Coca-Cola Kicks Off Hispanic Heritage Month with #OrgullosoDeSer Campaign Embracing Latino Pride in their Culture and Family Names

via Business Wire

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--For many Hispanic families, celebrating their culture is a priority and it frequently permeates their everyday lives. With that in mind, Coca-Cola created a film that does more than celebrate Hispanics and Hispanic Heritage Month - the film explores family names and the pride surrounding them through personal stories shared on camera.

“At Coca-Cola we have been a part of so many of the important moments in Hispanic families’ lives, and we want to continue making new memories with them”

The “Orgulloso De Ser” film evokes the power of family, culture and community by bringing people together in celebration of their heritage and unique family stories. In the film, participants share stories and display their pride by applying a temporary tattoo of their last name using the special Coca-Cola Heritage Tattoo Can. The Heritage Tattoo Can allowed participants to wear and share their pride and love for their culture and family names.

“At Coca-Cola we have been a part of so many of the important moments in Hispanic families’ lives, and we want to continue making new memories with them,” said Lauventria Robinson, vice president, Multicultural Center of Excellence, Coca-Cola North America. “During Hispanic Heritage Month, we are celebrating the immense pride Latinos have for their culture and heritage, a pride that translates most significantly into their family names, which they carry with honor and joy.”

Coca-Cola’s #OrgullosoDeSer campaign is encouraging people to share their passion and pride in their last name and heritage. Using the hashtag #OrgullosoDeSer #[InsertLastName], people can post special family moments and their own reasons for being proud to be Latino as well as share the film on their social media platforms.

Coca-Cola recognizes that Latino’s last names are a source of pride, and families can visitwww.coke.com/OrgullosoDeSer to purchase a “Share a Coke” contour bottle personalized with their last names to share that pride with the world.

Coming Soon: Pepsi 'Limon' With Real Lime Juice

via AdAge

Line Extension Will Target Hispanics

Pepsi will soon launch a new cola made with real sugar and lime juice that is aimed squarely at Hispanics. The line extension, called Pepsi Limon, will hit stores beginning May 18 in Chicago, California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.

If it sounds familiar, that's because PepsiCo has tried similar products in the past around the world. A few years ago in the U.S., the marketer sold Pepsi Lime and Diet Pepsi Lime, but those versions have since been discontinued, according to a spokeswoman. Pepsi Twist is still available in Latin America. Diet Coke sells alime version that includes citric acid.

Pepsi Limon is made using real lime juice and cane sugar, unlike the previous U.S. version that was artificially flavored. The idea came from an internal Latino/Hispanic employee group called Adelante, whose mission is to create a diverse culture within PepsiCo.

"They told me we need lime," said Al Carey, CEO for PepsiCo Americas Beverages, who teased the launch at a beverage industry function in Chicago on Tuesday called The Beverage Forum. So, the company came up with a lime-flavored Pepsi that resembled other versions that have been previously tried, he said. But the Adelente group told him, "No, we need real lime juice in the product," he recalled.

The resulting product contains 2% real lime juice. The launch will be supported by in-store marketing, radio ads, PR, digital and sampling, according to the spokeswoman. The ad agency handling the line extension is SA Studios Global, while PMK BMC is leading PR.

"I will not be surprised if this ends up becoming a very big success in those markets," Mr. Carey said.

Ideas from Adelente have a pretty good track record. According to a 2011 story posted on hispanicprblog.com, the group has played a role in bringing several PepsiCo products to the market, including Flamin' Hot Cheetos and Tapatio-flavored Doritos and Ruffles.

Coca-Cola Spreads Happiness This Holiday Season through Random Acts of Kindness

via MarketWatch

Have you made someone happy today? Centered on this thoughtful concept, Coca-Cola will be spreading joy throughout the holiday season in the Hispanic community. “Haz a Alguien Feliz” encourages celebrating this festive time by doing a random act of kindness. Whether by bringing cookies to the office, joining mom to watch her favorite novela, giving a ride to a friend or washing the dishes for a week, these acts of kindness that are neither expensive nor time-consuming bring people and communities closer, and celebrate the true meaning of the holidays.

