Tecate VP Marketing on Tapping the Big Game to Reach Hispanics: Q&A

Marketers for the Tecate and Tecate Light brands have worked hard to stay in touch with their target audience—the U.S. Hispanic consumer—through a successful sports marketing program that ties to major sporting events, like its long-term sponsorship of boxing, its 12-year deal with a local California racing event and the upcoming Big Game on Feb. 3. For weeks around the events it runs national retail and off-premise events and promotions. This year’s annual program is underway through Feb. 15 with the slogan, “A Man Knows How to Choose His Team.” It plays to the core message that choosing Teacte celebrates the Hispanic man’s boldness and “cáracter” and provides chances to win tailgating products, discounts and … of course beer.

The multi-touch promotion includes mail-in and instant rebates for savings on salty snacks and other products, a text-in sweepstakes offering branded tailgating chairs and rolling coolers, an in-store coupon booklet and plenty of in-bar fun. Felix Palau, vice president of marketing for Tecate, opens up about this year’s plans.

CHIEF MARKETER: Why American football?
PALAU: In 2011, over 33 million Hispanics watched NFL games, making it the most viewed season by Hispanics in NFL history, according to Mintel Sports Marketing. In addition, over 10.4 million Hispanics watched the Super Bowl in 2011, representing an increase of more than 2 million viewers. The Tecate equity aims to leverage Hispanics’ passion for football and the natural drinking occasion that the sport presents.

CM: How is your slogan “A Man Knows How to Choose His Team” a reference to Tecate and Tecate Light?
PALAU:Tecate equity targets men with carácter and in that definition are men who are confident about their decisions, whether it is football teams or their choice of beer.

CM: What is the goal of the cross-merchandise and consumer promotions will be taking place off-premise?
PALAU: All of these are designed to ensure that football fans have everything they need at a viewing party at home or a tailgating event.

CM: How does the retail program “fall in line” with your successful sports marketing platform?
PALAU: In 2012 we placed a greater emphasis on incorporating a bilingual component to our sports-related efforts. From our ad campaign to P-O-P, we communicate in both languages because we understand that our target consumer is comfortable in both and does not want to be pigeonholed into one category or the other. Similar to last year’s retail football program, all of our 2012 P-O-P materials are bilingual and the text-in sweepstakes is in both languages.

CM: This is an annual program, have you added any new components or refreshed the program this year in anyway?
PALAU: Yes, we’re always looking to refresh our programs and provide our consumers and retail partners with new elements. The big difference from last year’s program is the addition of a mobile component. We all know that Hispanics over-index in mobile use. To capitalize on this trend we are offering consumers a text-in sweepstakes for the opportunity to win branded tailgating solutions. Prizes include Tecate football grills, Tecate rolling coolers, official Tecate tailgating chairs and for the first time, Chicas Tecate Football Bobble Head Dolls.

CM: Anything new at retail?
PALAU: From a P-O-P standpoint, we are debuting big towers that look like a football player’s locker and feature life-sized photos of the Chicas Tecate. We also have price cards, tuck cards and cooler decals, prominently featuring Chicas Tecate decked in Tecate-red or Tecate Light-blue outfits. Product shots of Tecate and Tecate Light bottles and cans will be featured at off-premise locations throughout the country.

CM: How is social media fitting in?
PALAU: We are promoting the coupons, including the partnership with Delimex on the Tecate Facebook page and encouraging consumers to participate in the text-in contests at their local stores.

CM: How do you determine the results of the program?
PALAU: There are several performance indicators that factor in to the success of the program including the number of participants in the sweepstakes, how many off-premise accounts feature the program and how many consumers we’re able to reach through the P-O-P and text-in components.

CM: Beer is obviously a very competitive category. How do you, throughout the entire year, keep your brand top of mind for the U.S. Hispanic consumer?
PALAU: We make it a point to only align ourselves with sports that intrinsically share the same characteristics of our brand and our consumers, the most important of which is carácter. We then help fans celebrate their passion for that sport—whether it is football or boxing–through a 360-degree approach that includes thematic promotions, sweepstakes, on- and off-premise activities and/or onsite consumer engagement. By being consistent in our platforms and doing what we can to help adult consumers feel closer to their favorite sport, we keep the brand top of mind amongst our target.