The San Jose Group Co. (SJG) is a privately held marketing and advertising agency based in Chicago. The agency was founded by George L. San Jose in 1981. SJG is a member of the San Jose Network Ltd., which operates 28 offices in 15 countries, serving 32 markets across the U.S. and Latin America. The agency works in conjunction with Synergage, San Jose Consulting (SJC), and SJ Public Relations (SJPR).
History.
SJG was founded and named after George L. San Jose in 1981. The agency's first office was located in Chicago on Jackson Blvd., and in 1988, it moved its offices to Michigan Ave—an avenue well known for housing some of the top advertising agencies in Chicago. The agency was among the first Hispanic agencies to operate on the national level and used a lifestyle consumer-centric behavioral approach towards creating universal Spanish messaging with local nuances — versus specific regional dialects—to ensure clear and culturally relevant communication with the consumer.
George L. San Jose, the founder and CEO of The San Jose Group (SJG), began his career in 1981 with only $247, which he used to purchase a used desk and office chair. His humble beginnings marked the start of an advertising company that has grown to become one of the largest minority-owned advertising agencies in the United States. This company, that started up with $247, reported $55 million in billings by 2007.
In 1988, SJG established San Jose Consulting, the first Hispanic Marketing Consulting Group, to identify and quantify share growth opportunities for U.S. Fortune 1000 Clients.
In 1990, George founded SJ Public Relations to serve as a separate division and support The San Jose Group's clients with their marketing communications services.
In 1991, George founded The San Jose Network (SJN) to provide services to U.S.-based corporations seeking expansion and growth opportunities in the markets of Latin America. Headquartered in Chicago, SJN's conglomerate of best-in-class independent advertising and marketing communications agencies offered a convenient one-stop-shop approach to serve the distinct local markets that make up Latin America.
In 1999, the company changed its name from San Jose &amp; Associates Inc. to The San Jose Group Co.
In 2003, The San Jose Group's billings grew 36.5% which made it the third fastest growing agency in Chicago.
1980s.
In 1981, San Jose &amp; Associates (SJ&amp;A) was established as a full-service agency focusing on the national Hispanic market. The agency was selected to handle advertising for Aeroperú, Allstate Insurance, Anheuser-Busch's regional promotions, Chanty Inc., and Deluxe Ice Cream Co. SJ&amp;A employed "Universal Spanish" to address the linguistic regional diversity among Spanish-speaking audiences and aimed to fill gaps in national Hispanic advertising.
In 1982, Shasta Beverages retained San Jose &amp; Associates to manage Shasta Beverages first Hispanic marketing and advertising campaign for Capri-Sun in the U.S. The campaign promoted Capri-Sun, a juice-based drink in flexible foil pouches, which was positioned as a "Fun Drink" for children and mothers. The agency's work involved advertising, promotion, and public relations to support the product's launch and distribution in various U.S. markets.
In 1983, San Jose &amp; Associates was appointed by the Coca-Cola Bottling Co. to coordinate a regional public relations campaign targeting Hispanic consumers. The campaign included community and special events such as parades, fundraisers, and the International Battle of the DJs in Chicago. That same year, Zayre Corp.. appointed San Jose &amp; Associates as counsel on public relations programs aimed at the Hispanic market. The agency was responsible for program recommendations, community service, special events, and promotions.
In 1984, Anheuser-Busch appointed San Jose &amp; Associates to handle Hispanic sales promotion and marketing services for the Chicago area. The agency was tasked with planning merchandising programs, sports sponsorships, and community events. The agency was responsible for activities related to the promotion of Anheuser-Busch beers, including Budweiser, Bud Light and Michelob.
In 1985, San Jose &amp; Associates played a notable role in the expanding Chicago Hispanic market. The agency worked on projects including creative, media buying, marketing, and research, making it a key Hispanic agency in the region. The agency's total capitalized billings in 1984 were $3.1 million, with a projected increase to $3.7 million for 1985. San Jose &amp; Associates was retained by Anheuser-Busch Inc. to develop and place print and broadcast advertisements for Budweiser and Michelob in the Chicago regional Hispanic market. The estimated $1 million campaign was scheduled to launch in early June.
