Hispanic Marketing and Life Under the Big Top at Florida State University

Circus News

Hispanic Marketing and Life Under the Big Top at Florida State University

This year has brought a lot of changes, developments, and new initiatives to CircusTalk. One thing we want to focus on is recognizing that circus happens all over the world. People from every country, from all backgrounds can enjoy and participate in circus. That’s pretty awesome!

We want to honor the Hispanic circus presence in this industry by providing more content that is accessible to Spanish speakers. You may have noticed that our website has a Spanish option and that we have featured articles in Spanish.

One way we’re focusing on the Hispanic consumer is by teaming up with a group of graduate students at Florida State University. Florida State University has an interesting mix of circus and students from all over the globe. Of roughly 40,000 students at Florida State University, about 8,000 are Hispanic or Latino. The university offers both an undergraduate and a graduate certificate in Multicultural Marketing Communication. The school is also one of the few universities in the United States to have its very own circus. The Florida State University Flying High Circus was founded in 1947 when the college became coed to accommodate the returning soldiers at the end of World War II. Today, more than 100 students from all different backgrounds participate in the program. The students not only perform, but also handle everything from rigging and concession sales to show promotion and ushering. This gives the university a unique perspective on marketing when it comes to the circus world.

We reached out to Dr. Sindy Chapa, Associate Professor and Director of the Hispanic Marketing Center at Florida State University. Dr. Chapa has taught marketing courses in the United States, Mexico, and Chile. In addition to her teaching responsibilities, Chapa also conducts research focusing on how advertising strategies affect Latino consumers. She suggested that CircusTalk be one of the target companies for her students’ final group project. The class, Hispanic Marketing Communication, seeks ways to appropriately connect with the rising Hispanic consumer. We were teamed up with students Troy Townsend, Sydney Howard, Heather Ball, Miranda Torres, and Gabriela Rivas. These students, all studying various fields of communication, were tasked with the semester-long assignment of developing a marketing proposal focusing on the Hispanic consumer for CircusTalk.

Throughout the semester, the students have gathered information about CircusTalk and the circus industry, conducted research, held interviews, and surveyed consumers. These efforts are entirely student-generated and will help the class hone research skills and become more familiar with marketing principles. As the academic session concludes, their proposal will be presented and reviewed. We would like to thank Dr. Chapa and her students for their time and their commitment to this project.

Lydia Nord
Performer, Writer -United States
Lydia is a Sailor Circus graduate currently based in Florida who was featured in the 2017 Smithsonian Folklife Festival. She is a Florida State University alumna and former member of the FSU Flying High Circus who received a degree in Media Communication Studies and Spanish. Her disciplines include trapeze, aerial silks, and Spanish web.
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Lydia Nord

Lydia is a Sailor Circus graduate currently based in Florida who was featured in the 2017 Smithsonian Folklife Festival. She is a Florida State University alumna and former member of the FSU Flying High Circus who received a degree in Media Communication Studies and Spanish. Her disciplines include trapeze, aerial silks, and Spanish web.