Setting the Bar

Three years: That’s all the time it took for Rudy Duthil to become a recognized leader in his industry.

Duthil is the West Coast manager of experiential marketing for Zoom Media and Marketing out of Los Angeles. The company installs media billboards and manages marketing campaigns in nightlife venues, health clubs, and mini-family amusement centers—“places where people are enjoying their lives,” Duthil says.

Zoom counts name brands like Ford, Continental Airlines, and T-Mobile among its clients. Duthil is currently working on a $1 million campaign for Pepsi Co., assisting its bottlers in promoting Pepsi’s Manzanita Sol brand.

Duthil’s work earned him a 2007 ADCOLOR Rising Star award honoring the achievements of young persons of diverse backgrounds working in the advertising world. Duthil was one of 15 winners selected from over 100 nominees.

The experience spurred Duthil to establish a multicultural group within his company. Its task: to assess and address the needs of  multicultural ad agencies in efforts to reach the multicultural target consumer. “It is an intelligent business move,” Duthil says, “and, most importantly, something I’m truly passionate about.”

Duthil’s other passion is his work with the Los Angeles Unified School District to establish an internship program at Zoom. His first intern for this program will also be participating in a summer college program at the University of California-Northridge that is comparable to the Talent Development program at URI that started Duthil’s collegiate career.

Duthil credited  the Adcolor Award he received, as well as URI’s Talent Development program, with inspiring him to help others recognize their professional goals.

“I had some great examples and role models within the TD program such as Sharon and Frank Forleo, as well as my main mentor, Domingo Morel. They have all accomplished great things with the Talent Development program. And when you have people like that setting the bar for you, you can’t help but want to succeed.”

—M.E. Reilly-McGreen