Hispanic Teen Drug use significantly Higher than Other Ethnic Groups.

The Partnership at Drugfree.org released new research from the latest Partnership Attitude Tracking Study (PATS), a nationally projectable survey that tracks teen drug and alcohol use and parent attitudes toward substance abuse among teens. The research, sponsored by MetLife Foundation, shows that Hispanic teens are using drugs at alarmingly higher levels when compared to teens from other ethnic groups. It confirms that substance abuse has become a normalized behavior among Latino youth.

Welcome to the ‘AY CARAMBA’ side of the force.

Do you want your product/service to win the next re-election?

It’s not news that Obama won because of Hispanic support in key states. Yes we can, yes we did and yes we will do it again! The Latino segment of the population seems to say. if the short story “House Taken Over.” Casa tomada had not been written in Argentina in 1946 by Julio Cortázar, but rather last year in the United States by Noam Chomsky.

Where are you in the evolution of the Hispanic market?

The Hispanic market started with marketing-focused agencies that enjoyed their moment of relevance as far as the construction and justification of that market was concerned. But now, to grow in the Hispanic market you may need to add a more creative, appealing layer. Why? Because 16 percent of the U.S. population is Hispanic, but 16% of international award recipients sure aren’t and certainly, 16% of US advertising expenditures isn’t Hispanic-related. To reach the next plateau, you need to capitalize on your brand in that gap. That’s the business reason to embark on, or at least to try to embrace, creative advertising in the U.S. Hispanic market.

Consumer Neuroscience-Based Advertising: Making :15 the New :30.

Often treated as an afterthought by marketers and agencies alike, the 15-second TV spot is usually just a cut down version of the 30-second spot, rarely copy tested, but assumed to be at least 50 percent as good as the :30 from which it’s derived.

Case Study: Nivea Uses Humor to Get Men to Face Grooming Facts

Eight-episode online comedy series becomes digital CPG campaign

Making Advertising More of a Science Than an Art. [REPORT]

We all know a good ad when we see it. But what makes it so powerful? Marketers have been pondering this question for years, oftentimes relying on judgment and hunches to fill in the blanks. Today, however, consumer neuroscience can shed some light on this age-old challenge.

Midas Whale: Another example of today’s New America. [INSIGHT]

By Louis Maldonado – partner, managing director / d exposito & Partners

The article from Andrés Ordoñez regarding NBC’s “The Voice” provided a helpful analogy to help illustrate the importance of cultural relevance regardless of language. It prompted me to offer another example from those same blind auditions, which I believe is a truly compelling example on the impact of cross-cultural influence and the increasingly global mindset that exists in today’s new America.

Ad Agencies see Effectiveness in Online Video.

The online video advertising ecosystem has gained both prominence and complexity, but that might be because buyers have found that the ads really work. A March 2013 survey of US advertising agency executives conducted by online video ad platform BrightRoll found that the vast majority of respondents (75%) said online video ads were equally or more effective than traditional TV. Nine out of 10 also thought online video ads had equal or greater impact than display ads.

In America, se habla Español.

We have seen results from the Census, the impact during the elections, and couple of weeks ago during prime time, on NBC’s show “The Voice”, the world was introduced to Cathia.

The USH idea awards. Recognizing surviving baby zebras since 2012.

By Mauricio Galvan / d exposito & partners.

Imagine a beautiful new born baby zebra. Cute as hell. Picture her learning to stand up and she takes her first steps on a long journey towards greener pastures. There she goes. But this journey will not be easy, no sir. The baby zebra needs to avoid getting stampeded every time the herd wants to go in a different direction all of a sudden.

If she survives that, she then has to outsmart the hunters. Sometimes she has to camouflage or pretend to be something else, giving up her real self just to stay alive.

Then come months of dryness, in which she has to walk for miles without having a drop of water, fueled only by the idea of what it could be if she makes it through one more day.

Americans are Fed Up with Bad Ads.

