The Innovator 25:

Ana Lilian Flores

Ana Flores, Latina Bloggers Connect, Inc
Los Angeles

Influence/Public Relations/Communications

Recognized for helping define influence by launching - as a one-woman show in 2010 - what is now the largest network of digital Latina influencers, and expanding that network into the #WeAllGrow Summit.


Where does the PR industry need to innovate the most?
Influencer relations & Publicity. The influencer marketing industry is still in its infancy and the rules of the game are still being tested and developed. This makes it fertile ground for innovation and creating an industry that develops based off authentic relationships at its core.

How innovative do you think the PR industry currently is? 
More innovative than other marketing disciplines

What is most important for the PR industry to do to foster more innovation? 
New service offerings

The most innovative PR/communications campaign in the last 12 months?
Always "Like a Girl" campaign connects at an emotional and empowering level

The brands or agencies with the most innovative PR/communications approach? 
Always, Dove, Mailchimp

Describe a moment in your career that you would consider to be 'innovative.'
The moment I launched Latina Bloggers Connect.  I launched LBC in 2010 because I recognized a need to connect Latina bloggers and creators in-culture and/or in-language with the brands that were craving to work with them. We were the first network and agency of its kind in the US Hispanic industry and we definitely disrupted the space with competition following less than a year after. Back then the term "influencer marketing" wasn't known or widely used. It's now become a standard for PR and marketing strategies.

How do you inspire innovation within yourself or to your team? 
By staying on ahead of the curve in following the trends, which change almost daily within the digital space!  I encourage my team to spend a lot of time listening and developing relationships to always be on-the-know of the latest trends of how influencers are communicating and sharing amongst themselves and with their audiences.  

What’s the most innovative place in the world?
Los Angeles. It's touch to beat LA as the hub for innovation within the multicultural space. We're constantly exposed to different cultures, languages, levels of society, forms of art and all within a beautiful natural setting.

What's your favorite time of day and why?
When I pick up my daughter for school. It's when I truly allow myself to disconnect.