Tiempo de Partido!

In one part of the Southwest this summer, Dr Pepper is sponsoring a tour by a grammy-award winning Latino band, wildly popular with what it terms the “acculturated” market: second and third generation Hispanics who primarily speak English, but are loyal to their heritage. This group also happens to like Dr Pepper and the brand wants them to drink more of its fizzy soda pop.

In another section of the Southwest, Dr Pepper is sponsoring a festival, well attended by what Dr Pepper terms the “unacculturated” market: foreign born, predominately Spanish-speaking people who send money back home, consume mostly Spanish-language media, but are striving to live the American dream. The festival is a day long, hometown style event with the music of multiple regional Mexican acts along with Latin Norteno superstar group Conjunto Primavera and plenty of food. This segment is basically unaware of Dr Pepper and the brand wants to entice them to try — and continue to buy — its product.

These two connected, yet very diverse groups, were identified though a qualitative research study conducted by Dr Pepper last September to determine beverage consumption and lifestyle trends within the Hispanic community and how best to approach this market with offers to grow the brand and find new users. The brand looked at light users of the product, nonusers, heavy users, Spanish and English-speaking Hispanics, as well as various age groups. The resulting marketing platform called for a commitment to reach the two segments by supporting musical groups and events attractive to each segment.

The Los Lonely Boys Brotherhood tour opened in July in San Antonio, TX and will close Sept. 10 in Corpus Christi, TX. The trio makes stops in six markets — heavily populated with Hispanics — across Texas and the Southwest, a strong market for Dr Pepper. The rock band featuring the three Garza brothers founded the tour to showcase fellow Latino talent. The tour is held at smaller venues attracting sold out crowds.

To activate its sponsorship, the brand launched a major promotion in partnership with grocery store retailer ATB in local markets to entice the acculturated market to drink more Dr Pepper. Consumers who purchase multiple 12-packs will receive a limited-edition CD that includes unreleased tracks from the Los Lonely Boys and songs from their tour mates. Consumers who already have tickets to the show and buy multiple 12-packs can get a $10 rebate offer fulfilled at the show when they present their ticket and receipts.

“We’re very specific about what we want to do and who we’re going after,” says Stephanie Bazan, brand manager, Dr Pepper Hispanic marketing. “It’s all about getting consumers excited at point-of-purchase.”

On Sept. 2, the Festival Inconfundible (Unmistakable Festival) de Dr Pepper with Conjunto Primavera will make its final stop in San Diego, after hitting venues in Houston, Phoenix, Dallas and Los Angeles. Conjunto Primavera is a Latin Norteno superstar group. The family-oriented festival, attractive to the unacculturated market, was created by Dr Pepper, which saturates the venue with product to promote trial. All of the concessions serve only Dr Pepper and bilingual field reps hand out samples as people leave. Attendance has varied from 3,000 to 5,000.

“We’re forcing them into a six-hour event where they’re drinking only Dr Pepper, and on the way out we’re giving them one to take home,” Bazan says.

To activate the sponsorship, consumers in Houston, Phoenix and Dallas got a free ticket to the festival with a purchase of four 12-packs of Dr Pepper. Consumers in Los Angeles and San Diego who purchase one 12-pack and a 12-pack of Squirt (very popular among Hispanics in Southern California), will receive an instant-win scratch card game. Prizes include free festival tickets, an exclusive meet and greet with the artists, as well as Dr Pepper products.

“It will take several times to drink Dr Pepper before you get hooked,” Bazan says. “We’re incenting purchase of multiple cases.”

In addition, this month two programs kick off in Texas. One retail promo for the acculturated market, offers consumers a free movie ticket with the purchase of two 12-packs of Dr Pepper. And at small meat markets, Dr Pepper is driving trial for the unacculturated segment by offering a free two-liter Dr Pepper with the purchase of two pounds of meat.

“It’s about pantry loading Dr Pepper into Hispanic households,” Bazan says.

Dr Pepper, the top-selling brand in the Cadbury Schweppes Americas Beverages stable, has sponsored the Latin Grammy’s in the past and sponsored a concert series last summer that showcased various Hispanic musical talents.