Macarena Zilveti, one of our Board members, is the owner of Zilveti Communications, based in Coconut Grove.
What is your business?
I am the President and Creative Director of Zilveti Communications, a boutique marketing firm that creates marketing solutions for our clients. We help them with traditional and interactive media: broadcast, print, email marketing, digital ads, websites, etc. We do this locally, nationally and internationally in English, Spanish and Portuguese.
Where are you from?
I am originally from Santiago, Chile and moved to New York when my father was named Bolivian Consul there.
How did you come to Miami?
I moved from Southern California to Miami, when I was offered a job at an ad agency.
What is your professional/business history?
I’ve been in the advertising business for quite a while. My career in the States began in New York Ccity at Young and Rubicam’s The Bravo Group, as a Senior Art Director. We handled a variety of accounts: Kraft General Foods, Advil, Listerine, Dentyne, KFC, TWA, the US Army, etc. I learned broadcast production and was named Producer as well.
Five years later, I moved to California to be the Creative Director at an ad agency in Orange County. A year later, I started my own company where I handled national marketing accounts.
After 5 years, I longed to “get back to my roots” and moved to Miami where I worked at Sanchez and Levitan, and handled accounts such as: the Florida Lottery, Marshalls, TJMAxx, Chivas Regal, etc.
I was recruited to work at another agency, GrupoUno, and worked solely on accounts for Latin America. We handled accounts like Canon, Imation, AOC, Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Palm and Porsche. Lots of electronics!
Twelve years later, I started my own company again, which will celebrate it’s 10th anniversary in 2019!
What makes your business successful/unique? Anything you take special attention to or pride in?
My top priority is client service. If our clients succeed because of our work, we succeed. A client once told me he liked my integrity and that has always stayed with me.
How is it running a female locally owned business? Struggles? Advantages?
If you look at a list of top Creative Directors in the country, you’ll find they are mostly male. Few females have that position. The majority of my clients have been female and I find that they feel more at ease working with me.
Aside from running the business, what are some of your personal interests?
I am an artist and try to exhibit as much as possible. I also enjoy nature, travel and a good meal. It is a joy to have my daughters here when they come home!