ad:tech Miami Press Room Faux Pas

Open power outlets are rare, and rarer still in the press room. Never, ever monopolize an outlet to charge your computer and cell phone at the same time -- while you, Considerate Guy, attend sessions.

It's evil.

ad:tech Miami Exhibit Hall Full of Activity, Requisite Distraction

After you've walked through the exhibit of just about any conference you begin to think you've seen everything. Thankfully, the intellect and sense are never let down. While the Miami ad:tech conference is a smaller conference compared to its Big Brother New York, Big Sister San Francisco and cousin Chicago, if you're not actually from somewhere in Latin America or Mexico, you feel a bit like you are in another world.

OK, so it's not that extreme but it's far different than being at a New York, San Francisco or Chicago conference and in a very good way. Anyway, enough blather. On to the pictures.

Some Nights at ad:tech Top All Others

OK, so why write about it when you can just look at the pictures? So...go here and you'll get to wallow in the social activities of ad:tech Miami's first night. But if you're more the type of person who just wants to read about it, here's the rundown...

There was food. There was alcohol. There were lots of beautiful people. There was a pool. There were people in the pool. Drinks were dropped. Drunk-speak was the only language spoken. And then there were the...[redacted].

That Dog Really, Really Likes That Leg

OK so there's nothing new about a horny dog humping a person's leg. Happens all the time. In fact, embarrassingly, it happened in the middle of a Cub Scout den meeting years ago. I never lived that one down. Anyway, this humping dog comes courtesy of Erwin-Penland for the Greenville Humane Society in South Carolina. It's goal is to urge pet owners to spay and neuter their furry one under the heading, Sips for Snips.Snips??? That's just painful!

Hispanic and Latin American Acquisition Opportunities Examined

In the ad:tech session entitled "The Internet Economy: Start-ups, Bubbles, and Buyouts," moderated by Milbank Roy Co. LLC Managing Director Pierre-Georges Roy with panelists Global Mind CEO Marcello Montefiore, Internet Media Services Founder and CEO Gaston Taratuta, Fox Networks VP of Global Business Development Damiam Voltes and Publicitas VP of Digital Media Paul Meyer, the key takeaways were specialization and Brazil.

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Potentially Useful Data on Latin American Internet Culture

From ad:tech Miami's "Latin American Consumer Habits and Online Behavior" panel. Information was provided by CEO Fabia Juliasz of ibope/NetRatings.

Percentage of internet penetration:

- Brazil, 22 percent (42 million internet users)

- Mexico, 22 percent (22.7 million users)

- Argentina, 26 percent (10.3 million users)

- Chile, 41 percent (6.7 million users)

Use varies by age, location, cost of resources and economic status. According to Juliasz, the trick is to target them locally.

Latin America consists mostly of verdant land and small communities. Cities are heavily concentrated and burdened by technology demand. This means most people in those cities can get online, but how they do it depends on what they can afford.

Where users are too poor to use a computer at home, most will use public access spaces. Free wifi and internet cafes proliferate Brazilian and Peruvian cities.

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Focused Content, Targeting and Research Key Elements to Hispanic Marketing

Delivering the opening keynote ay the Miami ad:tech Conference, SMG Multicultural CEO Monica Gadsby shared some findings regarding the Hispanic audience online. According to Gadsby, 19.5 million U.S. Hispanics are online, fifty percent view video (an index of 241 compared to the general market) , 70 percent of Hispanic women are online and Hispanics make up ten percent of all online users.

Gadsby addressed the full house audience and focused on three areas as they relate to Hispanic marketing: Content, Targeting and Research. Beginning with content, Gadsby cited the need for more content options for Hispanics. While Hispanic content has certainly increased, more is needed and it must be easier for Hispanics to access.

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Adrants to Re-Design, We Want Your Input

So it's been what, over two years since those cute little bubbles and that martini glass graced the pages of Adrants? Have you had enough? Are you ready to physically stick a pin through your screen hoping those damn bubbles will pop and disappear forever? Down a case of Hendricks gin so there's none left to fill the glass?

Yes, friends, we are going into re-design and, in a stunningly brilliant realization, we figured we'd ask our readers what they think of the current design and content since, you know, you guys do this sort of thing for a living. It's not often every website can ask it's audience for input and have that input come with a bit of expertise as opposed to some other people we're familiar with who can't seem to come up with any other than, "can you make the logo bigger?"

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From Cradle to Grave, Independence Blue Cross Wants Your Business

CEO Joseph Frick of Independence Blue Cross, the biggest health insurance provider in Philadelphia, used his recent colon cancer diagnosis to fuel this ad campaign by Tierney Communications.

The height chart at left lends a practical, and sort of charming, picture of how needs change as the mortal coil unravels. (Nagging question: why is 5'9," "Mammogram Reminders," followed by 6'1," "Senior Fitness Programs"? I thought people shrink when they get old? Is Independence just that good?)

Tagline: "Just a few ways we're here for you every step of the way" -- a little clumsy, but it gets the idea across.

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Watch Out for that Hair; It Could Kill a Small Mammal

Hoping to milk the star (?) for all his worth, Nationwide has released behind-the-scenes footage of its ad featuring Sanjaya Malakar. Shot in India, footage depicts the American Idol castaway singing in the face of a firmly shut door (what a metaphor!). You'll be pleased to know Sanjaya's hair is as wack as ever.

Nationwide loves a talented media whore, and Sanjaya certainly fits the bill, so it was just a matter of time before the two found each other eventually.

To learn more about his partnership with Nationwide, read a recent Sanjaya interview.