00:00
Hola. I'm Claudia Romo Edelman and I'm Cynthia Kleinbaum Milner.
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And this is a podcast,
00:05
a La Latina, the playbook to succeed being your authentic self
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today, an incredible,
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incredible guest, Alicia and Sisto.
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And with her, we're gonna learn three main things.
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Number one, be for La Grande,
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which means take the big bet or aim higher.
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So it means that if you are in a two,
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aim for the 10 dream big,
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let people encourage you.
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And along the same lines.
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Number two, if you want something,
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talk about it, the first step to get what you want
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is to say it out loud,
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put it as part of your development plan and others will help
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you get there. She did this by putting the next role
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she wanted in a plan that people above her saw and they
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made it happen for her.
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And number three, all growth is coming from multicultural consumers.
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So now is the time to go all in on marketing to
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Latinos, this and more in the podcast La Latina Hola.
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Welcome to our new episode of the podcast A La Latina,
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the playbook to succeed being your authentic self today,
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an incredible guest, Alicia and Ciso Alicia.
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Besides being my mentor,
01:23
she is a former CMO at Nestle USA.
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She's an independent board director of Bacardi Limited and the Children's Place
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co chair, board directors of the A N A am an
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executive board member of the A N A.
01:37
Welcome, Gracias Gracias.
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It's such a pleasure to have you.
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You're the true legend.
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What a Trailblazer. No,
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again, thank you so much for having me.
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I am so grateful to be part of your project.
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I am so proud that you are finally doing it together and
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just excited to have this conversation.
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But before we start,
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let me just get this straight.
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So pretty much she is your,
02:01
you and you discussed this project before it took place.
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I met her and first of all,
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I didn't know that the chief marketing officer at Nestle USA was
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Mexican, which was one of the first realizations that I had
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that there are these Latinas killing it in corporate America,
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but we don't know about them.
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So I, I knew she was Mexican.
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I met her and she started in our first session.
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She gave me so much advice and such a great perspective that
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I kind of felt like I had wasted a lot of time
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why didn't I have somebody like her before helping me think through
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my career? So she's been amazing for me as I was
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idea in this project.
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And since I met you,
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as we were talking about how to bring it to life.
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But also the advice that she has given me on a monthly
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basis to manage my own career has been invaluable.
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no, again. And for me,
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it has also been such an opportunity.
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I think that as Latinas,
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one of the things that we need to do is actually of
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course, support each other.
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And the opportunity that we had for me was so enriching.
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So every time we've met together,
03:08
there was a very clear agenda,
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what we needed to achieve,
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very quick, very productive.
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But I learned so much of you know,
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of course, doing it together that it has also been a
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tremendous opportunity for me.
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It has inspired me to continue to do this,
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of course, with other amazing colleagues.
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It's great to hear that you are a great mentee.
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Awesome. So these are the two mothers of the podcast A
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La Latina, which is amazing.
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So these are the two.
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So let's go, let's start with you.
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So we would love to know a little bit about your past
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your career. What brought you to be who you are and
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what you do? Absolutely.
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Let me share. I think,
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let me share first my personal story or a little bit of
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my parents because I think that parents have so much to do
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So my father, he raised me to be,
03:55
I would say very resilient from him.
03:58
I have the strength.
04:00
He was very always asking so much of me.
04:03
He was always demanding like 10.
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And if I could give two,
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he was always telling me you are at two and I need
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10. It was tough growing up,
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but it was at the same time.
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Fantastic because he really taught me to strive to look to be
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the best to achieve.
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And I think that that is something that as Latinos,
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it is really important that we know that we have it
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and that we are always looking of course to,
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to come out with the best from him.
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I have my strength because he was tough.
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And again, he helped me develop the strength to be
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you know, take out anything from my mom,
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very different, but also very,
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I think, inspiring story.
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So we are four brothers and sisters and my mom basically took
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care of us. But when I left,
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because I got married,
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I came here to the US and my mom at 50 years
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old, she decided that she was going to start her career
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at that time and took her first time,
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full time job at 50.
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And she went on to do her master's in her sixties,
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her phd in her seventies and she retired at 80.
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So you can imagine that for me,
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like, I'm just starting my second career and it is such
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an inspiring thing to think about,
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you know, that life is,
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of course, all of these different opportunities in these stages.
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from her, I have the perseverance because she persevered,
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she wanted to do that.
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She knew that she couldn't do it at the beginning of her
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life, but she stayed on it.
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And of course, the last one was that she wanted to
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do her post phd in the eighties.
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not that much. What was she working on?
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Like what, what career can you have at 70?
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Well, she, she always was in art history.
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So she became a researcher in our Institute of National research
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for Art History in Mexico.
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So, yeah, what career are we gonna have at 70
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I am like 70 is gonna be not very soon.
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But I love what I hear about the role of parents in
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every single one of the Latina Trailblazers that we have had meaning
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We need to learn how to be great parents so that
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we can be that role model for our kids.
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At least in more intentional and conscious way.
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We, we need to learn how impactful that is.
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You probably learn from your mom,
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not only perseverance, but that age doesn't define you and that
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you can re invent yourself at whatever time whenever it is.
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We are conscious of that.
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Yeah. Amazing. So before we started rolling,
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we were talking about how sometimes Latinos we present in a way
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that maybe we don't show as very confident in ourselves.
