Francisco Lindor means business in Believeland
by Joe Favorito (@Joefav)
We are trying to find what it takes to be the face of “Believeland” and perhaps even baseball as the Cleveland Indians’ Francisco Lindor’s star continues to rise.
A year ago basketball superstar LeBron James exited the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Los Angeles Lakers. New Balance, which made Lindor their global ambassador for baseball, started lobbying that James’ massive downtown billboard be replaced by one of Lindor.
The campaign itself fit well into his rise on the field. It was amplified by the national stage this past week for the Major League Baseball All-Star, where big and small media outlets saw the four-time All-Star not just play but speak about the great city he is playing in as it hosted a glorious Midsummer Classic celebration.
Other brands, like Pepsi, Taco Bell, Lids, and Franklin have started to hitch their ride on Lindor’s growth. In a time when many are questioning the lack of marketing effort put forth around some of MLB’s brightest stars, as The Indians are easing back into the playoff hunt and the telegenic shortstop is back from nagging injuries, can “Mr. Smile” take the place of King James as the face of the city and the region?
It won’t be easy. The Cleveland Browns, who make their home just down the street from Progressive Field, started making noise with the growth of quarterback Baker Mayfield and the signing of wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.
Beckham’s T-shirts in and around downtown this past week were the hottest selling items for visiting fans.
Last year during the Midsummer Classic in Washington, Lindor had his introduction to the global world of baseball, as he chatted up Joe Buck and crew in both English and Spanish. He also didn’t miss a beat as he tracked down a short pop up in left field while conversing with the guys in the booth as the seventh inning ended.
Lindor, 25, has become a vocal leader of the team on the field and a consistent presence in community programs, all the while amplifying his style in the global social space.
According to opendorse, a platform for pairing athletes of all backgrounds with brands using social media metrics, Lindor has continued to grow his valuable social footprint off of last year’s initial spike.
He has added more than 45,000 new followers, 25th among active MLB players. Vlad Guerrero, Jr., another rising Latino star, leads this group with over 250,000 new followers.
Lindor’s currently the 30th most-followed MLB player on social – Twitter, Facebook, Instagram – with 902,000 total followers.
He is also fifth overall among Latino stars, and he’s 13th in total engagements so far this season with just over one million. Marcus Stroman is the current leader with 2.4 million engagements.
Among Latino players, he is the fourth most-engaging, trailing Javy Baez of the Cubs, Enrique Hernandez of the Dodgers, and Vladi Jr.
That potential still has a way to go, both on the field and off. For Lindor to effectively rise above Ohio and find his way to New York’s Madison Avenue consistently, the Indians need to stay in the competitive mix.
A healthy season, combined with a vibrant personality for a sport that is working to grow telegenic, multicultural stars is a marriage that sells. And selling is something Lindor can do as well as go deep into the hole to make a defensive gem.
“The time of being just in New York or L.A. and being a brand marketing star is passed,” said veteran sports marketer and Columbia University professor Chris Lencheski. “We talk about those athletes who are ‘Rafter Worthy,’ those who go above and beyond and have the honor of having their name and number lifted to the rafters.
“Is Lindor there yet in Cleveland? No, but he certainly has some of the tools for multicultural brand success on and off the field, and his best days are ahead even with all the success he has had so far.”
Lindor is already the face of the Indians’ organization, as was evident during the All-Star Week festivities. He rates among the best shortstops in baseball.
He led the Indians to the American League title and a berth in the World Series in only his second season in the majors, losing a thrilling seven-game series to the Chicago Cubs.
“Winning on the field is a big piece of that,” said Lencheski, the CEO of Winning Streak Sports, which is a leading licensed premium hard goods product in professional sports and entertainment. “It is what LeBron had, but other than that if you were going to create a profile of an athlete in a gritty city like Cleveland, he certainly has many of the pieces.”
That ring is certainly the missing link for Lindor. He already has other essentials in the win column, including style, community, social, telegenic and a connection with fans young and old over the long, hot Midwestern summer by Lake Erie.
Wins on the field during his next two and a half seasons will also be the key. Being in Cleveland instead of New York or Chicago or LA, as Lencheski points out, is not the hindrance it once was. You can grow and engage and speak to a global audience from wherever you are, as long as you play the long game.
For brands, for baseball, to the growingly engaged and business savvy Latino audience, and most importantly, to mainstream America, Lindor is raising the bar. A new star keeps shining brightly in a city that loves its edgy heroes, and if it continues, “Believeland” may believe once again, this time on the diamond as opposed to the hardwood.
Featured Image: Jason Miller / Getty Images Sport