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35 Essential Mexico Advertising Resources for the International Marketer

Estimated Reading time: 12 minutes • July 30, 2022

Has your business identified Mexico as an ideal target market for global expansion? You’re not alone. Our international media buying practice represents many brands in their market entry into the Mexico market. Along the way, we’ve gathered innumerable Mexico advertising resources.


Mexico Advertising: Resources

These resources serve a variety of purposes on various steps in the process of entering the Mexico market. Our philosophy is that excellent media buying serves to support brand business growth. That includes acquiring customers profitably and raising brand awareness longterm. So it’s crucial that, when sizing up the Mexico market – or any other – that brands ensure the effort is set up for success with proper planning.

We’ve compiled articles, rankings, apps, marketing tools, cultural points of reference useful and other Mexico advertising resources useful to smart marketers in planning their market entry to Mexico. These resources range from the dry and statistics-based to the humorous and delightful. (Note: resources are listed in no particular order.)

Additionally, we welcome you to also share Mexico advertising resources using the contact form below. Or email us with the subject line “Mexico Advertising Resources”.

We look forward to hearing from you and enjoy!


1. Mexico Market Sizing

  1. WorldBank Database, Mexico gathers essential datasets on Mexico’s population of 130MM, including life expectancy, GDP, and more. This may seem overly-simplistic (or too “big picture”) for actionable Mexico market media planning and buying. Yet this data is useful in two ways. The first is for sizing markets and budgeting accordingly within the Mexico market. The second use is tailoring local pricing for new entrants to the Mexico market. Its data explores average earnings, and inflation trend considerations impacting the spend power per citizen. 
  2. Mexico ranks 29th in outbound Foreign Direct Investment abroad, but in a ranking of countries by received FDI (inbound), Mexico ranks 15th globally, with a 2017 estimate of $499,400MM USD in investment received. This is a valuable metric among country rankings as it is a proxy for Mexico’s receptiveness to global (non-Mexican) brands. The bottom-line: Mexico is a highly-globalized market where new entrant brands can succeed.
  3. The US Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration maintains several sites with info on exporting to Mexico, including its Country Commercial Guide for Mexico. These resources are useful for US brands and brands anywhere in the world. One is the Export Assistance Center, provides information on exporting to Mexico, and NAFTA and government-certified trade specialists. 
  4. The United States Commercial Service’s website Trade.Gov is the official U.S. resource on global expansion strategy in Mexico. It offers a “Market Entry Strategy” for Mexico to support U.S. companies, states, cities, and non-profit organizations in expanding their exports to and investment. In addition, the U.S. Commercial Service maintains several offices in Mexico, including Guadalajara, Monterrey and Mexico City, given the significance of US-Mexico trade relations. 
  5. IMD, or International Institute for Management Development is based in Switzerland and Singapore. IMD runs hosts a number of global ranking programs. Its World Competitiveness Center ranks Mexico 55 of 64 globally. Its Digital Competitiveness Rankings ranks Mexico 56th of 64, and its Talent Rankings places Mexico 59th of 64. All 3 rankings are accessible on its IMD World Competitiveness Mexico Market Profile page, offering useful comparative insights for brands assessing opportunities for global expansion marketing. The IMD also hosts a variety of Mexico resources. Our favorites? A fascinating case study on PepsiCo’s forays in the Mexico Market, a 2014 analysis of Mexico’s fall from 32nd in global economic competitiveness ranking to 41st out of 60 nations in 2014. 
  6. Transparency International (also known by its URL, Transparency.org) has national chapters in 100+ countries and an international secretariat in Berlin. It works toward global action against corruption. They publish two important rankings annually. The Corruption Perceptions Index, assesses perceived levels of  public sector corruption (100 being very clean and 1 being highly corrupt). Its Global Corruption Barometer which assesses the trajectory of perceptions of corruption regionally around the globe. In the 2021 report, available here, Mexico ranks 124th in the world with a Corruption Perception score of 34. 
  7. Relatedly, Freedom House’s global ranking of press freedoms is a useful resource for communications professionals. Its ranking places Mexico 60/100 countries studied. Its Mexico Market assessment gives a thorough analysis of its current political situation as it relates to cultural norms and expectations regarding freedoms of speech. 
  8. The Mexican Embassy in the Philippines maintains the most comprehensive, visual synopsis of Mexico economic data. Data are derived from the Mexico Ministry of Economy, INEGI, BANXICO, FMI, Global Trade Atlas, World Bank, and UNCTAD.
  9. Consumers International advocates for consumer rights and “ensuring consumers’ right to access goods and quality services”. While its perspective is strongly pro-consumer, we find it’s site invaluable for brands contemplating marketing in new territories. CI compiles insights into commercial standards and expectations regarding consumer rights across categories. This shows marketers how – in a marketplace of existing, incumbent brands – new market entrants can exceed consumer standards and “raise the bar.” Mexico market-specific news and updates on their work available here
  10. Mexico Competitiveness Institute (IMCO) is a nonprofit leading think tank studying Mexico’s economic competitiveness from a global perspective.
  11. Mexico’s Ministry of Economy encourages foreign investment in Mexico: this page covers commercializing inventions in Mexico.
  12. North American Development Bank (NADB) is a regional development bank providing financial resources for development and business expansion in Mexico, the US and Canada. The government agency, known as IMPI, protects IP in Mexico and helps Mexican businesses to protect their patents, copyrights, corporate rights and trademarks.
  13. On the economic development side, ProMéxico is the economic arm of the Mexican Secritariat of Economy since 2007. ProMéxico promotes Mexican firms internationally and “guide[s] the attraction of foreign direct investment (FDI)” into Mexico. Its Mexico Investment Map, (“Mapa de Inversión en México”) gives “global companies and their investment project evaluators the facts about what makes Mexico an excellent choice for establishing their operations. The MIM provides information about Mexico’s infrastructure and production base. It covers across a large number of sectors and contains a database with information by state.” A copy can be obtained here

