Tecate hosts virtual concerts, expands e-commerce selection to benefit Latino groups

Brief:

Mexican beer brand Tecate today is launching a four-part virtual concert series to showcase different genres of Latin music and to benefit Latino hospitality workers facing financial hardship because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Heineken-owned brand's first "El Patio Tecate" concert starts at 5 p.m. PT on Tecate's YouTube channel, Twitter page and website, the company said in a press release.
Comedian Felipe Esparza hosts today's concert, which focuses on regional Mexican and cumbia music, in a livestream that features Mexican-American DJs and live performances in different cities. Fuerza Regida, whose new album "Adicto" was No. 1 on Billboard's regional Mexican albums chart, is the headline performer.
Tecate's concert series also seeks to raise money for No Us Without You, a Latino-led charity that helps disenfranchised hospitality workers by providing meals to more than 1,000 families a week in Los Angeles communities. Tecate on Sept. 1 will expand its website to sell merchandise from Mexican-American creators and entrepreneurs, with all proceeds from the sales going to the nonprofit group, per its announcement.

Insight:

Tecate's virtual concert series aims to reach fans of Latin music who haven't been able to attend live shows that have been canceled since the outset of the coronavirus pandemic, while also raising money for charity. By livestreaming the concerts on social media and the web, Tecate can reach a younger, tech-savvy audience that tends to be heavy users of social media. With a median age of 28, the U.S. Hispanic community is the youngest ethnic or racial group in the U.S., which means most of these consumers have grown up in the digital age, per a study by Nielsen. The researcher said U.S. Latinos are more likely than the general population to use social media. That usage likely has grown amid a broader surge in time spent on social media during the pandemic.

The planned expansion of the brand's e-commerce to include merchandise from Mexican-American creators comes as more consumers are shopping online and gives Tecate another way to support Latino groups as more consumer packaged goods brand invest in e-commerce.

The concert series is part of Tecate's broader "Mexico Is in Us" campaign launched in February. The campaign shifted the brand's focus to emphasize pride in its cultural heritage while urging bicultural Mexican-Americans to "live life on their own terms." The omnichannel campaign has featured TV, radio, digital and social media elements, with Spanish and English versions of several TV spots. The label's entire U.S. portfolio — including its original offering, Tecate Light and newer products like Tecate Titanium and Tecate Michelada — is part of the overarching campaign.

Tecate is the latest beer brand to sponsor livestreamed events to entertain music fans who haven't been able to go to concerts or clubs. Budweiser in May began hosting an interactive live music series on YouTube to show popular artists performing their greatest hits and sharing stories with fans. "Budweiser Rewind" urged music fans to request songs they wanted to hear and ask questions of performers on social media.

Tecate also is among the marketers whose livestreamed events aim to raise money for people who have suffered financial hardship during the pandemic. Event company Superfly in June hosted a benefit concert on social video app TikTok and other social media platforms to help minority-owned businesses that have been disproportionately affected by the health crisis. Its "Small Business Live" concert raised money for the Accion Opportunity Fund, a provider financing for small businesses started by people of color. Fiat Chrysler, Pepsi, Sennheiser and Verizon also have livestreamed relief concerts since the health crisis began.