Chris Dessi - Vice President zanox, Inc

Ad:Tech Miami Conference attended – June 3rd

After spending a full day in sessions and walking the floor at Ad:Tech Miami, the message is clear – the Latin market is growing exponentially

Highlights/Insights
Hispanic online market has grown 18% YTY
Top 25 % of Latin consumers use the internet 250% MORE than the general market
Bottom 50% use it 78% less than the general market
Most of those users are under the age of 25
38% have some college education
76% use cell phone as the PRIMARY phone
19% use the internet to connect with family and friends, and they’re generating their own content online – blogging, social networking etc.
Major US Markets = LA, NY, Miami, Houston, Chicago

Top Latin Markets = Brazil, Mexico
Latin American has 87% online search penetration - 3million searches per month
Brazil = 90% online search penetration

Mexico
2008 27.4 million Mexicans are online
70% have broadband. (Most likely due to the usage of internet cafés – this does not indicate that they have broadband services in the home).
97% of Mexicans multi task while online
- 50% on the phone
- 41% while working
- 35% listening to music
- 25% watch TV

49% user generated content
33% own a blog
96% growth this year
2011 = $192million
UP 134% in 2008
Only 1.5% of total ad spend is going toward digital in Mexico.

Brazil and Mexico have a great deal of online user’s spending money online. There is also a huge potential in the US market for advertisers to target Spanish speaking Americans. Latino culture in the US is becoming more educated, and more versed in the online arena. Social networks are exploding, and Latin Americans are generating content to stay in contact with family back in their mother countries.

After a lot of consideration, I finally competed in - an completed my first 10k. The New Castle 10k is a charity event held in my town (Chappaqua, NY). My wife, daugther and parents came out to cheer me on. It was really a great time. Afterward we met up with my brother, sister in law, and my two nieces for some brunch.

Next step is a half marathon held in July. Also, I'll be participating in a Father's Day 5miler in central park which should be fun as well. It's a fund raiser for colon cancer.

Ad Networks are not only alive; we're thriving and evolving along with the ever changing interactive space. For successful performance based marketers there are certainly additional sensitivities that networks must consider which may have been ignored in the past. The adoption of performance based marketing by larger brands has cast a spotlight on the industry as a whole, and this is good. No longer can networks remain "blind" to advertisers. No longer can we demand payment on pixels firing. We're at a tipping point where those networks that survive will continue to cater to global advertisers that seek much needed hand holding, and networks must acquiesce and service these brands. Those that ignore the needs and wants of larger advertisers will suffer. Agencies will only add networks to a media plan if they're confident that their partner can service an account with the level of integrity and service they promise their client. The "net-net” is that the model works. Especially with our declining economic climate, "pay for performance" is highly appealing.

This morning I read a great article about cookies in the wall street journal. L. gordon Corvitz makes some really interestng points in the article, and I feel it's worth commenting on.

The main intent of the article speaks about how there is a purpose for cookies in online, and since consumers aren't really 100 percent clear about how these cookies are being used, there is a fear about them, and the information we communicate online.

This is facinating to me. As the VP of Sales at a performance based ad network, cookies are an essential part of our business. They are necessary for our advertisers, and certainly necessary for our affiliates in the network. The longer a cookie term - the better the chance that an affiliate will gain a commission from the advertiser.

The article by Crovitz also mentions how some of the greatest minds working in the interactive space are addressing this issue today. They've proposed "cookie crumbs" or even smaller bits of information that me be communicated online while browsing. The issue here seems to be the amount of work involved in making cookie crumbs being a reality.

For now we'll have to focus on educating people about why cookies are necessary. If, as the consumer you've disabled your cookies because your concerned about privacy, you may not reap the benefits of advertising at it's best (no Geo targeted ads etc).

I can understand the concern about privacy, but I also think that people may not understand just how much information is availble about them outside of the internet, and that if they enable cookies, they will certainly have an enhanced browsing experience.