WHO IS YOUR CLIENT?

One of the first things I learned about advertising is to know who you are talking to.

It seems that most creatives have forgotten that.

It looks like they are doing commercials to impress their peers to win awards to be different. Hispanic agencies are forgetting that there is a real consumer that buys the product.

Our consumers are witty intelligent and have a great sense of humor whether they be from Mexico or Central America Cuban or Venezuelan. But the way some Hispanic ad agencies talk to them is by showing actors from South America.

Now a days, agency creatives are untilizing actors from Argentina, South and Central America and most fly to those countries to do so spending unnecessary client funds and worse than that utilizing actors with accents that don‚t coincide with majority of the Hispanic market in the US and no matter how much they try to disguise the accent it is there. I have nothing against Argentineans or South Americans But this is the wrong method to talk to the US Hispanic consumer.

I bet that sales are not what they could be. Who is at fault first of all, the Advertising Agencies. They probably like to go and visit their relatives. And it might be cheaper to shoot in Buenos Aires. But we are not talking specifically to Argentineans in US Hispanic market . And what about the displacement of actors here in the United States I guess that does not count, SAG should do something about it.

I also blame the client for letting themselves be talked into flying 14 hours to go to Argentina that by the way it is a beautiful country with a mix of German Spanish and Italian people. People that you don’t find in this market.

If our consumers were a little bit militant they should demonstrate and strike against companies that take work outside of the United States, I don’t think that will happen I would love it if it did.

So our consumers buy products and some of this money is used to go out of the country and to benefit another country. It would be nice if we were forced to do all of our work right here in the United States.

But traveling is fun, you rack up miles, you stay in luxurious hotels eat at the best restaurants.

But remember who you are selling to it is not to South Americans.

Awards are great they look great on our walls and a Clios can usually get you a raise or a better job with another agency.

But who is looking out for the consumer?

I remember once in a casting session the agency hired an Argentinean Director and as he walked in on the casting session he said “I don’t want Indians in my casting”. This guy just did not care to who he was talking, all he cared about was his fee that by the way was $25,000 a day and to win an award.

Or as a Creative Director from Spain working for a big agency told me “I don’t care if my director does not understand the market the director won a Clio and I want one so he will direct my commercials.”

So I say to those agencies; Who is the customer?

Just look around in the Restaurant Kitchens, the gardener you probably see everyday. At the bus stops. Go visit the barrios talk to them, you will find that they really know what is going on and by the way ask if they like your commercial. It will be an experience for you to find out. And focus groups don’t really count they just tell us what we want to hear.

Once I was transferred to Venezuela with Young & Rubicam – now I wonder what would have happened if suddenly I decided to use actors and locations from Los Angeles only. I think I would have been fired immediately or who knows – maybe shot.

I love Argentina and South America I really do, Argentina is a beautiful country with beautiful girls almost everywhere. It is sad to see so many good ideas and see that they just don’t click with our consumers only because they were done in South America.

So I say: Shoot locally – talk locally – cast locally. Remember who buys your product – they would identify with your product more and be a lot happier in the long run.

Do ads that talk to real people and forget for a moment about the Clios and Cannes Lions you will probably get them anyway but you will sell a lot more product.

By Nick Mendoza
Mendoza Gomez & Associates
Former – Founder and Owner of : Mendoza Dillon & Asociados
http://www.mendozagomez.com
nm******@**********ez.com

Nick Mendoza, co-founder of Mendoza Dillon & Asociados, is a native of Mexico and was educated in both Mexico and the US. He is a graduate of California Institute of the Arts with a BFA in Advertising Design. Nick began his career in advertising with Jay Chiat & Assoc. as an Art Director. Y&R in New York was his next move where he worked on Goodyear, Eastern Airlines and Johnson & Johnson. He gained invaluable experience in the Latin market at Y&R in Venezuela. Nick spearheaded art direction on the General Foods, Chrysler an Procter & Gamble accounts among others. He transferred to Y&R Mexico City as Creative Director for Frito Lay, Chrysler, Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble and others. Nick then returned to California where he and Dick Dillon founded Mendoza Dillon & Associates which went on to become on of the largest Hispanic agencies in the U.S. As partner and Creative Director, Nick developed campaigns for such clients as Tylenol, Miller Brewing and General Foods.

The many clients he‚s worked with include; Disneyland, Burger King, P&G, Mattel, Max Factor, General Foods, Budweiser, Chrysler, American Motors, Ford, Wendy’s, Pacific Bell, Gillette. Nissan, Miller Brewing, Xerox, Ore-Ida, McNeil, Heinz, Toyota, McDonalds, American Express, Lottery, Kerns, Goodyear, Denny’s, Burger King, Western Union, Kodak, New Line, Dannon, Kellogg‚s, Zenith, Lowenbrau, Breyer‚s Ice Cream, Union Carbide, Pepsi, Sears, Universal Studios and General Motors.

Awards include five Clios, NY Film & TV awards & ADLA Awards.