Decoding Culture
Republica Havas is a leading creative, media, and communications agency that builds meaningful relationships between people and brands across cultures, traditions, and languages.
Full-Service
As a fiercely creative, strategy-driven agency, we dive deep into our clients' businesses to tackle challenges and unlock growth opportunities. We passionately share their brand stories through engaging, meaningful, and culturally relevant communications solutions.
Advertising
Great advertising not only sells, but compels. By combining unique cultural insights with big creative, we build award-winning campaigns that drive sales.
Branding
Like people, companies and products have their own DNA. We uncover what sets them apart by developing a unique branding system that can include naming, logo design and brand voice.
Brand Strategy + Media
Through advanced analytics and deep market data, our brand and media strategists uncover the kinds of insights that are brought to life through our rock-solid creative and channel strategies.
Events + Experiential
The frontline of consumer contact. Our all-star team creates and produces immersive, memorable brand experiences — from one-on-one shopper marketing to large-scale special events.
Production
Stories are better told through the lens of unbridled artistry. Our leading-edge production team breathes life into campaigns through compelling video, film and photography.
PR + Social
In today's up-to-the-second world, our award-winning team of PR and content experts go beyond the press release to deliver the kind of earned and social awareness that builds momentum and drives engagement.
Accolades
![Awards](https://republicahavas.com/wp-content/themes/rep-2015-hotfix/img/lion_award.png)
The proof is in
the hardware.
Awards & Recognitions
leadership
Republica Havas is led by a seasoned group of creative minds, strategists, marketing gurus and financial wizards. Together, they put their years of expertise to work for our growing roster of great clients. And love every minute of it.
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Republica Havas Health
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Great Clients
![Google](https://cdn.republicahavas.com/sites/rh/uploads/2014/10/google-1.png)
![Google](https://cdn.republicahavas.com/sites/rh/uploads/2014/10/rep_google_logo_new.png)
![National Porkboard](https://cdn.republicahavas.com/sites/rh/uploads/2014/10/national-pork-board-logo-hover.png)
![National Porkboard](https://cdn.republicahavas.com/sites/rh/uploads/2014/10/national-pork-board-logo.png)
![NBC Universal](https://cdn.republicahavas.com/sites/rh/uploads/2014/12/universalorl_logo-1.png)
![NBC Universal](https://cdn.republicahavas.com/sites/rh/uploads/2014/12/universalorl_logo.png)
![Goya](https://cdn.republicahavas.com/sites/rh/uploads/2014/10/goya_logo-1.png)
![Goya](https://cdn.republicahavas.com/sites/rh/uploads/2014/10/goya_logo.png)
![Toyota](https://cdn.republicahavas.com/sites/rh/uploads/2014/10/toyota-1.png)
![Toyota](https://cdn.republicahavas.com/sites/rh/uploads/2014/10/toyota.png)
![Finish](https://cdn.republicahavas.com/sites/rh/uploads/2022/02/finish-yellow.png)
![Finish](https://cdn.republicahavas.com/sites/rh/uploads/2022/02/finish.png)
![AirWick](https://cdn.republicahavas.com/sites/rh/uploads/2020/03/air-wick-yellow-v2.png)
![AirWick](https://cdn.republicahavas.com/sites/rh/uploads/2020/03/air-wick-white-v2.png)
![PepsiCo](https://cdn.republicahavas.com/sites/rh/uploads/2023/10/pepsico-yellow.png)
![PepsiCo](https://cdn.republicahavas.com/sites/rh/uploads/2023/10/pepsico-white.png)
![Walmart](https://cdn.republicahavas.com/sites/rh/uploads/2017/05/rep_client-walmart-hover.png)
![Walmart](https://cdn.republicahavas.com/sites/rh/uploads/2017/05/rep_client-walmart.png)
![Biogen](https://cdn.republicahavas.com/sites/rh/uploads/2018/07/biogen-yellow.png)
![Biogen](https://cdn.republicahavas.com/sites/rh/uploads/2018/07/biogen-white.png)
![The Tank](https://cdn.republicahavas.com/sites/rh/uploads/2016/07/the-tank.png)
![The Tank](https://cdn.republicahavas.com/sites/rh/uploads/2016/07/tank-2.png)
![Telemundo](https://cdn.republicahavas.com/sites/rh/uploads/2015/02/telemundo-logo-yellow-ok.png)
![Telemundo](https://cdn.republicahavas.com/sites/rh/uploads/2015/02/telemundi-logo-white-ok.png)
![Amigos for Kids](https://cdn.republicahavas.com/sites/rh/uploads/2017/11/amigos-for-kids-logo-hover.png)
