MiLB is taking its Hispanic marketing campaign national in ’18 after a debut late last season in four pilot markets. The return of Es Divertido Ser Un Fan (“It’s Fun To Be A Fan”) as an organization-wide effort this season arrives with the creation of a trophy called the Copa De La Diversion (“Fun Cup”) that will be awarded to the club deemed to have the best Hispanic outreach program during the year. Similar to pilot efforts in ’17 with Triple-A teams in Las Vegas and Charlotte and Single-A teams in Kane County (Ill.) and Visalia (Calif.), this year’s campaign will involve a series of special theme nights, customized jerseys and hats and temporary nickname shifts that seek to tie into the club’s local Hispanic communities. Those alternate monikers will be announced next month. MiLB has created a three-foot trophy that will travel around to participating clubs this spring and summer. At season’s end, one club will be awarded the trophy based on a combination of fan, MiLB and individual club input. “We’re continuing to see sizable gains among Hispanics among our players, youth participation, and our paying attendance,” said MiLB VP/Marketing Strategy & Research Kurt Hunzeker. “So the time is right for us to push this campaign to a bigger level.” More than 17% of MiLB’s fan base last year was Hispanic. The ongoing development of Es Divertido Ser Un Fan stands as a key pillar in MiLB’s overarching goal to reach 50 million in annual attendance by ’26. Thirty-three clubs, covering a wide range of classifications, geographies and market sizes, are slated to participate this season in the program. MiLB also expects to have a presenting sponsor for the Copa De La Diversion in place by April, and individual teams will also be selling against the program. Game-used Copa De La Diversion caps and jerseys additionally will be auctioned off this fall, with proceeds donated to local Hispanic charities.
