It’s lovely to have you as a partner of PerformanceIN. For those who aren’t familiar with Soicos, please can you explain a little bit more about the company?

Soicos is an affiliate network focusing on the Hispanic LatAm market. We started business back in 2010 as an internal project of the Argentinian Advertising Agency Adverit. Soon, we received our first investment round from Mediasur, a Swiss group that, at the time, possessed some online stores in Europe. Powered by that investment, we opened our branch offices in Chile, Mexico & Colombia.

The project was designed to replicate a classic CPA affiliate network. Since then, we’ve been promoting the benefits of affiliate marketing to the Latin online advertising environment, starting with discussing the lead-generation campaigns that occurred in the very first years, before moving onto the online stores CPA programmes we’re currently seeing.

How do you plan to expand beyond Hispanic LatAm?

We don’t currently plan on expanding out of LatAm during 2021. Reaching clients within our region is still a large challenge for us. We are not speaking about regular market penetration here; we still have to spread the word of affiliate marketing in some countries and we still have too many brands to partner with. We also have a huge number of goals we would like to achieve before landing in new markets. So yes, we are focusing 100% of our efforts on developing within our region for now!

Which countries do you operate in?

We currently operate in Mexico, Chile, Argentina & Colombia, and we have active sales managers closing new deals for Soicos. We also have some activity in secondary markets like Peru and Brazil.

Despite the fact that each country within the region is slightly different in culture, they do actually have a lot in common. However, each country has its own unique challenges, and the advertiser and publisher environments vary a lot. It’s challenging and exciting to adapt tactics to handle the pros and cons that these countries have.

How has your business adapted to COVID-19 and what sort of strategies have you implemented to support your clients?

To start, working remotely has been a dramatic change for Soicos’ team. Most of our team members are located in our Buenos Aires’ office, and they thoroughly enjoy the team work that the industry demands. Having to interact strictly through Zoom/Hangouts forced us to rethink a lot of work processes and get very creative in maintaining our company culture.

When it comes to clients, the whole situation has accelerated their performance marketing needs to levels we never imagined. The demand we felt to make the most of each invested dollar helped unintentionally to push the market’s maturity. Our strategy was to put focus on launching speed and requirements, as well as speaking less aggressively in terms of network and transaction fees and, especially for the travel industry, being flexible with payment terms.

What type of affiliates do you work with?

Our publisher network is quite varied. We work with coupon sites, cashback, content sites, tech partners, comparison engines, display, email, and more!

We are very proud to say that, since the beginning of this fantastic journey, we have helped some local entrepreneurs to develop their affiliate business models, helping to grow the local publisher landscape from the isolated environment it was ten years ago into the promising market we can see unfolding in front of us today.

Soicos has worked with a number of big names. Particularly in today’s economic climate, what opportunities and challenges have you seen or faced when working with advertisers and publishers?

In terms of opportunities: Online retailers and consumers have never needed each other more than they do now. Latin buyers are getting savvier than ever. The status-quo of brands investing in traditional advertising models is out of date, and is based on their necessity of real, tangible results. This whole situation is playing in Soicos’ favour.

Regarding the challenges: Any massive change has its costs. Adapting to these new demands will be very challenging. Clients highly rely on our consultancy to help them develop their programmes and the affiliates understand their value, meaning they’re getting pickier as new programmes appear. Therefore, being up to the challenge will be an interesting test for Soicos.

What can we expect from you in the coming months?

LatAm is growing tremendously fast. We are really excited to finally capitalise a decade’s work. Brands are keen to develop their performance campaigns and affiliate marketing is already in the dictionary of most potential advertisers. Online buyer stats in Latin America are thriving. Based on this, we can expect a bright future for our business, clients and region.

We would like to thank Ignacio for taking part in this Q&A. It’s great to have Soicos as part of the PerformanceIN partner network – we’re looking forward to hearing more about the industry within LatAm and how Soicos will continue to grow its success.

The post Q&A: Soicos on the Affiliate Channel in Latin America and Its Tremendous Growth appeared first on PerformanceIN.

As users’ content consumption patterns and advertisers’ ad budgets increasingly shift to mobile, mobile app brand safety violations increased 194% in the last 12 months, whilst the amount of fraudulent connected TV and mobile apps has more than doubled, DoubleVerify’s 2019 Global Insights Report has found.

The report provides an in-depth analysis of performance trends across several markets and regions. Over 75 countries across different regions are included and it analysed data in over 40 languages, across over 1,000 brands, based on DoubleVerify impressions for display and video ads placed on desktop, mobile devices, and connected TV.

