In the latest instalment of Industry Insider we head to the West Coast of the United States to chat to Lupe Fonseca, Digital Marketing Assistant at MLS club Los Angeles FC…
Tell us about yourself, what is your current role and what roles have you done previously?
Hi I’m Lupe Fonseca, I’m a Digital Marketing professional currently working with Los Angeles Football Club, LAFC.
My professional career has been pretty diverse. In university I started in broadcasting as a news and sports anchor, then switched gears to digital marketing and haven’t looked back since.
I began to develop my social media and web marketing skills through working for non-profits around Los Angeles until I was hired by a financial business to help them with their Digital Marketing needs.
In this position, I established my skills in email marketing, web and backend development and project management. I also had great opportunities to work for The Los Angeles Rams as a Rams Ambassador, work the Super Bowl earlier this year and work at Twitter in their Global Content Partnerships in sports team. These opportunities really showed me the ins and outs of the sport industry in ways I never knew.
Lastly, I am currently working towards my master’s degree in Sport Management, and this has allowed me to take a deeper dive into all aspects of the industry.
What do you do in your current role?
As a Digital Marketing Assistant, I am responsible for LAFC’s email marketing department, updating the main website on match day, and the creation and sending of push notifications to engage our fans in and away from the stadium.
Like many other digital departments my tasks also focus on implementing digital strategies, accumulating email analytics, and finding ways to maximize our fan engagement.
“Normal” isn’t a thing in sports so what does an “average” week look like for you?
The beauty of working in digital marketing is that no one week is the same and no one day is the same especially in sports. The environment we work in is fast paced and always changing. This comes with its pros and cons but nothing I would change it for.
My focus ranges each week because I am in a very collaborated role, but I’ll meet with other departments to see what needs to be accomplish for the week. I will then focus on building out and sending content to keep our fans engaged and updated with everything LAFC through email.
Other days the focus is on building out campaigns and push notifications for our home matches. And on matchdays the focus once the match begins is updating the website with goals and interviews for our fans.
How did you end up where you are right now? When did you know you wanted to work in sports?
My generic answer is, I love sports and I wanted to be a part of an industry that delivered entertainment and meaningful moments to people. But as I have gotten older and spent some time in the industry my honest answer is this.
I knew I wanted to work in sports when I didn’t see women or people that looked like me in the industry. I wanted to become a part of something bigger than myself and everything seemed to point at sports.
What is your number one focus when it comes to your work?
The fans, I always want to make sure that the fan is getting the best content and receiving it in the best way possible. I am very lucky that I work with the most amazing group of creatives that are always pushing the limits of the digital world.
Can you tell us about a time you failed and what you learned from it?
I fail all the time, and although this can be seen as a negative. I think the opposite. Failing allows you to learn and see things in a different light. I am lucky to work with a team that allows me to figure things out and learn from my mistakes.
With that being said, I tend to be a person who can’t say no. Early in my career I accepted working on multiple projects afraid of looking bad for saying no. I took on much more than I could handle and wasn’t being fair to myself or each project. Needless to say, I have learned that I can’t say yes to everyone and that each project is special and needs my full attention. Since then, I’ve produced great things and feel less stressed.
What are you excited about in your industry at the moment?
The involvement and growth of artificial intelligence in sports. There is so much innovation happening in the digital space and to be a part of it is amazing. I am excited to see the many ways we will be able to engage with our fan base and bring them even more cool content for them to interact with.
If you could change one thing about your Industry, what would you change?
Only one? I chose this industry to make a difference and I want to see more women in this space. Especially women of color. We need women of color in leadership positions, in the front office, in stadium operations, in the industry. There has been some movement towards this, but I am hopeful that I can continue to use my voice and position to see more women in this space. I hope my story can inspire women to be here and know that if I am here, they too can be.
Sport is a hectic industry, what do you do to switch off?
Shopping, cooking, traveling! I love fashion and participating in trends so you can always find me online shopping or thrift shopping around LA.
Cooking is my newly discovered love. I put my playlist on shuffle, serve myself a glass of red wine or make myself a michelada and disconnect from the world as I make sure I don’t burn my apartment down.
Lastly traveling, it’s definitely a lot harder to travel when in season but whenever I get the chance to leave LA trust me, I will take it.
What is the one piece of advice you would give to someone wanting to work in the sports industry?
Come prepared and focus on yourself. The industry is competitive and you’re going to get a lot of no’s. So come prepared, have a well-rounded set of skills that will speak for you. Focus on yourself, it is very easy to compare yourself to others in the industry but everyone’s timeline and strategy to get in is different. Focus on yourself and don’t lose sight of it.
Thanks for reading our chat with Lupe Fonseca! If you want to read more from our Industry Insider series, you can do so by clicking here.
