Building Community, Breaking Barriers: How DRAFTED Transformed Latina Sports Representation Through Customer Experience Excellence

Two years ago, something extraordinary began. A simple yet powerful vision emerged from frustration. Two Latina entrepreneurs, tired of feeling invisible in sports media, decided to create the change they wanted to see. What started as DRAFTED has evolved into something remarkable: a 100,000-strong movement proving that authentic customer experience drives unstoppable growth.

The announcement of Melissa Ortiz as DRAFTED’s first athlete advisor marks more than just a partnership milestone. It represents a strategic evolution in how sports media companies build meaningful connections with underrepresented communities. Furthermore, this milestone demonstrates the profound impact of customer-centric growth strategies in niche markets.

The Foundation: Understanding Your Community’s True Needs

DRAFTED’s journey exemplifies exceptional customer experience design from inception. Co-founders Karina Martinez and Jennifer Yepez-Blundell didn’t just identify a market gap. Instead, they lived the problem they aimed to solve. This lived experience became their competitive advantage in understanding customer pain points.

The statistics support their intuition completely. Latino sports fans represent 72% Gen Z and Millennials compared to just 50% of general sports fans. Additionally, these fans consume 64% more sports content via television, radio, and streaming compared to non-Latinos. The data revealed what DRAFTED’s founders already understood: their community craved authentic representation.

Moreover, Latino sports fans demonstrate significantly higher engagement levels. They’re 39% more likely to be avid MLS fans and 31% more likely to be avid WNBA fans. This passionate audience also shows 11% higher likelihood of purchasing branded products after experiencing sponsor messages. These metrics underscore the business case for inclusive sports media.

Strategic Customer Experience: Building Trust Through Authenticity

DRAFTED’s approach mirrors best practices in customer experience design across industries. The company started with deep customer empathy, understanding that representation matters more than demographics. As Martinez explains, they needed to showcase Latinas “through the lens of sports”. This positioning strategy addressed emotional needs beyond content consumption.

The selection of Melissa Ortiz as their first athlete advisor demonstrates strategic customer experience thinking. Ortiz’s background combines professional athletic achievement with broadcasting expertise and entrepreneurial success. Her Colombian-American heritage and bilingual media presence reflect DRAFTED’s community perfectly. This alignment creates authentic touchpoints that resonate with their audience.

Furthermore, Ortiz’s career trajectory exemplifies the challenges DRAFTED addresses. Despite being an Olympian and former professional player, she faced barriers transitioning to broadcasting. Her experience validates the systemic issues DRAFTED confronts through community building.

The Power of Community-Driven Growth Strategies

DRAFTED’s growth to 100,000 community members illustrates how customer experience excellence drives organic expansion. Research shows that Hispanic fans are 39% more likely to recommend brands sponsoring their favorite sports. This word-of-mouth amplification becomes particularly powerful when communities feel genuinely represented.

The company’s social-first approach aligns with Latino sports fan behavior patterns. These fans are 38% more likely to use TikTok for sports news and 21% more likely to consume sports via streaming platforms. DRAFTED’s content strategy meets audiences where they already engage, reducing friction in customer journey.

Additionally, Latino participation in college sports has increased 70% over the past decade, with soccer leading Hispanic athlete participation. This growing pipeline creates expanding addressable markets for DRAFTED’s future growth. The timing positions them perfectly for sustained community expansion.

Breaking Down Customer Experience Barriers in Sports Media

Traditional sports media often fails Latino audiences through generic multicultural approaches. However, DRAFTED’s model demonstrates how authentic community building transcends simple translation strategies. Their approach addresses cultural nuances that mass-market media overlooks consistently.

Research indicates that 47% of Latino fans believe sports have the least Latino representation compared to other media genres. Additionally, 61% would watch more content if Latinos participated in media coverage. These statistics reveal significant unmet demand for DRAFTED’s positioning.

The customer experience gap extends beyond content creation. Latino fans want authentic storytelling that reflects their cultural values and experiences. DRAFTED addresses this through first-person narratives and community-generated content approaches. This strategy builds deeper emotional connections than traditional broadcast models.