![Amigos for Kids](https://cdn.republicahavas.com/sites/rh/uploads/2017/11/amigos-for-kids-logo.png)
![Frito Lay](https://cdn.republicahavas.com/sites/rh/uploads/2023/10/frito-lay-yellow.png)
![Frito Lay](https://cdn.republicahavas.com/sites/rh/uploads/2023/10/frito-lay-white.png)
![Ocean Bank](https://cdn.republicahavas.com/sites/rh/uploads/2021/10/ocean-bank-yellow.png)
![Ocean Bank](https://cdn.republicahavas.com/sites/rh/uploads/2021/10/ocean-bank-white.png)
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![Promise Fund of Florida](https://cdn.republicahavas.com/sites/rh/uploads/2023/10/promise-fund-of-florida-yellow-2024.png)
![Promise Fund of Florida](https://cdn.republicahavas.com/sites/rh/uploads/2023/10/promise-fund-of-florida-white-2024.png)
![Diageo](https://cdn.republicahavas.com/sites/rh/uploads/2021/10/diageo-yellow.png)
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![Sanofi Genzyme](https://cdn.republicahavas.com/sites/rh/uploads/2021/04/sanofi-yellow.png)
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![AARP](https://cdn.republicahavas.com/sites/rh/uploads/2020/03/aarp-logo-2020-v2-hover.png)
![AARP](https://cdn.republicahavas.com/sites/rh/uploads/2020/03/aarp-logo-2020-v2.png)
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![Plasencia Cigars](https://cdn.republicahavas.com/sites/rh/uploads/2016/11/plasencia-cigars.png)
![Reckitt](https://cdn.republicahavas.com/sites/rh/uploads/2022/02/reckitt-yellow.png)
![Reckitt](https://cdn.republicahavas.com/sites/rh/uploads/2022/02/reckitt.png)
![McCafé](https://cdn.republicahavas.com/sites/rh/uploads/2022/10/mccafe-logo-yellow.png)
![McCafé](https://cdn.republicahavas.com/sites/rh/uploads/2022/10/maccafe-logo-white.png)
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![Nickelodeon](https://cdn.republicahavas.com/sites/rh/uploads/2023/10/nickelodeon-white.png)
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![American Cancer Society](https://cdn.republicahavas.com/sites/rh/uploads/2022/10/acs-logo-white.png)
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Fresh Ink
REPUBLICA HAVAS EXPANDS NORTH AMERICAN FOOTPRINT WITH THREE APPOINTMENTS
A trio of executives has been appointed to lead the agency’s expansion into New York City NEW YORK, Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ – Republica Havas announced today the appointments of three executives to lead the agency’s continued expansion […]
Read MoreHavas Creative Network Elevates Republica’s Jorge A. Plasencia to Global Chief Client Officer Role
NEW YORK – May 29, 2024 – Havas today announced the appointment of Jorge A. Plasencia as Global Chief Client Officer of the Havas Creative Network. In this new role, Plasencia will work closely with internal teams to focus […]
Read More“Face Un-Recognition”: A New Campaign by Republica Havas in Collaboration with the Fight Against Alzheimer’s Association, Defensa y Justicia, and TNT Sports
Agency reunites with the Alzheimer’s organization to raise awareness about one of the key symptoms of the disease After the successful campaign “The Name Confusion” and the recent campaign called “Second,” Republica Havas presents its […]
Read MoreRepublica Havas Bolsters Executive Leadership Team with Appointment of Anthony Bianco as Chief Operating Officer and Marcela Maurer as Chief Brands Officer
MIAMI – April 25, 2024 – Republica Havas, a leading creative, media, and communications agency, today announced key promotions within its executive leadership team, reflecting the company’s continued expansion. Since joining forces with Havas in […]
Read More“The Missing Review”: A New Campaign by Republica Havas, in Collaboration with Amigos For Kids
The interactive campaign uses Google and Yelp reviews to help locate missing children and raise awareness “The Missing Review” is a new and interactive ad campaign that ingeniously employs reviews on Google and Yelp, where […]
Read MoreGET IN
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Jorge A. Plasencia
Jorge A. Plasencia is co-founder, chairman & CEO of Republica Havas Group, a global communications company providing culture-forward marketing solutions to Fortune 500 and blue-chip brands through its award-winning Creative, Media, Health & Wellness, and Experiences divisions. Founded in 2006 in Miami, Florida, the minority-certified Group is the lead global multicultural partner of Havas, one of the world’s largest communications groups with over 700 agencies in 100 countries.
