Agency

Like many other Americans I was inspired by the “We are One” concert in Washington, D.C. on the eve of Barack Obama’s presidential inauguration. The setting, with the Washington and Lincoln monuments as backdrop, was impressive in a down to earth sort of way that only our nation can be. It was an entertaining occasion as stars like Tom Hanks, Tiger Woods, and Denzel Washington enriched the evening with great American stories of past presidents as well as of everyday heroes. All those watching could feel their chests swell with pride in being part of this ambitious civic experiment called America

The most significant part of the evening, and rightfully so given the historic proportion of Obama’s election, was the overwhelming reign of African American culture throughout the concert. The soulful veil of R&B and gospel that imbued most of the evening’s musical performances affirmed something many already know, that African American culture has been one of the strongest defining element

Ask people to name their favorite brand of peanut butter, and you’ll likely get a few different answers. The top three peanut butter brands in the United States, however, are clear-cut: Skippy, Jif and Peter Pan. Of course there are also the devotees of all-natural private-label brands, gourmet varieties and even other legume butters (the peanut is more closely related to the lentil bean and the pea than to members of the nut family). Let’s be honest, though: how often do you find yourself hankering for a sunflower-seed-butter sandwich?

Dieste Inc., an Omnicom agency, has been named the 2008 Multicultural Agency of the Year by leading industry trade publication Advertising Age. This selection marks the third time Dieste has received the prestigious award, and the only time a Hispanic ad agency has been honored more than twice.

KMR Group CEO Andy Brown announced a shift in responsibilities for KMR North America and Mediafax CEO Bill McKenna. McKenna has been appointed Chairman-Founder of Mediafax, Inc. and stepped-down as CEO of KMR North America. Concurrently, McKenna has assumed the position of President & CEO of Integrated Media Measurement Inc., a Silicon Valley media research firm founded in 2004.

Interbrand Design Forum released the Most Valuable U.S. Retail Brands, the first-ever ranking of the top 50 American retail brands. Walmart claimed top honors as the most valuable retail brand in 2008, followed by popular retailers Best Buy (No. 2), The Home Depot (No. 3), Target (No.4) and CVS (No. 5).

Today, you have to pick an agency based on chemistry and human interaction. Here are some tips for revising the current outdated proposal process.

While the tremors of the global financial crisis in mid-2008 impacted almost every industry and every region, overall global advertising markets held strong to record 2.9 percent growth in the quarter from July to September 2008 (Q3), in newspapers, magazines, TV and radio, according to Nielsen’s global advertising trends report, Global AdView Pulse.

When I was a kid I was scared of bees; today I am scared of buyers.

A new quarterly research report introduced by Centris provides insight into how economic conditions may affect a company’s revenue derived from TV, Internet and media services. The study reveals that although a significant number of households in the United States are unlikely to reduce their consumption of communication and media services as a result of economic conditions, there is still a potential impact on provider revenue.

Americans frequent use of the Internet has almost doubled over the last five years; 48% now report using the Internet more than one hour per day compared to 26% in 2002.

How is the evolving Latino consumer influencing and shaping American mainstream culture? US Hispanics today feel energized and are asserting their biculturalism. Manny Gonzalez will focus on the key issues to watch for in today’s American Latino consumer landscape, and the implications for marketers. As he explores the opportunity to grow your business with Latino consumers, Gonzalez will address such topics as market segmentation, the ever-changing Hispanic media landscape, and non-traditional marketing vehicles.