Mexico PR Consultancies of the Year 2022

2022 Mexico PR Consultancies of the Year

The 2022 LatAm PR Consultancies of the Year are the result of an exhaustive research process involving numerous submissions and meetings with the best PR firms across the region.

Consultancy of the Year winners are honoured at the 2022 LatAm SABRE Awards, taking place on 11 October. Analysis of all Finalists and Winners can be accessed via the navigation menu or below:

Finalists

Another (Independent)

Backstory

Another, formerly Another Company, remains under the watch of its co-owners, CEO Jaspar Eyear and president Rodrigo Peñafiel, who in 17 years have seen Another permeate Latin America with operations in 18 countries from Peru and Argentina to Guatemala and Costa Rica. The firm is motivated by the notion that powerful communications lead to change, facilitated with a mix of research, analytics, and creativity. In 2014, the forward-looking firm was the first in the region to launch an influencer marketing offering.

Locations

Another has operations throughout Latin America including Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Panama, Peru, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.

Performance

In 17 years, another’s co-owners, CEO Jaspar Eyears and President Rodrigo Peñafiel, have built the firm into an $11.7 million business (up 28% from 2020), which, thanks to continued growth, has more than 324 employees — 100 more than last year — throughout 18 countries. The firm recently expanded its footprint into Ecuador, Brazil, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Bolivia and Uruguay, while continuing long-established operations in Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Chile, Panama and Argentina. That regional infrastructure, coupled with Another’s expertise in consumer, tech, pharma, tourism and corporate comms, resulted in impressive list of clients such as Samsung, Pinterest, Logitech, Casa Dragones and Mercado Libre.

People & Culture

As other agencies were shifting remote work models, another in the last year focused on making its Mexico City office (named Casa Another) a physical hub of activity and collaboration among employees, clients and others, guided by the firm’s tenant that “sparks fly when people come together.” Weekly team meetings, open forum discussions and visiting industry leaders aid employees’ professional development; Access to free mental health and nutritional services aid their well-being. Another continues to reevaluate its DE&I strategy, recently launching a dedicated committee with staff of all levels and partnering with Mexico’s Pride Connection. Co-founder and CEO Jaspar Eyears has led another’s adoption of next-gen technology. New hires include former Smart PR CEO Karina Barcellos as the firm’s first chief strategy officer.

Thought Leadership & Work

A perennial SABRE Award short-lister, another was behind a range of top tier initiatives in 2021. Among the most notable was its Central American campaign to end period poverty for Always. During another’s campaign positioning Macallan as a luxury whisky, sales were up 53% over the previous year. Other efforts include a partnership with Nestlé Chocolates focused on driving awareness of cacao farming in Tabasco state and the positive impact that cacao farming provides to far-flung regions.

— Diana Marszalek

BCW Mexico (WPP)

Backstory

BCW opened in Mexico in the late 1980s with an eye on helping Mexican businesses maximize opportunities created by North American trade agreements. Backed by the resources of the BCW network, the WPP agency has grown into one of Mexico’s biggest and busiest, serving a slate of big-league multinationals among its 50 or so retainer clients, while expanding its creative, ESG and influence offerings.

Locations

BCW Mexico’s office is in Mexico City.

Performance

BCW Mexico ended 2021 up, with a client roster larger than it was per-pandemic in 2019. New business came from Edgewell, Crehana, Alestra and Lenovo, which joined existing clients including Schneider Electric, Motorola and Intel. BCW works with 50 or so retainer clients — including major multinationals — and up to 30 on projects. While built on core offerings, like reputation management, BCW keeps pace with the ever-changing industry by rolling out and expanding new services. The Mexico office is home to a creative hub, has grown a robust ESG practice, and offers influencer marketing using WPP’s proprietary methodology, Trufluence.

People & Culture

When Covid quashed any semblance of normalcy, BCW Mexico leaders turned to help its people through the crisis — and beyond. In the time since, the agency has upped its efforts to retain employees across the organization, offering training and development on topics from strategy and digital tools to mindfulness and work-life balance. That focus continues with the firm’s heightened attention to making DEI central to its operation. That includes ongoing auditing and recalibration of policies and practices around areas like recruitment, staff development and advancement, to root out bias. Leadership development now includes inclusivity and bias management training. The firm is in midst of creating a quarterly reporting strategy to improve accountability and transparency. More than 87% of BCW Mexico’s leadership about 62% of its staff are women. The operation is helmed by CEO Guido Gaona, an 18-year BCW Group veteran who had led the firm’s Argentina and Columbia offices. Paola Castro, who brings nearly 20 years of agency and in-house experience, serves as COO and heads the agency’s brand communications practice.

Thought Leadership & Work

Seen as an authority in its field, BCW is a regular and visible voice in Mexico’s mainstream and business press. Agency leaders participated in Reforma Group’s post-pandemic recovery CEO roundtable and are regular guest columnists for business magazine Expansion Group. BCW’s work for Intel was among the year’s most notable efforts, successfully getting the chipmaker Infront of new audiences. By changing the tone of its content, including using the likes of memes, BCW’s social team saw Intel ingratiate itself to young “gamers and geeks.” The Intel IT Extreme Makeover campaign highlighted the role Intel could play in SMEs digital transformations.

— Diana Marszalek

Weber Shandwick (IPG Dxtra)

Backstory

In the short seven years since Weber Shandwick Mexico opened its doors with a five-person team, the firm has established itself as 100-person operation able offer clients the integrated, multidimensional capabilities for which Weber Shandwick is known.

