May 8, 2009, 7:00 am

The Marketing of Mark Sanchez to Hispanic Fans
By Toni Monkovic

Mark Sanchez could be a double threat. He could help the Jets win and win over new fans, particularly among Hispanics. He may even be able to sell a few personal-seat licenses for Woody Johnson.



Mark Sanchez has the top-selling jersey among the N.F.L. draftees.

But winning is the best advertising, so how much time and effort should the Jets and Sanchez expend on wooing Hispanic fans?

The Jets have said “they don’t have to do anything contrived” — they can just let it happen.

To look into this a little more, I posed some questions via e-mail to Adam Jacobson, associate editor of Hispanic Sports Business, and these are his responses:

Soccer and baseball are commonly thought to be the sports with the broadest appeal to Hispanics. How popular is Sanchez in the Hispanic community, and can the Jets and the N.F.L. convert that into dollars?

Sánchez has become extremely popular among Hispanics in Southern California, in particular Mexican-Americans who have embraced him as one of their own. In many ways Sánchez has already reached the level of support from the Latino community in Los Angeles that Oscar de la Hoya enjoyed at the height of his popularity. Granted, being a USC quarterback — and a successful one at that — is a big plus. But the Jets have a tremendous opportunity to capitalize on his popularity already by making the Jets the team of Latino America.

The Raiders are the NFL team of choice among Latinos in Southern California, without a doubt. But if the Raiders continue their poor performance and Sanchez can lead the Jets to a Super Bowl berth, there’s a good chance the Raiders’ fan support could see some erosion.


New York would appear to be an ideal market for Sanchez. But it has
large populations of Dominicans and Puerto Ricans, and the Mexican community isn’t nearly so large by comparison. Dominicans and Puerto Ricans won’t necessarily identify with Sanchez, correct? Is there a
market where Sanchez could have made a bigger impact?

There is no bigger market where Sanchez can make an impact than in New York. The Jets’ signing of Sanchez and the fact he is Mexican-American have little to do with the enormous potential in the U.S. Latino marketplace for the Jets. Dominicans and Puerto Ricans have little if anything to do with what the Jets are up to — they are targeting Latino fans not only in the five boroughs but in Northern New Jersey, for starters. Now, they have a national figure to promote the team in such far-flung places as Van Nuys, Albuquerque, San Antonio and even Yakima. The question is if the Jets understand this and know how to take advantage of this national marketing opportunity. With Sanchez, I believe the Jets are now a national team in the same sense that the Cowboys are.

How would a Jets game in Mexico City go over? Will some feel he’s not “Mexican enough”? He’s third-generation Mexican and only recently became fluent in Spanish by taking courses.

How would a Giants game go over in London? Again, the fact that Sanchez is Mexican-American doesn’t mean that the Jets are now the default Latino team. In Mexico, the Jets would have little if any fan interest. The NFL fan in Mexico City roots for the Cowboys, Steelers, Raiders or Dolphins thanks to the availability of those teams’ games in Mexico in the 1970s.

And if any NFL fan roots for a team because they have a Mexican, or Australian, or Filipino on the squad, they are an odd football fan. Most fans I know root for a team because of local roots, tradition, quality and passion. If the Dolphins went out and got a big Hispanic player, that wouldn’t make a bit of difference to the thousands of Latino fans in South Florida that have cheered on the team for years.

Your referenced a “national marketing opportunity” for the Jets.
But they have said that they won’t go out of their way to engage the Hispanic audience. They’ve said that it should happen naturally, organically. Are they making a mistake? What marketing advice would
you give them?

I have not had any contact with the Jets regarding the selection of Mark Sanchez, and as there is no signed contract yet, we are taking a hands-off approach. Sports is a business, and we cover the business of reaching the Hispanic sports fan. Sure, it’s great for Latinos to have a Mexican-American quarterback, but if he plays like a third-stringer and not the potential superstar he is, he’ll be shipped out to another team desperate for help as a QB and stung as a “Big Apple Bust.”

