Managing Communications in Mexico | Our Perspective
Over the last decade Mexico has experienced a remarkable evolution in marketing, corporate communications and public relations. In this increasingly democratic and competitive environment, consumers, the news media and the government expect not only full proficiency in communication programs but creativity and absolute transparency from the business community. Without a doubt the bar has been raised and the standards to meet are high.
In addition to being the largest Spanish-speaking country in the world, Mexico is one of the most important gateways to Latin America. What works and what does not work in this market frequently cascades down to other Latin American countries. It is not uncommon to see that the companies and brands that come to us for counsel have the goal of winning the Mexican consumer not only for the local value, but also because of the force that it will generate in the company’s reputation in the region. Mexican consumers are very vocal, natural networkers and largely connected to social media so shaping their opinions about a brand, a product or a service in a memorable and positive way is an intricate and challenging mission.
When thinking about starting a communications campaign in Mexico, one of the most important things to consider is the reach and the power that the Mexican media have–not only in the country and Latin America, but the impact that they have in the U.S. and in Spain as well. The most important TV and radio networks reach more than 400 million Spanish speakers around the world. Very frequently, brands devote more of their communications and PR spending to Mexico knowing that the placement of their key message platform will be instantly noticeable on the regional measurement and tracking. In fact, one of the key differentiators of our firm is PubTracker®, a dedicated team that tracks, organizes and measures all the media coverage and social media results of a campaign in a seamless monthly snapshot report. Many of our clients use PubTracker® to monitor results from their spending in Mexico, Brazil, Argentina and the entire Latin American region.
Another key aspect to take into consideration when building a communications platform for Mexico is identifying the key influencers and knowing what influences them. This part of the communications strategy is the most difficult and requires experts with key insights and widespread respect. Given the geographical proximity with the U.S. and the relationships that tie the two countries together, the influence from the U.S. to Mexico in terms of consumer trends has historically been very important. Now, we see a major shift in the opposite direction, placing Mexico at the core of the trends being transferred to the U.S. Hispanic market. (And, the U.S. is now the second-largest Spanish-speaking country in the world.)
According to the Mexican Internet Association, AMIPCI, more than 40 million Mexicans have daily access to the Internet and connect to social networks like Facebook and Twitter. This number is expected to grow 20 percent each year. JeffreyGroup currently creates, executes and measures integrated media relations and social media campaigns for nearly 85 percent of our client roster. We are passionate about helping our clients erase the line between traditional media relations and social media plans. With one seamless effort we integrate two highly important tools of the marketing communications mix.
Overall, managing communications in Mexico requires strategic agility and cultural savvy. At JeffreyGroup we’re proud to serve both global brands operating in the market as well as Mexican companies that have global reach. Both need critical eyes and ears that can help them do business and position their brands for success in this important market. We welcome your inquiry for additional information.