“At Coca-Cola, we believe that there is much more to the holidays than opening presents,” said Alba Adamo, Group Director of Hispanic Marketing at The Coca-Cola Company. “The gifts that can make someone truly happy don’t come with a price tag, and the holidays are the perfect time to share happiness with our friends and loved ones.”

To take part in this selfless initiative, people are encouraged to post a picture with a written note of what their random act of kindness will be, or one showing how they have already made someone happy. Using the hashtag #HazAlguienFeliz, participants can upload their photos to Facebook, Instagram or Twitter to spread the joy this holiday season. Social influencers from key Hispanic markets, San Antonio, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and Miami, will be hitting the streets to stir conversations, encourage people to participate in this celebration and document the smiles and joy that selfless acts bring to communities.

“Haz a Alguien Feliz” will take the national stage December 6,with a special one-hour television segment “La hora de la felicidad” during Univision’s longest running program, Sabado Gigante. The episode revolves around emotional acts of kindness showing the joy these simple acts can bring to individuals regardless of their background, nationality or age. In the spirit of the holidays, people across the nation are joining the movement, including renowned television sportscaster Fernando Fiore, female empowerment advocate Nely Galán and top Latino social influencers Lance Rios and Camila Canabal. An online vignette shared via Facebook and Twitter will feature these influencers capturing the joy, smiles and positive impact that small acts have on everyday people.

“It’s very easy to surprise someone with an act of kindness, yet we get wrapped up in our everyday routines and forget that we all have the power to brighten someone else’s day. That’s why Coca-Cola is leading this initiative; taking a moment to make someone else happy will brighten this holiday season,” said Adamo.

5 Predictions For Hispanic Online Marketing In 2015

via MediaPost

This time of year is particularly exciting for me as I get to work on my true passion: developing Hispanic digital strategies for our clients. As we wrap up 2015 planning, five key themes have emerged that I expect to come to life in the Hispanic online market next year.

1. Hispennials will be the “It” consumer.

Move over, Latina moms – Hispennials (that’s Hispanic + Millennials) are poised to emerge as the most sought-after market segment. Millennials, the largest generation by population size, are all the rage, and wise marketers know that 21% of Millennials are Hispanic. To win with Millennials, marketers must win with Hispanics — and winning with Hispanics means digital. Of all consumers, Hispennials are the most active and engaged digitally, spending the majority of their time on their phones and with social media.

2. Hispanic content marketing will flourish.

Brands understand the value of becoming publishers and, as a result, content marketing is hot. According to Forbes, the content marketing industry has ballooned to $44 billion, with 90% of B2C brands investing in this tactic. This reality coupled with the fact that there is relatively little content for online Hispanics paves the way for a Hispanic content marketing boom. Hispanics are hungry for content that connects with them in a relevant way, in English or Spanish, and brands that can deliver the right content, at the right time, across the right channel will reap the benefits of an engaged and connected audience. 

3. Hispanic online video will move from nice-to-have to must-have.

I couldn’t have said it any better than Marla Skiko from Starcom MediaVest: “The U.S. Hispanic audience has a love affair with online video.” According to a 2014 Nielsen Report, Hispanics spend 90 minutes more viewing videos on a digital device than the average American. What’s more, a study by PwC found that 43% of U.S. Hispanics stream mobile video and 36% download mobile video each week vs. 25% and 17% respectively for non-Hispanics. With this kind of clear data, we expect brands to invest more in online video targeted to Hispanics, including Hispennials, and agencies and publishers to step up to meet the demand.

4. Hispanic digital influencers will influence brands.

Social media has leveled the playing field, enabling individuals with ambition, creativity, and a point of view to build up strong followings, establish influence and grab the attention of brands. Because Hispanics are hungry for content and highly engaged with social media, it is not surprising that a powerful ecosystem of Hispanic digital influencers, both professional and amateur, has emerged. Collectively, this ecosystem of Hispanic digital influencers has reach that rivals large publishers and can deliver authenticity, a combination that brands crave. This year we have seen brands dabble with Hispanic digital influencers, but we anticipate stronger brand engagement with them in 2015, along with better methods to aggregate and measure influencer campaigns.

