Revolution of Sports Marketing in Peru: 15 Years of Toque Fino

More than 15 years ago there was no talk of sports marketing in Peru, Eduardo Flores, founding CEO of Fine Touch, the first marketing agency created in Peru. Since then, it has been a long road of transformation on the part of the sports clubs, the athletes themselves and the federations to attract brands and for them to see the visibility they can achieve with them.

In it book ‘Toque Fino: 15 years’, which Flores has just launched, recounts this entire path and analyzes the evolution of this sector, where two great milestones that promoted it stand out: the qualification for the 2018 World Cup in Russia and the 2019 Pan American and Parapan American Games, in addition to the challenges that arose with the pandemic and subsequent ones. “We are still not even half of what can be achieved,” remarks the expert, among other reflections that he shares with Día1 in this interview.

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– How have these 15 years of Toque Fino been? How have you seen the evolution of the market?

Definitely, what I like is that we have identified an opportunity in the market. 15 years ago, it was not professionalized and there were certain gaps when talking about athletes, sponsored, clubs, federations, the relationship with private companies and now there were radical changes with brands. It has been understood that a trend is set, masses are moved, and that for some reason there is interest in investing. There have been many changes, the Peruvian athlete has been seen in a better way.

– What changes have you seen in these years?

In the national industry, a few years ago, the management of soccer players was done in a mediocre, unprofessional manner, but there has been a change and one of the most notable has been the 2018 World Cup in Russia, for which Peru qualified, there was a new opportunity and revalued itself. As well as the organization of the Pan American and Parapan American Games, they were two transcendental milestones, which helped with the athletes and the relationship with the sports properties. Look at the returns and how trust has been restored.

Eduardo Flores, founder of Toque Fino, presents his new book. (Photo: Fine Touch)

– These two milestones, in some way, are recent. Has growth accelerated since then? If we look at the sports marketing industry in Peru, it is even younger compared to other countries such as Argentina.

We have to understand that the road is long and we are not even halfway there. As of today, it has been announced that the River Plate team from Argentina has more than 350,000 members, which is an international record, being the second largest in the world after Real Madrid. In Peru, the U, which has started a strong membership campaign, is made up of 35,000 members. This is so that we can clearly see the magnitude that there is still a long way to go.

On social networks, the most popular clubs in the country do not even reach one million followers. As you see that, somehow you start to figure out how far we can go. And obviously there is still a long way to go, but they are good first steps that are being taken. Private companies have understood well that it can give them the visibility they need and today in a world where social media has grown a lot and we do not have so many national references, having ambassadors who represent a brand, who represent your country, is necessary.

Peru qualified for a World Cup after 36 years. (Photo: Archive)

/ Horacio Diaz

– What are brands looking for to invest? How difficult is it to get sponsorships?

Having a cup, a medal, is a great opportunity for this to be worked on, strengthened and there continue to be more opportunities, not just a moment, as happened on other occasions. And also that athletes do not trust themselves and do not think that only by winning medals – which is very important – the brands are going to get closer, as I once heard. There is nothing further from reality, you can be called one, but the athlete who is called 10 has a commercial strategy behind him, a value proposition, a communications plan. It is also a business and the brand is going to ask for something in return. The name and the sports resume are not enough per se, many times athletes do not know what they can offer, there sports marketing agencies help to create that business plan, to show their calendar of events and planning, their objectives and the values ​​they want. transmit along with the brand. Even the return on investment with media impact. This is what has to be done in the industry to grow the sport and future generations.

– On the other hand, in the book you also comment on the appearance of the figure of the digital sponsor that has become popular since the pandemic in the country within this transformation of the industry.

Yes, I do indeed mention a very important topic and that is that we precisely answer the question of what we did to not go bankrupt. At that time, clubs and managers, for example, had ‘ticketing’ (ticket sales) as their main income and knowing that overnight you would no longer have it was very complicated. So the agency had to think about how to reinvent itself. We readjusted to the new situations, they were difficult times. There were agencies that could not continue, it was not easy and today we are already reaping all that harvest that was done well in recent years.

This is where another milestone arises: digital sponsors, which were completely new. 10 years ago, saying to invest as a digital sponsor in a team or a federation would not have been taken seriously. Today it is a category that makes tangible, provides data and sells well, so there have been big changes in the industry and obviously the one who best knows how to use the strategy and talent for it is going to get the most benefit.

