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Univision Communications Inc. announced the introduction of the Univision MasterCard Gift Card (Tarjeta de Regalo Univision MasterCard) issued by The Bancorp Bank.

Fewer than 9 percent of U.S. consumers recently surveyed by strategic brand and marketing consultancy Prophet believe companies have strong reputations, but those in the consumer packaged goods sectors all managed to earn the highest marks. Download study here.

The economic downturn has put stress on big consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands as more consumers make purchases based on price. CPG marketers do not want their products left behind for less expensive store and private-label items, which increasingly offer comparable quality and ingredients.

Executives worldwide are struggling with the challenges of integration and collaboration across complex networks of business partners and customers in a more interdependent business world, according to a new study released by the Business Performance Management (BPM) Forum and the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council. The study finds that 21st Century business models have become increasingly dependent on partner networks to shape customer experiences, drive innovation processes and deliver products and services to global markets. Information systems and cross-company business processes, however, are strained to keep pace.

Hispanics are already the largest minority group in the United States—accounting for 47.4 million people or 15.8% of the total population—and that percentage is expected to nearly double by the middle of this century. As their population grows, so does the importance of how they are portrayed in the media.

Total measured advertising expenditures in the first nine months of 2009 dropped by 14.7 percent as compared to the same period in 2008, according to data released today by TNS Media Intelligence, the leading provider of strategic advertising and marketing information. Ad spending during the third quarter of 2009 was down 15.3 percent versus last year, the sixth consecutive quarter of year-over-year declines.

The worst recession since the Great Depression has caused an advertising downturn unprecedented in modern times. We estimate that global ad expenditure will have dropped 10.2% over the course of 2009. It is normal for ad expenditure to exaggerate general economic trends: when the economy shrinks, ad expenditure shrinks faster, and by more. The corollary to this is that when recovery is complete, we can expect the ad market to outperform the economy as a whole.

Nielsen’s latest A2/M2 Three Screen Report – a quarterly analysis from our Anytime Anywhere Media Measurement initiative – shows considerable year over year growth in DVR (up 21.1%) and online video (up 34.9%) in Q3 2009. Given the consistent spike in usage among the three screens of television, Internet and mobile, consumers are clearly adding video platforms to their schedule, rather than replacing them. Download report here.

A cross-section of business and industry leaders agrees the strategies applied will bring long-term relief. Leaders from seven key industries face similar challenges; marketing used to emphasize quality over price Advertising Roundtable. By Caribbean Business on HispanicCMO.com

Advertising spending figures present at best a grainy picture of social media marketing activities. Many brands consider social media interactions to be “earned” media—gained through promotional efforts rather than paid advertising. CPG firms in particular have seen success through other forms of outreach.