Horizon Media expands Cross-Cultural and General Market Planning Teams

Horizon Media announced that it has hired a senior executive to lead the multicultural brand strategy practice within the agency to further strengthen its existing cross-cultural capabilities as the company continues to infuse cross-cultural experts across all of its brand teams. Horizon has appointed Karina Dobarro as VP, managing director, multicultural brand strategy. Joining her is Jerly Marquez as associate director of multicultural brand strategy. Dobarro will report to Stan Fields, EVP, Managing Partner at Horizon Media, and Marquez will report to Dobarro.

“We have an advanced multi-cultural practice,” said Stan Fields, EVP, Managing Partner at Horizon Media. “These new hires further strengthen our leadership and proven ability to develop engaging and culturally relevant communications for our clients.”

Dobarro joins Horizon Media from Mindshare where she was Managing Director of multicultural marketing, spearheading its multicultural unit.

“Having seen Horizon make significant strides in the multicultural marketplace for its existing client roster, I’m thrilled to be joining the agency as multicultural lead to further elevate and grow this facet of the business,” said Karina Dobarro, VP Managing Director of multicultural brand strategy at Horizon Media. “Nearly half of adult Millennials, the coveted 18-34 demographic, are multicultural. This is the highest share of non-white Americans in any generation. Given this demographic shift, it is paramount that communications planning continues to evolve and reflect this cultural diversity.”

Dobarro spent the last six years working across GroupM’s portfolio of agencies including Mindshare and MEC. Prior to Mindshare she was the Senior Partner, Account Director at MEC, and managing communications planning for an array of clients such as AT&T, Ikea and Campbell’s. Previously she spent four years at the Vidal Partnership, responsible for media planning and buying for The Home Depot. Dobarro started her career at Initiative Media, first in San Francisco and in New York where she worked on Bayer, Elizabeth Arden and Burlington Coat Factory.

Jerly Marquez joins Horizon from GroupM, where she spent six years as a U.S. Hispanic and multicultural market specialist supporting WPP media agencies Maxus, MEC, MediaCom and MindShare. In this role, she managed all aspects of local broadcast buying, with an extensive track record of analyzing market trends and capitalizing on opportunities to create high profile visible partnerships across a roster of brands including AT&T, Audi, Volkswagen, Shell Oil and Mexico Tourism. Jerly started her career at The Vox Collective as a Media Planner/Buyer, where she was responsible for the development and execution of prominent Hispanic campaigns for clients, such as Verizon Wireless, Office of National Drug Control Policy, Fifth Third Bank and Macy’s.