'Alma' is the Spanish-language word for 'soul,' an apt description for the DDB Network agency Alma Advertising. Alma is recognized as the most awarded agency in America for its work on both general market campaigns such as "Better with Pepsi," and several campaigns targeting the Hispanic market. Alma CEO Isaac Mizrahi joined me for a Legends & Leadership conversation to discuss Alma's strategic differentiation and share highlights from his new book, Hispanic Market Power: America's Business Growth Engine.
Throughout our conversation, Mizrahi returned to the themes of heart, soul and emotional connections as the core power of marketing to the Hispanic marketplace. In a world of sameness, he argues, "our goal is to bring humanity into the discussion. Our role is to tell a story about how a product or service makes peoples' lives better. To reach and connect on a human level… and communicate ideas from human to human."
Congratulations to Isaac and Alma Advertising on their induction into the Advancing Diversity Hall of Honors, joining 35 previous inductees. Isaac and his colleagues across the industry are gathering to reaffirm their commitment to DEIB leadership on April 11 at Hall des Lumieres in NYC. To join in recognizing the sixteen 2024 Hall of Honors inductees visithttps://week.advancingdiversity.org.
The more sameness in the marketplace, Mizrahi believes, the more room there is for Alma to be different. "In the sea of sameness, there's going to be room for the creatives, for innovators, for differentiators." Mizrahi discusses the importance of integration offered through Alma's full service model and the future of AI from the perspective of its impact on art in a business that is now dominated by science and algorithms.
Hispanic Market Power, with a forward by P&G's Marc Pritchard, is a must-read for all executives, whether you're well-schooled or a novice in the art and science of consumer marketing and the value of connecting with the U.S. Hispanic market. My conversation above with Mizrahi offers a short tutorial on the market opportunity along with insights into his personal history, priorities, excitement about the Miami soccer franchise and its new star player, and insights into Alma's future growth.