Certified Nurse
Assistant Program:
THERE’S A CALLING.
WE ARE ANSWERING.
Acento is a cross-cultural agency with deep roots in healthcare marketing. We specialize in effectively and efficiently activating diverse audiences to drive engagement and response. Our unique approach defeats indifference and health-related message fatigue to make your message matter in culture, in the community and in individual lives.
Hello QCHF, this is who we are!
Curtis Williams
Associate Media Director
Deborah Pappalau
Director of Health & Wellness
Vicent Llopis
VP Executive Creative Director
Sofia Escamilla
VP Media
Salomon Resler
Group Creative Director
Christian Smith
Digital Media Specialist
Ramón García
Sr. Account Executive
Donnie Broxson
Chief Executive Officer
Tamara Pesqueira
Sr. Account Executive
Kevin Cereno
Media Planner / Analyst
Lourdes Washington
VP Client Services
Juan Villalpando
Account Supervisor
Our Philosophy
In marketing, the search for cultural connection
often enough ends in massive disconnection.
Real culture is rarely as simple as a segment.
To know culture, is to remove your blinders, broaden your view.
It is recognizing that Culture is formed where many cultures meet.
It is a constant crossing over. A dynamic pursuit to understand intersections and nuance.
At Acento, we live and breathe &.
Thinking beyond a single facet of identity to go deeper on what Culture is — and how it motivates people.
Because we know that the
segment experience is also the human experience.
The immigrant experience. The minority experience.
The new majority experience.
It’s the multi-cultural experience. The fight for space and visibility.
The fight to defeat indifference.
The fight for &.
We unlock our diversity as a team to unlock results for our clients. Tapping into the many cultures and places that made us, to help brands make a mark that defines a new generation of culture.
Multi-lingual
Multi-cultural
Multi-dimensional
We are Acento.
Diverse&. Creative&. Insightful&.
OUR HEALTH & WELLNESS EXPERIENCE
The ampersand represents the augmentative nature of culture and perspective. It is about going deeper, thinking differently and actively seeking inclusivity. Our market landscape is not monolithic. Our consumers are multidimensional and complex navigating broader culture while embracing their identity, language and ethnicity. Motivations behind decisions and behaviors are shaped in complex environments where consumer decisions are made at increasing speed. Getting to the ”why” behind those decisions and uncovering insights is exactly what we do.
Success Stories
WORK THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE
Chocolate – California Tobacco Control Program
The introduction of vaping and kid-friendly flavors by the tobacco industry caused vaping to increase by 218% and 135% among middle and high school students. But parents had no idea what these products looked like or that their kids might be using them. Our first job was to raise awareness among parents that addictive tobacco products could be hiding in plain sight, putting their children at risk.
Mood Swings – California Tobacco Control Program
The next evolution of our messaging was to eliminate the misconception that flavored vapes contained just water vapor by making parents aware that the nicotine found in vapes is toxic to the developing brains of young teens. Reflecting family dynamics of households where Spanish and English are spoken made this spot all the more impactful.
Men’s Health – Banner Health
Our data revealed that Hispanic men tend to rely on the emergency room as their primary source of treatment more often than Hispanic women and are also more likely to delay healthcare for an illness or drop out of treatment when symptoms disappear. In an effort to encourage Hispanic men to prioritize regular medical care and examinations, we created a series of concise and straightforward vignettes. These vignettes featured a bold protagonist discussing the importance of taking care of one’s health.
Little Geniuses – Banner Health
As we saw the light at the end of the tunnel from the pandemic, we recognized that Hispanics needed to prioritize their overall well-being. Our focus was on mothers who not only had to care for their children but also for their aging parents. To effectively engage our audience, we created a series featuring super smart children discussing health issues in a light-hearted and amusing manner. These videos successfully directed traffic to Banner’s blog page, which offers a wealth of health information in Spanish.
Eva Sin Filtro – Banner Health
As we saw the light at the end of the tunnel from the pandemic, we recognized that Hispanics needed to prioritize their overall well-being. Our focus was on mothers who are caregivers to their aging parents and needed some extra support. To address this, we introduced Eva, a vibrant and resourceful grandmother who exemplifies the benefits of utilizing Banner’s wealth of resources, making her even wiser. These videos successfully directed traffic to Banner’s blog page, which offers a wealth of health information in Spanish.
Doctor Series – Banner Health
During the pandemic there was an abundance of unreliable information that confused Hispanic families. Recognizing the community’s need for accurate and trustworthy information, we engaged a team of Banner’s Spanish-speaking doctors to debunk numerous COVID myths and misinformation. This long-form content provided thorough and credible information that set the record straight for the community.
Anthem Spot – Banner Health
In Fall of 2021, patients’ trust in the healthcare system was dwindling. They were hesitant to undergo their routine medical checkups due to fear. Our goal was to instill optimism by demonstrating our commitment to developing tools and solutions that made healthcare easier by showcasing the compassionate nature of Banner’s network and our deep understanding of our patients’ needs, particularly during challenging times.
Vaccine – Banner Health
Our community was challenged trying to keep thier families healthy, with a tighter budget and everything brought on by COVID-19. They searched for accurate and clear information about the vaccine in Spanish as well help sorting out what is credible information. We wanted to help them feel more positive and optimistic in an emotionally heavy time and remind them that the vaccine is a means to get back a sense of normalcy.
Your Expert Team
Donnie Broxson
Chief Executive Officer
Donnie has led multi-segment communications through non-profit, corporate, and agency roles, focusing on creating holistic approaches for optimal impact across stakeholders. He focuses on strategic alignment of diverse segments for optimal ROI, and serves as lead executive consultant to clients, ensuring integration of consumer insights, best practices and brand imperatives. Donnie holds a degree in International Relations from Georgetown University and began his career in Santiago, Chile.
Lourdes Washington
VP Client Services
Lourdes brings 25 years of multicultural marketing expertise. Focusing on the integration of communications across segments, she has led Hispanic market efforts in industries such as grocery, healthcare, financial services, and insurance. Lourdes leads Acento’s client service department and has been an Acentonian for 17 years. Born in Spain to Cuban parents, she was raised in Newark and sunny Los Angeles. Lourdes has two beautiful kids and holds a degree in advertising from UC Fullerton.
Vicent Llopis
VP Creative
Over the past 20 years, Vicent has led creative teams on four continents, developing award-winning campaigns in multiple languages and categories. With a strong focus on creating experiences that cross channel boundaries, he embraces digital and social-first approaches to engage his audience and move their emotions. Beyond his work on Fortune 100 brands, his healthcare experience includes creating campaigns for Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, BlueShield of Florida, Ministry of Health (Kenya) and more.
Sofia Escamilla
VP Media
Sofía oversees Acento&’s integrated media strategies, providing cross-channel analysis and solutions for clients. Her experience spans healthcare, political, and behavior change categories including CTCP, Banner Health, UnitedHealthcare, and DCCC among others. Sofía has a deep knowledge of the media marketplace both on and offline. Her holistic approach evaluates user experience at every touchpoint against clear KPIs. She holds a degree in International Relations from USC.
Deborah Pappalau
Director Health & Wellness Practice
Deborah brings a holistic approach to her 25+ years of account leadership experience managing paid and earned efforts on behalf of government agencies, nonprofits and corporations. Raised in Venezuela and fully bilingual, Deborah started her career in PR, then went on to the advertising side. Over her career she has focused on initiatives designed to improve health and educational outcomes of marginalized populations. She holds a degree in political science from UCLA.
