Oath has elevated Rose Tsou, head of Oath Asia Pacific, to head of international for the business to drive strategic growth for the company across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Latin America and APAC.
Michael Nuzzo has been appointed senior vice president, executive creative director by United Entertainment Group (UEG). Nuzzo previously spent seven years at digital marketing agency 360i.
Former Televisa and Univision Chief Content officer, Isaac Lee has formed an ambitious new company called Exile Content and he has acquired Mexican production services company Redrum.
Publicis Media’s global Commerce Practice has appointed Amy Lanzi as its regional commerce lead in Americas. She joins from Omnicom’s retail marketing agency TPN.
Former White House communications officer, Hope Hicks, has been named executive vice president and chief communications officer at Fox. She will assume her new position after the Disney-Fox merger is complete next year.
Brian O’Kelley will step down from his role as chief executive of AppNexus to take on a role in an advisory capacity just months after the adtech business was acquired by AT&T.
A summary of the most exciting news in soccer marketing. If you’re trying to keep up, consider this your one-stop shop.
According to Nielsen, Saturday’s 2018 FIFA World CupQuarterfinal matches delivered FOX with an average of 5,664,000 viewers, making this the most-watched day of Quarterfinal action since at least 1990. The Croatia/Russia encounter averaged 6,317,000 viewers on the channel, while England’s win over Sweden got 4,763,000 viewers. Twitter had its best day ever across FOX Sports accounts, with 13.7 million views.
Facebookhas become the exclusive broadcaster of thePremier League matches in four Asian countries. The deal starts with the 2019-20 season and runs through 2022. Facebook will livestream all 380 fixtures in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.
On May, Toyota formed a partnership with Club America on their Tour Águila – their series of friendly matches that take place in the United States. Now, during the kick-off match in Dallas, Texas on June 30th, the Toyota Tundra pulled in with an actual section of the iconic Estadio Azteca and shared the excitement and thrill with fans who got a chance to sit in them. The branded seats have since traveled to the next few games including San Jose and Fresno, California. “Soccer is a unified passion point among Hispanics and deeply rooted in their cultural heritage. Beyond reach, their engagement with the sport is enormous,” said Veronica Elizondo, VP and Group creative director at Toyota.
The US Soccer Federationwill host North America’s first-ever soccer-specific hackathon in Chicago on July 14-15. Attendees will have exclusive access to data used by federations and professional clubs, develop solutions for soccer industry problems, and share ideas to push the sport forward from commercial and soccer standpoints.
Pinnacle Financial Partners Inc. has signed a partnership as a corporate sponsor of Nashville SC. This is Pinnacle’s third sports-focused partnership, after sponsoring the Tennessee Titans and Memphis Grizzlies.
The Croatian soccer federation has been fined by the FIFA with over $70,000 for violating media and marketing rules at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Members of the Croatian national team were seen drinking “non-authorized beverage products,” this means drinks with no sponsorship deal for the World Cup. Coca-Cola is FIFA’s main sponsor, together they have set strict marketing regulations about what brand of beverages players are allowed to be seen with during matches.
CoinDeal, a Cyprus-based cryptocurrency exchange, has become a sponsor of the UK Wolverhampton Wanderers soccer club, which will feature its logo on all training kits. CoinDeal’s logo will appear on the team’s shirt sleeves.
Telemundo Deportes added new audio offerings for Amazon Alexa and Google to enhance the final stages of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia. Customers can ask Alexa to hear Telemundo Deportes’ daily two-minute brief in Spanish recapping the action of the day, results of matches, the most interesting stories coming out of the games, and more, directly from Russia.
What: Both Gerard Piqué and Alex Rodriguez have been in the news lately for bold and successful business ventures. Why it matters: These athletes are paving the way for other Latin and Hispanic athletes to recognize that they too can find financial success outside of their sport both during and after their playing days.
Kobe Bryant made headlines recently for his Oscar-winning documentary Dear Basketball, and he has since been lauded as the next great athlete to succeed in business ventures beyond their own sport. Kobe is following the trail blazed by fellow basketball stars Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson in this regard, but it should be highlighted that two Hispanic and Latin superstars have been making entrepreneurial headlines of their own: Gerard Piqué (@3gerardpique) and Alex Rodríguez (@AROD).
Piqué is showing that Hispanic athletes can also join the movement of athletes looking to become financial powerhouses.
Gerard Piqué: Soccer Star and Tennis Entrepreneur
Gerard Piqué: the world’s best defender and a leading entrepreneur (credit: TSM Plug)
Gerard Piqué is currently working on his master’s in business at Harvard University while also leading the charge to create the World Cup of Tennis, which will fill the hole that the Davis Cup leaves behind. Piqué is also a leader, writer, and ambassador of ThePlayers’ Tribune Global (@PlayersTribune) initiative and has multiple other investments and business ventures. Apart from these impressive initiatives, he’s taking FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) on the path towards winning an impressive double of LaLiga and Copa del Rey championships. The usual path for athletes’ financial success off the field has usually been to develop their brand and social media appeal as much as possible and then lock up endorsement deals that net them revenue for appearing in commercials. Though Piqué strikes these types of partnerships as well, he is bucking convention by seeking unique opportunities in the market to grow different businesses. This type of entrepreneurship is more associated with someone who has been trained in finance all their life, but Piqué is showing that Hispanic athletes can also join the movement of athletes looking to become financial powerhouses.
Rodríguez has piggybacked off of his successful investment firm A-Rod Corp to create space for himself on a channel that usually shows coverage of the New York Stock Exchange.
