Tuesdays session with Gustavo de Mello, DDB Chicago, Joan Dufresne, Senior Partner/Group Planning Director, Ogilvy & Mather, Antoinette Zel, CEO, La Comunidad was exploring the shift from "Multicultural Marketing" to "Marketing to a Multicultural Nation" that is happening now.
Instead of solving one communications problem in two ways, bigger brands are realizing that they can achieve a more cohesive brand message by using a single creative strategy across all markets. Just tweak it.

Luis Miguel Messianu, from Alma introduced himself as "your typical Romanian-Hispanic" and explained he worked in "Miami, which is pretty close to the US" which loosened up the audience with laughs. Then Kim Bealle, Senior Director/Consumer Communications Group, Kraft Foods Beverages took the lead, explaining and showing examples of how Kool-Aid targets their work to spanish speaking audiences. What's the key to speaking to all different cultures, but using the same brand strategy? "We value values" someone offered on stage as a campaign for Corona tugged at Mexico's sentimental national streak.

Rick Boyko, the Director of VCU Brandcenter moderated the panel and asked "what we are doing, and what we should be doing to attract more hispanics to come work in advertising?"
Luis Miguel Messianu said "It's our responsibility to do better work and grow "made in the US" multicultural talent. Make better work, up the game." The partnership with the Miami adschool is helping that too. As the panel was getting quite chummy and agreeing a quite lot he also explained: "We don’t compete against other agencies we compete against our clients' competitors."

"We value values." Turns out we're not so different after all.