Previously, Plasencia was corporate vice president and operating manager of Univision Radio. Earlier, he was vice president of marketing, corporate communications, and public affairs. Prior to Univision, he was vice president at Estefan Enterprises, leading marketing, business strategy, and communications, and serving on the management team of major recording artists, including Gloria Estefan and Shakira. Before Estefan Enterprises, he was the first director of Hispanic marketing for the Florida Marlins. The team won its first World Series championship and was selected Hispanic Marketer of the Year during his tenure.
Named one of the most influential U.S. Hispanics by Poder magazine and one of the most influential Floridians by Florida Trend magazine, Plasencia served as board chair of UnidosUS, the nation’s largest, non-partisan Latino organization.
A member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Florida Council of 100, he was nominated by President George W. Bush — and confirmed by the U.S. Senate — to serve on the advisory board of the Broadcasting Board of Governors’ OCB. He is currently vice chair of the Miami Dade College Foundation, and serves on the boards of PBS, the Friends of the National Museum of the American Latino, and the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts.
At age 17, he co-founded Amigos For Kids, a Miami-based nonprofit organization serving under-resourced children and families and an institution he has helped nurture to national prominence over three decades. This lifelong volunteer work earned him the March of Dimes Humanitarian of the Year Award, among others.
Plasencia has received numerous accolades, including the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, CEO of the Year Award from the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, the Silicon Valley Latino Visionary Leadership Award, the Hispanic Public Relations Association (HPRA) Pioneer of the Year Award, and he was named Ultimate CEO by the South Florida Business Journal. A Miami Dade College Hall of Fame inductee, he earned a bachelor’s degree with honors from Barry University and completed the Advanced Management Executive Program at the Kellogg School of Management.
Luis Casamayor
Luis Casamayor has more than 20 years experience in integrated marketing, advertising, and design, and has led Republica Havas to earn numerous national and international creative awards.
Before co-founding our agency in 2006, Luis was the president of Cosmyk, a design and creative agency he first started in 1994 as a graphic design studio. By 2001, the company had evolved into a full-service marketing agency offering additional services such as broadcast advertising, media and interactive. He built Cosmyk into one of the premier Miami-based creative agencies, acclaimed for its breakthrough campaigns.
Over the years, Luis has provided clients with fresh thinking, dedication and a true understanding of business objectives. His deep relationships with creative partners in all relevant areas, including multimedia production, film, printing, and photography as well as event marketing allow the agency’s award-winning campaigns to be executed at the highest level.
Named a Global Agency Innovator by The Internationalist, Luis’ passion for his clients comes to life in Republica Havas’ award-winning work for many brands, including Walmart, Toyota, Google, Baptist Health, Universal Orlando Resort, BankUnited, NBCUniversal and the Gates Foundation, to name a few.
Luis has served as a judge for numerous creative competitions, including the Media Mind Rich Media Awards in New York City. He serves as the advisory board member of the Florida International University (FIU) College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts, and also as a member of Civic Nation’s Creative Alliance, the Art Directors Club, and the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA).
