Hispanic digital media and production company founded by “Modern Family” star Sofia Vergara and seasoned industry leaders Emiliano Calemzuk and Luis Balaguer, was the recipient of the first-ever PromaxBDA Latin America’s “Game Changer Award.”

An examination of Facebook and Instagram campaigns measured by Kantar Millward Brown finds longer-term brand impact is boosted when brands communicate in a more personable and human way. How do you do that? Think of the audience as human beings to be engaged not targets to be cajoled.  by Nigel Hollis

In the fifth and final episode of our “Critical Challenges” series, we dig into the topic of brand safety, featuring highlights from our one-to-one interviews with top marketing executives from around the world.

Univision Communications Inc. announced the appointment of Antonio Roman to senior vice president, Local Media New York Sales for Univision New York. Roman will lead the company’s NY-based sales teams across TV, Digital, Radio and Experiential Marketing.

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

• Last week I waxed poetic about the Hollywood film industry and its blatant double standards.
• The self-proclaimed hotbed of progressive liberalism where greed, sexism, bullying and the exaltation of gun violence is the order of the day.
• Granted, we ad people might not have the highest moral cred to point fingers when it comes to hypocrisy.
• In the ad biz we’re all staunchly anti-tobacco until Philip Morris sends us an RFP.
• Our principles are malleable to say the least.
• In any case, let’s move west of Madison Avenue and north of the Hollywood hills.
• Welcome to Silicon Valley.

A new analysis by Korn Ferry shows that while there are still very few Hispanics on large corporate boards, there are signs of improvement.  The study finds that the percentage of Hispanics on Fortune 500 Boards has remained stagnant since 2015, with 2.6 percent of board members being Hispanic as of summer 2017, and 2.5 percent at the end of 2015. Three-quarters of Fortune 500 companies have no Hispanic board members.

Customer behavior and purchase decision-making is growing increasingly complex, driven by multiple factors that include accelerated mass adoption of new technologies and mobility, according to KPMG. In a new KPMG report, Me, My Life, My Wallet, the firm introduces a new customer engagement framework that is designed to help businesses understand the forces that influence decision-making and preferences of today’s customers.

After decades of big-box expansion, the retail industry is now shifting to smaller stores. In 2015, small format retail categories — drug, dollar and convenience stores— outgrew larger format stores by almost 400%, and now make up a more than $1 trillion market.  This growth is no accident. Demographic shifts paired with online shopping behavior and shifting consumer demands are forcing leading retailers to think small.  

Digital marketers are being taken to the cleaners.  Roughly half of all digital campaigns use multiple data sources, according to a study out today by Forrester. That would include email.  But they lack clarity into data sources and what they are buying.

It’s no secret that in addition to traditional television, viewers also have access to a plethora of Subscription Video On Demand content and virtual multi-channel providers. As the options for these streaming services have grown, so have the means by which viewers can view them on their TV screens.

In the fourth episode of a five-part series, eMarketer’s Geoff Ramsey sits down with top marketing executives from around the world to discuss the critical challenges they face and what they’re doing to address those challenges. Today’s topic: The customer.

American consumers’ status as a device-dependent nation closes 2017 with strong momentum and some important firsts in terms of demographic and usage shifts according to Deloitte’s 2017 “Global Mobile Consumer Survey”.

According to a recent New York Times article few people can accurately draw the logos of well-known brands like Starbucks, Wal-Mart and Burger King. But the study conducted by Signs.com may not be as important as it first appears. The important thing about a logo is that it be recognized and associated with the right brand, not that it can be recalled in detail.  by Nigel Hollis

A new study from InMoment reveals that despite the convenience of shopping online and high satisfaction with digital-only retailers, consumers still value the in-store experience and human contact.

Univision Communications Inc. (UCI) announced that Roberto Ruiz has been promoted to executive vice president, Research, Insights and Analytics, effective immediately. Ruiz will continue to report to Jessica Rodriguez, chief marketing officer, and will remain based in New York.