Reaching Hispanic Consumers Through Soccer

USA - English

• Latin America - español

HILLSBOROUGH, N.C., Sept. 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- As the Hispanic population in the United States continues to grow, a business' ability to connect with this market is becoming more important than ever.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101215/CL17927LOGO ) 

AC&M Group and Sports Endeavors, Inc. (better known as SOCCER.COM/Eurosport) are continuing to develop their business relationships with the Hispanic community. Both SOCCER.COM/Eurosport and AC&M know how to relate with and identify the needs of the soccer-loving Hispanic community. These companies believe that connections are forged with relevant cultural links and quality products. A major cultural link is the Hispanic community's passion for soccer, including national teams, professional leagues and recreational play.

SOCCER.COM/Eurosport is the leading soccer retailer in the United States and in 2007, expanded its products (catalog and website) to accommodate the growing Hispanic population. 20 percent of Eurosport's market is Hispanic. Spanish-speaking fans can shop through SOCCER.COM/espanol and browsing the Eurosport en Espanol catalog with over one million copies distributed annually. SOCCER.COM/Eurosport's expansive network, which includes catalog, website, retail affiliates, social media and grassroots teams, has helped corporate partners reach Hispanic soccer fans in ways that no other media can.

"The competitive advantage of working with an agency like AC&M is that not only do they understand the Hispanic and general market well, their forte is helping companies invested in soccer to connect with soccer fans," Vicente Navarro, director of Hispanic marketing at Eurosport said. "What makes them effective is that they're soccer fans themselves, therefore their message is relevant and unique. In the past we've been challenged to identify agencies that have that soccer knowledge, especially targeting the Hispanic market, which is by far our fastest growing segment. AC&M has those qualities, they understand our network. We have done successful campaigns with Panini Cards at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, American Airlines and Pepsi, among others."

AC&M, a Hispanic marketing agency, was founded in 2004 as an entrepreneurship experiment in the basement of Wake Forest University's Business Incubator. This experiment came to life after founder and CEO Jaime Cardenas and marketing director Alfredo Amparan Garza graduated from Wake Forest's MBA program and created a successful business plan. They earned their first official client (Batanga) in 2005, and haven't looked back. Some of AC&M's clients include Stanley-Black&Decker, Fox Deportes, American Airlines, Pepsi and Major League Soccer.

"As a cultural marketing agency, our partnership with Eurosport has give us a unique competitive advantage," Jaime Cardenas, CEO and founder of AC&M said. "We can connect with soccer fans in the U.S. using soccer insights and a variety of touch points that only Eurosport can deliver. Our clients have seen unprecedented ROI with our soccer programs."

For more information about expanding your business' outreach and advertising opportunities with SOCCER.COM/Eurosport and AC&M, visit AC&M's website at acmconnect.com. To browse SOCCER.COM/Eurosport's materials, visit soccer.com/mediakit for information in English and Spanish. Social media is an undeniable necessity in reaching consumers, and soccer fans can interact with each other and SOCCER.COM/Eurosport at facebook.com/soccerdotcom and at twitter.com/soccerdotcom.

About SOCCER.COM/Eurosport: Founded in 1984, Sports Endeavors, Inc., (better known as SOCCER.COM/Eurosport), is the world's leading e-commerce site for soccer. The Eurosport catalog is the most widely distributed soccer publication in the United States. SOCCER.COM/Eurosport is committed to promoting soccer at all levels, and to educate players, referees and their families about the game and its equipment. Sports Endeavors also operates leading online retail sites for lacrosse and rugby: lacrosse.com and worldrugbyshop.com.

About AC&M: AC&M is a leading marketing and communications firm based in Charlotte, N.C. and specializes in using cultural insights to connect with Hispanic and soccer consumers. Founded in 2004 as an entrepreneurship experiment in the basement of Wake Forest University's Business Incubator, AC&M is proud to have a deep understanding of the Hispanic and soccer culture. AC&M is committed to helping companies understand, reach and communicate with the blossoming Hispanic market.

SOURCE Sports Endeavors, Inc.