Alex Rodríguez: A New Type of Television Personality
Alex Rodríguez has become a business mogul and has turned his financial prowess into his own CNBC show (credit: John Anderson, The Austin Chronicle)
Another figure making the most of his business instincts and intellect is Alex Rodriguez. He not only has garnered rave reviews as a host on MLB on Fox, but he is also the star and host of a new show on CNBC called Back in The Game. The premise of this show is that Rodríguezhelps former athletes regain a hold on their finances. His MLB on Fox position, in which he offers truly insightful commentary and meshes well with his high-profile co-stars, is more in line with jobs typically associated with former athletes: broadcasting, coaching, etc. The CNBC show, though, is a new example for retired athletes, particularly those who are Latino, to follow. Rodríguez has piggybacked off of his successful investment firm A-ROD CORP (@_ARodCorp) to create space for himself on a channel that usually shows coverage of the New York Stock Exchange. Rodríguez has used the money he earned from his mega-contract with the Yankees not only to invest in fruitful ventures, but he is showing athletes, regardless of background, that they can take an active, responsible role in their financial success.
When a Latin or Hispanic athlete joins the ranks of the Billionaire Athletes Club, they will deserve much of the credit.
Inspiration for Other Latin and Hispanic Athletes
The biggest impact of athletes such as Piqué and Rodríguez will likely be seen years down the line. There will be a kid out there, though, in Barcelona, Miami, or elsewhere who will look at their examples and be inspired to not just work hard on their game, but also cultivate their mind and dream bigger than just ball. Motivation does not have to come from one type of source, but there is something to be said for being able to look up to someone out in the world who looks like you, sounds like you, and is breaking barriers that you did not know were possible. Whether it is through their own ventures or the inspiration the path they carved for others, when a Latin or Hispanic athlete joins the ranks of the Billionaire Athletes Club, they will deserve much of the credit.
Check out the stars of Portada’s Sports Marketing Board, who will meet at Portada Miami on April 18-19 to discuss various topics related to the future of marketing and innovation in sports. Register now!
What: Fox Networks Group Latin America is about to launch its app Fox+ in Brazil. Why it matters: Video on demand keeps increasing its relevance throughout Latin America. After successfully launching its app in Argentina and Mexico, Fox will compete against Netflix and HBO in Brazil.
After successfully launching Fox+ in Mexico in February, Fox Networks Group Latin America is taking its app to Brazil in order to compete against other VOD services like Netflix or HBO.
Promotional poster for Gael García Bernal’s ‘Aquí en la tierra’
The app offers basic and premium content packages, including live sports streaming and 11 Fox Channels. Moreover, the offer will include new content like Gael García Bernal‘s new thriller, Aquí en la tierra, which will be evaluated at the Cannes festival in April; and El pantera, a documentary on UFC’s Yair Rodríguez.
Anyone with internet access will be able to reach Fox+ in any device, including smartphones, tablets, Smart TVs, PCs and Laptops.
“Brazil’s viewing habits have been shifting dramatically with more people moving from pay TV to streaming content at a rapid pace,” said Carlos Martinez, president of Fox Networks Group, Latin America (FNGLA) to Variety. According to this media, Brazil’s broadband penetration, essential for streaming content, stands at 29 million households compared to 15.2 million pay TV households.
The monthly subscription fee for Fox+ is US $10 in Mexico and US $11 in Brazil. Martinez told Variety that in its first paid month in Mexico (the first month was free), Fox+ passed 100,000 subscribers and saw at least 400,000 downloads of the app.
What: Ray Flores has become one of the most prominent broadcasters and ring announcers in MMA and boxing. Why it matters: Flores has set a high standard and serves as an outstanding role model for Latinos in the sports broadcasting word, particularly in combat sports.
The sport of mixed martial arts has grown a lot in the last decade. Top stars have become more recognized outside just its main fandom and the UFC, the sport’s leading organization, is covered by most major media outlets, in line with other top leagues.
As a teen growing up in East Chicago, Ind., Ray Flores‘s love of boxing grew from his family’s fandom and frequent gatherings to watch big fights. When a fellow East Chicago native, Miguel Torres, broke into the sweet science (and eventually moved to MMA), the 17-year-old Flores (@SBRFlores) decided to bring his love of combat sports and intrigue with the world of broadcasting together.
“It started at smaller shows, at the Hammond (Ind.) Civic Center, I did a local interview with Miguel, then I started doing commentary for his fights, that was back in 2005,” Flores told Portada this week via telephone from his current Chicago home, in between international trips to cover the sport. “I paid my way to cover fights in Las Vegas, Columbus, wherever, got to meet the UFC people, and finally got to cover my first UFC fight in 2011, Miguel vs. Antonio Banuelos in Las Vegas, UFC 126.”
Flores […] was tabbed last July as the in-arena host for the whirlwind, four-day Floyd Mayweather/Conor McGregor press tour which included stops in Los Angeles, Toronto, Brooklyn and London.
Through this and other experiences, Flores caught the attention of MMA’s most influential executives. It’s led to work as a ring announcer on the fast-growing Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on NBC, ESPN, Fox, FS1 and NBCN, and last June the now 31-year-old was selected as the lead play-by-play commentator for PBC on FS1.
Boxing: His First Love
Flores has kept to his boxing roots as well, as he was tabbed last July as the in-arena host for the whirlwind, four-day Floyd Mayweather/Conor McGregor press tour which included stops in Los Angeles, Toronto, Brooklyn, and London.
And while Flores believes boxing is still supreme among the Hispanic fan base, he thinks that with the right marketing MMA can achieve the same level of success in the community.
“I definitely see going ahead more people getting involved,” he noted. “The UFC is trying to expand to Mexico, Latin America. ‘Goyito’ Perez, Cain Velasquez, they’re out there educating the fan base about what’s going on. With the right marketing, the UFC and Bellator can do that. There’s so many boxing fans, they just need a big star to come to the forefront and mobilize fans towards MMA.”
Though he downplays his role, Flores is paving the way for Hispanics on the broadcasting front in the sport. His work with mainstream outlets like ESPN Radio, CBS, NBC as well as top Hispanic media such as Galavision and Telefutura have gained him acclaim.