I think it is premature to determine whether or not the Jets will go out of their way to engage Hispanic audiences. But a natural or organic approach to bringing in Latino fans may be akin to saying a prayer before bedtime and hoping they’ll pay attention to you.

That’s not the way to do it. If you want to truly bring in the Latino fan, take a page out of the Mets and Yankees marketing approach and get into the community, actively engage the Hispanic sports fan and give them a reason to devote their time with you.

If you just assume Hispanics come along for the ride, you become arrogant and cocky as an organization and you don’t win over the Latino fan. At least show you respect this audience when asking for their time and money.

Perhaps the Jets are worried that endorsements and fan outreach will be a distraction for Sanchez. Boomer Esiason has advised him to stick to football until he establishes himself. What responsibility do
Sanchez’s marketing representatives have to sacrifice dollars so that he has the best chance to succeed on the field?

I don’t see why a rookie QB can’t be actively involved in fan outreach and team marketing. Why not? As far as endorsements go, I saw Matt Leinart — another highly touted USC quarterback — become a super-hot commodity in Arizona in January 2008, after the Cardinals made him the starting QB. That was a disaster as he raked in the dollars and advertisers had to deal with his poor performance and subsequent demotion in this past season, as the Cardinals went to the Super Bowl with Kurt Warner as the starter.

It’s up to the player to be mature and decide whether or not an endorsement deal or two or 22 will be disruptive. Boomer can advise him all he wants on what to do, but it is ultimately Sanchez who must shove away the opportunities that his representatives will be putting in front of him.


Source:http://fifthdown.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/08/the-marketing-of-mark-sanchez-to-hispanic-fans/

Mostly all kinds of Americans love a winner, and don't tolerate losers for too long. He'll have to deliver games in the win column. I'm surprised by loyalty of Mex-American fans to a guy like De La Hoya who stopped delivering years and years ago. This guy hasn't played game one so hard to say that he will have any appeal, but good luck to him and the Jets.

He is Mexican.

Why should I care?

I would not call him Latino anymore. He is a 3rd generation which means his grandpa was Latino everybody else after that is just not. He had to learn Spanish in school because he couldn't even speak it. If i see a Mexican player in the NFL then i would support it like Dominican players in baseball who actually grew up in DR and came in at the end thats what i would call a Latino player other than that is using marketing for their own benefit.

I'd have to now more about his views and interests before I kicked him out of the 'Latino' club Even if he comes to Spanish language later in life we don't know what his household was like growing up, what holidays he celebrated and what foods his family ate when they got together. It could be he is one of those funny ones who can understand evry last word of Spanish spoken to them, but can't get their mouths to speak it

Did he grow up in Southern Cali or just play there?

Again I ask:

He is Mexican.

Why should I care?

I am sick and tired of idiots thinking we are all one big happy hispanic family.

Jeez....Look at a map. Those borders are there for a reason.

I have very little in common with Mexicans. Ancestry, History, culture, food. politics..........very Little. I have more in common with Europeans than Mexicans.

I could care less about this overhyped player. Not to mention he will be playing for the Jets which makes him even less of a human being in my book.

LMAO !

I guess different strokes for different folks anthonyC ... I personally identify more with a fellow American with Spanish-speaking family in his background than I would with say a French QB. But in the end as I said above, I identify most with the guy leading my teams to victory.

You might be a Chopo if:


If you live in NY and are a Jets fan instead of a Giants fan then you might be a Chopo.

If you live in NY and are a Mets fan instead of a Yankee Fan then you might be a Chopo.

If you live anywhere, including Oakland, and are a Raiders Fan then you might be a Chopo.

If you are a Patriots fan then you are just an A-Hole

Sanchez is a very knowledgeable player and knows a lot about the game. So pray to god this pans out correctly. LETS GO JETS!!!

how about marketing Felix Sanchez that is a marketing gimmick