Grupo Xela is a marketing research agency that specializes in Hispanic demographics. Founded by Jose Cuesta in 2003, the company found success in Cincinnati by communicating an authentic and carefully researched Hispanic perspective to Procter & Gamble and
QFact, among other locally owned businesses.
Originally from Colombia, Cuesta earned a BA in industrial engineering at
Javeriana University. He came to Cincinnati in 1998, where he earned an MBA from
Xavier University. Cuesta’s mother is originally from Cincinnati, and he was prompted by his family to move to the Queen City.
“You don’t go to Cincinnati unless you have a reason,” Cuesta says. “But there’s always a reason to go.”
After earning his degree from Xavier, Cuesta began working for Cincinnati Bell as a manager for various departments.
Cuesta founded what would eventually become Grupo Xela with his brother-in-law. Their first business attempt was as coffee distributors for regional restaurants, but their work in the city helped them realize the Hispanic community’s marketing potential. Prompted by the fact that Hispanics were the most rapidly growing minority in the country, Cuesta knew he could offer a very important perspective to P&G—Cincinnati’s powerhouse corporation.
By interacting with Hispanic panelists sourced from Cincinnati, Columbus, Louisville, Indianapolis, Chicago, Atlanta and Miami, Grupo Xela’s chief concern is gathering qualitative market research.
The company has since gone international, with a United States' headquarters in Cincinnati, and a Colombian office in Bogota, with plans to expand into more cities and countries soon.
By Sean Peters
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