“A lot of other people have paved the way,” added Flores, “like [ESPN and ESPN Deportes’] Bernardo Osuna. I’m just trying to carry the torch in combat sports.”
Fans can catch Flores’ work on beIN Sports on February 8 for Roy Jones Jr. vs. Scott Signon, PBC on Fox on February 17 and on Facebook Boxing on February 24 alongside Paulie Malignaggi.
What: Fox Sports will pay over US $3 billion to broadcast NFL’s “Thursday Night Football” for the next five years. Why it matters: With this new deal, the NFL hopes to boost ratings while FOX Sports makes an effort to make up for decreases in ad revenue.
Fox Sports has closed a US $3 billion deal to broadcast “Thursday Night Football” for the next five seasons. This agreement shows Twenty-First Century Fox’s goal of becoming a leader in sports after a drop in advertising revenue. Nevertheless, Fox is optimistic Thursday night football will help Fox’s business growth, as president of the company Peter Rice said on a media call. According to CNBC, Fox will be paying about $60 million per game.
“Football is in our blood at Fox and we understand that nothing beats the NFL when it comes to television that captures people’s attention and defines American culture,” said Rice on the call. “Our historic relationship with the NFL dates back to the earliest days of Fox, and we couldn’t be more excited to expand our deep and enduring partnership to include primetime games on Thursday night.”
The deal allows Fox Sports to broadcast 11 games between weeks 4 and 15. It will be streamed via NFL Network and will be distributed in Spanish on FOX Deportes. NFL Network will also broadcast seven games next season, with FOX producing the full slate of 18 games. It’s the longest broadcast deal for the Thursday games since they began airing on NFL Network in 2006.
Under the new deal, Fox will be able to air its games on mobile phones for the first time, and while the deal is exclusively between the NFL and Fox, they are looking for a digital partner to live-stream the games, Roger Goodell, NFL Commissioner said on the call. In the past, the NFL has partnered with Twitter and Amazon for those rights.
What: Streaming sports platform FuboTV secured US $55 million funding to a total of US $75.6M raised to date. Why it matters: The startup is looking to use this investment to expand its channel lineup and improve its technology.
Led by venture-capital firm Northzone, FuboTV has managed to raise US $55 million with the participation from 21st Century Fox, Sky and Scripps Networks Interactive.
Going from a US $10 a month soccer package, the streaming platform currently sells a US $35 a month, which includes channels from Fox, NBCUniversal and A+E Networks but not Scripps, which owns HGTV and Food Network. But FuboTV is not alone in the market. At the moment the startup faces competition from bigger and more experienced companies such as Sling TV, PlayStation Vue, DirecTV Now, YouTube and Hulu LLC, all with similar prices.
This is not the first time Fox and Sky decide to support FuboTV’s project. Last year the broadcasters helped raise a US $15 million funding round, they most see something big in the 3-year-old company.
The company will be increasing its marketing spend and use the funding also to develop new products that are designed specifically for people watching sports matches and related content.
According to CEO David Gandler, the company will be increasing its marketing spend and use the funding also to develop new products that are designed specifically for people watching sports matches and related content.
What are Latin American users’ favorite sports sites? What were the biggest trends between 2015 and 2016? What impact did the Olympic Games have on the consumption of sports content? The answers to these questions, according to comScore‘s June 2015 and 2016 rankings.
While the quantity of users with access to Internet increased by 11% in June 2016, (in comparison to the same month in 2015), it is interesting to observe how the number of unique visitors in the sports category went down by 6% in the same period. This is no small detail, if we keep in mind that 2016 is the year of the Olympic Games.
Source: comScore Media Metrix, LatAm, Home and Work, PC/Laptop only, 15+, June 2015- June 2016
Unique Visitors (000)
% Growth
Jun-2015
Jun-2016
Total Internet : Total Audience
176.391
195.130
11%
Sports
71.561
66.226
-7%
1
Globo Esportes
14.957
14.352
-4%
2
MSN Sports
10.107
9.931
-2%
3
UOL Esporte
9.648
7.225
-25%
4
Yahoo Sports
5.287
4.034
-24%
5
Marca Sites
3.784
3.941
4%
6
ESPN
4.508
3.737
-17%
7
AS.com Sites
4.538
3.682
-19%
8
Futbol Sites – FSN
4.698
3.608
-23%
9
Terra Sports
5.452
3.391
-38%
10
Goal Sites
3.000
3.243
8%
All of the informed sites on the rankings present a negative trend in June 2016 compared to June 2015, except for those of Marca (a Spanish digital media property that specializes in sports content) and Goal (specialized in soccer).
Brazil’s influence is strong: 33% of traffic in the sports category in June 2016 came from Brazil, whose content is produced in Portuguese.
Finally, it is notable that Fox Sports didn’t make the rankings, seeing that it is so popular in the Southern Cone of Latin America.
If you already read our 2016 brands and agencies guide, don’t miss what Diego Reck (FOX), John Mafoutsis (Viacom), Jeremy Piotraut (Teads.tv), Martín Frontini (Zoomin.TV) and Eugenia Denari (Google) tell us about media trends in the new year.
Translated by Gretchen Gardner
Big Data
Diego Reck, SVP and Chief Marketing Officer at FOX International ChannelsLatin America
“Without a doubt, expectations are high when it comes to the consolidation of “Big Data.” The industry is going through a great deal of changes in the consumption of content and consumers’ habits are evolving faster than the market. People are dedicating more and more time to consuming entertainment, and the demand for new formats, and high-quality “everywhere experiences” is growing quickly. Our focus has shifted from targets by age or socio-economic class to audience groups that are segmented by genres of consumption. For that reason, to be competitive in marketing, we need to know the habits of our audiences to understand where and how to lead them to advertising messages. In this sense, integrating, processing and utilizing all of the data generated by the different media platforms will allow us to be productive and continue bringing the consumer better experiences every day.”
