Sports Marketing: Modelo Looks To Grow Brand Presence In Las Vegas Through Raiders Sponsorship
By Alan Snel of LVSportsBiz.com
Beer and sports.
The partnerships go way back way.
It’s reached the point where teams have multiple beer sponsor partners, like the Las Vegas Raiders which publicly named Modelo as its official “cerveza” today.
Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi is also the official wine of the Raiders.
LVSportsBiz.com contacted Modelo and its owner, Constellation Brands, to find out why Modelo is interested in the Las Vegas market. Here’s our Q-and-A with Rene Ramos, vice president of field, lifestyle and experiential marketing at Constellation Brands, owner of the Modelo and Woodbridge brands.
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LVSportsBiz.com: Why are the Raiders team and stadium a good fit as a sponsorship partner?
Rene Ramos: Modelo is the No. 1 beer in Las Vegas with still a ton of runway to go. We believe the Raiders coming to town to play in a brand-new stadium provides an opportunity to supercharge Modelo not only in Las Vegas but in Nevada. As part of the inaugural year, we are excited to offer a limited-edition Modelo Especial 24oz can this October to welcome the team to their new hometown and the stadium’s technology will create unique Modelo experiences on-site for fans. For Woodbridge, the Raiders provide us an opportunity to reach a younger legal drinking age wine consumer during a key wine selling season and drive consideration across a variety of touchpoints that wine hasn’t traditionally played in. This partnership will set us apart from other wines priced in the same tier when consumers see it in the marketplace.
LVSB: I notice Modelo’s sponsorship with Amanda Nunes — what kind of business partnership do you envision with UFC, based here in Las Vegas?
RR: We’re proud to be the Official Beer of the UFC and be able to align with champion fighters like Amanda Nunes and Stipe Miocic. The UFC has been a great partner and is a seamless fit because we share values around hard work, perseverance, resilient attitude and celebration – all of which is part of our “Fighting Spirit” mantra. They provide a platform that allows for integrated programming that deepens our connection with our core Hispanic consumer, generates more general market awareness as their fanbase continues to explode and drives consideration for Modelo. We will continue to develop consumer focused programming that that delivers a Modelo UFC experience whether you’re at a UFC event, at a bar or sitting at home watching the fights.
LVSB: How would you rate the Las Vegas sports market as a viable market for Modelo’s sports sponsorship expansion?
RR: Las Vegas has always had a strong reputation for being a great sports market from a fanhood perspective. With the Raiders and Allegiant Stadium, now residents can quench their thirst for professional sports in their backyard as Las Vegas becomes a major player in the sports landscape. As top brands in the marketplace, Modelo and Woodbridge are excited to hype up the excitement for their hometown football team.
LVSB: What’s it like competing against so many other beers in the beer category in the sports industry?
RR: It’s a competitive space that requires us to be focused. We can’t sign every deal that comes our way. Based on that we look for fewer, bigger, and bolder partnerships that will tell our brand story while delivering our business objectives across marketing and sales. We know when you combine the right brand in our portfolio with the right partner and with strong execution you create something special for our distributor partners, retailers and consumers.
LVSB: I notice the “official cerveza” designation outside of the “official beer” category for the Raiders — is this an attempt to capture the many Hispanic fans of the Raiders, especially Hispanic fans from the metro LA and Bay markets?
RR: Since coming to the U.S. nearly 30 years ago, our Modelo beers continue to be brewed and imported from Mexico. Describing Modelo as an official cerveza is an authentic nod to our rich Mexican heritage. Only Modelo can claim it for the Raiders and we know that both our core Hispanic consumer and General Market consumer will get the nod to our roots.
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