Marketing to the Hispanic Demographic: A Case Study in Major League Baseball

Marketing to the Hispanic Demographic: A Case Study in Major League Baseball According to the 2010 U.S. Census, a rough estimate of the current Hispanic population in the U.S. is 16.3% of the total population roughly 50.5 Million residents. Hispanics also currently have $1.5 Trillion in buying power. This number is only expected to grow at an exponential rate in the near future, and marketers need to understand what this means and how to prepare to market to the Hispanic demographic. Marketers need to be able to answer the vital question: "How do I market effectively to Hispanics?" Major League Baseball was chosen as the reference point for examples of how to market to Hispanics due to the large number MLB players that identify as Hispanic. MLB has recognized that their fans like to identify with players that look like them or know and understand their culture. Hispanic fans continue to grow a strong connection to the team and players through the common denominator of culture. Careful investigation of secondary sources, and direct interviews with front office employees from seven different Major League Baseball franchises allowed for a set of overall conclusions to be formed. The overall conclusions formulated were: the need to incorporate language, traditions, family, and above all culture into marketing when seeking to target Hispanics. The most successful teams who have implemented great Hispanic marketing initiatives have hired specific employees who are bilingual and bicultural. Hiring these employees and encouraging creativity and innovation is ultimately what will bring about success in marketing efforts. The last conclusion formulated was that the utmost important fact to remember is that marketing efforts need to show individuals being targeted that the institution targeting them cares about them as people in a sincere manner.