5. Hispanic e-commerce will gain steam.

E-commerce is the best and most direct way to measure the ROI on digital investments and Hispanics are filling digital shopping carts. EMarketer reports that Hispanics are more likely vs. Non-Hispanics to make purchases on their mobile phones across various categories including:

• Clothing: 52% Hispanic vs. 38% Non-Hispanic
• Electronics: 52% Hispanic vs. 37% Non-Hispanic
• Music: 50% Hispanic vs. 40% Non-Hispanic
• Movies: Tickets 49% Hispanic vs. 31% Non-Hispanic

From a social perspective, “Hispanic consumers are twice as likely to purchase the kinds of products they share about compared to non-Hispanic consumers,” according to a ShareThis, Unilever and Mindshare study. As marketers increase investments in Hispanic online marketing, including targeting Hispennials, video, content marketing and influencers, they will increasingly turn to e-commerce to justify those investments. 

What are your Hispanic online predictions for 2015?

Duracell, Coke and Allstate Win ANA Multicultural Awards

via AdAge

Duracell won the first Best in Show prize at the Multicultural Excellence Awards given out Monday night at the ANA's Multicultural Marketing & Diversity Conference in Miami.

The "Trust Your Power" spot by Saatchi & Saatchi features deaf NFL player Derrick Coleman, who narrates his life story, and the challenges he faced growing up and becoming a professional football player for the Seattle Seahawks: "They told me I should just give up … but I've been deaf since I was three, so I didn't listen." Throughout the film, his Duracell-powered hearing aid is clearly visible. The spot for the Procter & Gamble battery brand also won the ANA's new "People with Disabilities" category.

"As a collective body of work, that [People with Disabilities] category was the most emotionally moving," said Micah Carr, a brand manager at Kimberly-Clark and one of this year's ANA awards judges. "The most successful ones didn't feel like a PSA ad; they weren't just doing right by people with disabilities because it's the right thing to do."

Instead, she said, the brands were deeply connected to an individual's story, such as the way Duracell batteries helped power Mr. Coleman's rise and success.

The other new category this year is Total Market, won by Wieden & Kennedy's "It's Beautiful" spot for Coca-Cola, which aired during the 2014 Super Bowl. Set to "America the Beautiful" sung by Americans in seven languages, the spot highlights the beauty of the country and its citizens.

"They hit it out of the park with 'It's Beautiful'," said Xavier Turpin, director of multicultural marketing at Dunkin' Brands Inc and one of this year's ANA awards judges. "It's all about the U.S., but they did it with all those ethnic backgrounds and languages. Being a multicultural marketer, it's a reality that there are so many minorities who have been here a long time."

Mr. Turpin, who was born in Mexico, added, "We are Americans and we love this country. We're here and we're contributing in so many different ways to the economy and to the culture."

The top prize in the largest category, for Hispanic work, went to Allstate and its Hispanic agency Lapiz for the insurance company's "Mala Suerte" ("Bad Luck") character. In a Hispanic twist, fans picked bad luck moments from melodramatic telenovelas. A special prize for the best bad luck moment was created and handed out -- by the Mala Suerte guy himself -- at the Premios Tu Mundo awards for Spanish-language soap operas.

"Mala Suerte has been around for a few years, but they continued to keep it fresh and relevant, with a lot of interest and social-media impact," Mr. Turpin said. "I enjoyed how they've stretched this one character."

"He was hilarious," said Ms. Carr, adding that the entry made the judges laugh.

Hispanic shop Dieste was the only agency to win in two categories -- Digital and Significant Results --with a pet adoption social-media project for Dallas Pets Alive! that added adoptable pets to Instagram photos of celebrities and others.

The other category winners are:

African American: The NBA and GlobalHue, working with The Marketing Arm & Cultur8

Asian American: A tie between Godiva Chocolatier, working with IW Group, andVerizon Wireless and its agency AdAsia Communications

LGBT: Mondelez International's Honey Maid and Droga5

Print: Special Olympics Texas and LatinWorks

Radio: Heineken USA's Tecate and Inspire!

