My name is Rebecca Nunez, and I am the founder and CEO of The MRN Agency. We are an award-winning, international, woman- and minority-owned full-service marketing agency that services the largest brands on the globe. Specializing in US Hispanic and LATAM brand strategy, sponsorship negotiations, experiential marketing, and live/virtual event activations, my philosophy is anchored by the mission of “replacing random acts of marketing through data-driven decision-making.”

Prior to founding my own agency, I served as an Executive at WME Experiential, AxiCom/WPP, Wasserman, and CAA, representing an extensive portfolio of Fortune 100 and 500 companies.

I don’t believe creativity is a choice per se…You are inspired by a series of moments, events, and experiences that result in creative output.

The MRN Agency is a woman and minority-owned cultural intelligence marketing agency that ideates and executes both B2B and B2C initiatives led by data-driven strategy. Our core client base is rooted in the tech and wireless industries, and we have expanded outside the US and into the international arena with our newest–and biggest–portfolio clients. As a full-service agency, we offer data insights, go-to-market plan development, creative services, production, execution, and ROI analysis.

Our specialties, however, are grassroots/field marketing, experiential and live event activations, premium virtual experiences, executive visibility, and sponsorship management. These are supported by a finely-tuned process that aligns marketing initiatives that strategically support brand KPIs and business goals. Beyond being a founder and owner, I oversee strategy and creativity.

I believe creativity has three pillars: Innovation, Disruption, and Evoking Emotion. When done correctly, a creative idea challenges the status quo, inspires action, and demands conversation.

The most creative campaigns are designs that take risks and challenge the status quo, while at the same time, are open to being challenged. While creativity is obviously subjective and up for interpretation, the best concepts are ones that invite a conversation and spark interest.

Data drives strategy and strategy drives creativity. Believe it or not, MRN is not a creative agency. We are much more than that. We replace random acts of marketing with data-driven decision-making. As I said before, creativity is subjective–but data is not. Data proves hypotheses and develops a strategic POV that allows TRUE creativity; if a campaign is a coloring book, data creates the black line outline, while creative is the pigments we use to color outside the lines. You have to know the rules to break them!

Using creativity and data as building blocks! I love to use the context and subtext of data to enable creativity. I'm fact-oriented and as I said before, strive to eliminate random acts of marketing. Too many people market for marketing’s sake, but I believe every campaign should be based on factual evidence--aka data. This creative process offers direction while also flowing freely. Continuing our metaphors, the creative process is like a math problem: creativity may be the answer but my process shows my work–and I ALWAYS show my work!

I always start with data as my foundation and draw on my experiences and moments to build on top of it. There is this big myth in the agency world that creative and data are separate processes belonging to separate agencies but MRN proves the strength of harmonizing both. INGISHT is what bridges them together: we interpret data and creativity brings flexibility and fluidity.

Being a first-generation Mexican American meant I had to work twice as hard to be invited to the table. That experience, along with my strength as an entrepreneur, inspired me to mentor and lead young minority individuals. Now, my company is an example of true diversity, inclusion, and equity, with 90% of my employees being either women or people of color. I make a point to always invite my team to the table because I KNOW that it can be hard to see yourself in spaces where no one else looks like you.

In Mexican culture, we value family over everything and I have cultivated this value in my workspace. Our team goes above and beyond, helping each other outside of the office–whether it’s bringing in medicine for a co-worker or opting to take on their work when they need support. We are as supportive as we are to each other as my family was to me! My background gave me the desire to push past the boundaries that were in place.

Culture isn’t just about race—it's how you were raised, the traditions you loved growing up, and the way you learned to take care of other people. This sparked my interest in cultural intelligence: I wanted to see myself and my culture represented in the workspace and lend a hand to pulling other cultures into the spotlight as well.

This distinction solidifies the importance of what we're doing to change the landscape within marketing. We are happy to be at the forefront and pushing the boundaries of what it means to be a marketing agency each and every day. We want to continue to be agents of change through ACTION, not just example.

Growing up, I didn’t see people who looked like me owning companies and winning awards. The most significant thing about this recognition isn’t for me–it’s about who reads this article. I hope they can see themselves reflected back and are inspired.

The AT&T Fan Zone brings various interactive digital and social stations utilizing advanced technology to create a unique live experience dedicated to fans. This experience is created on behalf of the most impactful national and local teams in Mexico, like La Selección Nacional de México and El Club América.

In 2022, AT&T had the challenge of creating interactive experiences in these teams’ stadiums to create brand presence and increase engagement with the brand after two years of not having brand activations due to the pandemic. The goal was to create an experience that would capture the most attention from fans, through the strategy, production, and of course the final result: the activation.

The AT&T Fan Zone went live in March 2022 during the World Cup Qualifiers match between Mexico and the United States. After 24 activations throughout the year, we can proudly say that AT&T MX has grown exponentially. We built a community within the soccer and baseball fanatics who looked forward to living the Fan Zone experience at each game and would also spread the word, bringing new participants.

