Agency

Global ad spend rose to $139 billion USD in Q2 2012, a moderate 2.4 percent gain over Q2 2011, according to Nielsen’s quarterly Global AdView Pulse report. In a continuing trend, emerging markets saw the most significant increases. The Middle East and Africa grew 19.6 percent compared to Q2 2011, and Latin America saw advertisers increase their spend 4.9 percent.

US total media ad spending will experience a bump in growth this year, rising 4.9% over 2011, largely due to the Olympics and the national election cycle.

GFR Media announced the launch of Indice to debut in October.

Indice will combine a lively print product, social media connections, a branded website, as well as targeted distribution, marketing and promotion teams across Puerto Rico’s high-traffic public spaces.

During the recent Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) Executive Conference, the GMA, Nielsen and McKinsey unveiled a report entitled “Winning Where it Matters: A Focused Approach to Capturing Growth.” The report examines the financial performance, Nielsen in-market data, and self-reported business practices of more than 50 consumer product goods (CPG) companies in the food, beverage, personal care, home care and pharma categories. By Graciela El-eta / Univision Insights

A U.S. Census Bureau report released shows that in many of the largest cities of the most-populous metro areas, downtown is becoming a place not only to work but also to live. Between the 2000 and 2010 censuses, metro areas with 5 million or more people experienced double-digit population growth rates within their downtown areas (within a two-mile radius of their largest city’s city hall), more than double the rate of these areas overall.

The 2010 Census showed that people who reported multiple races grew by a larger percentage than those reporting a single race. According to the 2010 Census brief The Two or More Races Population: 2010, the population reporting multiple races (9.0 million) grew by 32.0 percent from 2000 to 2010, compared with those who reported a single race, which grew by 9.2 percent.

A person’s identity stems from what they do and don’t want to be associated with, depending on their current circumstances. People can often relate with more than one group and therefore have more than one, not easily definable identity. By Emily Bel / Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication – Florida State University

The idea of reference groups is true for all ethnic groups and in the case of Hispanic consumers; it is not as simple as it may first appear. Stereotypical perceptions of Hispanics often times lead marketers to make faulty assumptions about correct reference groups for this cultural group. By Neelen Leslie – Doctoral Student / Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication – Florida State University

Lopez Negrete Communications has appointed executive creative director Fernando Osuna, a highly awarded advertising veteran, as its new chief creative officer. Agency co-founder Alex López Negrete has held this post since the agency’s inception. Alex will remain president and CEO, focusing his energy on the continued evolution and growth of the agency and its affiliate companies.

Spending within the U.S. Communications Industry will increase 5.2% in 2012 to reach $1.189 trillion as consumers and businesses increasingly embrace digital technology and return to spending levels not seen since before the recent worldwide economic downturn, according to the 2012 Forecast released by Veronis Suhler Stevenson (VSS).

Ernst & Young surveyed CEOs from global entertainment and media companies for a September 2012 study on digital growth and found that while social media has a solid position within these companies, many CEOs are more bullish on mobile and tablets for future growth.

Ingrid Otero-Smart, President/CEO of Casanova Pendrill announced the addition of Simon El Hage to its leadership team as Senior Vice President, Director of Strategic Planning.

Americans have always had interesting relationships with their pets – whether those pets are cats, dogs, parakeets or something else entirely. The pet industry is thriving, and for good reason: three in five Americans (60%) have a pet. Those in the West (68%), Generation Xers (66%), Hispanics (68%) and those with a household income of $75,000 or more (66% $75,000-99,999 / 68% $100,000+) are the groups most likely to be pet owners.

Last week, the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) held its annual Market Exchange, bringing together executives in the industry for two days of face-to-face meetings and relationship building. I was invited to participate on the “Path to Purchase” panel along with Jennifer Moyer, vice president of Marketing at Insights Pharmaceuticals; Larry Levin, executive vice president of Consumer Insights at SymphonyIRI; Mike Merna, director of Shopper Marketing at Pfizer; and Audrey Siegel, director of Client Services at TargetCast. By: Liz Sanderson, Vice President, Brand Solutions at Univision Communications Inc.