When looking at the Latin America region specifically, the overall brand safety incident rate increased 68% in the first four months of 2019, primarily due to high incident rates in Brazil (10%) and Mexico (9%). Meanwhile, North America boasts the highest average display viewable rate globally at 59%. While this figure falls short of the IAB standard of 70%, it signifies progress. Since 2015, display viewability in North America has risen 34% and video viewability has risen a remarkable 77%. 

In comparison, APAC saw one of the lowest overall fraud rates globally by region with brand safety incident rates ranging from 3.8% to 25% by country. Brand safety incident rates in EMEA were the highest globally and increased 17% in the first four months of 2019, compared with the average for all of 2018. 

“Brand safety, fraud and viewability continue to be top-of-mind for advertisers, and with good reason,” said Wayne Gattinella, CEO of DoubleVerify. 

“Headlines buzz with stories about brands appearing beside fake or objectionable content, and emerging fraud schemes. The stakes are high as advertisers rightfully demand clarity and confidence into the quality and performance of their digital investment.”

Do you have an exciting performance marketing campaign in the LATAM region that should be recognised on a global scale? Download the entry kit today and enter for a chance of winning an International Performance Marketing Award.

The post Mobile App Brand Safety Incidents Increase 194% in a Year appeared first on PerformanceIN.

Tell us about winning an International Performance Marketing Award?

Michel Cervantes: Winning an international award is a great honour, especially for showing the work we do in Mexico and the talent of my team. The sensation of seeing your brand side by side with international giants is priceless.

Where does the value lie in winning Best Managed Affiliate Programme, LATAM?

MC: After winning the award, there was an extra boost in the work that led us to raise expectations much higher, from the companies looking forward to working with us to the kind of relationship we can establish with other peers.

In your opinion, what kind of attributes stand out in succeeding in such regions including, US, APAC, LATAM, and MENA?

MC: Succeeding in Latin America, and I suppose in any region, has to do with understanding people, both your employees but especially your customers. E-commerce seems cold but it’s always about people. And this is reflected in understanding the needs, impulses, behaviour, tastes, etc. and be relevant by innovating in decision making and simpler and easier processes.

Latin America is one of the regions that normally go unnoticed despite having a market of more than 600 million people and several of the largest companies in the world. Therefore, the use of international display is of vital importance to be known and expand to other regions.

If you think you have what it takes to win an International Performance Marketing Award? Download the entry kit today. 

The post IPMA Q&A: Experiencias Xcaret on Winning Best Managed Affiliate Programme, LATAM appeared first on PerformanceIN.

Award-winning performance marketing platform TradeTracker has launched a new office in Buenos Aires, Argentina as it continues its fast-paced global expansion. TradeTracker already provides its cutting-edge services to numerous markets around the world and has the widest coverage of all affiliate networks in Europe. The office will serve its products to advertisers and affiliate from Buenos Aires beginning on November 26.

“It is a great pleasure to be able to offer services in Argentina with the international, transparent and effective services of TradeTracker. Launching a full and transparent first-class solution for performance marketing, we expect to provide both publishers and customers with personalised attention – and generate greater profitability,” said Ted Vendramin, country manager for TradeTracker Argentina.

Vendramin expects to change the digital landscape with their real-attribution functionality to help merchants understand the user journey and reward publishers for their real contribution of each sale.  

“Argentina plays an important role in Latin America and the market is consistently developing at a rapid pace. We’ve now confirmed the need for a professional and transparent performance marketing network – and with attribution taking a more prominent role in the plans of brands, TradeTracker is an excellent partner which is now offering its services in this great country,” commented Philip Keckeis, director of international operations.

The post TradeTracker Opens New Office in Argentina as Part of Global Expansion appeared first on PerformanceIN.

Latin America might just be the region to watch out for when it comes to digital advertising. Propelled by the surging investment coming from key markets including Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Mexico, the region is growing in strength and ad power, with businesses working there believing it’s the “next great advertising ecosystem”, as described by the Americas MD of data-driven tech company AppLift, Andrew Birnbryer.

Zenith Advertising Expenditure Forecast recently found that LatAm, alongside the Central and Eastern European (CEE) and Asia Pacific (APAC) markets, is increasingly contributing to the overall ad spend of 4.2% this year, on track to reach US$559 billion by the end of 2017. Comparatively, the expected average annual growth for LATAM ad spend is 3.0% to 2019.