Multiplatform Opportunities
John Mafoutsis, SVP Advertising Sales and Brand Solutions at Viacom International Media Networks Américas
“We know that the way that our audiences consume content is continuously evolving. For that reason, Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) Américas will continue to offer innovative formats and a diverse portfolio of channels and products to generate multiplatform options that respond to the demands of our clients in Latin America. VIMN Américas will continue to invest in original productions and in the creation of content for all of our brands to compete in the multiplatform world with our linear, non-linear, mobile, social and live event products. With these products, brands offer clients an opportunity to be in constant contact with their respective audiences at any time and on any platform.”
Video + Mobile + Programmatic
Jeremy Piotraut,Managing Director at Teads.tv Cono Sur
“There will be an increase in digital investment, sustained by growth in video advertising. Within that growth, native video is taking on an important role thanks to the effort that advertisers have to distribute their videos on a premium level. Today, with the increase in Ad-Blocking(in 2015, for example, blocked videos represented 26% and 23% of advertising time in Chile and Argentina, respectively), it is crucial to strengthen formats that respect the user and generate a safe digital ecosystem with native formats.
The three trends for 2016 will be “video” + “mobile” + “programmatic.”
Online Video and Mobile
Martín Frontini, Managing Director Latam & US Hispanics at Zoomin.TV
“Expectations are high, and even better than they were in 2015. The online market continues to grow from year to year, and there are countries that haven’t even entered the double digits, which means that there is enormous potential compared to developed economies like that of the U.S. or UK, where online has already outgrown TV. Markets like that of Brazil, the biggest in the region, have experienced moderate growth due to political problems and their economic consequences.On the other hand, we expect a significant increase in online video. An increasing number of advertisers are migrating investment from TV to pre-roll, particularly, as the perfect “partner” to achieve appropriate reach and ROI. At the same time, within online, the fact that desktop is losing market share to other devices, principally mobile, is nothing new. This trend is as global as it is regional.”
Online Platforms and Complementarity Between On and Off-Line Media
Eugenia Denari,director of marketing at Google for Argentina, Chile andPeru
“In 2016 everything indicates that the industry will continue on a sustained growth path. This forecast is based primarily on the perspectives of the market, which will continue to grow organically and constantly, with a strong emphasis on complementarity between off and online media and online platforms, which will gain a larger share of the market. Online search will continue to be a central component of online advertising campaigns, but we are going to see a clear evolution focused on efficiency and video and mobile device integration. These will be the largest spaces for innovation in the next years.
At Google, our biggest goal is to continue to be a digital partner and ally for all of the companies that want to take advantage of the Internet as a strategic pillar of their business. Online advertising is an indisputable component of advertising strategy for any brand. No leading company is questioning whether it needs to be online or not. The question is simply how to be online. To us, the current challenge is that the digital element is present in the earliest stages of designing a campaign, whether its in the marketing or advertising department or within an agency.”
Content marketing, mobile marketing, multi-screen and programmatic buying were the biggest highlights of 2015. Here, we share the reflections of Denisse Guerra, Diego Reck, Martín Frontini, Eugenia Denari, Jeremy Piotraut, John Mafoutsis, Martin Jones, Carlos Espindola and Borja Beneyto.
Content Marketing: Integration with Social
According to Denisse Guerra, Regional Marketing Director for Latin America at The Estée Lauder Companies Inc., “banners are a thing of the past, and now brands are looking for ways to engage, which makes much more sense in today’s consumer environment. For that reason, it has been very important for brands to develop native ads, editorial integration and that kind of communication since ad blocking is more and more of a danger to them. It’s also an opportunity to be much more creative with our content.” Diego Reck, SVP and Chief Marketing Officer at FOX International ChannelsLatin America, has a similar opinion, indicating that “one of the most noticeable trends in the marketing and advertising industry in 2015 was a more organic integration of brands into agnostic content for each platform.”
The same trend was observed with respect to audiovisual content. According to Martín Frontini, Managing Director Latam & US Hispanics at MCN Zoomin.TV, “native advertising like ad-hoc web series for advertisers, product placement and branded content are formats that have begun to win a significant share of any advertising budget.”
Finally, as much as social networks are an entity in themselves, what is true is that they tend to be included in content marketing strategies. As Denisse Guerra indicated, “there is no doubt that companies’ social network and CRM campaigns have been the most relevant in 2015. The development of advertising campaigns that are 100% focused on social networks and brands’ e-commerce traffic are what have grown the most in the advertising industry this year.”
Native advertising like ad-hoc web series for advertisers, product placement and branded content are formats that have begun to win a significant share of any advertising budget.
Mobile Marketing: Geolocation and Transactional Advantages
Eugenia Denari, Director of Marketing at Google in Argentina, Chile and Perú, stated that “without a doubt, mobile was a huge protagonist this year.”
And Jeremy Piotraut, Managing Director at Teads.tv Cono Sur, expressed that “today, users spend more and more time on mobile than in front of the television or other devices.”
Everything indicates that mobile marketing, as much as it was one of 2015’s trends, is here to stay.
In the words of Martín Jones, Multibrand Digital Manager at L’Oréal: “Today, everything is about starting with mobile: geolocalization and transactional experiences are the motor for a deepening presence in the mobile world.”
Multi-Screen: PC and Smartphones Media Consumption Jump
As Jeremy Piotraut reminded us, “while television is still an important media outlet, laptops and smartphones now surpass them in consumption time.”
John Mafoutsis, SVP for Advertising Sales and Brand Solutions at Viacom International Media Networks Américas noticed a similar trend, stating: “In 2015 we saw the way that the consumer finds his or her favorite content not just on linear television, but on multiple platforms. thanks to this evolution, advertisers have seen the benefit of offering a combination of paid TV with digital, mobile and live media as a part of a media ‘mix’.”
