Marketing is a dynamic world, and marketers want to push their brands to the forefront to stand out and make a lasting impression. We’re here to pitch a simple answer to this often-complex question – Sports. Sports events – from golf opens to football tournaments – all have something in common; a captive, captivated audience and an adrenalin-charged atmosphere. If this is an untapped arena for your brand, read on to find out how sports events could be the ultimate marketing match for your needs.
A captivated audience
Not many people go to sports events without a passion for the sport. That means stadiums, courts and rinks full of people in a positive frame of mind, in a place they’ve chosen to be, to watch something they love. Associating your brand with that experience – the roar of the crowd, the thrill of a win, or the excitement of the game can only have a positive impact. You’re placing your brand at the heart of an environment that’s full of good energy.
Nonetheless, even people who may only have a passing interest in sports will show up for major events and get swept up in the moment. This year at Wimbledon, over 530,000 immersed themselves in the experience. Huge crowds queued from dawn to get tickets, presenting a unique opportunity for engagement. Elevate Brand Ambassadors represented the main sponsor, Lavazza, across two locations: in the queue and on the grounds. We gave out 35,000 coffee samples to grateful recipients and collected 4,595 competition entries. The event was a major success both for tennis and for coffee.
Exponential exposure
Besides the obvious benefits of a large and engaged audience, there’s the added effect of media coverage and social buzz. Creating innovative and exciting ways to capitalize on the hype surrounding sports events leads to more exposure and organic visibility.
Elevate was chosen to help Turkish Airlines deliver a visual impact at the UEFA Champions League final. The campaign, followed tight deadlines with exacting criteria. This featured two of our event staff acting as “hosts”. They walked onto the pitch with the players at the start of each UEFA Champions League match putting Turkish Airlines front and centre. Building a strong association with the brand helped with organic amplification across socials. We knew that Turkish Airlines wanted tailored profiles, and our teams recruited from our offices across Europe to deliver this. As a result, the activation was as impactful as it could be.
Experiential marketing
Lastly, sports events provide an ideal platform for experiential marketing. By creating memorable, interactive experiences that relate to the event, you can bring your brand to life. Demonstrating personality and providing an extra, unexpected dimension to events. Experiential marketing creates opportunities for interactions that traditional advertising could never provide. These can be anything that fluidly connects the audience to the event with your brand as a gateway; a photobooth that places the audience in a player’s shoes, with your brand as the backdrop, or a VR experience where they can play the game they’re here to see. This is an opportunity for maximum creativity and to authentically enhance audience experiences of the event. Again, a well-developed experiential campaign will organically enhance social sharing where fans not only engage with the brand but also become part of the brand’s story, creating a deep and lasting impact that resonates long after the final whistle.
Moreover, Elevate US was particularly effective in this area in partnership with CBS and Paramount+ for this year’s Superbowl. We created a ‘Price is Right’ game show experience for guests during the Fan Fest in Downtown Phoenix. Our 30 x 30-metre footprint in the heart of the area led to 50,000 engagements with fans and over 1 million impressions on social and digital channels.
The highlights…
To conclude, sports events offer a uniquely rich variety of opportunities for brands to connect with consumers authentically and engagingly. From association with a joyful event to increased brand exposure and creative experiential marketing approaches. Sports and the events around them provide an exceptional platform for brands looking to get noticed. With the right strategy and tactics, sports events can deliver real results. At Elevate, we have the network to provide you with top-tier event staff to drive successful activations.
Talk with the team to find out more about our event staffing agency today.