Fernando Narcio is LATAM MD at data management platform Lotame, and is confident that when it comes to digital advertising, “the stars are aligning” in the region. The source of his optimism? Continuous growth in Brazil, the largest economy in the region and the sixth largest advertising market in the world; promising forecasts for Mexico to become one of the top 10 contributors to ad spend growth globally within the next three years, as well as Argentina’s constant progress.

“These conditions, plus heavy smartphone adoption and use in the mobile-first region, will continue to fuel the exponential growth of digital advertising across the area,” Narcio explained.

Truly mobile-first

Mobile has been unanimously pinned down as the crucial driving force behind these optimistic forecasts. Although connectivity in the region has historically been poor and devices unaffordable for many, the trend “dramatically reversed” between 2015 and 2016 with Latin America now witnessing a strong growth in mobile usage.

“With increased network coverage, affordable devices, and less carrier billing reliance, Latin America is increasing smartphone penetration at a tremendous clip, second only to sub-Saharan Africa in terms of growth,” explained Birnbryer.

High social media usage also has an impact on the accelerating mobile spend in LATAM.

“The region has the highest social media usage in the world; on average users spend four hours a day on social, predominantly on mobile,” explained Amit Dar, strategic partnerships lead at mobile ad tech company Taptica.

Indeed, a study from AdExchanger has revealed that as many as nine out of 10 people with an internet connection own a smartphone, and those who do spend over 37 hours each week online. Dar believes penetration is set to rise by 78% by 2020 due to the fact mobile phones are getting cheaper, and a competitive mobile economy is already emerging in countries such as Colombia, Brazil and Argentina, “which in turn is leading to increased ad spend by brands out there,” he added.

Birbryer shares Dar’s optimistic prognosis for the advertising future in the region.

“Forecasts show mobile subscribers increasing over 50% in the next two years reaching half a billion by 2020. This increase and a market-specific app development strategy – most apps and services developed in Latin America are built for LATAM specific users – precipitates a significant influx of LATAM-focused mobile ad spend,” he commented.

“A region to watch”

Although APAC might currently be the most talked about region in terms of digital marketing advances, Zenith’s study has revealed that Latin America has also made an impact on global growth, and Dar believes Brazil is a key country to have contributed to the trend.

“There is a clear opportunity in mobile in Brazil, as mobile ad spend is currently only at 2% of total ad spend, as opposed to 68% on TV, where user screen time is 31% on mobile as opposed to only 24% on TV,” he explained, adding that Brazil is also set to be the fifth largest ad market in 2019, ahead of countries like Korea and Australia.

“We’re likely to see more brands investing in mobile ad spend there to capture this increasingly receptive market,” he said.

Birnbryer’s forecast also sees the region potentially outpacing “more mature markets” as advertisers increase their investments and “spend versus revenue generated” becomes even more considerable.

The post Why Latin America is the “Next Great Advertising Ecosystem” appeared first on PerformanceIN.

As the leading ad market in Latin America and one of the largest advertising markets in the world, Brazil poses a unique and exciting opportunity for today’s brands, especially in the mobile arena.

Brazil’s share of mobile internet in digital ad spend is forecast to grow from 28% in 2016 to 64.8% by 2019 – which by 2019 is estimated to account for a $3.75 billion investment. Moreover, Brazil’s total ad revenue across channels is estimated to reach nearly $30 billion US dollars by 2019.

A unique environment

So what makes Brazil unique? Compared to the rest of the world, Brazilians are the most active mobile users in terms of both app usage – 29 apps used per person per month – and engagement – apps are engaged with 54 times per month.

Globally on average, 27 apps are used per person per month and are engaged with 39 times per month. This has bred a fast-growing mobile environment where consumers feel secure using their smartphones to shop and participate in other types of transactions online. Brazilian mobile internet usage continues to grow rapidly and in the next five years, the number of mobile internet users in Brazil is estimated to almost double.

Brazil’s tech-savvy entrepreneurs have also made the country a unique market. Despite economic struggles seen over the last few years, there has been a large growth in entrepreneurship linked to the rapid adoption of advanced technology – from product manufacturing and distribution to fully automated marketing suites.

In contrast, technology adoption in the US began earlier – long before Brazil’s technology boom in 2012; so US entrepreneurs adapted gradually to new innovations as technology advanced. Brazil’s combination of tech-savvy entrepreneurs and the broad usage of mobile devices by consumers has established a strong foundation for performance marketing in the country, making Brazil primed for scaling.

In order to tap into this rapidly growing, mobile-first market, it’s important for marketers to understand Brazil’s unique environment. Here are a few tips on how to approach digital marketing in Brazil to help increase your chances of success.