Martín Jones also sustains that “the video ad forms part of the agenda of any advertiser as an extension of his or her TV campaign, but more than anything for productions that are designed for the digital world (at a lower cost than that of generating a larger volume of content).”
According to Martín Frontini, “without a doubt, there has been an explosion of new formats and advertising channels with the rise of Youtubers, influencers and talents that reach the millennial cluster that is so coveted by brands. In this sense, there is an infinite amount of companies trying to group personalities and channels together with a captive audience that permits the brand to complement its traditional presence in the media, offline as much as online.”
Finally, Eugenia Denari commented, “In 2015, our most important project was to work on speaking to the multi-screen consumer that is constantly interacting with different devices. Our focus was on helping to generate even more integral and effective marketing strategies for new forms of consumption.”
According to Carlos Espíndola, Head of Latin America Digital Center at 3M, “the most noteworthy aspect of 2015 was the adoption of programmatic buying for many advertisers, which continues to be an under-used practice, but which still helped to impact the right audiences and also prioritize the issue of where advertising money is invested. There is still much work to be done, but it is important for us to continue to communicate, evangelize and train technical market teams to understand the impact that this can have on not only audiences but also the efficiency of investments, not only digitally, but also on TV.”
Similarly, Borja Beneyto, VP & Digital Regional Director in Latin America for Starcom MediaVest Group, commented that 2015 “was the year in which disciplines like programmatic buying were implemented, and in which we saw the appearance of new commercial data models oriented towards performance marketing.”
These were the most important trends of 2015 according to those we interviewed. Soon, we will be previewing 2016 with a look at everything those in the advertising industry should keep in mind in the new year.
Portada speaks with some of the key players in multicultural sports marketing to gather insights on their goals and priorities for 2016. Views and forecasts from leaders at Tecate, Amtrak, Elemento, TeamWorks Media, GLR, Fox and AC&M Group.
By Gretchen Gardner
The growing Hispanic market has become increasingly key for American brands’ marketing efforts. But it’s not an easy task to develop a strategy that works for such a diverse, segmented audience. Hispanic Americans hail from such diverse cultures and geographic regions and have different levels of insertion into American culture, making it difficult to group them all into one market.
But one thing is clear: Hispanic-Americans love sports. In fact, a Nielson study indicated that 94% of Hispanics identify themselves as sports fans, while 56% would say they are avid fans. So how are key players in sports marketing making plans for 2016?
In Portada’s conversations with industry executives, there was a consistent mention of the ever-evolving landscape of digital marketing. There is no single platform that commands the attention of the entire Hispanic market, so messages and branding must be distributed among broadcast media, social media, and physical locations like stadiums or arenas.
Futbol and Boxing Dominate
Speaking of stadiums and arenas, two sports have proven to be key: Soccer and boxing.
Gustavo Guerra
Gustavo Guerra, Brand Director for Tecate beer at Heineken USA confirms that the brand is focusing strongly on opportunities in these sports, as it wants “to become synonymous with the biggest games and fights focusing on these moments where fans gather to watch their passion points.” The brand worked on increasing engagement around both sports through bringing the fans physically together, bringing Chivas, the most popular football club in Mexico, for a friendly match in the U.S., hosting online forums for the Mayweather Pacquiao fight, for which Tecate was the exclusive beer sponsor, and hosting viewing parties for other big games or fights.
In 2016, Tecate wants to continue to help fans “have familiar and authentic experiences when they’re enjoying their favorite sport.” Tecate plans to build on the fact that it is the #1 beer in Mexico, and assures us that they’ve “just scratched the surface” in this appeal to Hispanics’ biggest passions.
Language is optional, but relevancy is a must!
Marco López, a partner at agency Elemento L2, agrees that
Marco Lopez
soccer is the key to reaching Hispanic audiences in 2016, as staying “culturally relevant with a compelling story” is key to his agency’s strategy. And what about language? “Language is optional, but relevancy is a must!” Lopez also mentioned the power of insight as an alternative to those who cannot acquire the rights for properties or teams, citing Beats by Dre during the World Cup as an example.
But it’s not all about soccer. Tab Bamford, Business Development
Tab Bamford
Manager at Teamworks Media, a Chicago based Sports Marketing Agency, suggests that their biggest opportunity for 2016 was non-soccer content. “The market is saturated with really good soccer content already, and there are a lot of other sports that Hispanic fans are excited about and engaging with that marketers and sponsors are neglecting,” Bamford said. And not all sports are created equal, as Bamford highlights that “there are nuances that need to be recognized when talking about different sports, much less with different audiences. Being aware of both the macro audiences and the niches is paramount to succeeding.”
The market is saturated with really good soccer content, and there are a lot of other sports that Hispanic fans are excited about that marketers are neglecting.
What’s more, Hispanic sports fans are not just numerous, but also sophisticated and connected, and demand engaging content about the teams they love says Jose Ortega, Director of Digital Media at Fox.
Jose Ortega
Ortega emphasizes Fox’s efforts to engage with Hispanic sports fans “in a more user-friendly way,” providing them with “in-depth articles, behind-the-scenes access, programming grids and results for all the leagues and teams across all sports.” Ortega also highlights the importance of expanding the multi-platform presence, re-launching their website to include “more video and mobile experiences for users.”
Luis Gutierrez
Luis Gutierrez, Vice President of Sales at GLR Networks, the production and distribution arm of PRISA Radio, also spoke of the importance of engaging with Hispanics, not just exposing them to brands, as they continue to provide “great play-by-play spots analysis” for Chivas, and six other teams in the Mexican Liga through coverage by people like DR.Z and Alex Pazos.