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And I made the connection of what you're talking about regarding your
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dad, being very demanding of you.
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How do you as a parent or even as a daughter receive
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that criticism and instead of making you insecure,
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unsure and kill your confidence,
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it actually makes you strive for more because you obviously showed up
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to leave Nestle usa from a marketing perspective as a Latina.
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And you could have had the approach of I'm never good enough
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because my dad showed me that even if I was doing good
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I still could do better,
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but you have to show up as I'm doing great.
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So what do you think we can do?
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And how did you do it?
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I think that we need to take the opportunities as you say
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those challenges in terms of saying,
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hey, you are a two and I need you at 10
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you have two options,
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as you say, the option of saying,
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hey, no, I can't or you have the option of
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raising yourself to that.
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And I think that when you,
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when you think about that and how you can achieve that it
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is by doing it step by step,
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you don't go for the 10,
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you go for the next three and then you go for the
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four and then you go for the five and then suddenly you
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realize that you're already maybe at the eight or the nine.
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And I think that that is done through a specific projects that
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you. So going back to my career,
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when I look at it from a professional standpoint,
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I always started to volunteer,
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so I, I had the opportunity to work.
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My first job was actually at Procter and Gamble and at PNG
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I love the concept that they always had that you
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were either, of course,
08:21
you had to build the business,
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but you were also building the organization and you were expected to
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help build the organization though,
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that building of the organization was extra time and you had to
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you know, or opportunities you were given to sort of drive
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your career in different ways and leaning in into those opportunities.
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I think stretched me into again,
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more and more and more.
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And of course, that is how I think you build it
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you know, making sure that you take those opportunities which
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are from step 3 to 4 to 5.
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Nobody had mentioned this before,
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but I've seen it in my career and I've heard it outside
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of the podcast which is yes,
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you do excellent work,
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you shine on work projects.
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But building the culture of the company is another way to get
09:04
noticed many companies actually include that in bonuses and in performance reviews
09:09
but not all of them,
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not all of them say,
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are you mentoring somebody?
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Are you participating in an employee group or are you representing the
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company in recruiting events?
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And I think that's another way to get notice that our audience
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should take advantage. And I think especially as Latinos,
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we like people. and so those opportunities are natural for
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us in terms of connecting with others,
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helping others. And,
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and through doing that,
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of course, we find alternative ways that complement and that for
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companies today, as you know,
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culture is disproportionately important.
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I think everybody has finally realized how important it is to build
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a culture that is supporting the business in,
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in a very intentional way.
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And I think that yes,
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absolutely. As Latinos,
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we have a lot to contribute also in that side.
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And I want to go back to the 2 to 10.
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That's something that literally just hit me.
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We all get our drive from the 2 to 10 Latinos in
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general. We don't have people telling us you can get to
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10. We actually through media,
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through the expectations of people,
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you're like you're two and be grateful if you get there and
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and they cut our wings on our dreams short and no
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one is saying you're two and you can go to 10 and
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we need that particularly when you have tough circumstances.
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In your case. It was your dad in our cases might
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be the worst that we're having at home or,
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you know, like the entire ecosystem through the challenges that Latinos
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We know of the problem is not strength.
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The problem is the site of the 10.
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We need mentors and allies and sponsors to tell us I expect
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10 because you can do it.
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Yes, absolutely. Alicia,
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let's talk about certain moments in your career.
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I am aware that you at some point took like an entrepreneurial
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detour and then back to corporate.
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for the audience to learn.
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What were the key moments in your career,
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the key decisions that made you who you are?
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Sure, I think about my career as a rock wall.
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So in terms of if you think about a rock wall,
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you know, sometimes you're going up but sometimes you're,
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you're stretching to the right,
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sometimes you're stretching to the left and I did,
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So I certainly doesn't chop.
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So maybe you take a step and then you're like,
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oh, it was a risky one.
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You got to go up again.
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But anyway, I started my career at PNG,
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did 10 years with Procter and Gamble again.
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Amazing company at the same time though,
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when the first internet,
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I call it the first internet go go years.
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But the first internet massive expansion happened.
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I had the opportunity to join a small company in the trading
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in the media trading space.
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And I decided to take the opportunity.
12:03
Because again, I had a great career at P NGA
12:07
company I loved, but I was talking to the,
12:10
the co founder and he,
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you have to make a decision when you are 90 years old
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What do you want to go back and say you stayed
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in your corporate career or you left and had the opportunity to
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to see, to be part of what is being created.
12:29
And of course, I took it,
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I was very lucky because we were able to grow the company
12:34
Then we sold the company still,
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you know, within what happened in the internet hype.
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And it was just an amazing opportunity.
12:42
And of course, now I'm not 90 but I do see
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absolutely, it was the right decision.
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After that, I had the opportunity to lead a consulting marketing
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firm in Mexico, a US based marketing firm.
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But I had the opportunity to lead the Mexico City office
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that was another step sort of outside traditional corporate life.
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what I really like about those opportunities and what I think is
13:08
important to take them is because they stretch you in very different
13:12
ways. The challenges that you face develop you in very different
13:17
ways that in the corporate path and I did that for another
13:20
three years. And after that,
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that's where Nestle found me.
