Patricia discusses the importance of granularity to marketing measurement in LatAm, the potential in developing more intergenerational and interdisciplinary teams, and a great new campaign by Spanish telco Telefónica.
You work with our Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking clients. What are some of the key challenges that these businesses are grappling with currently?
There is a huge amount of diversity in markets such as Latin America, which means it can be challenging to get the right message to the right audience at the right time. This is particularly true of digital media, which is experiencing rapid growth in the region. Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world with a population of 215 million and in many ways behaves like a continent. Its numerous regional markets are all different and necessitate a high level of granularity when it comes to marketing measurement.
Like the rest of the world, macroeconomic uncertainty is another key trend. In Argentina, for example, new President Javier Milei has promised deep spending cuts in an attempt to solve a prolonged economic crisis. But this is already having a marketing-related impact – MotoGP cancelled its event in the country due to “current circumstances”, for example.
How are we helping our clients to overcome these challenges?
Having native Spanish speakers like me is one way we can help. We are more attuned to the cultural differences and are embedded in these markets, so we know what is happening on a day-to-day basis.
When it comes to dealing with uncertainty, Gain Theory has a wealth of expertise that can ensure clients succeed. Our Global Head of Advanced Analytics has written about how baking foresight into your planning can help to mitigate uncertainty, for example.
You have a background in human resources. How can marketers increase data-driven decision-making in their organization?
I think there is huge potential to develop more intergenerational and interdisciplinary teams to help with overcoming the increasing complexity found within marketing. Bringing together specialists of different ages who have a range of technical and management skills as well as diverse viewpoints will ensure a more effective and efficient approach to marketing. I also recommend reading this article by my colleague Brian Suh, which explains the importance of incentivizing, rewarding, and evaluating employees appropriately.
What book would you recommend?
The Theory That Would Not Die by Sharon Bertsch McGrayne is a very accessible book about Bayes’ theorem – one of the greatest advances in the history of the application of mathematics and statistics. The author transforms a mathematical topic into an incredible story, describing historical events where the theorem played a decisive role. I find it particularly interesting as Gain Theory uses Bayesian models to improve the granularity of insights we generate.
What’s the best campaign you’ve seen recently?
I think Besos (Kisses in English) from the Spanish telco Telefónica is great. An emotional and sensitive brand spot was the starting point of a campaign to celebrate the company’s centenary in April 2024. It’s a clear and well executed invitation to get excited about the past, celebrate the present, and imagine the future.
Contact Patricia to discuss any of the issues raised in this Q&A