Anthony Bianco
As Chief Operating Officer, Anthony drives enhanced efficiency, collaboration and growth across our organization’s four divisions – Creative, Health & Wellness, Media, and Experiences. Previously our Executive Vice President and General Manager, he has been instrumental in driving our agency’s consistent annual growth since joining Republica Havas in 2016.
Earlier in his career, Anthony held leadership roles at several of Madison Avenue’s top marketing and communications agencies, such as Kirshenbaum Bond Senecal and Partners and Berlin Cameron, and successfully managed a prestigious client portfolio that includes Walmart, Tommy Hilfiger, Citi, Dom Pérignon, Toyota, Coca-Cola, LVMH, Santa Margherita Wines, and Comcast, among others. Most recently, he was Managing Partner of New York City’s Naked Communications where he worked with major brands like ABSOLUT, Virgin Atlantic, eBay, and Mount Gay Rum.
A graduate of Keene State College, Anthony became the youngest member of the North American World Cup Snowboard Team in 1989 — sponsored simultaneously by Oakley, Life’s A Beach brand, and LOOK snowboards.
Tony Waissmann
Tony leads the agency’s creative organization with an emphasis on clarity and focus to develop work that impacts the cultural zeitgeist. He most recently was CCO LatAm at HOY by Havas, a leading creative agency in Latin America with offices in Argentina, Colombia, and Mexico.
Tony initially studied industrial design to pursue a passion for working in the CAR industry. His interest in theater led to a deep understanding of the entertainment industry and advertising, the latter inspiring him to shift careers. One year later, he worked at an ad agency and laid the foundation for Underground, the school for creatives he founded in 2001 and directed for 18 years. Underground was one of Latin America’s most recognized creative schools, with branches in Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia, Peru, and Mexico.
Tony’s work has been recognized with numerous awards, including Cannes Lions, Clio, New York Festivals, London International Awards, El Sol, El Ojo de Iberoamérica, etc. He has been named one of the 100 Most Influential Creatives in the World by Creativepool, selected as one of the 10 Best Creative Directors in Latin America, and the Best Creative in Argentina according to El Ojo de Iberoameerica in 2022.
Catarina Gonçalves
Catarina brings 15 years of experience in handling brand and creative strategy as well as research and planning for a host of blue-chip brands. Most recently, she was Director of Strategy for Media.Monks, an S4 digital-first agency in Los Angeles where she drove strategy for accounts including California Lottery, Mitsubishi, Northgate G. Market, Havaianas, Ring Central, YouTube, and NYX, among others.
Prior to Media.Monks, Catarina was Director of Strategic Planning for Gallegos United, an independent multicultural ad agency in Los Angeles, where she spearheaded the strategy for clients such as Got Milk?, Comcast, JCPenney, Chick-fil-A, KIA, Carnival Cruises.
Catarina holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Social and Organizational Psychology from the University of Lisbon, Portugal. She worked in Lisbon, Madrid, Miami, and Los Angeles and is an avid student of global consumer behavior, emotion, and culture, which she analyzes and translates into insights that guide and inspire compelling communication strategies.
Gustavo Fernandez
Gustavo has more than 20 years experience in the areas of broadcast, print, events, and experiential production. As Vice President, Production & Operations, he is responsible for all agency operations, including project management, traffic and studio, as well as managing and executing all production initiatives.
Prior to joining our team in 2012 as production director, Gus was Print Production Manager at SapientNitro, where he helped execute successful internal events including the company’s presence at SXSW, IEX and Cannes Lions. In addition to events, he oversaw print production and project management for Sapient globally, working with numerous clients such as Celebrity Cruises, Citi, Burger King, Network Solutions, ConAgra Foods, Kaplan College, and HondaJet.
Marcela Maurer
As Chief Brands Officer, Marcela steers strategic initiatives for our brand partners and leads our client services, brand partnerships, social impact, and public relations teams. She joined Republica Havas in 2021 as Managing Director overseeing a portfolio of clients, including PepsiCo/Frito-Lay and Baptist Health.
Marcela’s rich background spans both agency and client-side roles. A senior-level advertising and marketing executive, she held positions earlier in her career at Grey Group, The Community, Meredith Corporation, Ogilvy & Mather and StarMedia Network, and worked with global and domestic brands like Sony, Best Buy, Miller Genuine Draft, and Norton AntiVirus, among many others.
A native of Buenos Aires, she received her BS in Communications from Boston University.
Vanessa Bolaños
Vanessa brings over 15 years of multicultural consumer brand marketing experience to her role as Managing Director of Republica Havas Health, Havas Health & You’s NMSDC minority-certified health equity and cross-cultural health & wellness marketing partner in the U.S. Vanessa, a boomerang, rejoined Republica Havas Group in 2019 to lead our growing health and wellness team.
Her passion for health is fueled by creating true impact in underserved communities while supporting brands focus on reducing healthcare disparities within culturally diverse and underserved communities.
Throughout her career, she has been a strategic business partner to numerous Fortune 500 brands in the U.S., Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean. She was the global and national business consumer lead for clients such as KFC, General Mills, the Miami Marlins, Nestlé, COPA Airlines, Florida Blue and PepsiCo.
She brings a proven track record of business growth through cross-cultural strategic partnerships with healthcare clients like, Boehringer Ingelheim, Lilly, Amgen, Biogen, Sanofi, Regeneron, AbbVie and Pfizer, to name a few.
Vanessa earned her bachelor’s in Advertising Communications in Universidad IberoAmericana in the Dominican Republic where she was born. She continued to earn her master’s degree in Global brand communications from the Istituto Europeo di Design in Milan, Italy, where she lived for five years.
Alexis Regalado
With ten years of experience, Alexis is charged with integration across RH Group and will help build partnerships and growth opportunities within the Havas Villages and offices in North America and beyond.
With more than six years at Republica Havas, she has been integral in developing and growing key clients, including Azamara, White Claw Hard Seltzer, and AARP, to name a few. Throughout her career, Alexis has worked with top brands such as Walgreens, Dunkin’, and Royal Caribbean Group.
A lifelong Miamian, Alexis earned a bachelor’s degree in Editing, Writing, and Media with a concentration in Mass Media Communications and International Business at Florida State University.
Eirasmin Lokpez-Cobo
Republica Havas Health
Eirasmin is a powerhouse Latina with over twenty years of experience as a Cross-cultural Brand Strategist building brand equity for Fortune 500/Fortune Global 500 brands. She is a change agent who works closely with corporations and non-profit organizations to address health disparities in multicultural communities, a best-selling author, and guest speaker in national conferences. We
She is Executive Vice President of Brand Strategy and Consumer Insights at República Havas Health, where she heads the strategy behind cross-cultural marketing and community programs that empower brands to address health disparities.
Eirasmin has a proven trajectory in brand strategy across multiple categories for industry leading brands, such as: Walmart, Air Wick, White Claw, Volkswagen, SONY, Bank of America, Kraft, DHL, Hewlett-Packard, and MasterCard among many others.
She has dedicated the last fourteen years of her career to impacting the health of underserved patients through corporate and community programs. Some examples of her pharma and healthcare Client roster include Pfizer, Sanofi Pasteur, Regeneron, Amgen, Merck, Biogen, Eisai, Otsuka, Lundbeck, Memorial Hermann Hospital, Baptist Health, and the American Heart Association.
Eirasmin is also a passionate community activist and industry leader. She is the proud Founder & Director of the Wellness for Growth Foundation, co-author of the Amazon Best Seller “Extraordinary Latinas: Breaking the Narrative and Redefining our Power,” has been a guest speaker at multiple national Communications and Health & Wellness Conferences, taught Brand Management at Florida International University’s Master’s in Marketing program, and was recognized as a 2024 MM+M Women of Distinction.
Lori Sundermier
Lori Sundermier is a hands-on leader with two decades of experience in finance, accounting, and administrative operations. She is a downright wizard at creating efficient financial infrastructure and her energetic personality is almost as legendary as her problem-solving skills.
After graduating from FSU, she began her career in finance at Estefan Enterprises where she excelled through the ranks in the fast-paced world of entertainment and hospitality – all while earning her MBA at Florida Atlantic University. She then took her skills to the electric arena of Event Entertainment where she oversaw finance, budgeting, and risk management for world-renown events such as the Ultra Music Festival.
Most recently, Lori was VP of Finance & Administration for Innovative Group, where she used her mega talent to build their in-house accounting department, overseeing everything from payroll and HR to policies and procedures. Her skills were also used onsite at events including the Riptide Music Festival (2016-2019) and Super Bowl Live 2020 – to name a few.
Jose Bello
With more than 20 years career experience, Bello’s background in media, marketing, and communications is deep and varied across a broad range of industries – corporate, consumer, health and wellness, retail, technology, automotive, and financial – throughout North America, Latin America, and Europe.
Bello has worked on both the agency and client sides, with stints at Mediacom, Omnicom Media Group, and Burger King Corporation, to name a few. Over the years, his clients have included Procter & Gamble (P&G), Kraft, The Coca-Cola Company, Novartis, AB InBev, MARS, Volkswagen, Subway, Revlon, and Dell. At OMG’s Hearts & Science, he led P&G’s U.S. multicultural media business and coordinated the brand’s commitments to minority-owned media partners. Bello was also part of the team that spearheaded P&G’s “The Talk” campaign, which was created for the Black community and earned the company numerous industry awards.
Laura Socorro-Santoni
Laura Socorro-Santoni joined Republica Havas in 2008 after relocating to Miami from her native Puerto Rico. During her 13-year tenure, Laura has successfully led several key agency-client partnerships, including Baptist Health, Keurig, Google and most recently, Ocean Bank.
In addition to spearheading several award-winning campaigns, she is known for her ability to effectively lead and motivate her team. Prior to Republica Havas, Laura held account management and market research roles at agencies in San Juan, including Lopito, Ileana & Howie, and Veintinueve de febrero.
She earned her BA in Public Communications from the Universidad de Puerto Rico, and her MBA from the Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico.
Christina Krablin
As Senior Director, Talent Recruitment, Christina brings more than 20 years of knowledge and experience in Human Resources. She instrumentally supports Republica Havas’ success by managing employee relations, engaging in training and development, promoting the strong values of our work culture, and overseeing recruitment of new talent.
A native of South Florida, Christina grew up on Key Biscayne and then went on to South Carolina where she graduated from Clemson University with a bachelor’s degree in English with a minor in Business Administration. After graduation, Christina moved to New York City where she began her career in Human Resources at several agencies, including EURO RSG and D’Arcy Advertising. She later returned home to Miami, where she most recently worked at JMS, and previously with Eileen Haubenstock & Associates, a top advertising and marketing recruitment firm.
Stephanie Betances
Stephanie Betances joined Republica Havas as director of people and engagement in August 2022. With more than 15 years of experience in human resources and organizational development, she brings a deep understanding of employee relations, learning and development, benefits, team engagement, and more.
Stephanie has previously worked for reputable companies in New York and South Florida, including Cablevision, Sonnedix, and The Coca-Cola Company.
Born in New York, Stephanie earned a bachelor’s degree in forensic psychology from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice at City University of New York (CUNY). She later received her master’s degree in human resource management from Florida International University and a certificate in human resource management from Pace University.
Natalie Pardo
Natalie was born in Miami and raised on cafecitos. After graduating from Florida State University, she moved to the concrete jungle of New York where she worked at several agencies, including BBDO, BBH, and Droga5. Her clients have included Visa, Sprint, Uber, Sony, AB-InBev, and Brighthouse Financial, to name a few.
Among her proudest accomplishments is helping plan and execute BBH’s annual Griffin Farley’s Beautiful Minds – a hybrid planning boot camp and networking event. At BBH, she also dipped her toes into new biz – a role with many late nights and many successes that quickly became one of her passions.
After a decade, she finds herself back in sunny Miami as Director of Marketing and Business Development at Republica Havas, helping shape culture and growth.
Yadira Santana-Dowling
Yadira Santana-Dowling joined Republica Havas in 2018 as associate director of strategy and later began overseeing the agency’s diversity, equity and inclusion program, The Greater Good, in 2020. Well-versed in the areas of branding and strategic communications, Yadira has led strategies for almost 20 years in the advertising industry. She has provided expert analysis and consultation for various national and international brands.
Passionate about building meaningful relationships between brands and people, Yadira has extensive expertise in the U.S. Hispanic and Urban markets. Yadira is the author of “The Four Day Creative Brief.” She is an effective communicator with an affinity for training and developing talent.
Yadira earned a bachelor of science in organizational behavior management from the Miami University of Ohio and a master’s degree in strategic planning from the Virginia Commonwealth University Brandcenter. In 2016, she began teaching at the Miami Ad School and, in 2021, at the school’s Punta Cana campus in Dominican Republic.
Vicky Principe
Vicky’s journey with Republica Havas began as a Senior Social Media Strategist in 2021, which led to her becoming Associate Director of Content & Social, and most recently, she was appointed Director of Content & Social.
Working for agencies such as Nobox, Zimmerman, and VML has given her ten valuable years of industry experience and provided the opportunity to work on leading integrated social media campaigns for clients like Netflix, Marriott Hotels, Ocean Spray, Volkswagen, Royal Caribbean, and Spirit Airlines.
Vicky has spearheaded content strategies for many of our clients including Santa Margherita Wines, Sedano’s, National Pork Board, and Walmart. As our Director of Content & Social, she will be responsible for leading the department, while continuing to create impactful work, and growing our award-winning social offering.
Born in Venezuela and raised in Miami, Vicky earned her BA in Journalism with a minor in Political Science at Florida International University.
Abraham Zarran
Abe has been a master facilitator for work, communication, and team members for more than 20 years, giving him a deep understanding of digital project management and technology. He has shared his guidance with clients such as Dell, Colgate, Baptist Health, Santa Margherita Wines, and Plasencia Cigars. Abe’s ability to understand all levels of digital workflow and production allows him to translate and communicate to clients and team members alike ensuring understanding of a project’s requirements.
Abe’s experience has spanned from agency work in print and digital platforms to managing teams of developers for tech startups (Boatsetter.com) and large digital publishing companies (ePublishing.com).
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Affiliations
- Member, Marketing & Advertising Global Network (MAGNET)
- Certified, Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) – National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC)
- Certified, Hispanic Business Enterprise (HBE) – United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC)
- Member, Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies (AHAA)
- Member, American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA)
- Member, Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)
- Member, Hispanic Public Relations Association (HPRA)
- Trustee, Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce (GMCC)
- Member, South Florida Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (SFHCC)
- Member, Southern Florida Minority Supplier Development Council (SFMSDC)
Message from
Republica’s Founders
September 12, 2018
When we set out on this journey on November 13, 2006, we had no idea what was ahead of us. We were two (younger) guys with a drive to build something great. Early on, with the help of our team members, we carefully crafted the 14 Principles that have guided Republica these 4,322 days.
And what a ride it has been!
We’ve enjoyed great triumphs and experienced heart-aching loss. We’ve been fiercely entrepreneurial and nimble and have always made an effort to give back to the community. We’ve grown, evolved, and learned from many mistakes along the way.
Our clients have been incredible. They’ve been our partners on this journey. We’ve accomplished so much with them and for them. They’ve allowed us to do groundbreaking work, and we’ve been so proud when that work has received national or global industry accolades. We are so grateful that they have chosen us.
And then there’s our team. The Republica family. Together, we’ve shared so much, including thousands of cafecitos. Many of us have been together through thick and thin for years. And others have joined us more recently. Everyone is part of the story.
Now, the story evolves. The family grows.
We’ve been approached over the years by potential suitors; including holding companies and private equity firms. We would always listen, but it never felt right. We knew that if and when we were to consider some sort of alliance it would have to be on the right terms, with the right people. We knew we would only want a partner that would allow us to keep doing what we love, yet give us a global platform to grow and scale. Maintaining our independence, our team, and our secret sauce, our familial culture, have always been paramount.
We’re beyond excited to inform you that we feel we have found that partner.
