Title: Executive VP, regional director, Latin America, Universal McCann.
The next big thing: “I see four major trends in Latin American advertising that are rooted in the current financial crisis: First, in general, an increased emphasis on elevating the sophistication of the planning and buying process. Clients are demanding that agencies and our media suppliers provide more extensive analysis and research when recommending media investments in Latin America. Even clients who may not have been concerned in the past with these issues are now, more than ever, prioritizing these. And these are not limited to only the perceived `sophisticated’ markets.
“Second, the growing of the importance of pan-regional media [cable TV and magazines] to increase efficiencies of local media-plan investment. Multinational clients are focusing on the analysis of multicountry media opportunities to maximize local plans. The availability of better media research, both local and multicountry, will facilitate, aid and enhance the planning and buying process.
“Third, due to the existing weak and unstable economic climate, which directly impacts local media vendors, in the near future we will see international media conglomerates acquiring local media vendors. The new law in Brazil, which allows international groups to own up to 30 percent of the local media groups, will facilitate this process.
“Fourth, as already evident in Latin America, multimedia deals are increasing in the region, which is similar to the trend in the United States. This is opening opportunities for the media industry professionals to be more creative in our approach to media planning, buying and negotiations. Depending on how the economic crisis will evolve in the next few months, we may witness a more dramatic change in the media landscape.”
Is there anything you wish you had bought less of?
“Pan-regional news channels. We’ve discovered in Latin America how much more strongly people are attached to local news in their own countries.”
Is there anything you wish you had bought more of?
“Based on new research information that we have seen, I wish I could have bought more pan-regional cable in Latin America, such as the Discovery Channel and the Cartoon Network.”
If you weren’t in media buying:
“If I wasn’t directly involved in the media services industry, I would be doing something related to media, such as an international journalist. Or the alternative would be a professional soccer player.”