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And so Nestle found me when I was leading that consulting company
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And they offered me the,
13:30
the chief marketing officer job for Mexico and I decided of course
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to take it. And so then I went back to corporate
13:37
life and continued my corporate life.
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I feel like so many of us or maybe this is just
13:42
a therapy session for me.
13:44
But I feel like many times,
13:46
I think if I go in one path is that going to
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prevent me from going back to the corporate path,
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if I go to a small company,
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can I not go to a big company if you go to
13:56
And I think a lot of us think like,
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I don't want to take a risk because that's going to limit
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my potential to come back if I want.
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And as you are saying,
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it makes you stretch your thinking,
14:07
it's almost like your brain.
14:08
It makes different connections in your brain that then you come back
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and you are a better corporate employee if you want,
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that's where you want to go.
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And I believe totally in what you just said,
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I truly believe also having of course worked in different parts of
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the world, which is also a very important opportunity,
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especially in today's global world is extremely important because of what you
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say. I always believe that,
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you know, once your brain has stretched,
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there is no way it will shrink back,
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right? So it is extremely important to give yourself those opportunities
14:40
at the beginning. Of course,
14:41
you see them daunting you are like,
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and especially when you're happy when you're in a job that you
14:46
really like with a company.
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That is amazing. How are you going to step out from
14:51
there?, but it is extremely important and it stretches
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you, you were in Mexico leading Nestle marketing for Mexico.
14:58
And then you came to corporate America.
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How much did you have to adjust,
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adapt that shift? Oh,
15:04
very much, very much.
15:06
It was another huge stretch,
15:08
an amazing opportunity. I still remember when I was,
15:11
you know, given the opportunity and I literally had
15:15
to go to the office and they told me,
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they're asking for you in,
15:20
in the US. And I was like,
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yes, I did not even,
15:24
you know, blink and they were like,
15:30
I didn't know what the,
15:31
the size of the challenge was going to be until I came
15:34
here. I had the opportunity to actually create our Center
15:39
for Marketing Excellence. So our centralized capabilities for marketing for
15:43
NASTA USA. and it was,
15:46
it was big, it was daunting.
15:48
I had probably six or seven presidents of the,
15:51
all of the different divisions with,
15:52
with whom I needed to organize the,
15:55
the resources, define the capabilities,
15:58
build them up. So yes,
15:59
it was very big Claudia.
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At the same time though,
16:03
again, I have always believed that those opportunities are the
16:07
ones that stretch you.
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Every time you take one of those you grow,
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you just grow and you don't realize that you grow so much
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more because of having taken them until of course you look back
16:21
But how on earth did they say we want her?
16:23
Because I worked at Nestle.
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So correct me if I'm wrong,
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but they never look at me and say we're going to take
16:30
somebody from Mexico for this big role.
16:32
It's like you're either Swiss,
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it's a company that's based in Switzerland,
16:35
the US, it's the biggest market and they get to do
16:38
things a little bit different.
16:40
But I can't imagine they're looking at Mexico or any other market
16:43
and thinking they are doing things great.
16:45
We're going to bring them.
16:46
It's more like we are doing things great.
16:48
We're going to tell them how to do it.
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So the fact that they noticed you and they said we want
16:53
Alicia here. It's a pretty big deal.
16:54
How did you do that?
16:56
I think there's two parts of that story.
16:58
One is the role of mentors or sponsors.
17:03
you know, mentor and sponsor who was the,
17:05
the CEO of the Mexican operation and he was always looking for
17:11
again, for all of us,
17:12
for all of his people,
17:13
but he was always looking for what's gonna be your next job
17:16
And so he would always come back to me and tell
17:18
me, OK, what do you want to do next?
17:19
And I think that as a good Latina sometimes I was
17:22
like, no, I'm happy.
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This is fantastic. I love my job.
17:26
Just let me do my job.
17:28
particularly if he was your boss.
17:29
He's almost like saying,
17:30
like, I don't want to work with you anymore,
17:34
one day we came to the US,
17:36
they always had did this annual marketing Summit and we were
17:39
sitting in the summit and the person that was,
17:42
of course, the marketing head was there and he told me
17:44
and what do you like that job?
17:45
And I'm like, of course,
17:47
who wouldn't want that job?
17:49
And, but I said the same thing,
17:51
how do you ever think that a Mexican is gonna have that
17:54
well, let's put this,
17:56
remember, we have the development plans.
17:58
Well, let's put this in your development plan,
18:03
And so eventually when a new CEO came to the US,
18:07
he was looking for talent and they had,
18:11
you know, in my development plan that I had signed up
18:14
for that. And of course I was doing a good job
18:16
in Mexico and that's how it came together.
18:18
So you actually have to say that you want it.
18:21
You absolutely have to say that you want to take note Latina
18:24
say that you, that's the first step.
18:27
No, for it to happen.
18:28
Absolutely. So being a Mexican incorporate America in a Swiss corporation
18:33
but multinational and then when you move from Mexico to the
18:37
US, you are a Latina,
18:38
all of us are right?
18:39
Like you transform and you're part of a bigger community that has
18:43
a perception and that has stereotypes.
18:45
Did you have to dial down?
18:48
how has been your Latini that a pro or a con in
18:52
your career? What areas did you have to,
18:55
did, did you have to hide them at some point?
