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FOCUS ON US HISPANIC
FRIDAY / JUNE 26 / 2015
LIONS DAILY NEWS
US CREATIVES ARE CALLING FOR A REVAMP OF THE AD INDUSTRY, INSISTING THAT STRATEGIES NEED TO BE REFORMULATED TO ENGAGE WITH ALL MARKET SECTORS. WHAT’S NEEDED ARE BIG IDEAS SEGMENTED INTO RELEVANT MESSAGES, WRITES PRODU’S LIZ UNAMO
TOTAL MARKET, TOTAL RETHINK INCE Hispanic consumers continue to be a cornerstone of the US economy, the advertising industry has always faced the challenge of winning their loyalty. These days, the Latino market is no longer seen as just an opportunity, but has become essential to economic growth, not only for companies providing goods and services, but also for the advertising agencies that serve them. Specifically, the “aggiornamento”, or modernisation, of the Hispanic ad market has kept the numbers on the positive side, with an increase in investment to $187bn forecast for this year, according to figures provided by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB). Though expectations of an
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improving world economy favour industry growth, it is also certain that many challenges must be met in order to keep it growing. One subject that business leaders and creatives continue to debate is the “total market” approach. Since the term was coined, it has evolved and poses questions for creatives about what, if anything, is being done in this regard. The founder, creative director and head chef of BBQ, Pablo Buffagni, says that one subject to be resolved is whether different advertising is needed for different segments, “or if just one theme can reach everyone when it is segmented in a relevant manner”. In this way, he adds, “results can be studied and determined by categories, mode of consumption and the cross-
Left to right and top to bottom: Leo Olper: “We’re doing a lot of target segmentation” Norberto Zylberberg: “Good creativity is what captures market share and clients” Luis Miguel Messianu: “What’s undoubtedly important are the big ideas” Maria Bernal: “Our ideas reflect realities that Hispanic agencies know well” Curro Chozas: “This new marketing trend affects creativity, but in a good way”
referencing of data. This would be really useful and I’m hearing clients and agencies talking more about it all the time.” A more critical view is expressed by Norberto Zylberberg, senior vicepresident and group creative and development director of LatinWorks, who argues that the total market is an idea about how to win new business. He stresses that good creativity is what captures market share and clients. Nonetheless, Zylberberg believes results depend on “whether clients are willing to back with investments what they say they believe they should do”. He adds: “Clients need the multicultural market to grow their business, because that’s where the growth of everything comes from. But
they are still pretty wary about coming up with the money they need to invest and about allowing agencies working in the multicultural market to have a little more control. There’s a kind of contradiction here, because you won’t get different results with the same old recipe.” On the other hand, for Luis Miguel Messianu, president and chief creative officer of ALMA, the total-market approach is misunderstood “because it
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