If you would have asked Hunter when he accepted his first job offer where he saw himself in 20 years, he would have offered an assertive, “I plan to work in Corporate America and retire.” Funny how life happens when you’re busy making other plans.
While working at a Fortune 200 company, Hunter discovered that he actually had the chutzpah to be an entrepreneur. “I didn’t think that my immediate supervisor really appreciated my value. I am not one to complain [so] I decided to go out on my own and see what it was like. Worst-case scenario, if it didn’t work, I would return to the marketplace.” It “worked” and, now, Hunter’s gearing up to celebrate 29 years in this industry this December while the company’s 20th anniversary is in full swing.
Lagrant Communications recognizes the value and power of the African American and Hispanic middle class and ensures that clients like the American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, Harley-Davidson, MetLife, H&R Block, Wal-Mart and a host of others are provided award-winning campaigns to engage consumers.
There’s one area of the industry, in particular, where Lagrant Communications is leaving an indelible mark — travel and tourism. Their current clients are American Airlines and Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and Aviation. “There’s a fast-growing segment of the African American population that’s reached a certain level in terms of education. Now, they want to enjoy certain things in life. One of those things is travel, and they desire to visit new destinations,” offers Hunter. “There are many more destinations within the Caribbean, Europe and South America that should be reaching out to African American tourists but haven’t yet. We welcome the opportunity to expose the younger generation to these destinations.”
Lagrant Communications is celebrating another achievement. The online destination Afro-Brazilian.com is Hunter’s brainchild, and it’s the first website dedicated to educating African Americans on Afro-Brazilian culture. The website is part of the agency’s commitment to enriching the understanding of the diversity of the Latino and African American culture. “This site is my pride and joy,” Hunter gleams. “If I could have an exchange program between blacks in Brazil, which has the largest population of blacks in the African Diaspora, and blacks in the United States, I would be the happiest man in the world. I hope to engage and educate African Americans to blacks — I say blacks purposefully because they’re not African Americans; they’re Brazilians — about our culture. If you haven’t been to that country, you are missing out. It’s incredible.”
Lagrant Communications is headquartered in Los Angeles and has offices in Dallas and Princeton, N.J. –yvette caslin