18:57
Bring them at some point with how has it been of benefit
19:01
I think that a again accent is one,
19:04
especially maybe two or three years.
19:07
Once we had moved to the US,
19:09
my kids started telling me,
19:10
mom, you have this huge accent and I was like,
19:13
well, I don't think that is that much and they were
19:15
like, no, it is big and you have to work
19:17
on it. And so I got really conscious of it and
19:21
but it got on the way in your work.
19:23
I don't think that it was getting on the way in the
19:26
actual work. I think it was getting on the way in
19:27
my mind. And I think that when it gets in the
19:31
you are just not enabling your yourself to be fully yourself just
19:35
because you are so conscious of the accent,
19:38
the accent, the accent.
19:39
But again, it was much more,
19:40
again in, in myself.
19:42
And I think that what happened though is and I think
19:45
that things have evolved,
19:48
in the US amongst Latinos,
19:50
I think that now every day we are prouder of having our
19:54
accent and, you know,
19:56
That is part of who we are.
19:58
And it's just, you know,
20:00
one more characteristic, but I think I had to evolve over
20:04
and just become really comfortable and saying,
20:07
yeah, that's just part of it.
20:08
It's part of my history,
20:09
it's part of who I am and it's actually part of what
20:11
I bring, I'm gonna ask the uncomfortable question.
20:16
like in a way I've all the time,
20:18
I've heard that Latinos don't come in one form and one shape
20:21
or not monolithic at all.
20:22
But when you are Latina,
20:23
blonde and blue eyes,
20:25
people might not think that you are a Latina and
20:29
and people might not want to see you a Latina.
20:33
you know, like play a role in a way that you
20:35
have to like demystify.
20:36
Like I am a Latina and a lot of people will tell
20:39
me. Well, you don't look Latina.
20:41
How can you be Latina?
20:43
It's a compliment. Exactly.
20:44
Exac, well, I don't know if it's a compliment or
20:47
hey, you don't fit them all and I of course,
20:49
need to just clarify and say,
20:51
as you say, we come in all,
20:53
you know, sizes and shapes and,
20:54
and I am a Latina and I'm very proud and it's,
20:57
it's I've been three generations Latina out of Mexico.
21:01
So, absolutely. I think it is also an opportunity
21:05
for everybody to understand that in,
21:11
in which we are you know,
21:12
collaborating across so many different races,
21:18
everything that we need to really take out those stereotypes in the
21:22
conversation. But yes,
21:24
it is definitely one that comes up that people say,
21:26
what do you mean you're a Latina,
21:27
you don't look like one.
21:29
I I'm gonna finish on this.
21:30
I promise. But I'm like,
21:31
did you lead with your Lati,
21:33
did you live with that?
21:34
Like, were you an active Latina?
21:36
for me, it is such a core part of my identity
21:41
my name is Alicia Enso,
21:43
right? So it is very obvious that I am Latina and
21:47
again, it is part of my core.
21:49
So I would tell you that,
21:50
yes, Claudia in that sense.
21:51
Absolutely. Even though I may not look like,
21:55
but I think the minute you talk to me.
21:56
You absolutely know that,
21:58
you know that I am a lati,
21:59
you didn't have to hide it.
22:00
No, it didn't get on your way.
22:01
No. No. But do you feel like some people maybe
22:05
didn't take you as seriously when you showed up to the US
22:09
I think that we all that,
22:11
that is probably part of what I think we,
22:13
we need to overcome because I don't know that they are,
22:16
they, they, they necessarily were thinking that.
22:19
But I think that again,
22:21
sometimes we think that we need to prove ourselves like twice as
22:25
hard. And I did go through that.
22:27
I was like, OK in Mexico sort of,
22:31
I'm part of the Mexican culture in the U SI have got
22:34
to prove what I can bring to the table.
22:38
And I was very conscious of that in terms of making
22:40
sure that I was giving it my absolutely best game because of
22:47
you know, having the opportunity to be part of this
22:50
amazing country and and the size of it.
22:54
So, yeah, it was a huge step again.
22:57
And and I was very conscious of that.
22:59
Do you think that any of your characteristics as Latina made you
23:04
a more successful CMO of Nestle USA?
23:07
I think I was relentless.
23:09
I think, I absolutely,
23:10
I, and I think Latinos are relentless.
23:13
And, and in that sense,
23:14
you know, of course,
23:15
it was very challenging.
23:17
But again, I was going to continue to,
23:21
to develop and and to make it,
23:24
you know, a success.
23:25
You're one of the most important Latinas that have gone to big
23:30
companies and with the bigger jobs,
23:32
you said there's very few of you,
23:35
those that were there with you in the last decades.
23:39
Were they helping each other?
23:41
Were they there for each other?
23:42
absolutely. But I think that the opportunities to come together are
23:47
becoming more and more and more right now,
23:50
I am also a part of a group that has just started
23:53
it's called the Good Latinas for Good.
23:55
And these are CMO Latinas that are are here in the US
24:00
and around the world.
24:01
And literally, we just started saying,
24:03
hey, how can we help others?
24:05
How can we mentor others?
24:07
It is led by an amazing and you have to meet her
24:09
an amazing Brazilian who is the Chief Marketing Officer of Baher
24:14
It's a huge opportunity I think.
24:15
And a lot of people right now,
24:17
we have reached a place in our career which where that is
24:21
an important part of what we want to do.
