ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--At a time when most advertising agencies are between 82% and 85% white, cross-cultural marketing agency Sensis is now the largest and most diverse 100% minority-owned independent multicultural advertising agency in the U.S. after its acquisition of Atlanta-based PM3. More than two-thirds (70%) of the staff are multicultural and 55% of its 150 employees are women.
The move combines Sensis’ strategic, research-based approach to marketing with PM3’s creative production resources and consumer-brand experience.
It also comes just weeks after U.S. Census Bureau figures showed that Hispanics accounted for more than half of the population growth in the United States. Hispanics now represent 19% of the population, up from 16% in 2010, creating a huge opportunity for cross-cultural marketing agencies and clients.
“The diverse background of our team members has been a huge advantage for us for more than 22 years as we helped clients navigate the intricacies of various diverse consumer groups,” Sensis founder and Chief Strategy Officer José Villa said. “This acquisition builds on that diversity and gives us the opportunity to grow quickly in Atlanta which is the heart of so much multicultural growth. It strengthens our presence in the rapidly changing Southeast and significantly expands our creative capabilities.”
PM3 has built Hispanic marketing campaigns across a variety of media for multiple consumer brands including Cox Communications, Aaron’s rent-to-own, NAPA Auto Parts, the Georgia Lottery, Fifco Intl. (Seagram’s), and Georgia Web MBA among others. PM3 also has its own production facilities to create television, radio, and digital content.
“We’ve been in the process of looking for the right partner for a while,” said PM3 Principal Ricky Echegaray. “Sensis gives us media buying power and a robust research and strategy operation that will expand the offering we can provide to our existing clients while we bring a creative and production force that provides expanded capabilities to Sensis’ customers.”
Sensis opened its Atlanta office more than a decade ago to service clients like the CDC and the Army National Guard. Sensis has offices in Los Angeles; Washington, D.C., Atlanta; Austin, Texas, and Tepic, Mexico. The new agency will officially take the Sensis name beginning in January 2022.
The acquisition was facilitated by Agency Futures, a global consultancy specializing in strategic and culturally attuned agency mergers and acquisitions headquartered in London, England.
About Sensis
Sensis is the largest and most diverse 100% minority-owned independent multicultural marketing agency in the country. Founded in 1998, Sensis connects brands with people, through meaningful marketing that builds sustainable demand. Our cross-cultural model combines Hispanic, African American, and Asian market expertise to inform all our work. We are a strategy-led agency built around robust cross-cultural research and insights. Our integrated capabilities – both culturally and tactically – are a cost-efficient solution to a fragmented media landscape and a reflection of the cultural fusion of the U.S. Based in Los Angeles, Sensis has offices in Washington; Atlanta; Austin; Mexico and Colombia. Agency clients include AT&T, the U.S. Army, Chef Merito, NAPA Auto Parts, AltaMed, Texas Tech University, the CDC, Capital Metro, Calbright College and the U.S. Census Bureau.
