What: The challenge that newspapers and other print media face in Latin America to stay afloat through selling advertising.
Why It Matters: Brands are increasingly focused on the relevance of having a presence on digital media, also in Latin America. but the decline of print media is somewhat slower in Latin America compared to the United States.
According to a PWC Global study published in 2014, ad spending in print media in Latin America had reached US$4.8 billion, although that number has decreased by 3% annually since 2009.
Tomas Salvagni, the manager of the commercial division at Grupo Clarín and Guido Conterno, executive director of Grupo Diarios America, agree that although print media is stalling, it is still an important advertising vehicle for brands.
“In Latin America, the impact of the industry crisis came by the end of 2013 and 2014,” explains Conterno. “There, we started to see a real change, one as significant as those in Europe and the U.S.”
The industry’s fall isn’t all that surprising, though. The challenges that international print media face are many. On the one hand, there is the surge of digital media, where all buyers want a presence, but consumer habits have also changed, and they don’t necessarily seek the same content on the same platforms as they used.