Insights

Mexico boasts a rich tradition of arts, culture, and gastronomy that is loved and respected worldwide. But the country has long been overlooked as a source of talent for the advertising industry and, even worse, as a dynamic and diverse consumer market. But a confluence of events seems to be driving Mexico to become a bigger and bigger player in the advertising industry and as a target audience for global marketing opportunities. On the talent side, more agencies are opening offices in Mexico, including Gut, Isla, Wieden + Kennedy, We Believers, Circus Marketing/Media Monks and David. They join global agencies,…

Traditional PR firms are missing an opportunity to expand their businesses and the boundaries of their remits with global clients, and leaving serious money on the table, by failing to integrate the creative discipline into their business model. I attribute this failure of vision to the same fear of change that held back traditional ad agencies for years as they kept media, digital, content creation, data and analytics and other disciplines in silos. Even as holding companies merged those agency silos into massive “integrated” networks, the same silo mentality has held sway inside the PR agency sense of purpose. Speaking…

If you could attribute your success to one other person or life event, who or what would it be and why? Hunter: Being a “Hunter S.” and partnering with a “Thompson” to become ‘Hunter S. & Thompson’ was almost a cosmic level coincidence. The only better naming would have been if we were Samuel and Jackson. Creative partnerships are like a marriage—if you find the right one, stick with them. Thompson: Same answer, but reversed. Borrowing from “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” we’re the advertising version of Leon finding his Mary Ferguson. Although, I’m not sure if I’m Leon or Mary? Probably…

Hace unos años, trabajé con un Director de Comunicaciones (CCO) muy exitoso. Al buscar a un Director Creativo Ejecutivo (ECD), noté que cada vez que le presentaban a un candidato fuera de su red de contactos, comenzaba cada conservación enfocándose en por qué esa persona no sería adecuada para el puesto. Predominaban las percepciones negativas por sobre las positivas, impulsadas por el temor a lo desconocido. Finalmente, la empresa contrató a alguien dentro de la red del CCO. Encontrar personas con las que disfrutas trabajar es difícil, por lo que, cuando lo consigues, tiene sentido que quieras aferrarte tanto como…

What is the number one quality you look for in talent? A person who is committed to the craft. That being said, I believe being responsible and sensible is also key. I’m always on the lookout for creative people who are hungry for challenges and are open even to the hardest feedback. Being kind and hard-working also means the world to me. What is the very best career advice you’ve ever received? “Ask for feedback whenever possible.” Asking your boss for feedback is actually extremely beneficial to your career, especially because you receive an updated point of view from them…

If you could attribute one other person or life event to your success, who or what would it be and why? I could name people that have been pivotal in my career in a direct or indirect way: The Gaston Bigios, the Fede Garcias, the Josh Steins of the world and even my 10 year-long copywriter partner Ignacio Jardon… but I think my “success” has been mostly fueled by starting from the very bottom of the food chain. My very first ad ever was a real estate ad with multiple office listings. I personally took the CD-Rom and the signed…

Contratar a nivel ejecutivo siempre presenta desafíos. Los profesionales que entran en una posición de C-suite llegan con expectativas de alto calibre, enfrentándose a la presión de generar impacto inmediato. Según Barrons, “un estudio próximo a publicarse por Equilar, que sigue el liderazgo corporativo, indica que el promedio de permanencia de los CEOs en el S&P 500 entre 2013 y 2022 se redujo un 5.2%, pasando de 7.6 a 7.2 años. Sin embargo, observar la mediana o punto medio, muestra un cambio más significativo: en el mismo período, la permanencia mediana del CEO se desplomó un 20%, de seis a…

If you could attribute one other person or life event to your success, who or what would it be and why? Hands down my husband. I could never have imagined having (or needing) the level of support he gives me. The only way I have been able to “do it all” is with his unwavering championing of my career. Especially since starting a family, he has picked up so much of my equal share of the parenting duties. He’s helped shape who I am as a person today and for that, I am forever grateful.  What is the number one…

En teoría, suena como un sueño. Mudarse a un país extranjero. Experimentar una nueva cultura, una que podría tener beneficios como un año completo de licencia parental remunerada. Sin embargo, como he escuchado en mi círculo una y otra vez, el estilo de vida del que disfrutan los expatriados conlleva dificultades para sus cónyuges. Mudarse al extranjero por una oportunidad laboral generalmente implica que de la pareja, uno asuma la responsabilidad principal relacionada con el trabajo, mientras que la carrera del otro pasa a un segundo plano. Este desequilibrio en muchos casos pone presión sobre un solo salario y tiene…

If you could attribute one other person or life event to your success, who or what would it be and why? Dorky as it sounds, my dad. He passed on an insane work ethic. And he let me goof around and search for the right career without looking at his watch when my university career hit the 4–year mark. At the time, I was mildly appreciative. Today, I’m immensely grateful.  What is the number one quality you look for in talent?  I look for resilience. The ability to hear criticism of their work, understand it, not take it personally, and…

Hiring at the executive level always comes with challenges. Professionals entering into a C-suite position join with high-stakes expectations, faced with the pressure of making an immediate impact. Per Barron’s, “according to an about-to-be-released study by Equilar, which tracks corporate leadership, the average tenure for S&P 500 CEOs between 2013 and 2022 was down 5.2% — from 7.6 years to 7.2 years. But looking at the median, or midpoint, reveals a more dramatic shift: During the same period, the median CEO tenure plunged 20%, from six years to 4.8 years.” Pressure to perform or get booted translates to a justifiably…

If you could attribute one other person or life event to your success, who or what would it be and why?  Without a doubt the upbringing provided by my parents, their perspective on life, the quality of education I’ve received, the life experiences, and, most importantly, the attitude towards life instilled in me by my family and my surroundings. What is the number one quality you look for in talent?  Attitude. Attitude leads to passion, to putting love into the things one does, to being a perfectionist, and to finding solutions to the obstacles and problems one may encounter both…