Business

Many global brands are facing the inescapable fact that it is a particularly tricky time to be in the consumer goods business. Following decades of solid and dependable growth, the future started getting hazy in 2012. That is when, despite steadily rising global demand, a series of events began taking a toll on large consumer products companies’ revenues and profits.  By Matthew Meacham, François Faelli, Eduardo Giménez and John Blasberg

NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises announced the launch of Telemundo Academy, a first-ever multimedia educational institution to empower and train the next generation of media leaders. The academy's first partners will include internationally renowned singer, actor and record producer Armando Christian Perez's (Pitbull) SLAM Miami (Sports Leadership and Management) and the Doral Academy, two highly regarded local charter schools. 

The wait is over for investors and Hispanic market observers who have been asking about Univision Communications‘ Initial Public Offering plan, and when the company targeting Hispanic and millennial consumers will come to fruition.  After a series of delays, there will be no IPO.  By Adam Jacobson

Sir Martin Sorrell, the industry's most prominent agency spokesman, now has the difficult job of explaining, on behalf of WPP and of the industry in general, why revenue growth has been so difficult to achieve and what can be done about it.  Since its peak in 2015, WPP shares have fallen 28% in value.  In the main, Sorrell points his finger at "major customers, who are holding back ad spending to cut costs, and the long-term impact of technological disruption and the short-term focus of zero-based budgeters, activist investors and private equity." By Michael Farmer
 

Univision Communications Inc. (UCI) announced that Peter H. Lori has been named Chief Financial Officer, effective immediately.  Lori, who has served as Executive Vice President, Finance, Chief Accounting Officer and Deputy Chief Financial Officer for UCI, succeeds Francisco (Frank) J. Lopez-Balboa, who has decided to leave the company to pursue other opportunities. Lori will report to Randy Falco, President and Chief Executive Officer.

We’re moving from a time of scarcity to an era of abundance, experiencing megatrends that are changing commerce, transportation, and healthcare: connected consumers, on-demand services, internet-enabled connection and commerce.  So why do people wring their hands and get so worked up about the future of media? As it turns out, scarcity was perhaps the one thing that made media relevant, reliable, and even resilient.