The Business Impact of Inclusive Customer Experience

DRAFTED’s partnership with Melissa Ortiz represents strategic customer experience evolution. As Ortiz notes, soccer represents culture for the Latino community, and DRAFTED ensures “our culture leads”[quoted from announcement]. This cultural leadership positioning differentiates them from competitors focusing solely on demographic targeting.

The business metrics support inclusive approaches in sports marketing. Brands directing marketing toward Latino audiences see significant returns: 54% of Latino fans purchase from companies sponsoring their teams initially. Moreover, 63% buy from brands representing them in advertising.

Current marketing spend allocation remains misaligned with Latino audience value. Only 4% of marketing budgets target Latino consumers despite their growing economic influence. This gap creates substantial opportunities for companies like DRAFTED that prioritize authentic community engagement.

Technology and Customer Experience Innovation

DRAFTED’s growth reflects broader trends in sports fan engagement technology. Latino sports fans lead digital adoption, being 21% more likely to use streaming platforms and significantly more active on social media. This digital-first behavior enables scalable community building approaches.

The company’s social-first media strategy leverages these behavioral patterns effectively. Rather than traditional broadcast distribution, they build direct community relationships through digital platforms. This approach reduces customer acquisition costs while increasing engagement quality.

Furthermore, their content strategy emphasizes user-generated contributions and community storytelling. This approach scales content production while maintaining authenticity that mass-market alternatives cannot replicate. The strategy builds sustainable competitive advantages through community investment.

Customer Experience Lessons from DRAFTED’s Success

DRAFTED’s journey offers valuable insights for customer experience professionals across industries. First, authentic representation drives deeper engagement than demographic targeting alone. Their community responds to genuine understanding rather than surface-level cultural references.

Second, lived experience provides unique customer insight advantages. The founders’ personal frustrations became their competitive intelligence for addressing community pain points. This approach enables product-market fit that external research might miss entirely.

Third, community building requires consistent long-term investment rather than episodic engagement. DRAFTED’s year-round content calendar demonstrates commitment that builds trust over time. This consistency differentiates them from brands treating Latino audiences as seasonal opportunities.

Measuring Success: Beyond Traditional Metrics

DRAFTED’s 100,000 community members represents more than vanity metrics. Community engagement quality matters more than quantity in customer experience evaluation. Latino sports fans demonstrate higher loyalty and advocacy rates when brands earn their trust.

The partnership with Melissa Ortiz indicates strategic growth beyond content creation. Her broadcasting experience and business background suggest DRAFTED’s evolution toward comprehensive media services. This expansion demonstrates customer experience thinking: anticipating community needs before explicit requests.

Additionally, the timing coincides with increasing investment in women’s sports and Latino market recognition. DRAFTED positions themselves strategically for industry growth while maintaining authentic community connections. This balance requires sophisticated customer experience orchestration.

Future Implications: Scaling Authentic Community Engagement

DRAFTED’s success provides a blueprint for inclusive customer experience across industries. Their approach demonstrates how understanding cultural nuances drives business results beyond traditional demographic targeting. This insight applies broadly to underrepresented market segments.

The Latino sports fan market will continue expanding as demographic trends accelerate. By 2050, Latinos are projected to account for approximately $1 out of every $3 spent on sports. Companies building authentic relationships now will capture disproportionate future value.

However, scaling authentic community engagement presents ongoing challenges. DRAFTED must maintain intimate community connections while expanding their reach and service offerings. This balance requires continued customer experience innovation and community investment.

The partnership with Melissa Ortiz signals DRAFTED’s commitment to authentic growth strategies. Rather than pursuing rapid expansion, they’re deepening community value through strategic partnerships. This approach prioritizes customer experience quality over acquisition volume.

DRAFTED’s transformation from startup frustration to 100,000-member movement demonstrates the power of customer experience excellence in underserved markets. Their success proves that authentic community building drives sustainable business growth. As they continue expanding with partners like Melissa Ortiz, they’re not just creating content – they’re building the inclusive sports media ecosystem their community deserves.

The lesson extends beyond sports media: when companies genuinely understand and serve underrepresented communities, they create movements that transcend traditional customer relationships. DRAFTED’s journey shows that the best customer experiences happen when businesses see themselves reflected in their customers’ success.