Beer Brand Tecate Working To Make Mayweather-Pacquiao Sponsorship Pay Off

Beer brand Tecate recently won the bidding rights over Corona to sponsor the May 2 Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Manny Pacquiao fight, but now the "pressure is on to make the expensive deal pay off," according to E.J. Schultz of AD AGE. Heineken-owned Tecate paid $5.6M for the rights, outbidding Corona's $5.2M. There is "plenty of potential upside," as Tecate "believes the fight could draw upwards of 4 million homes on pay-per-view and at least 33 million total viewers." Tecate Brand Dir Gustavo Guerra said, "There is no doubt this is going to be the fight of the century." But Schultz wonders if the sponsorship is "worth the cost." Tecate will "have its name featured in the center ring and splashed throughout the arena at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas," but the "key to getting the most bang for the sponsorship buck rests in the marketer's ability to gain attention in the weeks leading up to the fight." Tecate on that front is "seeking to amplify its exposure with a social media campaign, retail executions and by sponsoring viewing parties at 200 or more bars and restaurants." Tecate, from yesterday through May 3, will "solicit opinions on the fight on social media via the hashtag 'MyBoldOpinions.'" Select fan posts "will be used in digital videos starring Sylvester Stallone and renowned boxing commentator Larry Merchant." The campaign is by Saatchi & Saatchi. Most of the "on-the-ground marketing -- including outdoor advertising and retail programs -- will run in five states where Tecate gets a large percentage of sales and where the brand is targeting so-called bicultural Hispanic-Americans: California, Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona and Texas." Tecate also will "run a sweepstakes with prizes including tickets to the fight or getting the pay-per-view for free," and will "cover its sponsored viewing parties in branding" (ADAGE.com, 4/7).