Get to know the locals

In Brazil, personal relationships are usually formed first to build trust before a business relationship can grow between companies. A couple of great ways to start a personal relationship with your client is by meeting in person or by partnering with a local expert based in Brazil. I personally have found great success meeting, breaking bread and having a drink with prospective clients. The Brazilian culture thrives on fun and joy, and if you can take part in it, you can go far professionally.

During my most recent trip to Brazil for an event, I had a 15-hour layover which provided the opportunity to organise a last-minute dinner with a local prospect. After visiting their company headquarters and having dinner together, they expressed how refreshing it was that I had taken the time to not only meet with them, but really get to know them on a personal level. Since then, they have become partners and friends, even working with our team on content for publications to build our business relationship further.

Make social media and apps a priority

As smartphone use continues to grow in Brazil, there are more opportunities for advertisers to increase their engagement with digital audiences. Let’s take a look at a few favourites among Brazil’s digital audience – the top mobile operating system is Android, the most popular app category is social, and the most popular mobile app is WhatsApp. Most Brazilians avoid using their providers for texting and calling, and instead prefer to use social media apps, such as WhatsApp and Facebook. eMarketer predicts that in 2017 there will be 64.5 million mobile messaging app users.

Due to the prevalence of mobile devices, affiliate marketing providers must have mobile tracking capabilities that include features that are designed to deal with the complexities inherent in the mobile environment. Mobile advertisers should plan to reach consumers in Brazil with ads relevant to their location, language, device type, operating system, screen size and more.

Be ready to measure performance in real-time

Successful digital marketing is dependent on the ability to see what’s working and what’s not, and to adjust campaign strategies on-the-fly if necessary. This demands real-time insight into marketing performance, including how campaigns are performing across channels, partners, types of offers and creative strategies. Fortunately, today’s marketers have access to large quantities of data that can provide this insight, however, without the right tools to analyse massive quantities of data, the task can quickly become overwhelming.

When it comes to deploying tracking technology, networks have two options: build or buy. While in-house solutions can be 100% customisable, they also require an investment of resources, time and maintenance. The most cost and time-effective solution is to outsource this and use advanced tracking technology available.

Find the right performance marketing software

Advanced tracking technologies empower marketers to analyse large sample sizes of data in a short amount of time, providing a real-time view of campaign performance. Accurate performance metrics help marketers measure ROI, reward affiliate partners, test offers and constantly improve decision-making and campaign strategies so that media spend is optimised.

When looking for a tracking solution, Brazilian marketers need to consider the following: can the solution track and attribute performance across multiple channels, ranging from mobile to email marketing, to lead generation e-commerce and display? Does it provide accurate insight in real time? Can it track granular specifics like device used and geographic location? Attention to these details can help you optimise results and support strategies for cross-selling and upselling, making performance insight the driving factor for your success in Brazil.

As one of the largest advertising markets in the world, Brazil genuinely poses a unique and exciting opportunity for today’s brands.

The post Brazil: The Land of Digital Marketing Opportunity appeared first on PerformanceIN.

Accelerize and its digital marketing software division, CAKE, announced that Weach, Latin American provider of multi-channel performance solutions for advertisers and agencies, has selected CAKE’s SaaS platform to track, attribute and optimise campaigns for its clients.

The company picked it for the solution’s ability to track multiple types of affiliate campaigns, ranging from email marketing and lead generation to e-commerce and display at a very detailed level.

Weach’s CEO and founder, Marlon Nogueira, believes CAKE’s platform can handle the tracking requirements of various campaign types.

“This attention to detail helps us optimise results for our advertiser and agency clients, as well as the affiliate publishers we work with,” he added.

Weach offers a one-stop solution for advertisers interested in running performance and lead generation campaigns using email, as well as display, native, retargeting, programmatic and other types of advertising strategies. It operates its own advertising network and works with publishers and third-party demand-side platforms (DSPs) to deliver high-volume, top-quality leads and traffic for its clients. Weach is the main lead generation provider in Brazil, and the only one in Latin America able to deliver multiple performance solutions in a single platform.

“With CAKE, our staff can create, manage and track campaigns from single browser tab,” added Nogueira. “We look forward to tapping into the platform’s many features for optimising campaigns and supporting strategies for cross-selling and upselling that will make our publisher’s inventory more profitable and drive return on ad spend for our advertisers.”

According to eMarketer, Brazil’s total media ad spending is projected to increase to nearly $30 billion by 2019.

