When CITGO was considering new ideas to increase the profile and appeal of the company, particularly in the US Hispanic community, CSS Stellar was able to create a strategic sports-based marketing programme built around our client Milka Duno.

In a landmark deal signed in January 2004, CITGO announced their major sponsorship of the Latin racing star and her Grand Am racing team in the Rolex Sports Car Championship Series.  Don Rucks, the CITGO brand development manager was really enthusiastic about the deal, highlighting Milka’s value to his company, “The sponsorship of race driver Milka Duno in the Grand Am Series will play an integral role in putting CITGO on the map with the Hispanic community.”

CSS Stellar fully manage and activate the sponsorship deal, ensuring that the profile and on-track success of Milka delivers real value to CITGO. Additionally and complementary to CITGO, we are actively developing a broader commercial profile for our client. Milka is a marketer’s dream, with her unique combination of racing ability, personality and charm. Our aim, as it is for all of our clients, is to ensure that she maximises her commercial potential without compromising her sports performance. In this respect, we have developed specific marketing and licensing programmes for Milka and are negotiating individual endorsement and sponsorship deals for her.

The commercial management of Milka is just part of our comprehensive talent management programme. In Milka’s case, we advised her on the respective merits of each Series and Teams, before negotiating her contract with the Grand Am team. As well as this, we handle all aspects of Milka’s day-to-day life. CSS Stellar manage all her PR in the US, including her personal appearances, website and every race press-release. Our individual management also extends to co-ordinating Milka’s diary and organizing all of her travel requirements.

With our management, Milka can be focused 100% on racing for her new team and driving to the best of her ability. We are responsible for everything else and, already, our partnership with Milka looks like being a terrific success. In only her second Series race, she won the Grand Prix of Miami in February 2004. In doing so, Milka became the first woman to win an international motor race in North America, the first woman in the world to win an international motor race for 24 years and the first Latina ever to do so.