Perspective on U.S. Hispanics

At SOBO Concepts, we work with all types of brands, but the Hispanic market is certainly a top specialty. We have a unique perspective: running the top online store Surropa.com, plus years of experience that includes leading licensing efforts for Reebok and NBA Latin America, building a multi-million-dollar retail sporting goods franchise in Central/South America and the Caribbean, and founding a top Latin American e-commerce sports portal. We understand that this market is anything but one-size-fits-all, and our work reflects that premise.

This excellent article from AdAge is worth a read for marketers focused on the U.S. Hispanic population or looking to incorporate this target as part of an overall strategy. You’ll find great stats on this diverse and rapidly growing segment of the country’s population.

Sample work: Novecento

Novecento t-shirt celebrating 2010 World Cup, created by SOBO Concepts

 

Novecento, “900″ in Spanish, is an Argentine restaurant with four of its international locations in Miami. It’s a casual elegant European-style bistro combining spirit of two sister cities, Buenos Aires and New York: 

New York, Miami, Buenos Aires, Punta del Este, Cordoba…no matter which Novecento you step into, the food and the atmosphere is always consistent. The menu varies from its original classic Argentinean to include Mediterranean and Latin American cuisine. 

  

Recently, Novecento came to SOBO Concepts wanting an original t-shirt to help them celebrate the World Cup. We designed this handsome black tee, featuring the shape of the World Cup trophy filled with quotes from players and names of Argentine food and brands. The back features the number 9 for Novecento.   

SOBO Concepts adds new destination to ANTIQUES ROADSHOW tour

We’re happy to announce that fans of Antiques Roadshow® have a new place to treasure-hunt – at SOBO store www.antiquesroadshowgear.com. Although the store was recently launched, it’s part of an exclusive licensing agreement we inked with Antiques Roadshow a couple of months ago. SOBO Concepts has been looking forward to announcing the news, which happens to coincide with the Miami Beach tour stop, for those of you who live here in South Florida. 

The all-new Fan Wear is sold online at www.antiquesroadshowgear.com, which is also available from a new virtual shop on the Antique’s Roadshow website. Fans can shop a selection of t-shirts, soon to be expanded with polos, hats and bags. A portion of every purchase will help support public broadcasting. We’re thrilled to help Antiques Roadshow extend its brand in such a personal and visible way, connecting with loyal and passionate fans. 

Antiques Roadshow Fan Wear store – powered by SOBO Concepts

With the exclusive agreement, SOBO Concepts manages everything from creating the online store to designing and manufacturing the products, fulfilling the orders and providing customer service.  

 

For all the details, you can read our news release.

How to engage your Hispanic fans

Sharing this interesting blog post: How to engage your Hispanic fans, with some great points on this growing demographic.

Just last week in an interview with the South Florida Business Journal, we spoke about this topic as it relates to our Surropa.com store and SOBO Gear brand, whose customers are U.S. Hispanics and anyone who appreciates Latin American culture and style. We really understand this market and are a leader in the space. Our goal is to appeal to all generations, with the understanding that the first-generation who ”gets” certain slang and references is different than the second- and third-generation who may not even speak Spanish – yet appreciate the products and pop culture influence. This blogger summarizes a similar point, as shared by Armando Rayo, and others we agree are super important in our work with Latin brands and/or in reaching a U.S. Hispanic audience.

Miller Lite World Cup jersey in action

  

This just in: “Ben Frias” spotted in grocery store! 

 

Our friends at Miller sent some photos of in-store promotions complete with Miller Lite’s World Cup jersey, created by SOBO Concepts, and the famous Miller Girls.

 

Shopping with a side of culture nationwide

SOBO has linked up with lifestyle planner, Fábrika, to power the Qué Pasa? section of our online apparel and accessories store, Surropa.com. The addition is a hub for Surropa customers, U.S. Hispanics and people nationwide to discover the latest in Hispanic-influenced music, arts and culture.

Fábrika is a great complement to our apparel and accessories collection at Surropa.com. They specialize in bridging American culture and Hispanic flavor together, creating a direct link to the fastest-growing market in the U.S. The creators of Fábrika identify themselves as part of a first-generation “Spanglish” market - they also have impressive careers in the entertainment industry.

Fábrika has built an amazing following of music lovers, trendsetters, event-goers and art aficionados, primarily focused in South Florida, but word has also gotten out to other major markets. Being a part of Surropa.com helps bring them national distribution and exposure. We love to help people discover the latest trends, whether street fashion or culture.

Check it out for reports on the latest cultural news, events and reviews, from music to arts, film, food, technology and events. Maybe do a little shopping while you’re there.

There’s a Lite beer in your World Cup

World Cup is a big deal for millions of fans, and we love it when brands want to capitalize on it. Miller Lite called on SOBO Concepts to create a unique self-liquidating premium for its 2010 World Cup promotion. We thought a totally custom soccer jersey was the perfect fit. Our idea was to include subtle branding elements in the side panels and the Miller Lite logo on the back. A product that not only promoted Miller Lite, but also one that people would want to buy (one of our specialties).

Working closely with Miller’s Hispanic agency, Market Vision, we created an Aztec-inspired figure on the front chest of the jersey that also incorporated the golden soccer ball used throughout Miller Lite’s World Cup promotion. Who is Ben Frias you ask? This fictional name on the back of the jersey is a play on the Spanish “bien frias,” which means “really cold.” Just how you like your Miller Lite, no?

Miller Lite also thought our Surropa.com store was the most credible Latin retail apparel site in the U.S., and offered a 15% discount at Surropa to everyone who visited www.millerlite.com/soccer during their promotion.

Tecate gives Mexican soccer fans the ultimate way to cheer for their team during the World Cup

What do you get when you combine crazed soccer fans with one of Mexico’s signature beer brands? Tecate face paint! Okay, so maybe it’s not the first thing that came to mind, but here is how it came to be.

Tecate’s agency, Adrenalina, tapped SOBO Concepts to come up with an idea for an inexpensive giveaway for the true fan of the Mexican national soccer team – with World Cup approaching in Summer 2010. We came to the table with ideas ranging from t-shirts to lucha libre masks to face paint.

Face paint was the winner, produced in green, white and red – the national colors of Mexico. Adrenalina came up with a unique packaging design to showcase crazy fans on the front, with a World Cup schedule on the back. A can of Tecate with the tagline “Con Carácter” also appears on front and back of the package.

Heineken’s Mexican brands buyer (Heineken recently acquired Tecate and other Mexican beer brands) sold the idea to distributors in California, Texas and Illinois. SOBO delivered the product in one month. GOAL!

Don’t be surprised if you see some of those loco face-painters cheering on team Mexico in the World Cup in June.

SOBO Creates T-shirt to Support Haiti

In response to the devastating disaster that has recently hit the island of Haiti, SOBO has created a t-shirt that references popular Haitian hymn. THROUGH THE TEARS WE ARE WITH YOU…HOPE FOR HAITI. All profits from the sale of this shirt on Surropa.com go to Yele.org.

SOBO Prints Shirts for MixMyGranola.com

SOBO recently finished printing shirts for our good friends and neighbors MixMyGranola.com. If you’re a granola nut (no pun intended), make sure to check out their site.