Two major Latin American countries celebrated their annual IAB Conferences during the last two weeks: Mexico’s IAB Conecta and Argentina’s IAB Now. Some key trends as seen by Portada’s Editorial Team members who attended both events.
Digital Media’s Advance
One salient feature of the Internet in Latin America is how quickly digital media is advancing and carving itself substantial room in the media mix, already having a 16% share in total advertising in Argentina and a similar ratio in Mexico. The importance of digital media for the Argentinean advertising community is also reflected by the fact that most major advertisers recently acquired membership of IAB Argentina.
Social Advertising
Social Advertising topics, sponsors and executives were important at both the IAB Argentina and IAB Mexico events. Major Social Network executives as well as the preferred partners of those networks played an important role. AT IAB Conecta in Mexico City a Facebook executive talked about how marketing in the twenty-first century is becoming a personal one to one interaction.
TV-Personalities
TV stars have played an important role at Latin American annual IAB conferences for quite some time. While they are an obvious draw for attendees,these events also help TV personalities extend their reach and followers on the Internet. Last year Argentinean stars Adrian Suar and Tomas Yankelevich (from broadcast channel Trece and Telefe) and this year Entertainment and Broadcast Journalist Jorge Rial explained how broadcast behemoths are adapting to the world of multi-platform and mobile online video consumption.
Are Brands Afraid of Innovation?
Jonathan Oliver, Head of Global Innovation at Microsoft (photo), said at a keynote speech during IAB Mexico that brands tend to be too conservative to really profit from testing and innovation. In his role at Microsoft, Oliver works with many of the world’s top brands on creating new marketing initiatives and encouraging innovation. “Real Innovation will fail more times than it will succeed and brands do not want to fail. They don’t like risk,” Oliver noted. Oliver talked about how organizations can create cultures not only to reward innovation and the trial and error process, but also to generate a space in which they can flourish.
Online Video and the Power of the Image
Images are gaining versus text-based content. Also in Latin America. At #IABConecta in Mexico Getty Images talked about the power of the image as a digital trend. Youtube’s VP of Global Content Partnerships talked about the power of video as a way to communicate over the internet.
Alejandro Fishman’s opening presentation focused on how to “reach the digital consumer.” “Consumers no longer want scheduled consumption, but to choose what to consume, when and where,” said Fishman. Under the slogan “The future has a starting point” , this year’s IAB Now focused on multi-screen consumption and the measurement challenges that involve they delivery of ever more personalized content.
Eddie Parker, director of business and planning for MindShare, said on his talk that it is key to detect real-time conversations and react to this: “reach people with the right content, at the right time.” For the executive, the keys to the “future” marketing are: take into account technological developments, culture and the speed at which the current world moves.”