Interaktiva Digital Marketing Shares Its 2012 Top Five Online Marketing Predictions for Latin America

MIAMI, FL--(Marketwire - Dec 13, 2011) - Interaktiva Digital Marketing, a full-service online marketing firm based in Miami, today is sharing its 2012 top five online marketing predictions for Latin America. Interaktiva has strong expertise in helping US companies expand in the fast-growing Latin American market.

"U.S. companies have long known that Latin America offers businesses significant growth opportunities," said David Uribe, Interaktiva's VP, Creative Director. "As Latin American consumers are increasingly turning to the Internet for social connections, information and commerce, the brands that will stand out are the ones that successfully reach their end users online, with content and offers that resonate with their audiences. The Latin American digital market is wide-open right now and ripe with opportunities."

1. Smartphones' and tablets' exploding growth will offer additional integrated digital marketing opportunities for B2B and B2C companies. According to eMarketer, 396.2 million people or 66.2 percent of the Latin American population will use mobile phones in 2012, and tablet usage is following close behind. As more people are accessing the Internet on the go, companies have an unprecedented opportunity to reach their end markets through creative, integrated marketing and advertising campaigns.

2. Brands/marketers will increase their digital video advertising. Online video is emerging as one of the fastest growing digital consumer platforms in Latin America and this trend will continue to grow, as we saw with the recent launch of YouTube in Colombia. Video gives brands a strong opportunity to reach their audiences with digital video advertising -- something that until now has been greatly unutilized. Video advertising gives marketers greater targeting and measurement than TV ads, and audiences have been shown to respond better to this medium -- making digital video advertising very appealing to companies.

3. Coupon/discounted "deal of the day" sites will continue to grow. Latin Americans love discounts and promotions and they are embracing daily deal sites such as Groupon, QueBuenaCompra and Peixe Urbano, which are growing at a phenomenal rate. New local sites are opening and gaining ground (Brazil alone is said to have over 400 daily coupon sites) as Latin Americans are increasingly embracing e-commerce. We predict new players will gain market share in the online coupon space, which will also give brands and small- to medium-sized companies an opportunity to gain more visibility and increase sales.

4. E-commerce will play a stronger role in helping to boost company sales. High rates of cyber fraud, scant availability of payment options and a poor selection of online goods have kept e-commerce in Latin America on the sidelines until recently. This is gradually changing thanks to companies that are building safer platforms to ensure transaction security, brands that are offering more enticing online deals and consumers that are becoming more comfortable using the Internet for personal and business use.

5. The mobile applications market will grow as new smartphone manufacturers gain market share in Latin America. BlackBerry was the top smartphone brand in Latin America, but that will soon change as consumers are dissatisfied with BlackBerry's messenger and the phone's limited experience of browsing websites and applications. This gives brands such as Samsung, Motorola, Apple, Sony Ericsson and HTC a great opportunity to increase their market share, which in turn will open up new opportunities in the applications market. Look for exciting growth in this sector.

About Interaktiva Digital Marketing
Interaktiva is a full-service digital marketing agency based in Miami. The company was launched in 2011 and offers website solutions, social media strategies, online media planning, emerging platforms, emails and CRM, and analytics and metrics services. Since its brief inception, the company has already been nominated for the prestigious Awwwards and CSS Design Award, which recognize the best developers, designers and web agencies in the world. For further information, visit the agency's website at www.interaktivaonline.com.