Because Hispanic audiences are so passionate about sports, brands
Crystal Hudson
with little connection to sports must find ways to get in on the action. Crystal Hudson , Principal Officer in Sports & Affinity Marketing at AMTRAK says that in 2016, the brand’s biggest opportunities will be in “partnerships with teams and properties that have specific Hispanic marketing initiatives and programs” like the NY Mets with Los Mets and Washington Wizards with Latin Nights. To Hudson, language does present a challenge, though: “sports sponsorships are expensive, so diversifying messages (i.e. using both Spanish and English across assets) becomes very challenging and cost-prohibitive.”
Jaime Cardenas, CEO of AC&M Group, also notes that merely sponsoring sports teams or events for brand exposure is no longer cost or message-effective, as “the main value of a sports sponsorship comes from engaging with fans to expose them to the sponsor’s message, not only on site at games but also at retail, digital and social channels.”
Cost-Effective Alternatives?
While the Olympics, Euro Cup and Copa America Centenario provide many opportunities for sports sponsorships in 2016, like Amtrak’s Hudson, Cardenas acknowledges that not all clients can afford sports sponsorships,and the challenge for 2016 will be to “find creative ways to leverage the heightened awareness to a particular sport or event and turn it into an engagement opportunity for our client’s brand.”
The main value of a sports sponsorship comes from engaging with fans to expose them to the sponsor’s message, not only on site at games but also at retail, digital and social channels.
Jaime Cardenas
Cardenas also speaks about the difficulties associated with customizing messages to targeted fan segments, because “the challenge has always been that the more you customize the message the more expensive it is to produce, and the more waste in terms of exposure.” Instead of giving up on hyper-targeted messages, Cardenas’s agency will be working on delivering those messages through less expensive options.
AC&M is currently exploring one of those options: youth soccer clubs. The agency has found that in terms of ethnicity, household income, age and gender, these clubs hit the mark, providing that magical combination of “content (sport, athlete, league, team, etc.), language (Spanish vs English), and consumer (Mexican, Colombian, Dominican U.S. born, foreign born, moms, millennials, etc)” that so many agencies covet. And it’s no secret that targeting youth is an effective way to spread a message, as young adults are some of the most connected people around.
A seasoned sports agency CEO, Cardenas is well aware of the challenges that 2016 will bring any brand or agency looking to appeal to the Hispanic market. “When you look at how diverse the Hispanic market is, and the number of options available from sports properties and events, it is easy to understand why sports marketing for Hispanics is more complex than for general market. However, we also know that if you find the right mix the results justify why it is important to use sports to connect with Hispanic consumers.” We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.
Alcatel OneTouch’s current Latin American marketing campaign managed by Wikot is an interesting example of a panregional effort that combines Pay-TV, Outdoor and Online Video Advertising with Content Marketing/Social Media efforts. An in-depth look at the Campaign.
Alcatel OneTouch is an Alcatel brand that develops, markets and distributes a range of mobile and Internet products worldwide. Alcatel OneTouch likes to describe itself as the Zara of the mobile industry. As such Alcatel OneTouch has a particularly strong opportunity to capture the Latin American consumer base and Latin America is an important target market.
Pay-TV and Online Video Integrations
“Alcatel OneTouch is one of our panregional clients”, Maria Claudia Posadas, CEO of Wikot tells Portada. “Our latest creative campaign for them was called “Chiguagua” a branding campaign launched initially in the Caribbean and because of the success it had, it was later released panregionally. Currently we have an active panregional media campaign for Alcatel Onetouch , to promote their products locally.”
Alcatel OneTouch also created several integrations with panregional cable properties. Including the company’s tag line “Smart Move” in programs of ESPN such as “Hablemos de Fútbol” and “Fuera de Juego”. The “smart move” segment is a dedicated segment on ESPN studio shows that basically tell the story of the play of the game, day or week that had a strategic component devised by an individual player, team or coach which was perfectly executed on the field of play. Additional integrations were made with Sony Entertainment Television, and MTV. Other channels were paid media was placed on a panregional basis were, Fox Sports, Sony, FX, AXN,Warner and Space.
In addition to Pay-TV channels, the current Alcatel OneTouch Latin American campaign includes Online Video trough properties such as YouTube and Facebook. According to Posadas, “Videos ads are growing really fast in terms of % in our media mix due to our efforts to excel at reaching the target audience. Recently, video ad views through mobile and tablets surpassed desktop and we are very aware of it. We monitor very closely our video campaign performance through YouTube, Facebook, and specific partners.”
Videos ads are growing really fast in terms of % in our media mix due to our efforts to excel at reaching the target audience.
Offline Media with OOH Component
In addition to Pay-TV, and online video advertising, Alcatel OneTouch used another off-line media type: Out of Home: “We focus strongly on creating and building specific audiences and target them with high impact ad units. For offline, we provided an additional out-of-home effort in Central America,” Posadas tells Portada.
Blurring boundaries between Paid and Social
“In Mexico along with MTV, we fully integrated the ALCATEL ONETOUCH® Idol 2 in an On-air / social and digital media campaign as MTV searches for its new VJ.” says Posadas.
The campaign also tried to leverage each mediums advantages. So the below video “Chiguagua” was posted on YouTube and just the final part on the different One Touch Facebook pages in different Latin American countries. According to Posadas, this strategy allowed the campaign to achieve an excellent integration of media, allowing the target to finish the interaction on the Facebook channel of the brand, and a substantial number of interaction and engagement was generated with the target.
Amplification:Content Marketing/Social
Content Marketing today is key to strengthen Latin American, perhaps particularly panregional, advertising campaigns: “Today content marketing has become a neuralgic part of the communication of any brand. Based on a strategy that seeks to achieve the objectives of the brands we handle, Wikot is responsible for the necessary developments associated with it, from Web sites, App Mobile or experimental developments that create a closer relationship between the brand and its target audience,” says Posadas.
