LOS ANGELES CA – April 15, 2016 – (HISPANICIZE WIRE) – PMK•BNC, a leading global public relations, marketing and consulting firm, today announces its new multicultural practice, VOCES. The agency has appointed industry veteran Willy Villarreal as Vice President to lead the new business unit. As multicultural marketing has increasingly become important in the popular culture landscape, clients’ needs for specialized marketing strategies that reach bicultural audiences have grown significantly. VOCES approach is rooted in research and cultural insights, and is a reflection of the shifting cultural diversity in America.
“U.S. Hispanics have a powerful voice and growing influence. With a buying power projected to be $1.7 trillion by 2019, it’s imperative for brands to engage this audience with cultural relevance, authenticity and to ‘speak’ their culture – it’s no longer just about language,” said Willy Villarreal, Vice President of Brand Marketing and Communications, PMK•BNC. “The multicultural landscape has continued to evolve and the growing Hispanic demographic in the U.S. has become more influential than ever.”
When it comes to multicultural marketing, particularly in digital engagement, companies are facing some of the biggest challenges they have ever experienced for “share of voice” to reach diverse audiences, while technology changes consumer behavior. It is imperative for marketers to move beyond traditional ways of thinking about multicultural marketing as “separate” and acknowledge the realities of today’s diverse consumer landscape.
“To grow the bottom line and create meaningful impact, brands will increasingly need to integrate multicultural insights into core business strategies. It is imperative for our clients to approach their efforts through an integrated marketing lens and build programs that are culturally-relevant and tailored to their needs and desires,” said Chris Robichaud, CEO, PMK•BNC.
With a deep expertise in popular culture, PMK•BNC is uniquely positioned to help clients stay ahead of these challenges. VOCES dedicated team of cultural consultants, led by Villarreal, will work closely with clients to create strategic marketing campaigns that are culturally relevant, holistic in nature and fully integrated across PMK•BNC’s offerings.
VOCES will have bi-coastal reach across PMK•BNC’s Los Angeles and New York City offices, with multicultural core competencies including: brand marketing and communications, content marketing, influencer marketing, Hispanic entertainment marketing, corporate communications, diversity & inclusion, research and cultural insights.
Villarreal brings over 15 years of integrated communication marketing with vast expertise in consumer technology, gaming, luxury, content marketing, branded entertainment, lifestyle and entertainment to his new role at PMK•BNC.
Prior to PMK•BNC, Villarreal was Vice President of Consumer and Western Region multicultural lead at Edelman where he developed strategic engagement campaigns for clients such as Microsoft, Levi’s, LIVESTRONG, Jim Beam, Nestlé, Starbucks, The Latin Recording Academy, and Xbox. Client efforts included product launches, global diversity and inclusion efforts, executive positioning, national retail store openings, stakeholder engagement, multicultural communications and Hispanic digital programming. Villarreal was instrumental in building Edelman’s multicultural practice and served as a dedicated cultural consultant for clients while delivering measurable results and winning campaigns.
About PMK•BNC
PMK•BNC is a strategic marketing and communications firm that specializes in entertainment and popular culture. PMK•BNC represents many of the world’s most prominent actors, actresses, directors, producers, films, production companies, television properties, musicians, authors and content creators, as well as leading consumer brands and prestigious special events. The firm employs a staff of more than 300 professionals spanning offices in Los Angeles, New York and London. PMK•BNC thrives on being ahead of the curve and works with their clients to create ideas that build engaged audiences and connect with consumers through popular culture. PMK•BNC is a part of Momentum Worldwide and McCann Worldgroup within Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG).