Agency Business Report 2021: Diversity Takes Center Stage

Republica Havas. As companies begin to expand their diversity efforts to include demographics such as Latinos, Asian-Americans and Indigenous people, Republica Havas has found itself taking on more projects.

While the agency has worked on activations targeting Hispanic audiences for brands such as Walmart, Toyota and Google for several years, Jorge Plasencia, cofounder and CEO of the firm, says in 2020, new clients reached out to develop a DE&I strategy internally and externally. Plasencia declined to name the clients.

Jorge PlasenciaWe’re seeing more commitment [from companies] wanting to engage diverse audiences in culturally relevant ways — Latino, African-American and Asian-American Pacific Islander consumers.

– Jorge Plasencia

In 2020, Republica Havas led initiatives by AARP to help educate Hispanic consumers about COVID-19. The agency organized briefings hosted by AARP for Hispanic and Spanish language media with Latina CBS News contributor Maria Elena Salinas and journalist Soledad O’Brien during the course of the pandemic.

“Over the last year, AARP became a source of crucial information for Hispanic adults that did not have crucial information available to them in Spanish,” Plasencia explains.

While the agency works with multicultural clients, Plasencia added there has been a recommitment to working with national Latino organizations, which he expects will only increase.

“I don’t think there’s any slowing what started over the past year,” Plasencia says. “Meaningful and thoughtful communications for years to come are going to include all communities, and brands that are not doing that, consumers will take notice and they could become irrelevant over time.”

Source: PRWeek