"They don't think in TV commercials, they think in terms of
conversations with consumers, and I like that a lot. As the
importance of culture and authenticity increases in the total
market, they become more and more valuable to general market
marketing efforts."
The agency's best spots for Constellation Brands' Corona Extra
and Modelo Especial are now destined for the general market,
testament to demand created by The Community. The brewer is having
trouble keeping up with demand for both products (which also have
other agencies), and plans to pour $1.5 billion into building
another Mexican brewery to handle those brands' double-digit U.S.
growth.
Revenue at The Community grew 22% in 2015, with three major
new-business wins, from Verizon, Kroger and BMW, drawn in part
by the shop's core focus on bicultural Hispanic millennials. One of
its Verizon assignments is promoting Go90, a new internet TV
service aimed at millennials. "We looked at a lot of agencies,"
said Natalie Ream, Kroger's corporate VP- customer communications
and marketing. "What hit us first was the quality of their
work—it's phenomenal. Could we imagine being so lucky as to
work with them? As we got deeper, we saw what awesome thinkers they
are."
A latecomer to multicultural marketing, Kroger is relying on The
Community to help build strategy, not just advertising, ranging
from where to place products in stores to how to grow loyalty and
deepen Kroger's connection with multicultural customers. "We're not
connecting the way we do with mainstream consumers," Ms. Ream
said.
The shop also does international work from the Miami office, and
won a Grand Prix at the Cannes Lions International Festival of
Creativity in June for clever ads promoting the city bike program
in Buenos Aires, where the agency's other office is located.
Joaquin Molla, who started the agency in 2001 with his brother
Jose, spent much of the year in Argentina, masterminding the
presidential election campaign of Mauricio Macri, a long-shot
candidate who wasn't expected to beat the official government
candidate; Mr. Macri took office in December.