Agency

Brands have been called on to make a stand and many have answered the call. So far this year we have seen a number of large, well-known brands lining up to save the world or make it a better place to live in. I applaud the fact that these brands are willing to take a stand, but I do wonder if it is yet another step on the road to brand fragmentation.  by Nigel Hollis

Marketers are becoming more and more interested in reaching out to and engaging Influencers – due to the factors like media fragmentation, quality and transparency issues of the media supply chain, and the rise of ad blockers. Thus, the idea of reaching a targeted group of people who are particularly powerful and influential is spreading. Which is why the identification of the Affluencers is so important – this target has the potential to not only represent a disproportionate amount of purchases, they also represent a group that is sought for their advice and purchasing input across all categories. In addition, Affluencers on average consume more media than general Affluents, with both print and digital publications up +9%.

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

• The way we package, ship and display goods will be disrupted dramatically in the coming years.
• If your job depends on the good old tried & true ways of selling CPGs to the masses, well, get ready for some upheaval.
• Some more upheaval, that is.
• The good news: shopping is not going anywhere.
• Shopping is freedom.
• Shopping is therapy.
• Shopping is our God-given right.

The Creative Board of FUSION, the cable network of Fusion Media Group (FMG), announced an open call for scripted and unscripted television projects. This initiative builds on the commitment by FUSION and its Creative Board to generate new opportunities for young storytellers who span different ethnicities, races, sexual orientations, genders and religions. The open call is aimed at helping to level the playing field for underrepresented creative talent, with or without agency representation, who want to tell stories that are otherwise going unheard.

NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises announced the expansion of Fluency Studios with the launch of “Fluency Plus,” a new, bilingual digital production studio.

Kantar Millward Brown has transformed its annual Getting Digital Right study into a global Getting Media Right study. Why? Because digital cannot and should not be considered in isolation from the rest of the media mix.  by Nigel Hollis

With the new television season in the U.S. now upon us, viewers are able to connect with new program offerings as well as old favorites. While much focus will be on the shows themselves, Nielsen took a look at insights surrounding the advertising inventory—from how much money is spent on advertising over platforms to the commercial ratings lifts of ads beyond seven days to how marketers are leveraging branded integrations. After all, it’s these commercial spots that help underpin a multi-billion dollar industry, powering a large part of the media ecosystem.

Brighter spirits may fuel a diverse mix of spending on experiences, self-gifting and gifts for others this holiday shopping season, according to Deloitte’s 32nd Annual Holiday Survey of consumer spending intentions and trends.

Bain & Company is forecasting 3.5% to 3.9% growth in US retail sales this holiday season, slightly above last year’s 3.5% growth and well above the 10-year average of 2.6%. Our optimism stems from positive macroeconomic indicators across the board, including rising wages, increasing employment and a strong stock market. We also see above-average growth in housing-related expenditures.  By Aaron Cheris, Darrell Rigby and Suzanne Tager

Over the last few months I’ve had the opportunity to speak with close to 50  marketers, friends, clients and former colleagues. I didn’t have an agenda or a pitch, just a conversation about their career paths and how they decided on their professions.  The conversation eventually made its way into a discussion of relationships they had with various consultants, advisors, and agencies.  Just for kicks, I built a word cloud from my notes and saw five themes emerge from what they wanted from a vendor.

Emilio Azcárraga Jean is leaving Grupo Televisa after being at the helm of the media company for 20 years.

At a time when immigration is at the forefront of cultural conversation, Johnnie Walker is launching a new spot titled “Citizenship*,” which brings attention to the diverse backgrounds that represents the rich fabric of America today. The new creative, which is part of the brand’s ongoing Keep Walking America campaign, showcases the journey to becoming an American citizen.

Cubavera, Perry Ellis International’s Latin menswear brand, celebrates Latin culture with the launch of the Wear Your Heritage web series. The campaign focuses on sharing the individual #SoyLatino stories of influential celebrities, athletes and community leaders and unveils what it is that connects them to their Hispanic culture.

Cubavera, Perry Ellis International’s Latin menswear brand, celebrates Latin culture with the launch of the Wear Your Heritage web series. The campaign focuses on sharing the individual #SoyLatino stories of influential celebrities, athletes and community leaders and unveils what it is that connects them to their Hispanic culture.

While scientists have argued over the question of whether or not race is a real or artificial concept, complicating the issue, and perhaps lending credence to the idea that race is a societal construct, is that the federal government, in the form of the U.S. Census, has continually changed its system of racial categorization.  By David Morse – New America Dimensions

Technology-driven structural change is afoot: driverless cars,  robots at work, AI fueled investing, learning, decision-making.  Millennials are taking charge as the largest generation in the workforce. These phenomena are no longer far out on the horizon but are here today.

Today’s connected world is driving a ‘consumer trust divide’ between suspicious minds in developed nations and more accepting attitudes in emerging countries, according to Kantar TNS’s latest Connected Life research.

Growth was tough to come by at the start of the year, but topline sales did increase during the second quarter. Overall, dollar sales for the year are up 1.4%, with online growth driving the majority of the uptick (0.1% brick and mortar vs 21.1% online). Despite the meager growth, the future looks promising, as Americans are feeling very positive about their general situations: Consumer confidence remains strong at an index of 118, maintaining optimistic levels well above the global average of 104.

Simmons Research announced the release of its Sports Fan Engagement Study, a trusted solution that provides in-depth insights into sports fandom in the United States.

When it comes to agencies’ clients, a whopping 100 percent of all agency respondents report that they have clients who use ABM. Of these respondents, 91 percent agree that clients who have adopted ABM have improved alignment between their sales and marketing teams.