Marco Vega, Co-founder, President & CSO of Creyentes, conveyed a strong and inspiring message at the second annual Latino US Day during the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. This exclusive event, hosted by Advertising Week LATAM and powered by PRODU, was designed to celebrate and amplify the vital influence of the U.S. Hispanic advertising community within the global marketing and communications industry.

During the Círculo Creativo USA session: “The Relevance of Creativity for Growth,” Vega underscored the enduring importance of Latino US Day, pointing to its growing momentum following a successful launch. “It’s extremely important. It’s the continuation of something we all started together last year,” he said. “I believe what we sought to achieve last year was a milestone, and we must continue to put an end to the myth that the U.S. Hispanic market is just an opportunity. That was 15 years ago; today is here and now.”

Vega asserted that the U.S. Latino market is now central to brand strategy. “If the U.S. Latino market isn’t the central part of a brand’s growth plan, those brands will face serious problems in the next 20 years,” he warned. “They’ll struggle either to maintain leadership, if they are market-leading brands, or to gain any traction if they are new products. And I believe that, collectively, those of us here are trying to evangelize this to all clients and the entire ecosystem.”

He urged the industry to move beyond superficial engagement. “I think the most important part is that we don’t forget that with the U.S. Latino market, it’s not enough to find cultural occasions to connect with our consumers. It goes much deeper than that,” Vega affirmed. “I think it’s long overdue that we stop just focusing on the typical passion points of soccer, music, and food. I believe the ‘double click’ is what’s missing.”

The executive cited research to underscore his point: “A McKinsey study has, for years, been establishing that multicultural consumers, specifically Latino consumers, don’t feel that brands, products, and services offer them the solutions they and their families need. This is a huge problem because, at the end of the day, there are US$100 billion available for advertisers to grow – that solve problems, communicate effectively, and earn the right to establish a relationship with our communities.”

Vega’s insights reinforced that a genuine, problem-solving approach rather than mere cultural tokenism is essential for brands aiming to unlock the significant economic potential of the U.S. Hispanic market.