Brands Start Dancing to EDM to Connect With Hispanic Millennials

Via MarketWired

Tiesto, Skrillex, Calvin Harris, David Guetta, Afrojack and Avicii are not household names to anyone 35 years old and over. Skrillex and Afrojack may sound like appliance names or an over the counter hair gel to older folks. But to Millennials (generally defined as Americans born between 1982 and sometime in the early 2000′s), these Electronic Dance Music (EDM) DJs are celebrities producing music that is defining and giving an identity to their generation. The celebrity EDM DJs in this list published by Forbes command annual earnings that range from $13 million all the way to the $66 million generated by cash king, Calvin Harris.

EDM is a newer term for a genre of music widely known as "House Music," which traces its roots to the 80s in Chicago. The term "House Music" is thought to have originated as a reference to a Chicago nightclub called The Warehouse, which existed from 1977 to 1983. Nightclub goers were mostly black and Latino and came to dance to music played by the "Godfather of House," the club's beloved resident DJ, Frankie Knuckles.

"House music" (or EDM) remained relatively on the fringe in the U.S. throughout the last three decades, with its existence relegated mainly to nightclubs in cities like Miami and New York. The genre, however, was well received in Europe where it gained mass popularity in the 90s. It was only within the last few years that EDM has reached similar popularity in the U.S.

 "If you're 15 to 25 years old now, this is your rock 'n' roll," reads a report by EDM marketing firm Frukt.

According to Nielsen, a vast 62% of U.S. Millennials (aged 15-24) actively listen to EDM, with 76% listening at parties and 56% at bars/clubs, highlighting the inherent social element that forms an essential part of the genre's youth appeal.

"For the disillusioned Millennial generation, EDM is their defining platform, a passionate channel bursting with contagious, spontaneous energy, and brands that can add tangible value to the experience have much to gain here," reads a Nielsen report on the topic.

EDM live concerts and experiential events are generating massive crowds, and EDM hit songs are breaking into the pop music charts. These include mega hits like Calvin Harris' "Summer," DJ Snake & Lil Jon's "Turn Down For What," and "Wasted," by Tiesto.

The EDM nightclub music was huge in Europe starting in the 90s and gradually and steadily began to expand its reach and appeal to influential cities in the United States including Las Vegas, Miami and New York for years. Now, the EDM craze is spreading nationwide -- and not just at the clubs.

EDM has also mushroomed into numerous festivals and live events; many of which are globally known. Such is the case of the Electric Daisy Carnival. Other wildly successful EDM festivals include Tomorrowland, Ultra Music Festival, Electric Zoo and Mad Decent Block Party.

Showcasing the power of the EDM offering and how eager Corporate America is to connect with Millennial consumers, leading EDM producer and promoter SFX Entertainment recently sealed an unprecedented and non-conventional partnership with MasterCard. As part of the deal, MasterCard will be ubiquitous on all SFX properties but in a manner that is not intrusive or disruptive to fans' experience. "We're not interested in saying, 'You must do this,' we're at the table together making sure the experience is better for the fans," said Robert F.X. Sillerman, SFX chairman and CEO. "From a selfish and economic point-of-view, this is not just us grabbing a check. This is us working together, and the potential is huge." SFX's EDM live event properties include Tomorrowland, Mysteryland, Stereosonic and Sensation, and the company continues to expand and acquire new events and companies. 

In fact, SFX does not call electronic dance music EDM, but rather EMC, "Electronic Music Culture," alluding to the genre's powerful cultural influence on the lifestyles of the Millennial generation. To support its position SFX points out to the distinct culture that EDM fans have created for themselves. A great example is the unique lingo EDM fans employ, from "Rave," "Plur," "Kandi," and "Dubstep," just to name a few. I get"turnt" just thinking about it.

EDM encapsulates the sounds, words, sayings, jokes, expressions, online-offline experience of the Millennials generation. It is a music genre that is captivating this audience broadly, including Hispanic Millennials, the fastest growing multicultural sub-segment in the country.