24:23
You know what this is reminding me the audience doesn't know.
24:26
But this podcast had 1700 names before we decided on a La
24:31
Latina. And one of the names at some point was
24:35
lifting as we climb.
24:37
So it was this idea of like the CMO S or the
24:41
sea level Latinas still climbing and getting at the top of the
24:44
ladder, but not forgetting that they can also leave the ones
24:47
behind them. We didn't call it that a La Latina is
24:50
so much better, but that was one of the names.
24:53
We take a lot of effort here at the podcast to understand
24:57
what values we have and that should be better understood.
25:02
And we call that flipping the script from stereotypes to assets
25:06
We were talking before about some of the flip the scripts
25:10
that you think that we could be doing and particularly seeing it
25:13
through your marketing eyes.
25:15
What would be some of those?
25:17
I think one that may not necessarily just be flipping a
25:21
script, but actually the the action is around portraying the
25:26
confidence that we should have of what we bring to the table
25:30
I think that a part of Latino culture sometimes is
25:34
being polite, you know,
25:36
Calla Terres Mas Bonita in Spanish,
25:40
be, be, be happy with what you have.
25:43
And I think that that is not necessarily helping us because
25:46
there is so much that we can contribute and that requires having
25:51
the confidence that you can actually do it.
25:54
pushing yourself to achieve that and while it may not be something
25:59
again, something that is misunderstood,
26:01
I think it is more around taking the opportunity and the action
26:05
to actually bring it to the table?
26:07
And do you think it's politeness or,
26:09
or humbleness or do you think it's lack of self confidence and
26:12
self awareness and that is related to your marketing lens,
26:17
the social recognition that we have the way in which we are
26:19
portrayed, it is belittled us so much that maybe we just
26:23
don't feel that we have the voice to speak up.
26:25
I believe that definitely the marketing is not helping.
26:28
I believe that the marketing is one that is not containing,
26:32
you know, that that is containing versus expanding.
26:35
But I think that at the same time while the marketing
26:38
can be there, you always have an individual decision to be
26:41
made to make that difference.
26:44
help change the marketing.
26:46
as I'm listening to you,
26:47
I'm thinking if anybody in the audience has a Latino Latina employee
26:53
and they feel like they're not participating,
26:56
they shouldn't take their silence or their politeness as they don't have
27:01
they should understand that some,
27:03
we need to be asked to participate.
27:05
And this is not only Latinos,
27:06
by the way, like if you read the research from Erin
27:08
Mayer on cultural mapping,
27:10
there's a lot of a lot of cultures,
27:12
a lot of people in Asia.
27:14
Exactly. And also a little bit in Latin America where we
27:17
are not very comfortable raising our hands like we,
27:20
we actually wait, we have a point of view and we
27:22
wait for the person that is leading the conversation to say,
27:26
Alicia? And it doesn't mean that Alicia doesn't have something to
27:29
say. It means that we were trained to wait for our
27:32
turn to speak. And while Latinos have to understand that in
27:37
the US, nobody is gonna come and ask you if you
27:39
have a Latino employee know that they may be waiting for you
27:42
to ask them. And it doesn't mean that they don't have
27:46
So give them the opportunity to push them a little bit.
27:48
Exactly to, to push them.
27:50
And also again, go back to saying also share with
27:53
them your expectations because sometimes you don't even,
27:56
I mean, if the expectation is not shared in terms of
27:59
hey, I want your point of view,
28:01
as you say, that natural trade will say,
28:03
well, it's not polite to actually go out and say it
28:06
We have three marketers here.
28:08
We should do a brand book about Latinos,
28:12
how to be a manager,
28:14
how to understand us.
28:15
I'm reading this book now called Quiet that talks about how some
28:19
cultures, particularly Asians are quiet and that is a benefit and
28:23
the benefit of listening and so on.
28:25
And I was like thinking between great quiet.
28:28
There's so many books where we are part of,
28:31
you know, like almost like where we could fit in but
28:33
none is talking about us.
28:35
We need our own brand book,
28:37
we need our own book that we are not quiet when you
28:41
think about it. We're not.
28:43
But yes, sometimes we can be,
28:45
you know, as you say,
28:46
we can have that perception of politeness work.
28:49
Well, marketing. Let's go.
28:51
Yeah, if anyone has had have an impact in how I
28:55
think companies see Hispanic marketing today and the shift in more investment
29:01
to target Hispanics in the advertising in the US,
29:03
it's been used. So it's going to go in your legacy
29:06
I think we're very happy that you,
29:08
that you did that for all of us,
29:09
but we want to know more about that journey for you.
29:13
Well, again, it has two parts.
29:15
One is again, I have been able to be part of
29:18
aim. It is an amazing and the association for inclusive and
29:23
multicultural Marketing and Amy is doing an amazing job here in the
29:26
US in terms of just putting as an important part of the
29:31
growth agenda for companies.
29:33
The fact that the more that we understand,
29:36
of course, these multicultural consumers that by the way,
29:39
are going to be more than 100% of the growth for the
29:43
US in the coming years is extremely important to accelerate.
29:47
Of course, the growth of any company and that it should
29:49
be something that we need to do intentionally.
29:52
And of course that there are tons of playbooks that you can
29:55
leverage to be able to achieve that.
