Building a Brand and Growing a Community w/Atlanta Braves’ Laura Estefenn

It is easy to build rapport with a stranger through the unifying power of sports. You can see someone you don’t know wearing a cap from your favorite team, say “nice cap,” and instantly form a connection through your shared fandom.

At its best, sports transcend personal differences and create a sense of community, frequently crossing cultural lines. Take the Hispanic community and baseball: In 2021, 32% of players on MLB rosters identified as Hispanic. Additionally, the blended average across all of MLB reveals 20% of the sport’s fanbase is Hispanic.

Despite the significant number of Hispanic players and fans in MLB, the marketing and branding of teams traditionally were not inclusive of that demographic. With different cultures come different traditions, experiences, and languages. Putting together English-speaking broadcasts and social media channels appealing to only American norms won’t connect with fans outside of that demographic. Like any good organization looking to expand its fan (and revenue) base, MLB caught onto this gap in 2017 and strongly suggested that its member teams embrace Hispanic outreach.

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Today’s guest on the WorkInSports Podcast, the Atlanta Braves’ Laura Estefenn, is at the center of this effort to reach the team’s Hispanic fanbase. Estefenn joined the Braves in 2018 as Content Coordinator for their newly launched Los Bravos platform. She helped grow Los Bravos’ brand exponentially over the next two seasons and is now a Diversity Marketer for the franchise.

Fresh off witnessing the team’s exciting run to a 2021 World Series title, the Atlanta Braves’ Laura Estefenn joins VP of Content and Engaged Learning Brian Clapp to discuss:

•    What immigrating to Atlanta from Colombia to play collegiate golf at Kennesaw State was like
•    Why she leaned into continuing a career in sports following her playing career
•    What challenges she faced when transitioning to baseball after playing golf
•    How she approached building the Los Bravos brand through diversity marketing

Catch the full interview for more of Laura Estefenn’s sports career advice on the WorkInSports Podcast and subscribe to catch every episode the second it comes out. Check out additional content on our YouTube channel.