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Baseball’s Latino Stars Set to Take Center Stage in Business Too

With World Cup now completed, it's baseball's turn to show off its Latino stars in the All-Star Game and associated activities this week in Washington, D.C. Baseball's Latino numbers are higher than ever, and companies are figuring out the best ways to transfer that star power to marketing strength.

Content

What: After the World Cup, it’s baseball’s Latino stars’ turn to show off in the All-Star Game and associated activities.
Why it matters: Baseball’s Latino numbers are higher than ever. Companies are figuring out the best ways to transfer that star power to marketing strength.

The best news coming out of the World Cup for sports business in the United States was the aggregate power of Latino activation. It played out across broadcast numbers, social engagement and brand activation. The ROI from all who looked to the Latino demo, from millennials and Spanish-first speakers to families and women, was a landmark. It should pave the way for a less adverse media audience to find better ways to engage across all sports.

So what about baseball? This week’s All-Star events in Washington, from the Futures Game to The Mid-Summer Classic, had more star power with Latino ties than ever before. The brand power of these stars, from established veterans like Manny Machado and Jose Altuve (@JoseAltuve27), to rising names like Jesús Luzardo (@Baby_Jesus9) are not just the names and faces of baseball. They can be its marketing life blood.

Baseball Brand

Last Friday at the American History Museum in Washington, La Vida Baseball (@LaVidaBaseballhosted a panel called “Giving and the Game.” The packed event showcased the history and the opportunities that Latinos have to grow the baseball brand. We can attribute this to the way the game is so deeply rooted in culture, from Cuba and Venezuela to Mexico and Panama and beyond. The event was hosted by baseball historian and La Vida Editor In Chief Adrian Burgos Jr. And the discussion covered a wide variety of topics. Presenters were Mets Special Assistant General Manager Omar Minaya, and José Antonio Tijerino of the Hispanic Heritage Foundation (@HHFoundation ‏).

“When you look at the business of baseball, you cannot overlook that 32 percent of the players today in the Major League alone are Latino. That number continues to rise,” Tijerino said. “The game is ingrained in the culture across Latin America. That’s a really powerful message that can help grow the sport that needs to continue to get out there. Baseball has committed stars. They understand their legacy, as well as wanting to continue to give back to the game that has brought them so much.”

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Manny Machado (Wikimedia Commons/Keith Allison)

Minaya was also ebullient about the power of Latinos. As a result, he talked about the commitment of players young and old. He talked about storytelling and making sure that the traditions learned continue on. That’s a message that brands need to hear more of as they pick the areas where they will spend their dollars.

Latinos’ Responsibility

“Leadership is all about responsibility. Therefore, we as Latinos, from the front office to players of all ages, have to grow the game of baseball. We have to grow it and not just on the field but in the community,” he said. “Our athletes today have the ability, especially with social media, to help transform society. That’s because they are revered, and not just in the countries where they come from, but in the cities they play in today or have played in in the past.  They understand that responsibility and as a result how that can translate into helping baseball continue to grow as a sport and a business.”

Still, even with All-Star rosters dominated by Latino surnames, 25 in total, the opportunity for business growth lies ahead. MLB has made big strides in recent years to better develop and assimilate young Latino stars into the business and branding side. Therefore, teams like the Diamondbacks, the Mets, the Yankees, and the Astros have put a premium on marketing their stars to a Latino fan base. They use very targeted programs. Meanwhile, Madison Avenue is still trying to figure out the multicultural mix that shows a return. It remains a challenge. It is one that seems to move more and more to the forefront. That’s because Latino spending increases and millennials are finding their niche in sports engagement.

Partners

This year we have seen companies like New Era (@NewEraCap), Pepsi (@pepsiand 5-Hour Energy (@5hourenergystart to incorporate young Latino stars into crossover promotions. But the growth has been slow, although now more steady.

“Brands need to recognize that ‘Latino’ is a multicultural reality. And for many Latinos in the United States soccer is not the number one sport. Baseball is as young, exciting and profitable as it has been in generations. And the on-field product is becoming increasingly Latino,” added La Vida Baseball’s Managing Director Tab Bamford. “There are tremendous individual ambassadors in the game, and brands don’t see the untapped potential in baseball.”

Baseball can learn a great deal from the success of the World Cup with Latino engagement and activation. Its multilingual stars are more front and center and transcendent in numbers than ever before. Now it’s time to put those personalities on center stage for partners. Specially for those reticent about interacting with players whose background wasn’t always All-American. “All Americas” is becoming in vogue.

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