29:57
And I have had the opportunity to of course,
29:59
help them and support them.
30:00
But that comes from the fact that again,
30:03
10 years ago when I came to Nestle USA,
30:07
and yes, it is one of the things that I'm very
30:09
very proud of with the CEO at the time,
30:12
it wasn't that, you know,
30:13
popular at the time.
30:14
But again, we did put a Latino marketing at the core
30:18
and it was one of our key growth strategies.
30:21
We enabled it everything from aligning in terms of objectives,
30:25
getting the information. Because many times if you want to do
30:28
that, you actually don't even have the information in terms of
30:30
OK, where are we today?
30:32
What is the opportunity?
30:33
What do we need to do?
30:34
And so we were able to build all of these capabilities.
30:38
And and what was amazing is that we were able to
30:41
see the acceleration of the business throughout those,
30:44
What is this may be controversial?
30:46
But I, but I have faced it.
30:47
So I'm wondering if you have faced it too,
30:49
what is the argument against doing it?
30:51
Because still a lot of companies,
30:53
I mean, I've heard companies or,
30:55
or markets are saying I still have a lot of growth in
30:58
the like general market.
31:00
So I'm not ready to invest in the Hispanic market.
31:03
The argument is that all growth is going to be coming from
31:06
multicultural America. So you finding that growth without that,
31:11
I I again, I don't know how that is going to
31:14
for certain businesses probably,
31:15
of course, if you are still sort of in the early
31:17
phases of the development,
31:19
but for any large business,
31:21
the acceleration that you will have from building,
31:24
of course, a a multicultural consumer base is disproportionate.
31:29
So I understand, I think that some of the challenges in
31:32
the past have been I have other priorities,
31:34
especially in the last 10 years.
31:36
Digital was such a huge opportunity in which marketing organizations had to
31:43
become competent. That again,
31:46
understanding, multicultural marketing was like,
31:49
OK, it's a second priority to digital.
31:51
The other part though I think that has been happening is
31:55
that we had this wrong perception of something that at the time
31:58
was called total market.
32:00
And so total market was like,
32:02
no, there's none of these differences,
32:04
we're just going to market to the total market.
32:06
And that's fine. I think that of course,
32:08
very clearly we have realized in the in the last years.
32:12
That is absolutely wrong because those cultural nuances do exist.
32:17
And the more that you understand this just basic marketing,
32:20
right? The more that you understand,
32:22
of course, the consumer at a deeper level,
32:25
of course, the better you are going to be able to
32:27
cater to their needs,
32:29
to their wants to develop the right products and of course to
32:32
grow the business. Are you satisfied with the progress that you
32:35
have seen in the industry in the last 10 years?
32:37
No, no. And you are absolutely right.
32:39
It is still something that gets de prioritized.
32:46
I would see it in the last years.
32:47
It was de prioritized because so many other priorities.
32:51
So again, I think that there is a huge opportunity to
32:56
help companies accelerate their understanding and therefore,
33:00
of course, leverage this you know,
33:02
but help me understand this.
33:06
when I moved to America nine years ago,
33:08
I didn't even know that I was a Hispanic and I started
33:10
getting curious and I started looking at the data and then the
33:14
reality and there was a mismatch.
33:17
The reality is small.
33:19
The the data is powerful,
33:21
Latino self perception is weak.
33:24
Mismatch the same with the numbers.
33:27
The market opportunity is huge.
33:29
The company investment is small.
33:34
I don't know what we need to do or how do we
33:37
need to do? We're doing everything possible.
33:39
We need to talk about the two things,
33:40
but we need to make sure that we do everything possible so
33:43
that Latinos see themselves as powerful as stars,
33:47
as positive contributors to the country so that we can self advocate
33:51
self promote, support each other and so on.
33:55
a perception campaign changing whatever you wanna call it.
33:58
Like opening the eyes for Latinos campaign.
34:00
But we also need to understand and see what needs to be
34:04
done so that people get it les call Bee.
34:07
What's, what's the deal here?
34:10
Well, again, at least from,
34:11
from my experience with Nale working with the CEO and
34:15
the leadership team was really important.
34:18
what we first built,
34:19
we called it the business case.
34:22
the business case in terms of why this is a big business
34:26
growth opportunity. And then from there,
34:29
everything else happened because I think that once you understand that and
34:34
it it becomes, you know,
34:36
I would say a business driver,
34:38
a business imperative, then the rest happens.
34:40
But that is where I think that so many things are in
34:44
in, in the agenda today that you know,
34:46
that that's where we need to push further.
34:49
But do we need business cases?
34:51
Don't we have enough data to have the business cases that companies
34:56
are doing their business case?
34:57
The part is once you have the business case,
34:59
of course, like anything you you have to action on it
35:02
right? And that is where the ceo's leadership is critical
35:06
And the leadership, I mean,
35:07
maybe, maybe also what happens is people think,
35:10
oh, that works in Nestle,
35:11
but it's not going to work in my company.
35:14
Like you were saying,
35:15
the smaller companies may think that they're not ready to invest in
35:20
I think a lot of another myth probably is that it
35:23
requires a lot of resources and that therefore,
35:26
I don't have the resources to be able to do that in
35:31
in the right way or again,
35:34
you know, go back to saying,
35:35
hey, I just have for total market.
