Mike Valdés-Fauli, President & CEO of Chemistry Cultura, emphasized the strategic value of participating in Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity during the second edition of Latino US Day, hosted by Advertising Week LATAM, and powered by PRODU.

Speaking during the HPRA session: “Latino AF – The Culture Shift You Can’t Ignore,” Valdés-Fauli underlined the importance of showing up for the Latino community while also ensuring its message resonates beyond the usual circles.

“These events that we do for our community are often in an echo chamber where we’re really talking only to each other,” he said. “What Cannes provides is a wonderful opportunity to bring the importance of the Latino community and our message a lo largo, as we say, and do it a lo grande — so that big brands from all over the world can hear about us.”

Reflecting on his panel participation, Valdés-Fauli praised the diversity of perspectives represented: “Some speakers focused on paid media, others on creative. With the support of the Hispanic Public Relations Association, we discussed how to craft a winning narrative to help the Latino community not only thrive but navigate the challenges facing the Hispanic brand today.”

He also pointed out the need for a collective effort to shift focus toward the positive contributions of the Latino community: “We need to raise the profile of all the good things happening — not just focus on the negative. And we have many tools at our disposal: earned media, paid media, owned media, and influencers.”

According to Valdés-Fauli, the conversation is not just about strategy, but also about practical execution: “We’re speaking at a high level about the strategic importance, but also getting in the weeds on how to actually do it.”