OPINIÓN- Purpose-Driven Original Hispanic Programming Offers A Powerful Marketing Opportunity For Brands

It was an exciting moment for me when actor-singer, celebrity, Carlos Ponce did a shout out as he accepted the PRODU Award for Best Unscripted Documentary Series for our joint production, Juntos en Acción, (Together in Action). Not only did Juntos en Acción earn this prestigious PRODU accolade but shows like this are the very reason I believe in the power of storytelling – and proof that real good can come from great partnerships in branded entertainment. The series also went on to become a viewer favorite on Discovery en Español, Hogar, Discovery Familia and Discovery GO Apps, plus it streamed on MAX.

What made the series possible was the need for it – across the board…from the brands that partner and the distributors that look to reach target audiences, to the demographic that watches – and in turn become loyal consumers.  Purpose-driven original programming speaks to the Hispanic audience with power to pull viewers in and engage them with today’s most impact-driven brands.

Juntos en Acción is a renovation reality series hosted by Carlos Ponce and Karina Banda. Together, with designer Daniela Nares and Contractor Arturo Contreras and a celebrity guest in each episode, this dream team is on a mission to make a difference in the lives of families and communities with projects designed to uplift community spaces. In each episode, Ponce identifies a community in need and joins forces with local leaders, celebrities, and businesses to work on much needed renovation projects that will bring reflect meaningful change. Helping to round out the renewals is design guru and TV personality Daniela Nares. Overseeing the renovation projects from start to finish is general contractor Arturo Contreras.

In addition to my creative involvement during development and throughout the production, my focus was to service from a creative brand solutions standpoint under the Ad Sales team at WBD US Hispanic, helping secure brand partnerships for the series and oversee the production of client integrations. We had a fruitful partnership with Omnicom Media Group (OMG) and it was an exciting experience for our team and State Farm and Volkswagen. Our incredible Warner Brothers Discover (WBD) team – Including my longtime producing partner, Jose Requena and VP of Ad Sales David Tardio, Account Executive Megan Tubridy and Director of Ad Sales Keith Freibott –championed the partnership conversations, while Sergio Nakasone oversaw production of this stellar project.  The series is proof positive of what happens when brands and storytelling come together to change the lives of Latinos across the country.

OMG and clients State Farm and Volkswagen recognized the inspiring and uplifting themes of the show and embarked with us on an incredible journey.

Additional examples of some recent branded entertainment projects we have championed at WBD US Hispanic include Adóptame with Erick Milan, an endearing series that sets out to renovate animal shelters making them more appealing for pet adoptions. For Adóptame, we partnered with Pedigree which became the show’s official sponsor.

In another example, we entered a multi-year deal with Lowes for a package of solution shows, including Nuestra Familia, which featured a family of contractors that renovated spaces in deserving Hispanic homes.

As the Hispanic  market currently stands at 20% of the country – representing a purchasing power of US$3 trillion dollars – brands recognize the importance of reaching Hispanic consumers.  The question is how to not only reach the massive market, but how to generate brand loyalty.

Since the launch of Sarnoff Media Co. in March 2025, our market place of over 100 formats focused on meeting the multicultural community where they’re at and hyper focused on US Hispanic audiences, have developed shows and movies, with purpose driven initiatives at its core where brands meet culture and have a true seat at the table, alongside celebrities, writers, directors, and the creative community. Delivering effective, measurable, quality content that drives revenue and impacts audiences.

It’s clear that purpose-driven programming provides an effective creative brand solution – one that captures minds and touches hearts – and wins awards from PRODU!

By

Cristina Sarnoff, CEO, Sarnoff Media Co.