35:38
I think that in the coming years,
35:40
we will see much more just because of the fact that all
35:43
growth will be coming from that.
35:44
And the technology has been allowing us to do more multicultural marketing
35:49
without having to spend if we have to do a TV ad
35:52
for Hispanics, I mean that's too expensive.
35:53
Of course, of course,
35:54
of course, of course,
35:55
I think that digital media today enables you to get GEO target
36:02
in so many ways that it is facilitating all of that
36:07
in in so I I quantity and quality,
36:11
right? Like I am about to launch this research,
36:14
the World Human Foundation,
36:15
not me, but the World Human Foundation is about to launch
36:17
a research with Paramount.
36:19
That is the industry report about how we're doing with diversity,
36:23
equity and inclusion overall.
36:25
And the data point that blows my mind is that Latinos have
36:30
decreased in their appearance in advertisement.
36:34
So while other communities have increased,
36:38
maybe not dramatically, Latinos are the only one that have decreased
36:41
and decreased to a four drop.
36:44
So we're 20% of the population almost and we decrease to 5%
36:48
of our presence in advertisements.
36:50
That's a quantitative issue that I don't really understand.
36:54
Given that we're the youngest,
36:56
the largest population, economic power,
36:58
all these data points that are building the case.
37:00
And I still see less Latinos in front of the camera behind
37:03
the camera, but there's also the quality of when we are
37:06
presented. Do you think we're presented as what we are now
37:11
Again, I do think that there is opportunity in
37:14
both in terms of because,
37:16
and I think that the second one is probably equally challenging because
37:20
I think that the way that we're being portrayed is not necessarily
37:23
it is very stereotypical.
37:25
and that stereotypical does not help the brand or the marketing
37:29
And I believe that Latinos are so much more than what
37:33
is currently being portrayed just addressing exactly what you were talking about
37:36
I don't think I've told you about this one at some
37:38
point. I was working in a small digital company that had
37:42
a website in English that was very successful and a website in
37:46
Spanish that wasn't successful at all.
37:48
So they brought me in to see if I could do something
37:51
get people to use their website.
37:53
The website is called Zocdoc and it was like the open
37:55
table of doctor's appointments and it was a,
37:58
a unicorn back then.
38:00
It was, it was growing very fast and they wanted to
38:02
understand why Latinos weren't using it and we moved the button that
38:07
said Zocdoc and Espanol from the bottom of the page to the
38:12
And the the, you know,
38:14
you can measure conversion on our,
38:16
on our website and the conversion on the website increased by more
38:20
than two points. But the website in Spanish did not increase
38:25
its utilization. So we did qualitative research to understand what was
38:29
going on and the learning was Latinos don't need everything in Spanish
38:33
especially Latinos that have health insurance that are using a website
38:38
They, they, they can use English.
38:40
You don't have to create a website in Spanish.
38:41
But acknowledging that Latinos exist and that this company is catering to
38:47
you made all the difference.
38:49
So they were just converting at higher rates because the website told
38:53
them we are seeing you,
38:56
And I thought that's a case study and it was a small
38:58
company and they just kept it there.
39:00
Nobody uses the Spanish version.
39:02
But of course, but as you say,
39:05
I think that that is the critical element of multicultural marketing in
39:09
terms of we are seeing you,
39:10
we understand you because everybody wants to be seen and understood
39:15
and, and the more that you can do that and bring
39:18
it again into, into your marketing actions,
39:21
of course, the the more successful you're gonna be,
39:23
I want to acknowledge the incredible guru and the Trailblazer that you
39:31
but also as a marketer and I would love to pick your
39:35
OK, we have an issue here on the quality and the
39:37
quantity in which Latinos are portrayed in marketing.
39:41
And that is a loss for Latinos and is a loss for
39:44
companies. What would you say are things that you would recommend
39:48
that Latinos within companies,
39:50
Latinos in agencies, agencies and brands can do so that we
39:54
can bridge that gap.
39:56
That could be a win,
39:57
win, win for everybody.
39:58
Again, I think that the number one is make sure that
40:03
we are increasing those numbers.
40:06
I think that we need to be portraying Latinos.
40:11
we need to increase both in terms of quantity.
40:16
also in terms of having the,
40:18
the understanding of how it needs to be portrayed.
40:22
So the quality is also something that we really need to drive
40:28
it is critical. I think that in order for us
40:31
to be able to do that,
40:32
we need to raise a conversation and make sure that it is
40:36
happening. I don't know that we are having enough of those
40:40
conversations. And I think that every Latino does have a
40:43
responsibility to be able to,
40:45
to make sure that that is happening.
40:47
And that is if you're a young Latina in a corporation or
40:51
in a brand, when you don't see ourselves,
40:54
what can someone do inside of their organization to raise that up
40:59
to bring that up to their,
41:00
boss to their chief marketing officer to,
41:03
you know, like someone that probably hasn't seen that.
41:06
I think that you can bring a,
41:08
as you were saying cases,
41:10
I found that the best way to be able to persuade is
41:14
to show cases to show how someone is actually doing this and
41:18
the impact that that is having,
41:20
because that opens the conversation and once you have that
41:23
of course, then you can decide,
41:25
OK, what are the actions that we're going to take?
