How to Maximize Sports Sponsorships to Increase Sales

Activate on a local level

National campaigns with the NFL, MLB, and other major sports organizations at major retailers like Walmart can be super successful, but they're also super expensive. Leveraging individual teams and players can be more economical and a better way to target sports fans. 

If you're interested in sports partnerships to bolster campaigns, look to Procter & Gamble, a leader in using NFL affiliations to increase sales. They uncovered the insight that while most sports fans aren't fans of the NFL as a whole, they are fans of their local teams. Based on that, P&G leveraged individual teams and players rather than relying on NFL partnerships, like when they built an entire campaign around an LA Rams Christmas ornament. As long as the shoppers met the spend threshold, they'd get that ornament for free. It ended up being a successful campaign while maintaining cost efficiency.

If you're promoting nationally, consider ways to tie in locally. Last season, Sleep Number, based in Minneapolis, played up their local connection by teaming up with the Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins, who led their national campaign. Sleep Number's first year as an NFL sponsor ended up making a splash in the news—nationally and locally—by riding the media wave Cousins generated after signing with Minnesota to become the highest paid player in the NFL.

Get creative with player endorsement contracts

While you might not have $100K to pay Lebron James for one Tweet, you can again think locally for a big impact. To keep costs low, try working with athletes that have deep ties to specific markets, and work up contracts that avoid direct product endorsements. With those savings, you can execute this model at scale across multiple markets with multiple athletes. 

Here's a great example: P&G worked directly with Eric Decker (NY Jets) and Prince Amukamara (NY Giants) to activate at New York-based Key Foods while the Jets and Giants played each other. With two home teams coming head to head, local fandom was off the charts, so the lighthearted rivalry between Decker and Amukamara for the campaign was a great way to engage fans. It was an NFL marketing success—without specifically referencing the NFL or either team. The players didn't even appear in uniform. There were no specific product endorsements. And yet, the campaign increased sales.

If keeping costs low isn't an issue, then look to leaders like Under Armour and BodyArmor, who have been at the forefront of endorsement deals that pay in company equity rather than liquid cash—just look up their contracts with Tom Brady, Stephen Curry, Kobe Bryant, and Mike Trout for creative inspiration. 

Double dip your dollars in sports stadiums

Visit any stadium and you're bombarded with messages on video boards, but in-game messaging is just the start. If you really want to stand out, extend your marketing outside the stadium with an entertaining sampling program so that fans are once again reminded of your brand.

Last summer, Blue Bunny and Fisher Nuts executed great examples of this type of experiential marketing. At Wrigley Field with the Chicago Cubs, both brands created fun, family-friendly experiences that gave out new product samples and coupons to encourage a future purchase.

While both programs were great at generating customer sales and brand loyalty, there was an underlying B2B strategy: Help the companies' foodservices sales teams sell-in their products to Wrigley concessions. 

There is a dual effect when the activation is done right; you raise awareness for your brand and deepen sports partner relationships in return for enhancing their fan experience by running your activation at their venue. 

While these tips aren't exactly earth shattering, they can generate game-changing results when properly executed. So, next time your local paper reports on your underperforming sales in the business section, look no further than the sports section for your turnaround story.