In Kansas City, Missouri, on April 19, 2023, Tico Productions LLC and Walz Tetrick Advertising unveiled their latest collaboration: Authentico LLC—a pioneering multicultural advertising agency. Authentico emerged to meet the demands posed by the expanding U.S. Hispanic demographic, answering the call for marketers to integrate diverse, multilingual messaging into their campaigns.
“With the growth of the multicultural population in the U.S., it’s imperative as a marketing firm that we not only have diversity within the agency but also within our client work,” said Charlie Tetrick, CEO of Walz Tetrick. “Partnering with Tico Productions to create Authentico – and leveraging their world-class expertise and leadership in multicultural marketing – will benefit our culture and enhance the work we do for our clients. It will also help us attract new clients that seek to communicate with growing and diverse consumer groups more effectively.”
CiCi Rojas, as partner and president of Tico Productions LLC, emphasized the synergy of the partnership with Walz Tetrick. Tico’s daily delivery of insights on diverse audiences, creative services, and sports coverage positions Authentico to merge market knowledge with Walz Tetrick’s media expertise. Rojas highlighted the complexity of the multicultural market, extending beyond traditional demographics to include Asian Pacific and LGBTQ communities. Authentico represents an avenue for clients to engage with these diverse markets effectively and meaningfully.
She added, “The multicultural market is very diverse. It’s not just Latino, Hispanic, African American, and Native American, but also Asian Pacific and LGBTQ. Authentico is an opportunity to help clients speak with these markets in meaningful and impactful ways.”
About Authentico LLC
- Authentico will be led by a team of executives that has more than 60 years of corporate and non-profit experience. Roger McKnight will lead business strategy and development.
- The agency will also have its own in-house Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) practice, led by Dr. Andrea Hendricks. The practice will work with clients locally and nationally on DEI strategic approaches, advising and coaching leaders, and the development of Inclusive learning initiatives.
- In response to the advertising industry’s challenge in attracting diverse talent, Authentico will also assist Walz Tetrick and other clients in building and maintaining successful multicultural workforce recruitment strategies.
- Located at 5201 Johnson Dr., Suite 500, in Mission, Kansas, Authentico will offer clients a wide range of services, including strategic planning and research, digital marketing, creative development, media planning and buying, and video production. Walz Tetrick Advertising and the agency’s TorchHouse Studio are in the same building.
Rojas and Tetrick emphasize that marketers throughout the U.S. stand at a pivotal juncture to enhance economic performance by embracing inclusive growth and investing in multicultural consumer groups. Collectively, these diverse consumers wield an impressive estimated spending power of $3.2 trillion.
“And with such massive spending power, it should be no surprise that multicultural consumers have contributed $14 billion of sales growth to the consumer-packaged goods market since 2013,” said Rojas. “Authentico was created to tap into the vibrancy of that market and deliver success to our clients by working closely with the public and private sector to create adaptive and exciting approaches that positively and inclusively impact diverse audiences.”
Tetrick added, “We believe we can be a market leader for our clients, and the diverse consumer segments who will benefit through our belief in their products and services and the consumer investment in their businesses.”
Key Multicultural Market Facts
- According to the U.S. Census, the U.S. will be a multicultural majority nation by 2044, meaning that African Americans, Asian Americans, and Hispanics together will comprise 50 percent or more of the population.
- The U.S. Hispanic population reached 62.5 million in 2021, accounting for 19 percent of all Americans — which makes it the country’s second-largest racial or ethnic group. By 2026, it is estimated that Hispanics will account for 67 percent of the U.S. population growth.
- The diversification of the U.S. consumer market has been driven by many factors, including population growth, favorable demographics, entrepreneurial activity, and rising levels of educational attainment.
- Multicultural consumers have an impressive spending power of $3.2 trillion. The buying power for Black consumers in the U.S. is estimated to grow to $1.98 trillion by 2025.
- Multicultural consumers have contributed $14 billion of sales growth to the consumer-packaged goods market since 2013.
