Branding and design firm Pigeon Brands has opened an office in Mexico City, giving it an on-the-ground presence in Latin America to offer clients better market insights.

The expansion comes, in part, due to work with Grupo Bimbo, the Mexico-based CPG company that sells brands such as Dempster’s, Vachon, Hostess and Villagio in Canada, as well as dozens of other brands in other global markets. Pigeon has been working with Grupo Bimbo on the Dempster’s brand in Canada for a number of years, as well as on several of the company’s other brands in Mexico and Latin America.

Thomas Pigeon, founder and CEO of Pigeon Brands, says the expansion gives the agency a physical presence in Mexico, as well as proximity to Latin American countries like Chile, Argentina and Uruguay. The Mexico City office will work closely with Pigeon’s offices in Montreal and Toronto, giving existing clients improved access to Latin American markets.

Though Pigeon could not provide names, Pigeon says the firm is also working with a U.S.-based client that is building a global brand, as well as a client based in Atlantic Canada, both of which see Mexico and Latin America as important markets.

In addition to having a physical presence in the market, Pigeon says he also sees an opportunity when it comes to taking a more strategic approach to branding and design in Latin America.

“Our approach has always been to start with brand strategy… and use visual and package design as tool to deliver them,” he says. “[But] in a lot of Latin American markets, the epidermis of the brand has not been developed to the degree you see in the rest of North America.”

The new office will be led by Isra Calderon, a Mexico City-based designer with over 15 years of experience, including as a creative and design lead at several local agencies. He also has experience working with Grupo Bimbo, as well as other clients like Nestle and Unilever. In addition to providing an understanding of the market, Calderon has been tasked with staffing and growing the office. Pigeon says there is not a specific goal for the office in terms of headcount, saying that growth will happen based on client demand.

“Our business started in Montreal, and our success there has been in having people on the ground connected to Quebec culture, who speak the language and understand its marketing needs,” Pigeon says. “We’re doing the same thing in Mexico City and South America. A lot of the work will continue to be done in Canada, which clients want because of how we approach branding and the strategic insights we bring, but with Isra on the ground, we have someone who understands the culture and things you can only know by being there.”