We have lined up some of the most influential leaders in the industry to judge your submissions for this years Festival of Media LatAm Awards. We caught up with Rodrigo Salazar, Growth & Expansion Director, Latam, Helios Worldwide on industry trends and challenges in the industry. He reveals that digital transformations, social media & data driven marketing are the biggest trends driving media in the LatAm region.
Q: What do you think has helped the media work from Latin America become some of the best in the world?
The media work in Latam has become world-class due to our great ability to combine cultural richness with diversity, creating compelling storytelling across campaigns in all industries. Our creative talent continually pushes the boundaries of innovation and curiosity drives us forward. Our traditions in storytelling, combined with local flavors and a global footprint, resonate deeply with what audiences are looking to consume. Also, the adaptability and resilience of our media and creative professionals, who often work in challenging cultural, political and social environments, have honed our ability to deliver best in class campaigns.
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Q: What trends do you think are driving media in the region?
Digital Transformation is at the forefront, with a big shift towards online platforms and mobile-first strategies due to the high connectivity rates and penetration of smartphones: the 5G rollout will enable this furthermore.
Social Media continues to play a key role, motivating content creators and influencers to partner with brands to deliver both branding and performance campaigns. Additionally, data-driven marketing allows for highly personalized and targeted campaigns, improving engagement and effectiveness for both audiences and brands.
There is also a growing interest in creating local content that appeals to global audiences, leveraging our unique cultural richness to stand out in a crowded marketplace.
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Q: What are the biggest challenges you currently face in your day-to-day role?
One of the biggest challenges in the industry is navigating the rapid pace of tech changes and ensuring that our strategies and martech stack remain updated. Maintaining consistent quality across the omni-channel, while managing diverse teams with different perspectives is also a significant goal.
On the other hand, balancing creative aspirations with commercial strategies requires a delicate understanding, as well as adapting to our social, economic and political instabilities. These challenges push us forward to innovate, be flexible and resilient, and have a deep understanding of both our audiences and the broader media landscape.
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Q: What tools are currently having the biggest impact on your campaigns?
Advanced analytics and data insights tools are critical for success nowadays, enabling us to better understand audiences and measure effectiveness.
Programmatic ecosystems streamline ad placements and decision-making while optimizing personalization by integrating data from various sources.
AI is revolutionizing our approach through predictive analytics, automation, and improved content creation.
We’re also leveraging zero, first, second, and third-party data for comprehensive audience understanding and targeting, and while the industry prepares for an eventual cookieless future, we’re getting ready by focusing on data-driven and contextual targeting to maintain campaign effectiveness.
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Q: What can we expect from Latin American media campaigns over the next 12 months?
Over the next year we can expect a greater integration of AI and ML to enhance personalization and efficiency across the board. Campaigns should focus on providing an enhanced user experience with more interactive and immersive content. We will see an expansion of cross-platform and omnichannel campaigns to ensure cohesive and comprehensive audience engagement, while experiencing a big shift towards CTV and Retail Media contexts