“The Latin American digital ad market is still maturing and there’s potential for immense growth,” said Santi Pierini, CAKE president and chief operating officer of Accelerize. “Companies like Weach understand that insight into campaign performance is a competitive asset that will help them take advantage of the opportunities presented by an increasingly fragmented digital advertising landscape. We are excited to partner with Weach as they continue to expand in this dynamic market.”

The post CAKE is Tracking Platform of Choice for Brazilian Ad Network appeared first on PerformanceIN.

That’s why Sociomantic’s managing director of LATAM, Francisco Morales, will reveal some peculiarities of Brazil’s digital landscape, which acts more like a continent than a lone country. 

If we were to describe Brazil in numbers, the figures are always colossal. With more than 200 million inhabitants, Brazilians make up more than one third of Latin America’s population. The country is also the fifth largest in the world in mass, and its digital market relects this. 

Brazil is the world’s second largest market in terms of monthly volume of impressions, with more than 198 billion delivered in the first quarter of 2015 (comScore). Internet penetration exceeds 50%, and almost half of Brazil’s online audience already consume digital content through more than one device (eMarketer) – yet as smartphones become even more widely adopted by Brazilians, there’s plenty more room to grow. 

So, what makes Brazil a one-of-a-kind in the digital realm?

Online discount chasers 

In spite of, or perhaps as a result of facing an economical crisis, Brazilians are always on the hunt for the best online deals they can get. The fact that the country spends an average of 30.3 hours monthly online – the highest rate worldwide – contributes greatly to the country’s overall digital market (eMarketer).

According to E-bit, holiday sales offer prime opportunity for e-commerce to increase its numbers. For example, Black Friday sales grew 38% in 2015 while Cyber Monday grew 56%, accounting for R$3.02 billion (almost $1.5 billion). 
That Brazilians also like to ask for discounts, and respond very well to “2 for the price of 1” promotions, is noteworthy. Online pricing and promotion strategies are always welcomed by consumers, and these represent a window of opportunity for brands to convert first-time buyers.

The mobile internet movement 

According to November 2015 research by eMarketer, mobile internet users will amount to  71.5% of all mobile phone users in Brazil, equating to 73 million people. Mobile-only users grew 7% from 2014 to 2015, as desktop users decrease slightly. Nearly 9 million Internet users in Brazil access the Internet exclusively from their tablets and mobile phones.

Furthermore, smartphones are a necessary companion for many television viewers. More than half of TV viewers  were reported as conducting internet searches and using social networks whilst watching television. 

As such, more and more brands are turning to mobile devices with the understanding that each and every touch point is a new and important occasion to send the right message to the customer.

In the middle

Demand for online marketing experts is growing very fast in light of Brazil’s curiosity for new technologies such as programmatic-buying. A large number of large-scale advertisers therefore employ agencies or full-service technology providers to facilitate their online marketing endeavours. 

While a lot of e-commerce players are bound by law to work with agencies to buy ad media, more and more small and medium businesses are delving into  online advertising by means of utilising a third party.

Real-time bidding (RTB) is growing fast and agencies as well as advertisers are starting to understand that it’s not only a new and exciting technology, it will soon also define Brazil’s fast-growing digital ad market. 

Economic downturn, digital ad spending upturn

Brazil is the largest market in Latin America and although the economic crisis persists, ad spend numbers confirm the leading position. 

According to eMarketer, the country ranks 17th in both media ad spending per person and digital ad spending per internet user in 2015. The total amount spent in 2015 was estimated to equate to the UK, France and Germany combined.  
Retail, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), finance and insurance are the top industries in Brazil, accounting for 40% of the digital ad spend in 2015. This year, the Summer Olympics is expected to influence the current 16.6% digital ad spend increase. 

Payment methods

In general, Brazil has a very advanced credit card culture. However, Boleto – a payment option unique to Brazil — is a method more commonly used in the country. Boleto enables customers to access a prefilled bank slip, which they can either pay by means of internet banking or by print-out and, at a later stage, pay at banks, drugstores, supermarkets or post offices. 

As a result, Brazil’s most advanced advertisers have adjusted their marketing strategy for shoppers who choose Boleto as a payment option. By building a smart CRM logic, they are able to adjust their KPIs for these customers, or link them to a different landing page whilst taking into account the possibility of cancellations caused by Boleto. 

Despite the negative scenario and forecast for the country, Brazil can be seen as one of the most promising markets for digital advertising and programmatic-buying. When in crisis, brands need to invest where they can measure their ROI and as we know, the digital world and specifically, programmatic media buying, are just on the right path.

The post Digital Marketing Deep Dive: Brazil appeared first on PerformanceIN.