Roberto Orci Gives Look Ahead for Association of Hispanic Agencies (AHAA)

OCTOBER 28, 2011 10:49 PM by StevenBridges

As mentioned in Hispanic Market Weekly, AHAA is embarking on a year of change and challenges, adding new board members, lead by incoming chairman Roberto Orci, president of Acento Advertising. “In very few years, we have seen Hispanic marketing go from a nice-to-have to a must-have,” said Orci. “We attribute that to smart client marketers and effective Hispanic marketers.” As he took command of the organization at the conference’s closing on October 13, Orci detailed his “wish list” for AHAA in the coming year. It includes attracting members from other disciplines; expanding AHAA’s board to include representation from the media and marketing industries; and becoming a strong advocate for progress. “It’s better to build an airplane than to build a parachute,” Orci said. Furthermore, Orci said that companies now understand that the Hispanic market is not going to simply assimilate and go away, which means that a targeted approach will deliver long-term benefits. According to Orci, “Companies can’t just pop-in and-out of the Hispanic market as a fad. They must get on the train or risk being left behind and becoming irrelevant.”