Soccer is undoubtedly the favorite sport of Mexicans, so seeking to become sponsors of Liga MX teams is undoubtedly one of the best strategies in favor of any brand, something that Roshfrans undoubtedly demonstrated when announcing that he would return. to sponsor sports clubs after a five-year absence from the field.
When we say that soccer is the favorite sport in Mexico, it is not to say by saying, because according to data exposed in the National Survey on Housing, prepared by INEGI, Mitofsky He assured that the interest in soccer is more attractive than in any other sport.
Although in his survey ‘Football fans in Mexico 2020’, Mitofsky pointed out that during the last year there was a substantial increase in interest in baseball, basketball, wrestling and tennis. Soccer is still the most attractive sport.
By December 2020, 55.3 percent of those interviewed said they like to watch, play or be aware of what happens with soccer.
With this in mind, it is clear that working hand in hand with a soccer club can bring great benefits for brands, which go beyond financial issues.
Exclusively for Merca2.0, we spoke with Jose Fernandez, Director of commercial marketing of Club León, Armando Martinez Patiño, President of Grupo Pachuca; Pedro Esquivel, Vice President of the Monterrey Rayados Soccer Club; Francisco Suinaga, Vice President of Toluca FC and Victor Paniagua, Commercial and Marketing Director of Roshfrans for more details on this new alliance.
Why go back to football
Victor Paniagua, Commercial and Marketing Director of Roshfrans: “We have always wanted to be close to what mechanics like, what spare parts like, we were sponsoring other teams at some point, we supported Pumas, Monarcas, the Mexican National Team. Then we went to Formula 1 and for almost six years we were supporting Mexican Wrestling, but I think it was the mechanics and the spare parts who made us come back with football because that is what they are passionate about and that is the reason why Roshfrans go back to football. “
The advantages of sponsoring a soccer team
Víctor Paniagua, Commercial and Marketing Director of Roshfrans: “In our case, the first thing is to share values of struggle, teamwork, permanence -they in the market and we too-, of tenacity. I think that what moves us to turn to football is to follow the examples and values of these teams in the daily work of mechanics and spare parts.
“The relationship is so close between what they do every day on the field and what our mechanics and spare parts do every day in the workshop. It is the click between the two. “
The cost of investment
Victor Paniagua, Commercial and Marketing Director of Roshfrans: “Obviously, it is a normally permanent investment, that is, we make a long-term investment with the equipment, it is not an investment for one year, it is an association for a long time (…) our commitment is long-term, it is not an entry and Exit.”
Why bet on Roshfrans
Francisco Suinaga, Vice President of Toluca FC: “First, it is a 100 percent Mexican company, with a family structure like the Toluca Club, and at the same time, from the beginning of the conversation, I think we tied a lot about the ideas we had in relation to the project (…) In 2020 The pandemic hit us and the economic shock was terrible. The support we were going to receive from a company as serious as Roshfrans was very important for us to continue developing part of the projects that the Club has, such as not only the training of young people and athletes, but also Mr. Valentín Díaz has always been focused on health, social development, education, and this type of economic support permeates and helps you not to give up despite the great challenges we face today ”.
How Roshfrans Supports Teams
Francisco Suinaga, Vice President of Toluca FC: “In a very important way, I think he placed trust from the first conversations, so first of all the gratitude and later the income or support that we receive, we are clear that it has to be distributed throughout the organization. Of course, the message is to have a more competitive team, but also a more solid organization and structure, that permeates the fans, who as Victor says so well, the sponsor is very important, the connection they have with the workforce of the mechanisms used by the brand and the day-to-day effort of the team. “
“It seems to me that the football connection with Roshfrans is close, it is natural.”
Likewise, Francisco Suinaga assured that the sponsorship is also for the women’s team, “andIn our case, not at the front, because we already had a commitment, but part of the resources we distributed throughout the structure. “
The value of sponsorships
José Fernández, Director of commercial marketing at Club León: “There are teams that we have more, because there are teams that we have more needs because we are not backed by very large companies, in our group each investment and each peso is essential to continue advancing. We are committed not only to competitive teams, but to great development structures, but Victor mentioned a word that is fundamental in the sponsorship business, which is the long term. “
“Sports sponsorship is not about putting and removing stamps from uniforms, but about generating long-term relationships, that is the great mystery of sports sponsorship,” said Fernández.
“Companies that trust companies, companies that do one thing and that trust companies that we do others and that allows us to develop many other things more than in a year or two it would be impossible to achieve, in agreements with more than three, four, five years, well, that is called confidence, it is called future, when a sponsor trusts you for so many years because they give you not only an oxygen bag for that period, but they are also saying: I trust the way you work, develop things and you do them. So a sports sponsorship of this quality means not only a good investment to continue working, but also recognition for Clubs that work well. “
Victor Paniagua, Commercial and Marketing Director of Roshfrans: “And each team has different sponsorship categories, different strategies. Some companies support with transportation, all of them very important, and some help with matters on the field, and others in others. I think categorizing the word sponsor or business partner is not the same for every team. ”
Pedro Esquivel, Vice President of the Monterrey Rayados Football Club: “I believe that it is also important from the point of view of the relationship that a Club achieves with these strategic partners or sponsors, it is that there really is added value for both parties, so just as today we have an association with Roshfrans where We believe that this association of football with what it generates in terms of emotion, emotional connectivity, I believe that for Roshfrans it will be quite beneficial with its target audience, which are mechanics, people who work in workshops, etc. have different sponsors that we can help reach their target audiences, I think there is no rule if it is five, eight, ten, as long as we can build that value on both sides. Obviously the more, for the soccer teams, it allows us to have the opportunity to develop projects, to reach more people. “
Francisco Suinaga, Vice President of Toluca FC: “In our case it was important that the truck was clean in the front so that the brand had an impact. Actually we have only four brands on the shirt and that was the commitment. As they say, the objective is different and permeates differently in each structure, but the most important thing is trust and the long-term project. (…) The idea is that this goes well and that it lasts a long time. We try to have long-term sponsors because the outward message is very important, that gives confidence. “
Conquer new markets
The association between Roshfrans and these great Mexican clubs is also strategic to be able to conquer new markets in the north of the country.
Victor Paniagua, Commercial and Marketing Director of Roshfrans: “Obviously we have a marketing strategy, if you look we have started from the center to the north, Toluca, Pachuca, León, Monterrey, we would like to be able to sponsor everyone, but there is no money that reaches, although we would love to, but I think that the support and trust they are giving us is the most important thing. ”
And it is that dInce the principles on which Roshfrans was founded, the brand has leaned toward southern Mexico, so today these new alliances will help the brand reach more regions.
“By nature we have been inclined to the market always from the center to the south, fortunately we have the support of states such as Chiapas, Mérida, Veracruz, Oaxaca, where we are a very strong brand and where we have to build is obviously where we are putting our interest. Now, so I think that step by step we can achieve it (…) due to the strategy of permanence and growth in the states and in the regions that are on this side, it is because we are there, besides that they are the best teams, without a doubt. “
The first step on a long road
For Víctor Paniagua, Commercial and Marketing Director of Roshfrans, the connection of Roshfrans with the Clubs is about more than money, it is about sharing values.
Likewise, Paniagua made it clear that this is only the first step of much collaborative work between Roshfrans and the Sports Clubs.
“We are beginning to walk with them, each one requires and has different ways of working, thinking and strategically viewing their businesses, the important thing is to adapt and be able to fulfill the trust they have placed in us.”