Eduardo Flores’ book about sports marketing and his agency ‘Toque Fino’.

– There were two important years with the 2018 World Cup and the Lima 2019 Pan American and Parapan American Games. From then on, were the clubs and athletes more open to exploring new opportunities within sports marketing after those experiences?

I don’t have the slightest doubt, I feel that many athletes felt the support of private companies for the first time and that today these marks have been maintained or have even increased, there is enthusiasm and obviously it is the merit of both the athlete as well as the people behind the agencies. And that athletes also see that success and opportunity do not necessarily lie in the biggest or most imposing, but in the one that influences and contributes in a positive way.

– What limitation did you see to attract brands and that is no longer there?

The first reason why the brands did not turn was because of the small audience that went to the stadiums. In recent years there were 7,000, 10,000, but after the pandemic, when no one could go to the stadium, in 2022 with the U and Alianza Lima in a healthy competition, the stadiums were full day after day and that is also because They have understood that people want to live a healthy and entertaining experience beyond 90 minutes. You have to think about that from the moment you go to the parking lot, to the food court, the experience with the sponsors, all of that plays in your favor. And let’s logically hope that the more things are like this, the more this will grow.

Presentation of the Toque Fino book.

/ MARTIN FONSECA

– Finally they compete in experiences within what is entertainment.

Yes, in the end remember that the sports club, the game, ends up fighting with Netflix, with Disney +, with the Jockey Plaza, with Plaza Lima Norte, because what the person or the parent is going to say is “I am going to invest this, but what will I gain in return? From whether there is going to be security, if the bathrooms are going to be clean, if I am going to have a nice experience and if you manage to add several positive aspects, then surely the fan is going to go and have a great time.

– By how much do you think sponsorship amounts have increased now with a more developed sports marketing industry in Peru?

I would love to give you figures, but it is quite new and recent, what we can indicate is that now they are sponsorships as such, before they were mostly exchanges and that does not end up generating the impact that sports property seeks. It is a point that must be worked on and there is more fabric to cut.

– What has also been seen is a greater diversification of the categories and brands present in sport, in particular, in football.

That’s right, and what we are also seeing is that local brands from the regions are increasingly appearing that are betting on the region’s soccer teams. It is a point where we are seeing a slight improvement, a slight growth.

Fans of the Peruvian team live with great expectation what the Peru vs. match will be like. Argentina for the 2026 Qualifiers. This is how the previous party was experienced at the National Stadium | Photo: Giancarlo Ávila/ @photo.gec

-And within what is coming perhaps for the future. What is coming for this sports marketing industry? What needs to be developed and where should we aim?

I think there is already a change. There are people who are rowing very hard on different fronts, we have very good examples and obviously we have to continue giving it, professionalizing the industry, not aiming to win a single opportunity. We hope that we can continue improving, there are many people who are training, there are more educational programs focused on sports management and marketing and I like this because I feel that people’s chip has changed a little. Let it continue to be professionalized and continue to give results in favor of the Peruvian athlete, so that the brands turn to see the opportunity.

– How much do situations such as investigations into federations or crises in some clubs impact marketing actions to attract new sponsorships? Does this affect the trust of brands or is it not so relevant?

Of course, anyone who knows a little about the subject knows well that brands are very jealous to see who they are going to be with or who is going to represent them, be their brand ambassador. If it is something positive, it ends up being contagious, and if it is something negative it ends up harming it. There are many values, documents and planning that must be fulfilled that are taken into account. And that will depend on whether that addition and subtraction ends up being worth the investment. If there is news of income imbalances or irregularities in a club or federation, the brand may not contact you anymore.

So I think it’s something that you have to continue working on, what you can continue to gain. The industry has not yet reached half of its potential and there is much to do and work hand in hand with professionalization.

– Does Fine Touch aim to expand?

Yes, in fact, we have an office in Arequipa, that is super good, but there is still a lot to do here. I want the foundations to be well developed in the country, very nice things have happened in the last two years and before thinking outside I want to continue building opportunities in the country and in the regions of the country as our next challenge. See the opportunities that exist in the regions, there are provinces that are very sporting, in Huancayo, for example, the world of athletics is exciting.

2023-12-29 14:34:12
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