the taier DDB Center

What the taier DDB Center does

el taier DDB Centro is a full-service advertising and digital marketing agency headquartered in Guatemala City and operating as the Central American hub of the DDB Latina network. Founded in 2001 by Manuel Madrid and Víctor Pardo, the agency delivers four core service lines — strategic planning, digital strategy, creativity and advertising campaigns, and design and branding — and serves enterprise clients primarily across consumer goods (Pepsi Guatemala, Corona/Ambev portfolio including Corona, Modelo, Brahva, Gatorade, 7UP), banking (Banco Industrial with Mastercard co-marketing), automotive (Bajaj, KTM), and select NGOs and government bodies in Guatemala and Central America.

The agency's product surface extends beyond traditional creative into technology-enabled campaign platforms, including The Smart Legacy blockchain platform co-developed with If Then Inc. (Cannes Bronze Lion 2023), the Fiambre AI recipe-generation campaign for Cerveza Modelo, and the Corona Bar Powered by Nature experiential activation using ALINTI biological energy technology. A specialized research unit called Culture Lab provides consumer and cultural intelligence using proprietary Omnicom tools (Omni, Q) and third-party platforms (Forrester, e-Marketer Pro, LS:N Global, Meltwater, Infegy, WARC, Lotame). Additional proprietary assets include the ACCIONARSE sustainability methodology (developed with Centrarse), the SGA anti-bribery compliance system, and the Culture Lab Talks podcast series. Certifications include Google AdWords Partner, Great Place to Work (2021, recertified 2023), CentraRSE membership, and GRI 2021 sustainability reporting standards.

The business operates as a B2B professional services firm generating revenue through project fees, campaign production, and retainer arrangements under undisclosed pricing. Go-to-market is direct enterprise sales with dedicated account directors managing long-tenured anchor clients. The agency has been ranked the #1 advertising agency in Central America by Crema 2024 and has accumulated 3 Cannes Lions, 25+ Ojo de Iberoamérica awards, and 100+ Effie awards, with leadership that has continued to refresh through senior hires including Mar Frutos and Chiky Cáceres (CCOs, 2022) and Lukas Calderón (Director General Creativo, 2025).

Name

the taier DDB Center

Legal name

el taier DDB Centro

Website

https://ddbcentro.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

el taier DDB Centro is a full-service advertising and digital marketing agency in Guatemala City, operating as the Central American hub of the DDB Latina network and serving enterprise clients in beverages, banking, and automotive across Guatemala and Central America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Ciudad De Guatemala

HQ country

Guatemala

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Advertising and Marketing Services: Full-service advertising agency providing strategic planning, digital strategy, creativity and advertising campaigns, and design/branding services to local and regional brands in Guatemala and Central America. Revenue is generated through professional service fees, campaign production, and ongoing client retainer arrangements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

el taier DDB Centro is a full-service advertising and digital marketing agency that delivers four core service lines — Strategic Planning, Digital Strategy, Creativity and Advertising Campaigns, and Design and Branding — to enterprise clients in Guatemala and Central America. Service delivery is supported by Culture Lab, a specialized cultural intelligence unit providing consumer insights, trend monitoring, and innovation workshops. The agency also operates the proprietary ACCIONARSE methodology for corporate social responsibility strategy.

Product overview

el taier DDB Centro is a full-service advertising and digital marketing agency operating as the Guatemala hub of DDB Latina. Its core offering spans four service lines: Strategic Planning, Digital Strategy, Creativity and Advertising Campaigns, and Design and Branding. These are delivered alongside a specialized research unit called Culture Lab, which uses data and consumer/cultural insights to power brand strategy. The agency also operates proprietary methodologies (ACCIONARSE for sustainability) and internal compliance tools (SGA anti-bribery system). Project-based work spans digital campaigns, experiential activations (Corona Bar), AI-powered campaigns (Fiambre AI), blockchain platforms (The Smart Legacy), and entertainment platforms (La Remesa de Lupe telenovela). The agency also maintains a podcast series (Culture Lab Talks) and uses research tools including Forrester, e-Marketer Pro, and Omnicom's proprietary Omni and Q platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Culture Lab: Cultural intelligence and consumer insights unit specializing in data-driven understanding of consumer behavior and culture for brand opportunities.