Facebook is a key platform in our digital strategy. Creating top-notch engaging content in each specific country becomes essential to build relationships with the local audience.
Posadas, however, emphasizes the importance of paid media in connection with content marketing:”Brand developments must be shown to as many people as possible, so the media investment is very important in order to maximize the message. In Wikot media buying works hand in hand with the strategy to achieve the greatest return on investment.” “Social media and, specifically, Facebook is a key platform in our digital strategy. Creating top-notch engaging content in each specific country becomes essential to build relationships with the local audience. Currently, all Latin American countries have their own Alcatel OneTouch Facebook page,” Posadas concludes.
What: FIFA has decided to extend the TV rights to FOX Sports and Telemundo through until the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Both FOX and Telemundo already had the TV rights to the FIFA 2018 and 2022 World Cup tournaments, but FIFA today announced that the rights have been extended through 2026 for the US broadcasters, while CTV/TSN will have the rights in Canada through 2026. Why it matters: Extending the Soccer World Cup rights of Telemundo and Fox to 2026 is a significant move. The decision may be an attempt by FIFA to “appease” Telemundo and Fox in the case that that the 2022 World Cup in Qatar is hold in Winter. If played in Winter, Soccer World Cup matches could conflict with NFL broadcasts.
The announcement by FIFA is a shocking decision, which raises questions whether newspaper reports of FOX considering a lawsuit against FIFA due to the proposal of the 2022 World Cup being moved from the summer to the winter may have had something to do with the “peace offering” from soccer’s world governing body, WorldSoccerTalk reports. FOX Sports has the English-language rights, while the Spanish-language rights go to Telemundo. At the time of the report, in September 2013, the possibility was floated that FIFA may have considered reducing the amount of money that FOX Sports would pay for the rights ($425 million for World Cup 2018 and 2022) if the World Cup 2022 date was moved. It’s plausible that FIFA may have decided to extend the TV rights to 2026 instead of issuing a discount on its 2018 and 2022 rights fees.
The question is whether FIFA is giving FOX a “peace offering” by extending rights to 2026. There have been reports of FOX considering a lawsuit against FIFA because of its intent to move the 2022 World Cup from summer to winter.
Meanwhile, the TV rights through 2026 includes FIFA World Cup 2018/2022/2026, FIFA Women’s World Cup 2015/2019/2023 as well as the FIFA Club World Cup and FIFA Confederations Cup tournaments.
“We’re very pleased that FIFA allowed us to extend our deal as the exclusive U.S. Spanish-language broadcaster of FIFA World Cup™ tournaments through 2026,” said Joe Uva, Chairman of Hispanic Enterprises and Content, NBCUniversal. “This unprecedented agreement gives our Telemundo and NBC Universo viewers and digital consumers more of the world’s best soccer for the next twelve years.” “We are truly honored that FIFA has elected to extend FOX Sports’ rights to the portfolio of FIFA events including the FIFA World Cup and FIFA Women’s World Cup through 2026,” said FOX Sports spokesman Lou D’Ermilio. “These events are some of the world’s most important sports competitions, and it is our privilege to be entrusted with these rights in the United States. We’re looking forward to the kick-off of FIFA Women’s World Cup 2015 in June with great anticipation.”
The decision by FIFA means that it has given FOX Sports and Telemundo an unprecedented 11 years of exclusive rights in the United States.
“FIFA aims to distribute the highest quality coverage of its international tournaments to as wide an audience as possible,” said a FIFA spokesperson. “FIFA constantly reviews and monitors global market conditions for sports media rights in order to make the best decision for each market. The agreement extensions announced on Thursday were the result of a detailed assessment of the market and discussions with the relevant broadcasters.”
What: MundoFox has new President. Veteran Media Executive Ibra Morales will head the U.S. Hispanic Broadcast Network . Why it matters: MundoFox is a joint venture between RCN and FIC and is challenging the position of Univision and Telemundo. Morales will report to the venture’s board.
Fox International Channels (FIC) and the RCN Television Group (RCN) have announced the appointment of Ibra Morales as President of MundoFox, effective today.
The position of president of MundoFox had been vacant for the last few weeks after the resignation of Emilio Saccone. At the time in a memo to staff, Saccone announced “a very personal decision” to step down from the position on Jan. 15, 2014, “to look at some more entrepreneurial ventures.”
Morales joins MundoFox from the Katz Television Group, where he was Senior Vice President of National Marketing. Previously, Mr. Morales had served as President of the Telemundo Station Group and as Senior Vice President of Sales for Hearst-Argyle Television.
“Ibra is an outstanding executive with a deep understanding of the broadcasting industry in the US and significant experience in sales and distribution. We are truly excited to have him on board,” said Gabriel Reyes, CEO of RCN.
“Since we launched MundoFox in Fall 2012, we’ve said that building a major new U.S. Hispanic broadcast network is a marathon not a sprint. In Ibra, we not only have an experienced television executive but an active marathoner. That’s a great combination,” said FIC CEO Hernan Lopez.
“I’m very excited to be part of building MundoFox into a dominant force in the Hispanic community, the fastest growing sector of the population in the United States,” said Morales. “Our goal is to create a vital environment of news, entertainment and information for our viewers, and attract advertisers who are looking for engaging ways to reach these consumers.”
In December we introduced the Portada Buzz Barometer for Advertisers. Today we are introducing the Portada Media Buzz Barometer. While there should be more than “buzz”, “buzz generation” can be very important for marketing and PR strategies. In this first release of our monthly analysis, Univision, Telemundo, Azteca America, ImpreMedia and EZ Target belong to the media companies with the most positive change in “Buzz”. ESPN and CBS are the entities with the most negative change. We are not comparing the level of buzz of one company compared to the other companies, but comparing a given media company with its own performance over time.