AT&T was competing alongside other brands for the SAME public’s attention, during a very important marquee year - and among the most vocal fans in the sports world. The World Cup is one of the noisiest marketing landscapes to cut through and make an impact. With this goal in mind, the AT&T Fan Zone was created and present during various matches during all home matches of the Mexican National Team in Estadio Azteca (LATAM’s largest stadium). This was the perfect opportunity for AT&T to bring to life socially- and digitally-optimized experiences that connected fans to the brand through their fandom.

My agency has won not one, but three different awards across multiple categories for our campaigns and events. It is so exciting to add to our collection of MUSE Awards and it lends us credibility in the creative space. This is a TREMENDOUS honor–to have been able to accomplish this in such a short period of time (we’ve been in business three years!) is what keeps me motivated to keep growing and working as hard as we do with my entire team.

1. Cultural Intelligence: Hispanics represent 18.9 percent of the total U.S. population, the nation's second-largest racial or ethnic group after non-Hispanic whites. There is no doubt that this demographic is the future of our country and business strategies, and we are excited to help expand the face of the industry to include them.
2. Experiential Marketing: Because of experiential marketing, we can partner with our clients to produce interactive and fully-customized virtual events tailored to fit any budget and scope. After implementing more than 600+ virtual events, our tech clients have seen post-event engagement with their prospects increase by more than 33% and a 70% increase in event attendance.
3. Grassroots Marketing: Grassroots marketing is the best marketing dollar a brand can spend. There is no better way to get your value across than through one-on-one interactions which allows consumers to become your brand advocates. Connecting eye-level marketing with high-level marketing creates organic advertising.

My goal with The MRN Agency is to become an agent of change, by hiring and championing people of diverse backgrounds, colors, and experiences. It is very clear to every team member that we all have a seat at the table and every voice is heard without any bias. Inclusivity is a top priority for us. I see the creative industry following a similar path as it evolves to more fully reflect the world around it.

We are living in a time of social change in the US, and this evolution aligns with my personal convictions. Starting my own minority-owned, women-led agency, I fostered the ability to teach everyone 1:1, mentor, cultivate, and push to break barriers in an industry that wasn’t designed for people like us. I am excited to see inclusion becoming the standard and ready to continue doing my part to reflect it.

You have to embrace evolution. The use of AI and general advancement in technology is going to test agencies. Those who push back against evolving alongside this technological revolution become obsolete. It’s an exciting time–an open mind and flexibility are the way to go, not fear!

If you want to become creative, you have to be creative during your time as a student and young professional. Take every class to explore--you might surprise yourself! As a young professional, go to different agencies and companies--learn the different pieces of the industry so you can find what you're really passionate about.

Don't put your eggs all in one basket. The creative industry is one of the most dynamic career paths you can take; take advantage of that!?? Regardless of the amount of experience you have, there is no way to be prepared for the challenges that you’re going to inevitably face as a creative — and the truth is that you’re going to make mistakes and it’s going to be hard. That is okay. Knowing this will give you the freedom to make the big decisions and take the leaps needed to create amazing things and avoid burnout. I like to remind myself, “It’s PR not ER.”

Practice makes perfect—creativity is natural but has to be nurtured. Take classes outside of your discipline. Take that improv class you’ve been thinking about! Embark on a journey to improve your writing! You need to learn to be comfortable with the uncomfortable–that’s what this industry is all about.

I did go to a community college before I went to a state school–and I am SO thankful for taking a less traditional path. It allowed me to explore my options and dive into the unknown. I had limited resources from my parents, so it was also the most financially sound one. On every level, it gave me the freedom to figure out what I wanted to do. Following my own advice, I tried a little bit of everything and it led me to my calling!

In December 2020, both my parents contracted the Coronavirus. As 34M families know, COVID is unpredictable & relentless. As my parents recovered, my sister got sick and 72 hours later she was gone. What gave me the strength to continue was the memory of my sister being so proud of me for starting my own business. She rooted me on, constantly encouraged me and even helped with some administrative tasks.

The idea that by succeeding I was keeping her memory alive was my motivation. I knew she would have pushed me to continue. Even today, when things are hard, I can hear her voice telling me, “If it’s not hard, it’s not worth doing.” She also was one of the most creative people I knew. As a school teacher, she always helped me with my school projects; her artistry always made my work the best in class. To this day, her dedication and creativity are still my rock.

Be a reflection. I make sure to see myself in my clients so our goals are closely aligned. My wins are their wins. Our deep expertise is anchored by the fact that we are representations of the faces, skin tones, languages, backgrounds, and identities that our clients are aiming to reach. Lean into your individuality–it’s an asset! Also to "Show yourself grace, no matter how prepared you think you are, you’re not." "It’s going to be hard, but worth every war wound." "Don’t be afraid to ask for help, being the leader doesn’t mean that you have to know it all." "You will make mistakes, embrace those moments because they will stay with you the longest." "Career karma is real. Your net worth will be directly tied to your network."

As a founder I‘ve had some high highs, like winning an international contract with a giant client or when I got the keys to our first office. There are also many low lows, like losing my first client or team member, or walking into a pitch feeling confident–and then walking out knowing that I hadn’t won it. There have been times that I was stressed about making payroll or trying to teach myself Quickbooks. And then there are also amazing times when we win industry awards or get a new client through word of mouth. No day looks like another.