Integrated communications firm Elasticity’s new multicultural practice will be headed up by Hispanic marketing veteran Alejandro “Alex” Duplan.

Alex DuplanAlex Duplan

Elasticity notes that as of 2014, more than 55 million Americans identify as Hispanic.  In 2015, the buying power of the Hispanic market reached more than $1.5 trillion, double what it was in 2010.

Duplan brings two decades of multicultural marketing experience to the table from Ogilvy México, Dieste and Richards/Lerma, where he guiding marketing initiatives for Kraft Foods, Pepsi, Levi’s, Pizza Hut, Avocados From Mexico, Jose Cuervo, Nissan, Bud Light, Gatorade, and Mattel.

“There’s tremendous opportunity today for brands of all shapes and sizes to reach and engage Hispanic consumers in the U.S.,” Duplan said.  “But it’s not as simple as translating English language content to Spanish. You must understand how to decode the diverse cultural nuances of today’s increasingly complex and digitally savvy Hispanic consumer.”

Elasticity is headquartered in St. Louis with offices in Louisville, Chicago, Connecticut and a new Dallas-area office where Duplan will be based.

“We’re thrilled to add a creative strategist like Alex, who has such a deep understanding of Hispanic consumers,” said Elasticity partner Brian Cross, who co-founded Elasticity in January 2009 and now leads the firm along with fellow former ex-FleishmanHillard executives Andrew Barnett and Aaron Perlut.

Current clients Fireball Whisky, GoDaddy, Cox Communications, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, the State of Missouri, the U.S. Navy.