The figures published below show the monthly change in the amount of searches in Google for each of the media companies names. The scale is from 1% to 100% as measured since 2004 until November 30,2012. 0% means no searches and 100% represents the highest amount of searches for the term throughout the whole period.
strong>Below the Portada Buzz Barometer-Media (USH) representing percentage” buzz” changes from October to November 2012 (see Methodology below)
Below the development of each media company measured during the last 11 months measured against itself. The chart below shows the history of each of the national advertisers during the January-November period of 2012.
Performance during January-November 2012
* Data in %
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Ago
Sep
Oct
Nov
Univision
69
66
67
70
73
74
67
74
68
76
90
Telemundo
52
49
55
48
43
52
75
100
59
59
55
Fox
58
54
53
53
53
53
53
54
61
71
92
ABC
80
78
76
68
73
69
67
61
68
86
78
TeleFutura
78
60
45
37
55
34
39
36
35
30
27
CBS
59
53
83
54
47
37
40
49
82
86
72
NBC
21
23
19
20
20
19
46
54
25
29
29
Azteca America
51
53
58
66
66
42
46
45
45
40
68
ESPN
75
59
77
62
59
66
57
63
98
100
81
People en Espanol
50
46
45
50
59
49
47
51
48
43
45
Meredith
38
43
38
39
40
42
43
39
38
38
36
Televisa
22
21
24
24
26
27
29
33
23
23
27
ImpreMedia
41
39
35
37
23
37
23
20
22
25
43
Entravision
31
29
30
33
33
34
24
25
22
28
22
Google
80
80
81
82
83
79
78
80
85
98
97
Yahoo!
22
22
20
26
23
19
26
21
18
15
17
Terra
48
40
38
34
34
32
32
32
34
31
29
MSN Latino
74
66
61
66
65
67
59
57
59
57
53
AOL Latino
91
84
67
74
66
54
41
36
35
36
34
Orange
93
90
91
91
93
94
100
90
83
81
80
Batanga
35
33
33
33
35
34
29
29
30
26
27
EZ Target Media
53
55
51
41
48
42
42
43
44
43
65
Hola
60
60
60
59
62
66
67
69
68
62
66
Networks
35
37
34
33
34
32
31
32
33
33
31
Audience Science
32
62
47
43
49
47
33
55
52
53
46
Tribal Fusion
32
41
32
33
32
32
32
30
31
25
28
Methodology: How we measure “Buzz”
Our Barometer measures the monthly percentage change in influence (buzz) that the top Hispanic media companies generate on a monthly basis on the Internet. Buzz is measured by the amount of times the name of the media company was used in Google searches during a given month, compared to the amount of searches it generated a month before. The measure does not compare the media companies between them, but a given media company with its own past performance. Again, this is is not a comparison between the companies but of the same company versus its own performance the month before. The study was made with data from Google Trends. The performance of each media company has been tracked since 2004 until November 30, 2012.
Portada Buzz Barometer February 2012 Data to be released in two weeks.
Oath has elevated Rose Tsou, head of Oath Asia Pacific, to head of international for the business to drive strategic growth for the company across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Latin America and APAC.
Michael Nuzzo has been appointed senior vice president, executive creative director by United Entertainment Group (UEG). Nuzzo previously spent seven years at digital marketing agency 360i.
Former Televisa and Univision Chief Content officer, Isaac Lee has formed an ambitious new company called Exile Content and he has acquired Mexican production services company Redrum.
Publicis Media’s global Commerce Practice has appointed Amy Lanzi as its regional commerce lead in Americas. She joins from Omnicom’s retail marketing agency TPN.
Former White House communications officer, Hope Hicks, has been named executive vice president and chief communications officer at Fox. She will assume her new position after the Disney-Fox merger is complete next year.
Brian O’Kelley will step down from his role as chief executive of AppNexus to take on a role in an advisory capacity just months after the adtech business was acquired by AT&T.
According to Nielsen, Saturday’s 2018 FIFA World Cup Quarterfinal matches delivered FOX with an average of 5,664,000 viewers, making this the most-watched day of Quarterfinal action since at least 1990. The Croatia/Russia encounter averaged 6,317,000 viewers on the channel, while England’s win over Sweden got 4,763,000 viewers. Twitter had its best day ever across FOX Sports accounts, with 13.7 million views.
Pinnacle Financial Partners Inc. has signed a partnership as a corporate sponsor of Nashville SC. This is Pinnacle’s third sports-focused partnership, after sponsoring the Tennessee Titans and Memphis Grizzlies.
And while Flores believes boxing is still supreme among the Hispanic fan base, he thinks that with the right marketing MMA can achieve the same level of success in the community.
Fox Sports has closed a US $3 billion deal to broadcast “Thursday Night Football” for the next five seasons. This agreement shows Twenty-First Century Fox’s goal of becoming a leader in sports after a drop in advertising revenue. Nevertheless, Fox is optimistic Thursday night football will help Fox’s business growth, as president of the company Peter Rice said on a media call. According to CNBC, Fox will be paying about $60 million per game.
The deal allows Fox Sports to broadcast 11 games between weeks 4 and 15. It will be streamed via NFL Network and will be distributed in Spanish on FOX Deportes. NFL Network will also broadcast seven games next season, with FOX producing the full slate of 18 games. It’s the longest broadcast deal for the Thursday games since they began airing on NFL Network in 2006.
portant for brands to develop native ads, editorial integration and that kind of communication since ad blocking is more and more of a danger to them. It’s also an opportunity to be much more creative with our content.”
rting with mobile: geolocalization and transactional experiences are the motor for a deepening presence in the mobile world.”
The announcement by FIFA is a shocking decision, which raises questions whether newspaper reports of FOX considering a lawsuit against FIFA due to the proposal of the 2022 World Cup being moved from the summer to the winter may have had something to do with the “peace offering” from soccer’s world governing body,
