The Power of Sport in Marketing
piggybacking national sporting events is a great opportunity to market your brand
Nothing gets us talking like SPORT
Nothing unites, or sometimes divides, a nation and gets people talking like sport. Whether it's the Olympic Games, the World Cup, or the Super Bowl, there’s something about the anticipation and solidarity of a major sporting event that brings people together and sparks conversation and interaction, especially online. And that can provide the perfect opportunity to insert your brand into the action. Sporting events are an excellent marketing opportunity, whether you’re trying to sell products related to the event, or you’re just piggybacking to get yourself greater visibility and awareness by jumping onboard with trending topics and hashtags.
Keep it relevant to your brand
If you want to market on the back of any event, not just sports, then you need to remember one key thing – keep it relevant! It may be tempting to jump onto every date in the calendar to get that visibility, but you need to be cautious about staying true to your brand and its values.
91% of consumers reward brands for authenticity, through recommendations, making purchases or paying for services (Source: LinkedIn)
If you sell product, and there’s a direct link, then that’s perfect! But if you’re a B2B organisation, or selling a service, then you need to find an angle that works, and be prepared to think a little abstract. Perhaps one of the teams is from your area? Maybe they’re wearing the same colours as your brand? You might even want to think about the qualities of the event you’re piggybacking and reflect on how you share those values – hard work, commitment, determination. Think about the sort of awareness you’re trying to evoke, and how you want to come across to the people you’re targeting.
Be conscious of legal guidelines
These days everyone has the creative power of a designer at their fingertips, but industry experience also comes with a level of proficiency over copyright laws. Many sporting events are brands in themselves, and they have strict guidelines on who can, and more importantly, cannot, use their branding and logos for their own marketing. For example, when it comes to the Super Bowl, brands who want to sponsor or advertise at the event can pay in excess of $7m just for 30 seconds of airtime during the event. So, it comes as no surprise that the organisers come down harshly on any unauthorised brands trying to cash in for free on the side.
Sometimes it's not just about money, but also integrity – the IOC (International Olympic Committee) have not only trademarked their visuals, such as the rings motif and the symbolic flame, but also have strong restrictions on use of a number of words such as ‘Olympic’, ‘Olympians’, ‘Games’, ‘medals’, and even ‘words which capture the essence of the Games and/or qualities associated with Olympism such as spirit, endeavour, friendship, winning or determination.” They argue that this is to maintain not just the value of being an Official Olympic Sponsor, but to guard the inherent value of the enterprise as a whole.
Reactive marketing; pros and cons
If you plan ahead and do your research, you can still execute a very effective and relevant marketing campaign for your brand. But however much you plan; you also need to be reactive. Sport is active, with unknown results and sometimes unexpected events. Sometimes that means adjusting your campaign or pulling planned features at short notice in reaction to things. Perhaps your star athlete has just been pulled from the starting line-up, or the venue has had a major catastrophe and now can’t host. Be prepared to adapt the conversation to suit what’s happening.
Reactive marketing can be a difficult line to walk, and there’s not much distance between triumph and disaster, but it can also give you exceptional results, especially if you happen to go viral. Brands such as Weetabix, Aldi, and Innocent are all notable examples of brands who have made reactive marketing on social media platforms work for them. But despite it seeming like a lot of hilarious banter and throw-away lines, behind the scenes they have strong marketing teams, integral brand values, and exceptionally refined brand voices. So, if you’re planning to be reactive during a sporting event, it might be prudent to play it safe and keep your brand on people’s good side!
