5 Questions to Christopher Artur, Kwanko Mexico Country Manager

Recently promoted to the position as Kwanko Mexico Country Manager, Christopher Artur, who has just turned 30, analyzes the new consumption patterns of Mexican Internet users and evokes the important potential of online advertising.

1- First of all, can you tell us a few words about your background?

C.M.: After I graduated with a Master’s degree in “International Business Strategy” which I got to France. I started my career as a junior product manager at the FNAC. At the same time, I created my own travel blog in order to finance my two-year trip to Latin America. Captivated by the charm of this continent, I decided to settle down in Mexico in order to start a career in digital marketing. I first worked at Matomy as a Media Buyer and then later on as Media Manager in a small local agency, Click Magic. In 2016, I joined Kwanko Mexico as the Operations Team Leader. Since January 2017, I have the pleasure of managing a team of 2 employees as Country Manager.

2- What are the consumption habits of Mexican Internet users?

C.M. : More and more Mexicans are using the Internet! Between 2015 and 2016, there were over 3 million new Internet users. On average, they spend over 7 hours a day online, mainly to read their e-mails and visit chats and social networks (the top three being Facebook, WhatsApp and Youtube).

Like in Europe, the mobile use of the Internet is rapidly developing: smartphones are now the Mexicans’ favourite device for browsing the web. Tablets are not as popular. However, they are catching up with computers more and more quickly.

3- What is the place of online advertising in Mexico and does it have a good image in the eyes of marketers?

C.M.: Online advertising is now one of the most used promotions media in Mexico. According to the latest studies, 70% of Internet users pay attention to it, especially if it involves special offers and 40% have already made an online purchase during the last 6 months. More and more companies now have an internal department dedicated to digital marketing. The most used promotion channels are Google (search and display) and social networks. It should be noted that Mexicans are really excellent in community management.

4 – In light of this extraordinary potential, what are Kwanko Mexico’s priorities for the coming year?

C.M.: Our priority is to create an autonomous subsidiary in order to respond to the local culture.  Our strategy is to provide our customers with a 360° offer. We offer them solutions on all terminals (web, smartphones, tablets) for complete customer experience. We also provide them with management tools to measure and optimize the performance of their campaigns. Our goal is to cover all their needs in terms of performance advertising and create customer loyalty thanks to the expertise and responsiveness of our teams.

5 – According to your experience, what is the best strategy for winning this market?

C.M.: Understanding the Mexican culture is an important point before starting out locally. A lot of foreign companies make the mistake of wanting to do business just like they would in Europe or in the USA. Negotiations, human resources, finance and disputes have to be treated in a totally different way. To succeed in Mexico and have a good understanding of consumers’ expectations, you’re better off hiring local talent or having lived in the country for a while.