Brands and Sports Marketing

 

Brands and sports! Can you guess what’s familiar their? The emotional power they hold!

We all aren’t a footballer or a cricketer or a basketball pro or, you know where I’m going with this right? But one thing most of us have in common is being a sports fanatic, whichever it may be, sports hold the power to give us the rush and a mood lift even when we aren’t physically a part of them. This power of sports to build a connection with the audience, which goes above and beyond practicality, is why many brands put sports at the heart of their marketing strategy.

So basically, sports’ marketing is a subdivision of marketing that focuses each on the promotion of sports events and groups in addition to the promotion of alternative products and services through sporting events and sports groups.

So, what’s in it for brands?

Let’s take it one step at a time,

Sports athletes hold a strong personality that resonates with their fans. When brands associate themselves with these athletes, they don’t just restrict themselves there, they start to establish a bond with that sports community, the community which has a huge potential. Brand gain awareness and visibility to subtly establish themselves in front of the eyes of the current and potential customers.

While social media has shown immense success when it comes to brand building, but there is nothing like taking things to the field and doing things the classic ways.

There are numerous ways a brand can attach itself to sports marketing;

Brand ambassadors and sponsorships are the ones more readily used for creating an association with a sportsperson or the sport. The emotional connect is always a great way to connect with the fans and leverage the feelings and thoughts, fans attach to the athlete and finally convert them into a loyal customer base.

Take a look at some amazing product/brand placement by your favorite brand, how would something like this does not catch hold of your attention, huh?

Sports Marketing: Best Campaigns

1.     Nike tells the best stories

One simply can’t ignore Nike when it comes to sports and branding collaboration. Nike uses strong emotional branding to resonate with the consumers on a deeper level by establishing itself as an athletic brand.

2.     Adidas does killer collaborations

Adidas has a history of all sorts of interesting collaborations with sportspersons. The brand stands to have mastered sponsorships in an array of sporting events and associating with prominent athletes.

3. Red Bull Sporting events

How can we talk about sports and not mention Red Bull? The brand has gone above and beyond just sports sponsorships and has created a huge impact in terms of creating their own events; from kite surfing to skydiving, the energy drink has sure mastered it all.

4.   Reebok and its niche – CrossFitters

Consumer-focused events became a pillar of Reebok’s selling strategy. Events like the Reebok Spartan Race and the annual Crossfit Games became a key component of the brand. They went into the reboot mode and gained a strong foothold in the fitness industry.

The power of association stands strong when sports and brands are put together

Bringing together renowned sportsperson and attaching the brand name with sporting events, not only creates strong association and credibility but also illicit the feelings of greatness, strength, and success in the hearts of the viewers and what better than being able to capture the interest of your target audience by hitting them right when the adrenaline is at a high and the consumer psyche is already established in favor of your proposition.