By Cristina Sarnoff *
My experience has shown that the Latino viewer is loyal to a brand when they become enamored by the story. With the multicultural market now at 20 percent of the U.S. population, representing a purchasing power of $4.5 trillion dollars, brands recognize how vital it is to build customer loyalty within this burgeoning market.
Brands want to talk to Hispanics, and the most effective and efficient way to achieve this objective is to meet them where they are, aligned with messaging that captures their minds and touches their hearts. The future of multicultural entertainment is branded! And Hispanics, if I dare to say, are becoming the most important demo. Finally!
Through my tenure at Warner Bros Discovery (WBD), I have experienced firsthand the tremendous importance of creating original programming that pairs with relevant socially conscious brands. More specifically, programming with compelling and uplifting storytelling formats.
One recent example is Juntos en Accion (Together in Action) with Carlos Ponce, in partnership with Omnicom Media Group (OMG) featuring State Farm and Volkswagen, which went on to become prestigious programming that was distributed on Max and Discovery en Espanol, Hogar, Discovery Familia, and the GO Apps (which comprise original WBD programming on an app).
Juntos en Accion, as with our many productions over the years, shows the power of offering relevant, engaging, and authentic stories that become must-watch programming for multicultural audiences. Brands want to associate with stories of value and importance to this significant market.
Additional examples include Adoptame with Erick Milan, an endearing series that sets out to renovate animal shelters, making them more appealing for pet adoptions. Adoptame partnered with Pedigree to become the show’s official sponsor. We also entered a multi-year deal with Lowes, which joined for a package of five solution shows that offer viewers a range of possibilities for solving everyday challenges, including Nuestra Familia, which featured a family of contractors that renovated spaces in deserving Hispanic homes.
Having been raised in a media environment, I knew at an early age that I wanted to carve out my own career within the industry. The path that I took began during my college years at Emerson with an internship at NBCU under Dick Ebersol, which led to an entry-level position with Jerry Bruckheimer.
An opportunity to launch a broadcast event inaugurating Nelson Mandela Day in New York City inspired me to pursue purpose-driven narratives. My first project was a series on modern-day slavery, Connected, which led me to a job opening at Discovery U.S. Hispanic, (now Warner Bros Discovery).
Once hired to manage New York Ad Sales for the U.S. Hispanic team, my production background and passion for storytelling quickly filled a void in the branded entertainment space, transforming my role into what it is today, head of Creative Brand Solutions, U.S. Hispanic market. Back in 2018 I launched the Go Originals, original WBD-produced sponsor-branded shows aimed at the Hispanic market, with 180-plus episodes completed to date. The programming is inspiring, offering insightful and engaging entertainment designed to inform and inspire audiences while creating solutions for advertisers who are seeking to reach minority audiences with a high level, quality content environment for their messaging.
*Cristina Sarnoff (pictured above) is WBD Senior Manager Creative Brand Solutions, Warner Brothers/Discovery Creative Brand Solutions U.S. Hispanic market
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