5 Minutes with… Michael Sotelo

Since joining alma’s digital and social media team in 2016, Michael Sotelo, now SVP of digital creative and experience strategy, has grown the division into a multidisciplinary powerhouse of nearly 20 experts – and a creative core of DDB’s Miami-based ‘ungeneral agency’.

“My main goal was to evolve the team from reactive execution to strategic leadership. Shifting social to a space where brands could lead cultural conversations and build meaningful connections,” he tells LBB.

As well as heading up alma’s AI task force and playing a crucial role on the DDB global AI council, the former head of marketing for US multicultural at Facebook spent the last nine years building proactive content strategies for the agency, investing in social listening and expanding digital capabilities. In that time, the landscape has “changed dramatically”, he says.

“Social is no longer just a distribution channel, but a channel where brands earn attention and cultural relevance. We’ve grown into a full digital, social, comms, media, and creative unit, built to deliver platform-native, on-trend content and respond to cultural moments in real time. Today, strategy, creative, and media work in lockstep to help brands not only keep up with culture, but actively shape it.”

Working towards this goal of shaping culture, under his leadership, the team has produced award-winning social and digital work, rooted in Miami’s vibrant diversity and attuned to cultural nuances, for brands like Netflix, Pepsi, Molson Coors, McDonald's, Intuit QuickBooks, Amazon Prime Video and Marriott Bonvoy.

Speaking to LBB, Michael discusses the growth of his team, how he’s pushing AI beyond gimmicks, and the importance of embracing the creator space.

LBB> Tell us how your unit collaborates with the rest of alma, and with the wider DDB network!

Michael> The team is built to flex based on the brief. For integrated campaigns, we work hand-in-hand with the rest of the agency. Our content team collaborates closely with the assigned creative teams, and our strategists partner directly with alma’s consumer strategy team to ensure we’re aligned from insight to execution.

That said, there are moments when the ask is very specific to social or digital, whether it’s reactive content for a cultural moment or always-on creative. In those cases, we often operate more independently to move quickly and deliver with the kind of agility that the space demands. It’s a balance between integration and speed, and we’ve structured the team to handle both seamlessly, whether we’re working within alma or across the broader DDB network.

LBB> What are some recent projects of yours that you’re particularly proud of? ‘Think Ote’ was a standout moment for you a couple of years ago, becoming the brand’s social AOR - where have you found success recently, with that brand or elsewhere?

Michael> Intuit QuickBooks’ ‘Business Differently’ was our first brand campaign assignment as their social AOR. It leaned into the idea that small business owners don’t just run businesses, they reshape how business gets done. It allowed us to tell fresh, culturally grounded stories that stood out in a very crowded category. Our most recent campaign pushed that even further with bold creative and platform-native executions that made the work feel distinctly part of the social landscape.

We’ve also seen strong success with our ongoing social work for Prime Video’s ‘Primero Latino’. This has been a true always-on effort where we’ve been able to show up in real time, tap into cultural moments, and experiment with different formats and tones to keep the content feeling fresh and relevant. It’s the kind of work where we get to mix cultural insight, creative agility, and digital craft.

LBB> As demographics, data tools and American cultural conversations change, are you adjusting your approach to audiences? How are you evaluating and targeting different audiences today, to ensure your work resonates?

Michael> Our approach is constantly evolving. As audience identities and expectations shift, we’re leaning into more nuanced, culturally grounded segmentation rather than broad demos. We pair platform and performance data with cultural intelligence to better understand how different communities engage and express themselves online. That’s helped us build work that’s not just targeted, but genuinely resonant. Instead of chasing trends, we are designing for the reality of a more complex, layered, and expressive US audience.

LBB> How do you take a brand from simply engaging with or responding to cultural conversations, to actively leading them? Do you have any examples of this at alma?

Michael> It all starts with trust and proximity. Brands can’t lead culture from the sidelines. We help them show up consistently and with purpose, so they earn the credibility to shape conversation, not just react to it. A great example is our work with Prime Video’s ‘Primero Latino’. It’s more than just reactive content. It’s a platform built to celebrate and elevate Latino voices year-round. That consistency, paired with creative that taps into the now, is what moves a brand from participating in culture to helping define it.

^{Above: alma's 'Cold Activated Announcers' for Coors Light}

LBB> You’re also on the DDB global AI council and head-up alma's AI task force – how are you implementing AI into your work and processes today?

Michael> AI isn’t just a tool we’re experimenting with; it’s something we’re actively embedding into our workflow to boost thinking, speed and scale. At alma, our AI task force is focused on practical use cases: whether it's accelerating insight development, helping teams prototype content faster, or training models on brand voice to support real-time ideation. This extends to all areas of the agency; an account team using AI to automate meeting recaps, comms and social teams leveraging AI to get a head start on strategy development.

At the DDB level, being part of the Global AI Council means we’re sharing learnings across markets and pushing beyond gimmicks toward meaningful transformation and utilisation.

LBB> Are you still lecturing at the University of Miami? How has that experience shaped your agency work?

Michael> I’ve been lecturing at the University of Miami since 2020 despite being a proud Florida State grad. The rivalry was real at first, but we’ve moved past it. What’s kept me going is how energising it is to see 19, 20 and 21-year-olds build social and digital campaigns from the ground up. They approach the work with zero legacy baggage and a totally fresh perspective on what brands should be doing online.

It’s a great way to stay connected to the next wave of consumers because in many ways, they’re not just the audience, they’re acting like the agency. That shapes how I think about content, tone and expectations. It keeps me honest about what’s really landing out there.

LBB> Besides AI, what is the most significant wind of change for you and your discipline at alma today? How are you navigating that?

Michael> Beyond AI, the rise of the creator economy is one of the biggest shifts reshaping how brands show up. It’s transforming the way trust is built between brands and consumers because creators bring authenticity, immediacy and real connection. That’s a good thing. But it’s also important to remember that this is just another way to produce content.

What hasn’t changed is the need for smart strategy, clear platforms, and strong creative ideas. At alma, we see creators as one of many vehicles to bring a campaign to life, but they still need a core idea to anchor them. That’s where the agency plays a critical role: defining comms architecture, understanding audience behaviour, and shaping the kind of work that can live across both influencer feeds and brand ecosystems. We’re embracing the creator space, but we’re not mistaking it for the whole picture.

LBB> What are some of your main ambitions for yourself and the agency – short and long-term – right now?

Michael> Right now, my focus is on deepening the relationships we have with our current brand partners by continuing to do great work, trying new things, and evolving together. We are lucky to work with clients who trust us to push boundaries, and I want to keep earning that trust by showing up with fresh ideas and solid thinking.

Looking ahead, I’m excited about welcoming new partners into the mix. Especially those who see culture as a space to lead, not just participate. And as AI becomes more embedded in how we work, I see a huge opportunity to unlock even more creative possibilities. It’s not about replacing anything! It’s about pushing the envelope even further, scaling great ideas faster, and freeing up space for deeper, more strategic thinking.

That’s the ambition: keep growing, keep experimenting, and keep raising the bar.