An InsightsOne survey, which was aimed at determining American attitudes and behavior around the ads they see every day, found that fully 87% are now putting their foot down on the number of irrelevant ads they are willing to see before they ignore a company completely. Almost a quarter (23%) of Americans say they will do so after seeing just one spam email or online ad, and 43% say they will ignore a company completely after seeing as many as two.

Accountability is the Top Concern for Senior Marketers.

The most important issue that senior marketers face in 2013 is accountability, according to a new survey by the ANA (Association of National Advertisers). Integrated marketing communication and aligning the marketing organization with innovation ranked second and third.

Spanish radio show brings ‘Sun’ to unemployment office with flash mob.

With Spain’s unemployment rate reaching a record 26 percent (double the EU average, according to the BBC), some 6 million Spaniards are currently jobless. Aiming to brighten up the day for some of those without work, radio program Carne Cruda 2.0 on Spain’s Cadena SER radio network organized a flash mob to serenade an unemployment office in Madrid.

Highest Paying, Most Satisfying Jobs and Cities for Marketing Professionals.

Aquent and The American Marketing Association (AMA) announced the results of their annual salary survey, “2013 Aquent AMA Marketing Salary Survey.” The survey was created to help marketers pinpoint career opportunity by calling out the highest paying cities, most in-demand jobs and the most satisfying careers based on the responses from 2,600 marketers. The survey revealed some surprises, for instance, working in the big city doesn’t guarantee a big paycheck.

The Creative Director: A Breed Unto Itself

With a more fragmented agency landscape, the next generation of CD is emerging from a wide variety of disciplines. Writers are not the only creatives stepping up to the task. Print and interactive designers and developers are bringing a new definition and perspective to a very complicated job. The transition from Creative to Creative Director is not easy. Being a great creative is only part of the equation. Leadership, maturity and strategy all come into play. Clients, account people and creatives alike are all relying on the CD to get it right.

Unlocking the Full Potential of your Content Marketing Campaigns.

By The Team | Yahoo! Advertising Solutions

Marketers focus 12% of budgets on content marketing, but many need clearer goals and metrics to deliver best results

Univision launches Agency to handle Research, Creative Services & Media Planning.

Univision Communications announced the formation of the Univision Agency. Overseeing a media inventory of more than $500 million across all of Univision’s broadcast, cable and radio properties, the Univision Agency will be responsible for all cross-channel promotions as well as research and creative services for clients and internal divisions.

What Do Consumers really Think about Advertisements? [INFOGRAPHIC]

It’s been said that the average American is exposed to 3,000 advertising messages a day, ranging from emails to billboards. With that kind of ad overload, it’s not too surprising that 76% of consumers think ads are very or somewhat exaggerated, according to a new study by Lab42. (Some 3% think ads are “very accurate.”) This week’s infographic is full of insights from the study, including ways that marketers can make ads more convincing and palatable to consumers.

The Fastest Christmas Song in the World. [Put a smile on your face]

This year Draftfcb in Zurich and BMW Switzerland are once again presenting a Christmas greeting which is somewhat speedier than usual, this time with the title “The Fastest Christmas Song in the World”.

Where does Creativity Belong: In Agencies or Marketing Organizations?

When I worked at a large communications agency early in my career, I found it odd when heralded “creatives” were automatically assigned to generate ideas for client challenges. Conversely, I also thought it odd that some clients had a knee-jerk reaction to outsource so much creative thinking to an agency in the first place, when the client organization was filled with incredibly smart and creative people.

Turkey with yuca con mojo: Marketing Día de Acción de Gracias to US Hispanics

by Zaida Granados / Guest Blogger at Zubination

I don’t need to tell you that Thanksgiving Day is around the corner. You must be receiving the daily email holiday coupons, constantly being TV-fed the holiday shopping sales…and let’s not forget receiving in the mailbox shoppers filled with pictures of plump turkeys and canned pumpkin. This is the one other holiday – aside from Christmas Day – that touches on all the consumer senses – and it’s those marked senses that drive sales for brands. What I find interesting about Thanksgiving Day, from an advertising perspective, is that Hispanic marketers have not fully tapped into the cultural differences of this American tradition.