MARKETING NEWS UPDATES FROM AROUND THE GLOBE
SOUTH AMERICA
• Brazil has become one of the fastest-growing mobile payment markets in the world. The nation combines scale and opportunity; while the fourth largest mobile market in the world, Brazil also has a large population without bank accounts, creating the perfect backdrop for a mobile payment explosion.
• Latin America’s marketing spend is expected
to grow 10 percent a year through 2017, ac-
cording to ZenithOptimedia’s (ZO) Adver-
tising Expenditure Forecast report. The com
pany attributed this increase in spend to the
2016 Olympics upcoming in Brazil.
• Sony and Emirates airline have ended their contracts with FIFA, the governing body of global soccer. Though FIFA runs one of the world’s largest sporting events, the organization has repeatedly been caught up in scandal. The latest: Corruption scandals in soccer tournaments in Qatar and Russia ASIA
• Salesforce has plans to open a new data center in Japan. The strategy behind the latest additions is not only to help the company reach businesses and government agencies within Japan, but also to expand into the Asia-Pacific region.
• Nestlé’s Purina pet food brand is expanding marketing efforts in China, while pushing e-commerce offerings there. The company currently sells brands including Pro Plan, Dog Chow, Friskies, and Fancy Feast to more than 38 million pet owners in the country.
• Apple is building a new research and development center in Japan. The company did not reveal which products would be tested at the outpost, but announced plans to employ “a couple of dozen” employees.
EUROPE
• Volvo has launched an online car sales platform which will soon allow car buyers to purchase vehicles online through their local dealership. The Swedish carmaker will increase digital advertising this year to support the effort.
• The German government is considering legislation that would ban the use of work email after business hours. The potential legislation comes out of new research indicating that employees who email around the clock face higher levels of stress. Opponents say that blanket legislation is not the answer.
• Email marketing remains the most potent driver for online shopping in the UK. According to a new report from comparison shopping site Give as You Live, sixty-four percent of consumers are likely to immediately click on a attractive offer link in an email from a retailer.
