PNC @ MARCA.

The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. has selected Marca Hispanic as agency of record for its Hispanic market advertising. Marca will develop a fully integrated marketing campaign that will include TV, radio, outdoor, print, collateral and event marketing across the PNC markets on the East coast. Marca is also AOR for media planning and buying for the Hispanic markets.

“Launching an advertising initiative is really a continuation over the past 12 months of preparing both our system and our people to attract as customers the ever-growing ethnic minority base in our footprint,” said Matt Carter, PNC Senior Vice President, Strategic Marketing and Brand Management.

PNC currently operates more than 3600 ATMs and over 720 branches nationwide, including the recently acquired United Trust Bank which operates in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Mr. Carter said Marca was chosen because of its different approach to the market. “We didn’t want an agency that delivers what they think we want,” he said. “Marca gave us an honest brand assessment and showed real insight into the challenges and complexity of the Hispanic market. A lot of Hispanic agencies tend to do typical depictions of the Hispanic family sitting around the dinner table. They may do that, but Hispanics live a much more diverse life and their influence on mainstream culture is undeniable. In fact, the Spanish language spots we will produce may air on general market network prime time programming.”

Tony Nieves, President of Marca added, “PNC is really taking the right approach. They get that it’s not just about advertising in Spanish or getting a quick bump in account acquisition goals. They’re committed to implementing a total customer engagement model that works in developing a profitable, long-term relationship with the Hispanic community”.