LatinaLista — When it comes to being the target of advertising, being Latina/o sometimes feels like Britney Spears’ song “Piece of Me.”
The latest industry to suddenly realize the buying potential of the Latino market is, of all industries, NASCAR.
(Source: Businessweek)
Now it ‘s long been known, at least among the Latino community, that there has been an ongoing love affair between Latinos and our cars. All anyone has to do is check out the local car wash on Sundays or drive through the hood and see how many cars are parked in the front or, and we know this is true, check out how much nicer the car is than some of our homes or yards!
Suffice it to say, we value cars. So, it’s not surprising that a recent study conducted on behalf of NASCAR found that
38% of Hispanics surveyed described themselves as “casual†NASCAR fans, meaning that they occasionally watch stock car races and track highlights. Two-thirds (67%) say they’re a “little bit interested.†Only 7% described themselves as “avid†fans who typically watch races by themselves.
Of course, what this study is really saying is that NASCAR is missing a potential audience for their deafening car matches — but obviously not for long.
“Even the self-described avid Hispanic fans are much less engaged than the average NASCAR fan. They’re more like a lone wolf than a pack animal,†said Darren Marshall, Revolution senior vice president of research.
That runs counter to the tendency of average NASCAR fans to enjoy the sport in groups. But Marshall believes that interest among lone wolves and the casual NASCAR viewers could be revved up with local events. NASCAR-sponsored events in local bars to create a social atmosphere and “make it seem like it’s cool to be a NASCAR fan,†Marshall said.
We’ve been forewarned!