2. Mexico Advertising Industry Context

  1. The IABMexico is a non-profit association that integrates and promotes internet advertising industry growth through the development of studies, educational programs and best practices. It has over 195 member companies, including Nestlé, Grupo Ferrer, Meta, Amazon Ads, Google, Mercado Ads, BNN, Danone, Aeroméxico, and more.
  2. WARC, the World Advertising Research Council, maintains an active database of important Mexico advertising resources, research, and case studies. Its Latin America > Mexico page compiles Mexico research alongside information gathered from global advertisers in other LATAM markets. WARC is a deeply useful took for marketing research and CMOs exploring LATAM expansion. 
  3. The IAA, International Advertising Association serves “as the gateway for brands and marketers seeking customers and growth across borders.” The IAA “guide[s] our members through the transformations taking place” in advertising globally. Currently the IAA does not have a Mexico chapter. 
  4. For creative insight and research, AdsOfTheWorld’s Mexico page collects noteworthy ad work. It includes, on occasion, spec work completed by in-market students or creatives working independently. Owned and operated by Clio Awards, LLC, Ads of the World receives 700K user visits, and about 4M page loads per month globally. Ads of the World dates back to 2005 and its creation by Ivan Raszl.
  5. McKinsey & Company publishes periodic reports and sector analyses relevant to the clients of its practice in Mexico. These surveys, articles, and comprehensive reports trace Mexico’s rise as a digital economy. Find Mexico market-specific resources here, developed as useful insights for leaders in Mexico and across LATAM. One particularly interesting piece for our consumer packaged good brands: “Thriving in Latin America’s next normal: Commercial excellence in CPG”. 
  6. Scholars Nicolle Polanco*, Badillo Victoria Salazar Mayorga, Johanna Prince, and Adrien Benel recently published “Tik Tok and the possible perseverance of Cultural Imperialism,” in the Global Media Journal. We suggest this academic article for marketers studying social media marketing trends specific to the Mexico market. It finds that, although TikTok’s “algorithm favours Mexican or Hispanic content…” a lot of that content comes from the US. This is noteworthy for marketers contemplating creative considerations across-borders. The scholars find: “Tik Tok allows cultural imperialism to persevere through high recommendation and high view numbers (leading to trending and viralization)” for US content and creators. Yet, they conclude “that Tik Tok grants a cultural exchange and globalization between Latin American countries” 
  7. YouGov Mexico offers deep insights into Mexico market cultural currency with a faster frequency than the World Values Survey. It’s Mexico advertising resources are terrific (and, typically, free in summary format). YouGov offers the most current/comprehensive information on psychographics and public opinion in the Mexico market.
  8. The United Nations UnStereotype Alliance has a presence in Mexico where. According to a 2019 study, nearly 50% of ads shown in-market include sexist stereotypes. The UnStereotype Alliance works to correct this globally.

3. Ease of Advertising in Mexico (Business Practice)

  1. DoingBusiness.Org is home to the World Bank’s ranking of the “business enabling environments” of economies globally. It’s Mexico Report rates the efficiency and effectiveness of “Doing Business In” Mexico. It covers issues from starting a business to exporting and setting up manufacturing and financing and much more.  
  2. Westlaw’s Guide to Doing Business in Mexico provides a guide to legal processes for doing business in Mexico’s open economy. This guide (obviously) approaches things from a legal perspective. It’s worth noting that all media buying or marketing deals in Mexico will operate according to commercial practices for Mexico. It’s important to take note of differences with the commercial practices of your own home country.
  3. The World Federation of Advertisers is the trade body representing Global Marketers; its Mexico Market resources include participation in the Unstereotype Alliance, a Un-led coalition to help eradicate stereotypes in advertising. It also compiles resources on experiential agencies in the Mexican market and hosts events for LATAM regional marketers in Mexico. 

Mexico is regularly ranked among the most efficient markets in LATAM for doing business. And whilst its 2021 Advertising Transparency law is among the most vigilant on the planet, this efficiency generally applies to advertising. Even the law itself is, arguably, best-in-class globally for its clarity.

