• by Karl Greenberg , October 11, 2011

Executives from Pepsi, Black & Decker, and Travelers held forth about marketing to Hispanics and women as part of a panel in the latter half of Advertising Week on sports marketing.

Travelers has been focusing on women around the PGA Travelers Championship since learning from a survey in 2007 that 75% of fans are men in their Fifties. "We knew we had to attack a broader demographic," said Jennifer Wislocki, second VP of corporate communications. She said the company created Fan Zones focused on families, and a women's day with speakers, events, tutorials and the like. "The other thing we did was that, since some women just aren't used to attending golf [events], was to create Golf 101, a quick tutorial on the dos and don'ts of watching golf."

Mark Rooks, marketing director at Pepsi Sports Marketing, said that since about 50% of its user base is female, and women are the majority shopper for Pepsi products, even sports programming is targeted to women. "Ninety percent of the time we have to think about who is making the purchase," he said. "Our message is male-led and male-driven, but we also try to appeal to the shopper mom."

He said that Pepsi's focus on women tends to be at point of purchase. "The Super Bowl is a great example. It's the No. 1 party occasion, so we develop that program from the female insight," he said. "When I'm in a grocery store I will see that the point of purchase program feels very broad and welcoming, even though its male-dominated advertising."

Tool company Stanley Black & Decker has had to rethink its traditional strategy of focusing on white guys and white contractors and shifting toward a more Hispanic audience. Jon Howland, the Towson, Md.-based company's director of sports marketing, said that when B&D launched its DeWalt division in 1992, the reliable strategy was to "hire college frat presidents to drive big pickup trucks, and market around Hooters NASCAR and Professional Bull Riding.

“It was targeted toward the Anglo contractor. Today, though, any numbers you see about Hispanics is that they are on the job site, they are 30% of contractors on commercial and residential jobs and not just in Texas or California."

Howland said the company had to take a culturally relevant approach to converting these contractors to DeWalt. "We now have teams who are retired Hispanic contractors, with instant credibility. We also shift spend from NASCAR to some extent."

Thus, DeWalt is now a very visible brand in boxing via a deal with Golden Boy Promotions, and was recently involved in promoting the Floyd Mayweather, Jr. versus Victor Ortiz fight. The company has also shifted marketing dollars to soccer and sponsors the Hispanic Contractor Association.