Agency

Total advertising expenditures increased 6.5 percent in 2010 and finished the year at $131.1 billion, according to data released by Kantar Media, the leading provider of strategic advertising and marketing information. Ad spending during the fourth quarter of 2010 was up 7.0 percent versus last year, propelled by the long-tail of small advertisers outside the Top 1000.

Burson-Marsteller, a global public relations and communications consultancy, announced that it has appointed Ramiro Prudencio to Chief Executive Officer for Latin America and Santiago Hinojosa as Chairman for Latin America.

The last few months have produced some more cheerful economic news, with strong corporate profits, modest increases in consumer confidence and rising stock market indices. However a new Harris Poll finds no change in the steps that people are taking to save money and reduce their spending. Many people continue to economize, and there is no evidence of consumers’ spending behavior being more relaxed. The recession ended many months ago, but the psychological impact of the financial and housing crisis is still very strong.

By several measures, the state of the American news media improved in 2010. DOWNLOAD REPORT HERE.

In a new study on the growth and profitability of the media and entertainment industry released today by Ernst & Young, cable operators showed the highest profitability among all media and entertainment sectors, and interactive media was the fastest growing sector within the industry. The report also reveals that, despite current perceptions, the media and entertainment industry as a whole is yielding greater profitability and growth than many other stock market indices. All measures of profitability and growth are based on EBITDA margins and dollars respectively.

Hispanic men not only associate the use of grooming products with personal confidence and attractiveness, but also believe that looking good is a way to get ahead in life and at work, according to a new study commissioned and released by Univision.

Univision Communications Inc. announced that Joe Uva, President and Chief Executive Officer, has informed the Board of Directors that he has chosen not to renew his employment agreement in order to be able to seek other opportunities.

The number of Hispanics counted in the 2010 Census has been larger than expected in most states for which the Census Bureau has released detailed population totals so far, according to an analysis by the Pew Hispanic Center. The gap between the Census 2010 count and Census Bureau population estimates has been widest in states with relatively small Hispanic populations. DOWNLOAD REPORT HERE.

The stats still show that women do the majority of shopping in the U.S., but with men facing a higher unemployment rate than women (8.8% compared to 7.9%, according to a February 2011 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report), more men are at home than in the past and in many cases, they are taking a more active role in household duties. While women continue to dominate shopping trips in all retail channels except for convenience stores, men have increased trip shares between 2004 and 2010 in all retail channels but drug stores.

Early results of Horowitz Associates, Inc.’s annual State of Cable and Digital Media – Multicultural Edition 2011 study have just been released and reveal that, at least weekly, almost a third of urban consumers (31%) watch TV content via alternative platforms such as on a computer/laptop, on a mobile device/tablet, or streamed directly from the Internet to the TV through an “OTT” device such as an Apple TV, a Vudu Box, an Xbox, or a Blu-Ray DVD player.

There’s no question that the vast majority of marketers are shifting more spending to digital, and a combination of tried-and-true tactics with newer online options will benefit from increasing budgets. But advertisers and their agencies are not yet on the same page when it comes to the details of many of those changes.