Products and services

• Strategic Planning

Quantifiable outcome

• 1 Bronze + 6 Shortlists at Cannes Lions 2023 for The Smart Legacy campaign
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• If Then Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025If Then Inc. co-developed The Smart Legacy campaign with el taier DDB Centro, winning Bronze and 6 shortlists at Cannes Lions 2023. The platform uses blockchain technology to protect loved ones digitally.
• InterbrandminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Interbrand (global branding consultancy, 40+ years) led the strategic rebranding of Banco Industrial, with el taier DDB Centro executing the creative campaign bringing the new brand identity to life across communications.
• Mar Frutos and Chiky Cáceres (New CCOs)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Mar Frutos and Chiky Cáceres, a Spanish creative duo with 20+ years in communication, joined as Chief Creative Officers. Previously CCOs at Pragma (Peru) and VPs Creative at Y&R Colombia, they bring multidisciplinary creative expertise to the agency.
• DDB Latina (Grupo DDB Latina)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021el taier DDB Centro is the Guatemala and Central American hub of the DDB Latina network. The agency operates under the DDB brand, accessing global creative methodologies, proprietary tools (Omni, Q), and the international network's reputation. Lukas Calderón joined as Director General Creativo from Saatchi & Saatchi Puerto Rico through DDB network movement.
• CentraRSEminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018el taier DDB Centro is the first advertising agency associated with CentraRSE (Central American Corporate Social Responsibility association), demonstrating commitment to transparent processes and sustainable business practices.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Leo Burnett: Global creative network with LATAM presence and direct overlap with el taier DDB Centro's client base (notably AB InBev/ambev-related brands). Lukas Calderón, now DGC at el taier, previously held creative leadership roles at Leo Burnett Mexico and Colombia.
• Saatchi & Saatchi: Global creative network with Latin American operations. Directly comparable in creative positioning; Lukas Calderón (now el taier's DGC) previously served as CCO of Saatchi & Saatchi Puerto Rico, demonstrating the talent flow between the networks in the region.
• Ogilvy: Global advertising network with strong presence across Latin America, including Guatemala. Offers the same full-service creative, digital, and brand strategy capabilities as el taier DDB Centro but at significantly larger global scale, competing directly for the same enterprise client accounts.
• McCann Worldgroup: Global advertising network with established Central American operations. Competes for the same enterprise creative and digital mandates in Guatemala and the broader region, particularly in CPG and financial services verticals.
• BBDO Worldwide: Global advertising network and Omnicom sibling (same parent as DDB). Operates regional agencies across Latin America providing creative, digital, and strategic services comparable to el taier DDB Centro's offerings, often competing for similar CPG and financial services accounts.
• MullenLowe Group: Global advertising network with regional LATAM presence providing integrated creative, digital, and media services comparable to el taier DDB Centro's full-service offering to enterprise clients in the region.
• Publicis Worldwide: Global advertising holding company network with full-service creative and digital capabilities across Latin America, competing for the same enterprise creative briefs and digital transformation mandates as el taier DDB Centro.

Direct peers

• DDB Latina: The parent regional network of which el taier DDB Centro is the Guatemala/Central America hub. DDB Latina operates sister agencies across Latin America under the same DDB brand, methodology, and Omnicom tooling, making it the most directly comparable peer in terms of positioning and offering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ddbcentro
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/eltaierDDB
• Facebookfacebook.com/DDBCentro
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/el-taier-ddb-centro
• Instagraminstagram.com/ddbcentro

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about the taier DDB Center