Sports is a popular pastime, hobby, entertainment, and even business. People love watching games and participating in various sporting events. This makes them ideal for when you need to raise the profile of your business. There is nothing like being associated with a favorite sport that can raise your profile among those who love it. Here are some potential strategies on how to use sports to your advantage when it comes to marketing.
Team Sponsorship
One of the simplest methods to promote your brand with a sport is to sponsor a team. Your biggest problem is that there are a lot of potential choices for sponsorship. You can put your money behind the smallest professional team out there to some big names. There is also some very tight competition in the marketplace. According to the data, there are 20 billion US dollars in sports sponsorship by 2022. That is a lot of money, and when you spend your share of it, you want it to be as effective as possible.
To narrow down your choice, you need to decide first on what sport you choose. If you’ve done your marketing research, you likely have a demographic you want to target. For example, if you want a young and hip crowd to see your brand, you might want to sponsor an eSports team. Besides the sport, you might also want to consider the visibility of the team. If you are a small local business, it can be very effective to show your support of the local community sports team. That can be very effective in raising your business visibility in the community. But be careful with the team that you choose. Team rivalries can spill over on to the brands that support them.
Athlete Endorsements
Another way that sports can promote your business is by getting endorsements from athletes. You’ve probably seen several of these commercials that a popular athlete is promoting a brand. This can be a two-way relationship. You can sponsor individual athletes, similar to how you can sponsor teams. They will then endorse your product in some form. Usually, this is in some commercial or using it regularly. These endorsements can be worth a lot to some companies, especially sportswear and equipment companies.
But like a celebrity endorsement, you need to be careful about choosing the right athlete. For one, you want an athlete that appeals to the demographic you want to attract. Sponsoring a gold pro is useless if none of your intended demographic likes gold. Additionally, it would be best if you chose an athlete that reflects well on your product. You want someone you can be proud of saying that your product is great. Doing some research into the athlete first and maybe a background check can be reassuring to your company.
Additionally, you should specify in the contract that athletes should be on their best behavior if they want to retain your support. This ensures you have an escape clause in case they behave badly. It should also specify how visible your brand is supposed to be in their life.
Event Promotions
Big sporting events also provide you with a great venue for sponsorship. If you don’t want to get behind a single team or athlete, this option gives you the chance to showcase your brand while associating with a sport. Sponsoring a sports tournament is not something that you pursue. It is mainly the event organizers who go after potential sponsors. You can have a chance at a sponsorship if you are generous. The more visible you are, the higher the chance that you will be approached to become a sponsor.
Social Activism
Sports is also a great way to help local communities. There are a lot of social initiatives and charities that use sports as a way to help the locals out. You can provide your assistance in this by providing donations and sponsorship. For example, your business can offer to fund a backyard basketball court for a local sports clinic so that children can have a fun time in a safe place. Your sponsorship won’t be visible, but you can highlight it in a press release. The good press that it brings can also be a leave a positive impression on the community.
Sports is another channel through which you can make the world know more about you. The above strategies are designed for maximum exposure so that people can connect with your brand. This connection is what can potentially ensure more sales in the future.