Locations

Weber Shandwick operates from its Mexico City headquarters, and is part of Weber Shandwick’s vast global network, as well as a regional footprint that includes branded operations in Brazil and Colombia, and affiliates in Argentina, Chile and Peru.

Performance

Talking about Weber Shandwick—the world’s second largest public relations agency—adopting a “start-up mentality” sounds slightly incongruous, but seven years after launching in Mexico, that’s still the vibe, with the firm growing from five to 125 professionals and the Mexico City office ranking among the agency’s five fastest-growing last year—fees were up by a very healthy 22%. Significant clients include ExxonMobil, Liverpool, Novartis, Grupo Herdez, Honeywell, Nintendo, HBO, OPPO, Bimbo Nutrición, IBM and Nespresso, with new business last year from Mattel LATAM, META, Moderna, Sanofi, Johnson and Johnson, Casa Madero, Hertz, and Tencent Games.

People & Culture

Amanda Berenstein, who launched Weber Shandwick in Mexico seven years ago, is clearly one of the agency’s rising stars and has been rewarded with a promotion to oversee all the company’s agencies in Mexico (Weber, Golin and Current Global). She is supported by a strong local leadership team, with new hires over the past year strengthening creative capabilities (Rodrigo Tarquino from DDB Colombi), corporate practice leadership, and depth in the tech practice. Weber Shandwick’s global “Juice” approach to flexible working has set t5he bar high for other agencies during the return to the office after the pandemic lockdowns ended, and in Mexico it has been backed up with local market initiatives: career planning and development opportunities, Friday afternoons free, a monthly rebate for exercise and well-being activities, and a program that allows team members to work remotely from anywhere in the world for a month.

Thought Leadership & Work

United Minds, Weber Shandwick’s global management consultancy, has quickly established itself in Mexico, helping C-suite executives deliver change with a focus on internal communications and issues such as health and new work protocols. One noted highlight of Weber Shandwick’s broader work was the multi-award winning “Checo de Carton” campaign for ExxonMobil, a digital initiative that found a creative way to leverage the company’s partnership with the Oracle Red Bull Racing Team and driver Checo Perez and was recognized with a Webby as well as PR industry awards. Other interesting work included the post-pandemic return of Royal Caribbean to Latin-American seas; and the “Tech Traditions” campaign for Mercado Pago, which spread a message of financial inclusion by helping organ grinders adapt to a post-cash society.

— Paul Holmes

Zimat Consultores (Independent)

Backstory

Zimat is distinguished from its competitors in Mexico both by its size—it is one of the top two firms in the market, and the only indigenous firm in the top five—and by its approach: Zimat is one of only a handful of Latin American firms that doesn’t compete on price, having established itself as a strategic advisor capable of charging a premium for the senior counsel it provides to both corporate and public sector clients.

Locations

Zimat is based in Mexico, with owned offices in Mexico City and Monterrey—the latter a new addition in 2021. The firm operates throughout Latin America and the US via a network of independent partner agencies.

Performance

While Zimat does not disclose financial information, and makes it clear that it considers quality more important than quantity, it ranks among the largest firms in Mexico and has eanred plenty of recognition, including our Mexican Consultancy of the Year award in 2020 and being named Mexico´s number one agency by local publication Merca 2.0. Last year was another good one, with new business from Roche, Adularia, EXP Realty, Maison Kayser, Grupo BAL, HotGo, Infra, Panda Express, FGP Atelier, Sputnik V, MG Motors, and Consejo Mexicano Vitivinícola. They join a client roster that includes a mix of global and Mexican market leaders: Grupo Bimbo, Grupo Jumex, Mary Kay, Tequila Centenario, Orbia, GNP Seguros, T-Systems México, Grupo LALA, San Pablo Farmacia.

People & Culture

Zimat is owned by four women, all mothers, and it is tempting to find a connection between this fact and the firm’s commitment during Covid to the safety and wellbeing (both physical and emotional) of its team members. It implemented a work from home policy in March 2020 that has served it will and continues today, remaining connected through conferences and several virtual initiatives. The leadership team today includes Andrea Castro, a former chief of staff for the public opinion and image office of President Vicente Fox; Jaime Ramírez, an expert in crisis management and public affairs; and former journalist Araceli Muñoz. New additions include Luis Arturo García, who joined Zimat from Ipsos and brings research and intelligence experience.

Thought Leadership & Work

Zimat continues to play a part in some of the biggest issues facing both the public and private sectors in Mexico: the firm worked withMinistry of Education to promote enrollment for the 2020-2021 school year and prevent dropouts related to the required distance learning; it developed the communication strategy for the largest national campaign promoting the use of facemasks with Consejo de la Comunicación; and on the private sector side, Zimat worked with Tequila Centenario around its alliance with Los Ángeles Ázules, leader in the Mexican music market, and with T-Systems on a mentoring program for technology-based social entrepreneurs. Zimat is a leader in corporate communication, crisis management and public affairs in Mexico, known for its consultative approach and commitment to value-added communication, all underpinned by an intelligence hub, The Analysis Unit, that drives strategy. The firm also created a proprietary model called “Break it” to help clients build a more inclusive and diverse working cultures, identifying social codes and individual conducts that drive exclusion, unequal treatment, or violence.

— Paul Holmes

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