San Jose &amp; Associates was selected by WIND-AM to handle advertising, promotions, and public relations in 1987. The agency was also tasked by S.C. Johnson &amp; Sons to create TV, radio, and promotional materials for the launch of Future floor wax in the Miami market. Additionally, San Jose &amp; Associates managed the first advertising campaign for S.C. Johnson &amp; Son's Soft Sense skin lotion, which was introduced with radio and TV spots on the West Coast.
In 1987, San Jose &amp; Associates was appointed by the Chicago White Sox to handle Hispanic promotion and public relations activities.
In 1988, San Jose &amp; Associates was appointed by S.C. Johnson &amp; Son to handle the campaign for Shout soil and stain remover in Los Angeles, Miami, and San Diego. The company was also appointed to handle advertising, promotions, and public relations for Hispanocare, a new independent physicians association focused on Spanish-speaking families. Hispanocare was a joint venture between Illinois Masonic Medical Center and Mercy Hospital, both located in Chicago.
In 1989, San Jose &amp; Associates was selected by Walgreens, a Chicago-based company, to handle its $1.5M Spanish-language advertising account. Additionally, the agency was appointed by Goya Foods, Secaucus, New Jersey, to develop new marketing programs. The agency was involved in these assignments to cater to Spanish-speaking audiences and expand market reach. In August of the same year, the company handled Spanish-language advertising for the Pan American Festival in Chicago, which celebrated the diverse Hispanic culture and music of Latin America. The festival featured various Hispanic musical acts and attracted an estimated 300,000 attendees each year.
1990s.
Viva America Radio Network, which was recently formed at that time, named San Jose &amp; Associates as its public relations agency of record to develop promotional sales programs. Veryfine Products named San Jose &amp; Associates as its first Hispanic agency following a competitive review.
In 1991, SJ&amp;A was appointed as the agency of record by Ace Hardware for its first foray into Hispanic marketing. This assignment highlighted Ace Hardware's commitment to reaching Hispanic consumers as part of its broader national marketing strategy.
In 1994, San Jose &amp; Associates was selected by Pepsi-Cola General Bottlers' Chicago Division for its $1 million-plus Hispanic regional marketing programs. This marked a shift from in-house marketing management to external agency's expertise in targeting diverse Hispanic audiences. George L. San Jose, President and Executive Creative Director of San Jose &amp; Associates, was recognized by the Advertising Federation of Greater Miami's AdLibs. The company was acclaimed for its creative work for Anheuser-Busch. SJA was also noted for its role in integrated marketing and advertising campaigns.
In the mid-1990s, Ameritech targeted Hispanic consumers with an advertisement featuring people who used Ameritech's Caller-ID to avoid calls. The advertisement was translated from English into Spanish. The San Jose Group advised that ignoring calls is considered rude, and the company's strategy shifted to focus on portraying Caller ID as a relevant tool for greeting friends and family. Caller ID became the “smiling device,” as product users smiled when greeting callers. Sales improved five-fold.
In 1995, San Jose &amp; Associates was selected as Hispanic agency of record for Dominick's Supermarket Chain. This included developing and executing a full spectrum market strategy for Dominick's. By 1996, Dominick's Finer Food Stores launched SJG's new advertising campaign "Un Mundo de Frescura" "World of Freshness". The campaign featured three television commercials showcasing fresh produce, dairy products, seafood, and meat, tailored to Hispanic cultural preferences. The commercials emphasized traditional Hispanic dishes and included public relations efforts highlighting recipes like chilaquiles and marinated red snapper. Weekly radio spots supported the campaign with special promotions.
In December 1995, SJ&amp;A was selected by Motorola to launch a direct response promotional program in Mexico to address excess inventory of two-way radios. The campaign, targeted the downturn in the Mexican economy and aimed to support Motorola distributors in clearing excess inventory. The program utilized direct mail, newspaper ads, and trade publications to drive sales. Initial responses indicated significant improvements in sales, and local dealers began their own promotional efforts.