Reflecting this broad, cross-cultural appeal Mun2s and 7UP recently sealed deal to support a new EDM TV program specifically designed for Latino Millennials. In addition, Dr Pepper Snapple Group is also aligning with electronic dance music DJ Tiesto. The #7 x 7Up experiential marketing campaign showcases seven electronic dance music artists, including DJ Tiesto, who is featured in the "Light It Up" TV campaign. Though Tiesto isn't Hispanic, research showed that he's by far the most popular EDM artist among Latino audiences.

Connecting with Millennials can be a challenge for all brands, but this is especially true of Hispanic Millennials who often blend seamlessly between the "general market" and their Latin culture. EDM provides brands an opportunity to engage with the Hispanic Millennial in an authentic and relevant place, whether it's at a live event, or through an experiential campaign.

Key Takeaways for marketers considering investing in EDM:

• EDM is followed by a vast 62% of U.S. Millennials including a whopping 29% of Hispanic Millennials, making for almost the perfect overall music platform to connect with this coveted demographic.
• EDM is more than a music genre for Millennials. EDM is the "music of their generation," a unique music experience they can call their own.
• EDM is young, creative, innovative and best enjoyed as a shared social and digital experience.
• Cardenas Marketing Network is actively leveraging the broad appeal of EDM music with all Millennial demographics. In terms of Hispanic Millennials, CMN typically works with EDM artists who over-index in social media popularity with Hispanics and have a track record of success in top U.S. Hispanic geographic markets. 

It is important to note that given that Hispanics are 100% Latino and 100% American, the strong appeal of EDM does not escape them. Latino Millennials are just as enthralled and "turnt" with EDM as any other Millennial consumer. No need for language translations here. EDM's larger generational cultural language is spoken by all Millennials. [Como se dice "Plur"? Wink, wink].

Here's Why Brands Are Speaking Spanish in General Market Ads Dish, ESPN, Hyundai, others mainstream their Hispanic marketing

Via AdAge

Sure, it's not a coincidence that brands like Hyundai, ESPN, Corona and Dish Network have run general market TV ads in both English and Spanish during the World Cup, but that isn't the whole story. Marketers also have been moved by the high crossover appeal of such efforts and the multicultural nature of the millennials they're trying to reach.

Some brands, like Hyundai and Corona, have run versions of the same ad in English and Spanish, while others, including Dish and ESPN, have taken a Spanglish route, weaving Spanish and English words and phrases into single ads. Either way, the key is to have a universal message that will appeal to both audiences.

The shift toward mainstreaming Hispanic marketing coincides, of course, with explosive population and spending growth among Hispanics in America. Hispanics now comprise 17 percent of the U.S. population (up from 13 percent in 2000) and collectively spend more than $1.3 trillion each year, according to Nielsen and AHAA: The Voice of Hispanic Marketing (formerly the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies). And those numbers will likely continue to grow—with or without World Cup play. 

For Corona, going bilingual "really broadens our opportunity to speak with Hispanic consumers through multiple vehicles," said John Alvarado, vp of marketing for the beer division of Constellation Brands, which owns and markets the brand in the U.S. English and Spanish versions of Corona ads from Hispanic marketing shop La Comunidad will run throughout the summer. "Where traditionally most brands have spoken to Hispanic consumers through just Hispanic television, this allows us to speak to consumers through multiple spots. Most millennials are multicultural."

Like Corona, Hyundai produced a new ad from lead agency Innocean USA in both Spanish and English. "We always consider each ad case by case," said David Matathia, director of marketing communications at Hyundai. "If we tap into a story or insight that's universal, then we'd definitely do it."

And while millennial appeal wasn't the main motivation behind Hyundai's strategy, Matathia acknowledged that within that age group, "to some extent there's greater acceptance, there's a mixed perspective that allows [bilingual ads] to work."

The high crossover appeal of the idea behind "Juego Bonito," a new Dish ad from Havas Worldwide, gave rise to blending Spanish and English words into a single execution, said Dish chief marketing officer James Moorhead. "The continued growth of acculturated Hispanics in the U.S. is creating a unique dynamic," Moorhead added.