DoingBusiness.Org

4. How to Advertise in Mexico

When the time comes to begin Mexico media planning and buying, you’ll want to be familiar with the “Transparency, Prevention and Combating of Unfair Practices in Advertising Contracting” laws that went into effect 1 Sept, 2021. Contact us at MexicoAdvertising.com to schedule a call and ensure you’re aligned with current in-market best practices. In the meanwhile, here are 4 excellent resources as you prepare:

  1. The Instituto Mexicano de la Propiedad Industrial (“Institute of Industrial Property of Mexico”) is a government agency promoting legal IP protection and enforcement. They have a wealth of information about copyrights and trademarks for domestic Mexican companies as well as global brands entering the Mexico market. Establishing intellectual property and brand trademarks is an essential first step prior to marketing meaningfully in Mexico. 
  2. For a deep, and shockingly entertaining synopsis of the Mexican TV landscape, we suggest Wikipedia. Enjoy some popcorn while gaining a historical perspective on the cultural significance of TV in Mexico. It covers telenovelas in Mexico, the significance of the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, the transition from terrestrial to digital TV transmission in Mexico (a history of which can also be found here). 
  3. Google maintains a series of “Market Finder” sites engineered to encourage global advertising in a variety of markets. The resources included in Google’s Mexico Market Finder cover basic population and economic stats and facts. Sadly, much of Google’s data come from other Mexico advertising resources on this page. Yet it’s a useful summary that, on occasion, includes proprietary Google insights as well.
  4. Mexico Business News is a rich English-language resource for domestic trade activity and business news in Mexico. It offers particular coverage of sectors significant to the Mexican economy such as Tech, Oil & Gas, Infrastructure, VC and Startup Entrepreneurship, Health and Mining. Additionally, El Economista (unaffiliated with the English language The Economist) published a 2020 spanish-language ranking of Mexico-market digital-native media. This helps digital marketers understand the core publishers influential to this market in collaboration with global metrics provider comScore. 

One unexpected site that ranks in the Top 10 for Mexico ad-supported media? Delirious Kitchen with 3,148 million unique cross-platform visitors.

5. Mexico Market Nuance + Business Travel

  1. In its famously succinct dry humour, The Economist published: “What To Read to Understand Mexico” in 2022. Additionally, we suggest the Economist’s pithy reporting and must-listen podcasts. The Economist is an essential for any Marketer’s Guide to Mexico. Enjoy! 
  2. Lingvist provides resources on localisation info for languages spoken around the world. The Differences Between Spanish in Spain and Mexico reminds marketers that Spanish, though spoken by 559 million people worldwide (460MM of them natively), is not homogeneous. Customizing creative to suit the population of your international marketing is essential. 
  3. While we’ve cited it before, the US’s trade.gov Country Commercial Guides are worth revisiting. Their Business Travel and Etiquette in Mexico guide helpfully covers business dealings in Mexico. It’s essential to consider cultural practices and business norms when entering new markets even, and particularly, in behind-the-scenes business operations.
  4. Monocle Magazine publishes a delightful travelers Guide to Mexico City. The magazine is not a typical Mexico advertising resource per se. Yet the publication’s wide Mexico cultural coverage is full of cultural insights useful for smart marketers. Read about mezcal production in Oaxaca. Or learn who is making the charts in Mexico’s pop music rankings on Monocle Radio. Their delightfully esoteric coverage proves Mexico is a global cultural force. Our team recommends Monocle for learning about the intricacies of most new global markets.
  5. The Cultural advisory of the Government of Mexico publishes an intermittent “Encuesta Nacional de Hábitos, Prácticas y Consumo Culturales” (National Survey of Cultural Habits, Practices + Consumption). The most recent 2010 survey is old, yet it covers general habits for Mexican consumers, though its coverage of the use of technology or its utility in media planning and buying may be limited. 
  6. The Mexico Tourism Board, Visit México, is a great resource for state-by-state insights into the history, points of interest, and commercial capitals of México. For travel and hospitality brands entering the Mexico market, Visit México is an indispensable resource for partnership, case studies and resources for tourism promotion.
  7. The World Values Survey is a fascinating study of “cultural values, attitudes and beliefs towards gender, family, and religion; attitudes and experience of poverty; education, health, and security; social tolerance and trust; attitudes towards multilateral institutions; cultural differences and similarities between regions and societies. It’s latest questionnaire includes “issues of justice, moral principles, corruption, accountability and risk, migration, national security and global governance.” It offers raw data analysis on any number of target markets – including Mexico and your own – and insights useful for creative advertising strategists, CMOs, communications leaders and others involved in orchestrating global expansion efforts to Mexico. 

Reminder: Spanish is not an homogeneous language. Localisation is fundamental: for advertising in Mexico and elsewhere.

We hope our compendium of Mexico advertising resources is helpful in planning your brand expansion to this amazing market. For more on our international media buying practice and how we help brands worldwide, please complete the contact form below or find our free Mexico Advertising Market Analysis here.

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