In 1996, Allstate Insurance selected San Jose &amp; Associates as its national agency of record for its Hispanic market public relations programs. The assignment followed the formation of a new Hispanic marketing team at Allstate. By 1997, SJ&amp;A had grown to handle $26 million in billings.
American Trans Air (ATA) selected San Jose &amp; Associates in 1996 as its agency for targeting the Hispanic market with a television, radio and print campaign. At the time, ATA was marketing their vacation airline as a means of getting away from family and harsh winter weather. SJ&amp;A conducted market research and found that Hispanics travel more often in the summer and with family, rather than to "get away" from them. The new campaign aimed to establish ATA as the "Official Vacation Airline" for Hispanics utilizing a series of slice-of-life scenarios featuring family-friendly vacation settings. They also sought to improve confidence in the airline by showcasing ATA's larger new aircraft. Additionally, the campaign included opening a bilingual reservations center to service to Spanish-speaking customers. Over four years, ATA increased monthly inquiry calls from Hispanic travelers from 100 to 35,000. The campaign contributed to a roughly 15% increase in overall revenues for ATA. San Jose &amp; Associates had grown to $30 million in billings by this point.
Pleasant Company’s American Girl released Josefina Montoya, a Spanish-American Doll, in 1997 as a part of their Historic Collection. American Girl contracted SJ&amp;A to develop a bilingual press kit and worked with ethnic media to support Josefina’s introduction to the American Girl's expansion into the Hispanic market. The event was successful; “Josefina’s Fiesta” drew a crowd of over 25,000 people to American Girl Place in downtown Chicago. The magazine highlighted the success of American Girl Place, emphasizing its unique combination of retail and museum experiences. The promoting events such as "Samantha's Ice Cream Social" in addition to other initiatives, contributed to the store's high visibility and popularity.
In 1999, QueRico.com, an Internet provider specializing in Latin American products, selected The San Jose Group (SJG), formerly San Jose &amp; Associates (SJ&amp;A), as its first Hispanic agency of record. The San Jose Group was tasked with launching QueRico's Latino campaign early the next year, with a focus on television advertising excluding Univision due to its policy on dot.com advertising. This marked the agency's first Internet account.
2000s.
Hanes Hosiery selected The San Jose Group as its first agency of record for the Hispanic market. The agency prepared a test campaign for Chicago and San Antonio which launched in November 2000 with an undisclosed spending. In 2002, SJG received a Silver Trumpet Award for its marketing efforts for Hanes.
The San Jose Group, serving as the agency of record for Hormel's Herdez brand, launched a pilot campaign on August 28, 2000, targeting the Hispanic market in Chicago and Houston. Later that year, The San Jose Group rolled out a national campaign for Hormel's Herdez brand to build loyalty among Mexican-American adults. The campaign was released through radio and television outlets, billboards, and P.O.P. In 2006, Hormel selected SJG to establish SPAM in the American Hispanic market. SJG created a 30-second television spot, entitled “Balloons,” that introduced a new tagline: “Imagínalo. Sabórealo.” ‘’"Imagine it. Taste it."’’.
In 2001, the National Pork Board selected The San Jose Group as its agency of record for Hispanic advertising, marketing, and public relations. This marked the first time in the board's 16-year history that it developed a marketing campaign specifically targeting the Hispanic community in the U.S. The San Jose Group was chosen over agencies from New York and Los Angeles. Initial research showed that Hispanics consume pork but only in limited traditional dishes. To drive consumer demand, SJG took an educational approach to build the National Pork Board's brand. Through TV, radio, outdoor and magazine advertisements, retail sales promotions, and aggressive public relations programs, SJG helped the National Pork Board establish its presence in the Hispanic community. In 2003, SJG received an International Gold Quill Award for its work on the National Pork Board's “El Cerdo es Bueno” campaign. In 2006, SJG won a coveted EFFIE