ESPN's mainstream Hispanic efforts include two ads featuring Pitbull around the NBA Finals and two "This is Sportscenter" ads for the network—the second time that lead agency Wieden + Kennedy has gone bilingual in the long-running campaign.

"We know that Hispanic Americans like to see themselves represented in general markets as well as in the creative that is targeted to them on our Spanish speaking outlets," said Aaron Taylor, svp of marketing at ESPN. "And if you're talking about the other m word, 'millennial,' the composition of that audience is inherently multicultural. In order for brands to resonate with a younger, millennial, 18- to 34-year-old [and even younger audience], it's important for us to appeal to them in a way that reflects the world that they live in."

Brands Take Aim at Hispanic World Cup Fans

Via AdWeek

So what if the U.S. is in the World Cup’s “Group of Death” and has to win against Germany, Portugal and Ghana to make it to the next round? Advertisers aren’t shying away. If anything, they’re introducing themselves to a global audience, notably Hispanic fans.

Ahead of the 31-day sports spectacle, which starts on June 12, Spanish-language broadcaster Univision has seen a doubling of digital ad spend on its properties compared to the last World Cup. On the homepage of the U.S. National Soccer Team, a Chips Ahoy ad is running in Spanish. And, Sporting News Media chief revenue officer Rich Routman said that approximately 40 percent of brands interested in advertising on International soccer portal Goal.com want their message to specifically reach Hispanic eyeballs. “If the U.S. gets knocked out early, this becomes a very multicultural and Hispanic proposition,” said Routman.

The games are especially lucrative for digital properties, considering that soccer doesn’t have natural breaks in the game for commercials. VML’s managing director of analytics and insights Eric Beane said digital budgets have gone up since the last WC, and more brands are taking advantage of online interactive opportunities for die-hard fans. “We’re seeing a lot of clients trying to reach emerging markets and a global audience,” Beane said. “[Soccer] is the right platform to do that.”

One of Goal.com’s advertisers, Gatorade, is using the site to tout its Unreal Around the World global contest, in which amateur soccer athletes give personal accounts of how practice has improved their game play. Winners get to meet professional teams including Arsenal, FC Barcelona and A.C. Milan. Molly Carter, Gatorade’s senior director of consumer engagement, said while this global campaign wasn’t created only for the Hispanic market, it was intended to reach historically interested parties. “As a media buy, we definitely heavy up the dollars in Hispanic markets,” she said.

Even ESPN has seen an increase in interest for its Spanish-targeted properties. AT&T will sponsor its digital interactive World Cup bracket in both English and Spanish, and ESPN Deportes will boost the main U.S. English broadcast with more than 12 hours of live news and coverage daily.

The sports media giant is also relaunching a more mobile-friendly espnfc.com on June 1. This is the first World Cup the soccer portal has been active, and ESPN is hoping to make it a global product for new audiences.

“In many places around the world, we are a digital-first company,” said Eric Johnson, evp for global multimedia sales. “It’s going to be the halo for our [soccer] coverage and our umbrella brand for our digital venture during the World Cup.”

Even though it had focused most of its efforts on Latin American markets during the 2010 World Cup, McDonald’s is expanding to include all demographic groups this year. Its digital push is an augmented reality soccer game that pops up when consumers scan soccer-themed fries packaging.

“It’s getting broad enough that the same passion for the sport is being expressed everywhere,” said Matt Biespiel, McDonald’s senior director of global marketing. “That’s why we’re betting that this is the year.”

McDonald's Is Marketer of the Year at AHAA's Hispanic Conference

via AdAge

McDonald's executives are used to other marketers asking them for tips on how to do multicultural marketing better.

The company's role as the gold standard for marketing to ethnic consumers was recognized this week when the fast-feeder was named Marketer of the Year at the annual conference in Miami of AHAA: The Voice of Hispanic Marketing. (The first winner, last year, was Walmart).

Accepting the award on Wednesday at the Marketer of the Year lunch, Adam Salgado, VP, U.S. marketing at McDonald's, said "This recognition is for the journey our brand has taken."