41:26
Right? But nothing leads to more action than,
41:30
you know, seeing success.
41:32
a last question on this marketing chapter because I think that the
41:36
true pain point that I find in all Latinos,
41:40
whether you're 61 in Chicago,
41:43
you're 19 in Los Angeles,
41:46
whether you're Republican or a Democrat and so on is one is
41:49
our desire to progress.
41:50
But number two, our pain point is invisibility.
41:55
And I, I think that that affects our self esteem,
41:58
our self regard, and we need to change that social recognition
42:01
so that we can flourish in so many other ways in my
42:05
previous life at the United Nations and other places,
42:08
companies don't move alone when they're like,
42:12
the ambitious are too big and they could,
42:15
they could fail to say like I,
42:16
I will embrace in changing the perception of Latinos or I will
42:19
embrace you know, like advancing gender equality.
42:23
I think that it was easier to create umbrellas where a
42:26
coalition of companies, a coalition of of,
42:29
of industry leaders could go along.
42:31
Do you think that could be something that could incentivize companies
42:36
brands, media in the perception of changing for Latinos?
42:40
I think it's very companies need very pragmatic agendas.
42:43
I think that when you share with a company,
42:46
what it can do for a company when they are part of
42:48
the coalition, in terms of,
42:50
of course, accelerating the business as well as you know
42:53
helping society, those sweet spots really generate very powerful coalitions
42:59
you know, in many topics in sustainability,
43:02
And I think that definitely they can be part of something
43:05
provided that it is very clear,
43:09
that, that benefit for all.
43:11
Well, I hope that as a result of this conversation,
43:14
we can start seeing more and more increasing visibility of Latinos in
43:18
the portrayal of Latinos without stereotypes and more and more companies excited
43:23
and inspired by your story.
43:25
OK, so let's start wrapping up.
43:27
We're aiming to arm and equip our audiences with concrete playbooks on
43:32
how to succeed being their authentic selves.
43:34
What would be your playbook?
43:35
For me, my playbook would be of course stretch stretch
43:40
as much as possible in terms of the opportunities that you take
43:43
during your career because that will make you grow the most
43:48
I think it would be again,
43:50
bring that authentic self out as hard as it is sometimes
43:55
make sure that you are leveraging truly,
43:57
truly everything that is about who you are.
44:02
And third, I would tell you that I think it
44:04
is extremely important to,
44:08
Do not stay behind Garita,
44:13
make sure that you're bringing all your gain to the table
44:16
because that is what's gonna help you,
44:18
drive your career. Amazing.
44:21
I love it. And you mentioned also,
44:22
make sure that you have mentors and sponsors and if no one
44:26
of course, of course,
44:27
as much as possible in terms of mentorship.
44:29
Number one, you will find amazing mentors in your career,
44:34
make sure that you leverage them because I think that sometimes we
44:37
don't leverage them enough in terms of what they are actually wanting
44:41
And when you find an amazing mentee,
44:43
you know, just make sure that you support her.
44:45
And also now we are a little bit of a,
44:47
there's a tiny bit in our relationship,
44:49
a bit of a reverse mentorship because you were joining,
44:53
you were advising a company that I had some insight into the
44:57
industry and their situation.
44:59
And she asked me for some advice on how to get educated
45:05
mentorship doesn't stop when you are very senior.
45:09
You are absolutely right.
45:11
And I think that one of the things that I most like
45:14
about mentorship is that reverse mentorship element.
45:17
And again, in that case,
45:19
yes, I was going into actually a new country,
45:21
a new culture and an absolutely different industry.
45:25
And your advice was so helpful in terms of me understanding that
45:29
really quickly. Amazing.
45:31
OK. Now let's go back to your 30 year old self
45:35
in I, I guess you were in Mexico,
45:38
you were working probably at Proctor and Gamble.
45:40
Exactly. So what would be the advice that I would give
45:43
myself back then be Pola Grande,
45:51
because I do think that we have so much opportunity and that
45:56
sometimes when we are 30 years old,
45:59
we're just like either content with what we're doing or we're not
46:03
seeing how big the world actually is and how we can go
46:08
and be part of that.
46:10
And again, just having had the opportunity as a Latina to
46:14
come to this country and be such an active participant of what
46:18
is happening here back in th when I was 30 years old
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literally, I could have never imagined it.
46:24
I love it. But your dad did see it when he
46:26
said, go for the tent,
46:28
he saw it and then again,
46:32
My bosses were the ones to say absolutely,
46:35
And that has been amazing.
46:38
Grande go for the 10 A been wonderful having you.
46:43
So I want to acknowledge in public on camera that Alicia gave
46:48
me so much strength to believe that this podcast could happen.
46:52
We don't realize how much power we have with our words and
46:55
with our support for each other because the fact that you saw
46:59
me and you were like,
47:01
I'm going to help you.
47:03
You didn't have to do anything else except for believing in me
47:06
to get that push off.
47:07
I'm gonna call Claudia and she's not gonna say you're crazy.
47:10
She's gonna spend time with me and like just everybody believe,
47:14
like telling you that you can do,
47:15
it makes a huge difference.
47:17
So thank you for believing us and thank you so much Alicia
47:21
and c for being with us today and giving us inspiration,
47:25
not only to Cynthia and for us to create this podcast,
47:27
but to our audience so that we can lead.
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