News

Devices such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, desktops and portable gaming systems have made it easy for consumers to multitask while watching television. However, a November 2013 study by TiVo found that three-quarters of US TV viewers were more focused on what was on the tube, even when using a second screen.

Linking radio station tuning data to consumer purchase information is the best way to ensure that radio advertising is being heard by consumers who are eager to listen.

The advertising industry is in a state of existential crisis, thanks to technology; analytics; migrating, fickle and/or distracted eyeballs; Netflix and other on-demand services; piracy; privacy; attribution; the decline of print as a medium; stagnating television audience numbers; and the fact that we can finally start to understand which 50% of our ad spend is wasted.

As a headline in today’s Wall Street Journaldeclares,“For Some Retailers, Success in Simply Staying Alive.” The lede does it even better: “For some of the country’s weakest retailers, less red is the new black.”

This month, just a week after being awarded “Best of Show” at the American Advertising Federation’s 52nd annual American Advertising Awards in Houston, Lopez Negrete Communications, Inc. also won Full Service Agency of the Year at the Media Alliance of Houston Star Awards Gala.

Dallas based TruMedia has change its name to truMC to better reflect their focus.

Adam Kasper, chief media officer at Havas, predicts that the content marketing business will grow, as content comes closer to media buying, and automation will have a huge impact on this growth.

Tippit & Moo, a full-service independent advertising agency based in Houston, has appointed David Flynn, Jr. as its new General Manager.  A seasoned and widely renowned analytical and strategic authority in the industry, Flynn will lead the highly awarded team at Tippit & Moo, whose premier clients include Fiesta Mart, Inc., Sonic Drive-Ins, Gabbanelli Accordions, Michaels Stores, Professional Sports Partners, Universal Technical Institute, InComm, and Zadok Jewelers, among others.

New Accenture research reports that more than 89 percent of female professionals around the globe and a similar number of male respondents believe building their “career capital” – those differentiated skills that define and advance their careers – is key to success in the workplace. The research, based on a survey of 4,100 male and female professionals in 32 countries, also found that professionals welcome change and are confident of their ability to succeed in the workplace.

I’ve been in the media industry for over six years in New York and San Diego at various ad agencies, and one of my favorite parts of the job is my interaction with sales reps. It could be argued that we work in the best industry in the world, because we’re tasked with innovating, strategizing and socializing. The list below includes dos and don’ts for both media buyers and planners and sales reps, based on my own observations, heart-to-hearts with some of my favorite reps, and conversations with fellow media people. If we all follow these simple rules, we can minimize frustrations and have more time for happy hours.

The National Basketball Association (NBA) announced plans for the league’s eighth annual Latin nights program titled Noches éneobéoa (eh-nay-bay-ah), which will feature seven commemorative games and celebrate the growing support of NBA fans and players across Latin American and U.S. Hispanic communities.

Changing growth patterns point to a changing future for Twitter. In the US, the site has passed the early-adoption mark and is settling into a pattern of more mature growth across demographic groups. By 2016, more than 25% of internet users 12 to 44 will use Twitter at least once a month, according to new figures from eMarketer.

As the mobile ecosystem explodes, entertainment brands of all sizes are looking for ways to utilize the channel to deliver their messages and build demand. Mobile video is proving to be an extremely effective and valuable marketing channel for brands, and it is currently the fastest-growing ad format in all of mobile. When delivered with the right technology, with the right content, to the right audience, mobile video advertising can deliver impact even greater than television advertising.

Millennials – and younger ones in particular – are voracious content consumers across all media channels – television, online, games, apps and mobile. These teens are an attractive demographic that marketers are eager to capture through traditional and emerging channels alike. The greatest opportunity comes by creating and leveraging connections between the channels teens rely on, and nowhere is that truer than the screens that matter most: television and mobile devices. Unfortunately, few have figured out how to drive measurable cross-screen engagement. That needs to change and there are early signs that change is beginning.

“Boxeo Telemundo,” sets a historic milestone in 2014 by becoming the first show of its type to celebrate 25 consecutive years on the air. 

ESPN Deportes Nueva York 1050 AM announced an agreement with The New York Mets and Clear Channel Media and Entertainment to continue broadcasting Mets games in Spanish through the 2016 season.

The Los Angeles Times Media Group’s Hoy Los Angeles celebrates its 10th birthday with the introduction of Hoy Deportes, a new website (www.hoydeportes.com) and weekly Monday print edition beginning March 3.

Recently, Kathy Sheehan of GfK Consumer Trends and I presented highlights from our Decoding Y: Millennials Revealed research partnership in a live webinar.  As I continue on our roadshow with this exciting research, I find myself comparing and contrasting Hispanic and non-Hispanic generation-mates and identifying where Hispanics are leading total market trends.  By Roberto Ruiz / Univision Communications

According to a comprehensive new report, there is a startling contrast in economic prosperity between successful and struggling American communities. America is divided into nine different community profiles, ranging from the successful — the “Affluent Metroburbs” — to the genuinely troubled — the “Endangered Communities.” Fifty percent of the American communities studied are struggling to find their way forward after the Great Recession.

Telemundo Media announced the appointment of Michael Guariglia to Vice President, Network Sales.  Guariglia will be responsible for overseeing the advertising sales function for Telemundo Network for the Northeast territory.  Guariglia will report to Mike Alvarez, Senior Vice President, Ad Sales Telemundo Network and will be based in New York City.