Sports is back… SUNNY SINGH CEO and Founder of VAN HAWKE SPORTS
Sports is back. Well in some form anyhow. Like other industries, the world of sport is having to cope with the ongoing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. This has resulted in reduced schedules, cancellations, and in some instances, tournaments having to take place in foreign territories. Taking the games away from their domestic markets in an attempt to overcome any imposed restrictions. It certainly has been a challenging period for all involved, including brand partners, who now more than ever, question the validity of sports sponsorships. Despite the issues just presented, you could argue that now is the ideal time for brands to partake in a sports sponsorship. Never before have sports rights holders been so aligned with a brand’s marketing objectives (that being the creation and delivery of assets that best match a partner’s criteria). In fact, most sports properties are moving away from the so-called standardised packages and adhering to specific brand requests (fantastic news for us at Van Hawke Sports, as we’ve been vocal advocates of this since our inception). However, with the fan experience now largely reduced to media and digital consumption only, brands question if the value of marketing exposure presented is still worth the investment. The answer to this is a resounding, YES. Sports’ have had to innovate, not only for brand partners but for the life line that keeps them afloat, the fans. The people who tune in and turn up with regularity to support their teams are the lifeblood of sports, these are the people that all brands are
GAME CHANGERS Issue #28
wanting to canvas to achieve results of positive asociation. Through these partnerships brands should expect this to translate to increased sales. Which is the objective of most companies when they venture into a sponsorship. Sports such as football have introduced innovations such as overlaid computer-generated stadium noise to continue providing an ‘authentic’ viewing experience, as well as fan groups that can see audience members interacting with one another whilst watching from their homes. Seat netting, which primarily was used to hide the empty stadium seats, has seen an increase of up to 70% in some instances of brand visibility, versus original contracted exposure. Even sports such as Formula 1 and Cricket, have responded with a greater emphasis on bespoke branded content creation for audience consumption, which has seen drivers/players assume more ambassadorial and influencer duties in attempts to quench the thirst of fan interest. On top of that brand partners now have the flexibility to work hand in hand with sports rights holders to develop their own unique marketing channels, utilising methods such as team podcasts to integrate their brand further towards a target audience. There are even examples of brands now becoming an active part of the live sports experience with the use of technology such as VR, and the recent introduction of the Ref Cam in MMA. This is where the audience can view the match from inside of the octagon as per the referee’s view. The footage is brought to you by ‘X’, and the brand logo is visible throughout. Allowing a brand to be placed front and centre directly in the viewer’s line of sight. It is the fan experience innovations such as these that brands can now leverage to better improve their sports sponsorship ROI.
