Abstract:

Latin American countries have in common their cultural background, characterized by the strong influence of the European immigrants upon the local pre-Colombian civilizations. They have also shared very similar paths in modern history, which have resulted in similar political and economical stages of development. These factors establish a unique condition of a continent with homogeneous roots and values. The focus of this study is to verify to what extent the actual similarities among the population of the different Latin American countries result in a sufficient homogeneity that would allow, or even suggest, the use of a unique communication language, leading to an overall advertising strategy. In marketing studies, however, when Latin America is investigated, few are the analyses that deal with the continent as a whole. Different sources and methodologies limit the possibilities of getting comparative data or a conclusive overall picture of the Continent. The present study, made possible by a joint effort of a group of companies associated to LATINPANEL, aims to obtain a general profile of the communication industry in Latin America, with special focus on Television as the most important mass medium. The study will also look at viewing behaviour throughout Latin America.