Describing that journey, Mr. Salgado noted that the turning point was the 1980s census, highlighting the rapid growth of the U.S. Hispanic market. Later McDonald's got deeply involved in music, including the Latin Grammys; education, with a generous scholarship program, and sports like the World Cup. And more than a decade ago, McDonald's established its business practice of leading with ethnic insights, starting with research. Mr. Salgado also praised McDonald's U.S. Hispanic agency Alma for "their leadership, Hispanic insights and creative genius." (This year Alma was named Ad Age's Multicultural Agency of the Year).

In an interview earlier, after Mr. Salgado and two other McDonald's executives flew in from a McDonald's event in Orlando to attend AHAA's Marketer of the Year lunch, the three discussed their approach to multicultural marketing.

What do other marketers ask them? "We get a lot of questions about how we orchestrate it internally," Mr. Salgado said.

"They ask about benchmarking, ethnic insights, the marketing structure, how do you do the planning and budgeting," said Priscila Aviles Jamison, senior director, U.S. marketing creative. "You have to become an evangelist. Every year you have to do the job all over again. You still have to justify the business case for it. You have a new CMO, you start all over again."

"We also have a unique structure to have three different marketing directors [for Hispanic, African American and Asian American] who focus on their segments," she said. "They have all the data. We work closely with the marketing directors on strategy and planning so we can executive the creative. [They are] the champions."

The director of marketing for Hispanic is Patricia Diaz. "You've got to live up to the gold standard," she said. "We have to challenge ourselves internally to get to the next level."

Mr. Salgado said that the marketing directors for each segment work closely with agency partners for their segment and McDonald's franchisees. Each of the three ethnic segments has a committee with about 25 members comprising McDonald's execs, agencies and owner-operators that meets regularly; the Hispanic committee is chaired by Ana Madan, a second generation McDonald's owner-operator from New Jersey.

While other marketers hop in and out of the U.S. Hispanic market, and slash budgets when times are tough, McDonald's has a rare consistency and ranks among the top 5 advertisers to Hispanics year after year. McDonald's ranked No. 4 in 2012, spending $107.7 million, and upped its Hispanic media spending by 3.4% to $111.4 million in 2013, based on Kantar Media data analyzed by Ad Age's DataCenter for the Hispanic Fact Pack.

The company is also committed to an AOR approach with agencies, with relationships that go back 40 years with Publicis Groupe's Burrell for African American work and 20 years with Omnicom Group's Alma. Interpublic's Asian-American shop IW Group is a relative newcomer at 11 years.

McDonald's practices the diversity it preaches. At the AHAA lunch, Mr. Salgado and Ms. Aviles Jamison, who are both from Mexico, chatted in Spanish. Mr. Salgado mentioned that he and his wife speak Spanish at home so their two young children will be bilingual.

"We make it our job to know our consumers, and the cultural things that are important to them, and recognize this country is changing dramatically," Ms. Aviles Jamison said. For instance, she said McDonald's has been a World Cup sponsor "forever" but used to focus that effort on Hispanics, and mainly the Spanish-dominant. But soccer's appeal has grown—Ms. Diaz said 30% of U.S. households have a soccer player—and this year McDonald's World Cup effort will be broader, and in both Spanish and English.

An upcoming spot by Alma called "House Divided" mines the insight into a family that is divided because they live in the U.S. but the father roots for his home country Mexico while his son supports the U.S. soccer team. The father is watching a soccer game with his buddies when his son turns up with a group of friends in U.S. soccer jerseys. Eventually their mutual passion for soccer and food (from McDonald's) triumphs. The spot was shot by Mexican actor-director Diego Luna, who lives in Los Angeles and Mexico and liked the premise because it reminded him of his own family life and children who are both Mexican and American.

Another McDonald's brand spot by Alma called "First Customer" that debuted during the Academy Awards was named one of the five best ideas of the year at this week's U.S.H. Idea creative awards.

In a big year for McDonald's, the marketer will be honored with the creative marketer of the year award next month at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.