We will be joining forces with one of the world’s top marketing and communications companies, Havas. As part of this new venture, we become Havas’ lead multicultural agency partner in the United States.
You may ask why, or why now? The answer is simple. Why not. We recently reached our pinnacle, something we’d worked hard to achieve for years. We’re now Ad Age’s number one independent U.S. multicultural agency. Albeit a fantastic milestone, we can’t rest on our laurels.
As our industry experiences the most significant disruption of our lifetime, we believe that joining forces now with Havas makes perfect sense.
Havas is a global, transformational leader in creative, media, data and analytics. And its parent company, Vivendi, founded in 1835 in Paris, is one of the world’s leading media and entertainment conglomerates, also owning Universal Music Group, France’s Canal +, and Gameloft, among other major assets.
We thought long and hard about this decision.
One of the factors we’re most excited about is the new growth opportunities and many expanded benefits we’ll now be able to offer our employees.
In closing, so many people deserve our gratitude today...our families, our friends and clients, and each individual that contributed in small and big ways to this dream. You know who you are and we thank you all.
And lastly, our name. We will be known to the world as Republica Havas.
We’re now part of this greater family, and we’re so excited to begin this new chapter of our journey, together.
Jorge A. Plasencia, Chairman & CEO
Luis Casamayor, President
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PRINCIPLES & FOUNDATION
- 1We strive to be authentic in everything we do.
- 2Losing money is easy to turn around, losing our reputation isn’t. We guard it above all else.
- 3We believe in talent. Talent is our key to success.
- 4We want our talent to excel and develop to their fullest potential. So we help Republica Havas' employees and partners forge a path to the success that they desire.
- 5Our talent is compensated for the value they generate, not just the hours they work. We want our clients to compensate us this way too.
- 6We believe in a team approach to our work. Dedicated client teams are at the core of our business.
- 7We value people who accept responsibility and mean it when they say: “The Buck Stops Here.” We feel that our clients need to live by this philosophy as well.
- 8We’re transparent and have nothing to hide. We act ethically and are loyal to each other and to our clients.
- 9We understand that we’re not right for every client. We will resist the temptation to work for everyone and will only choose clients that inspire us.
- 10Republica Havas focuses on creating value for clients with every move we make, every job we take.
- 11We believe in Great Work, Great People and Great Clients, which will naturally result in Great Growth. But we don’t pursue Growth by itself because it usually won’t result in Great Work, Great People and Great Clients.
- 12We will be compensated fairly for the value we provide and say no to unreasonable expectations. We’d rather turn down work than take on something that we can’t deliver at the highest level.
- 13Speaking of great work, we like the fun, exciting and fulfilling kind.
- 14Above All, somos familia. We believe in family, our own families and our Republica Havas family. Everyone contributes to the vision, goals and purpose of Republica Havas because this is the purpose of it all: To create something great and share it with the people we love.
OUR HISTORY
In 2006, Jorge A. Plasencia and Luis Casamayor noisily occupied the corner booth at a Miami eatery as they hashed out plans to build a new kind of agency. It was the same year Twitter launched and that Facebook was starting to reach the masses.
Countless espresso-fueled conversations and strategy sessions had culminated into an important narrative: there was a seismic multicultural and digital shift taking place, and most agencies weren't addressing it.
They founded Republica in November 2006, and within a few short years, with a growing roster of blue-chip clients and garnering industry acclaim, it became one of America’s fastest-growing independent agencies.
Fast forward to July 2018, when Republica achieved the milestone of ranking as Ad Age's No. 1 independent U.S. multicultural agency. Subsequently, in September 2018, Republica announced it had joined forces with Paris-based Havas Group. Havas is part of Vivendi, with numerous assets, including Universal Music Group, Gameloft and France's Canal+. Renamed Republica Havas, the Miami-based agency serves as the global conglomerate's lead multicultural agency partner.
Many of the world’s top brands trust Republica Havas as their partner to connect with the most culturally diverse, technologically-advanced consumer base in history.
Built on a familial culture of caring for the community, Republica Havas continues to be recognized by client partners and the industry as a nimble, effective agency with a reputation for delivering groundbreaking, award-winning work.