Sports Marketing & Promotions

Where would companies like Nike, Gatorade, Reebok and Under Armor be today with out the backing of sports? More than likely not on the top list of sports brands known to man. How these companies and others like them continue to grow in the market has to do with sports marketing and promotions. In the following I will discuss the three factors that I believe to be the some of the best practices in sports marketing and promotions. Sports marketing enables a particular sport to work with brands to gain new fans and consumers through lifestyle marketing. Focusing on the activities and attitudes of consumers allows companies to customize their products and promotions to target those needs.

I learned that finding the target market and studying them is the first step in any marketing. Knowing who is paying attention to your company and what they like is only a part of the world of marketing.

The next piece of the puzzle is knowing just how to reach them.  In sports each approach is different. Marketing to fans of golf will not be the same as marketing for lets say football. The ending goal might be the same, generating a buzz, getting fans in the stands and enhancing their experience.  Sport fans are different from regular consumers in the ways that they consistently follow their favorite team through out the year whether it’s the season for it or not.  Purchasing jerseys, box seats and even traveling (e.g Super Bowl) to see their team play. You wouldn’t see a person going to a Wal-Mart across the country just to find a certain product. Sports fans are a marketers dream. They show up in herds and spend large amounts of money to support their team.

The final aspect I will touch on incorporates the what, who, and how. It combines all of those key ingredients together to formulate the starting of a great marketing and promotion campaign. Knowing how to reach your fan base comes in the form of how to reach them and HOW to reach them. The first how I have already discussed, the second how has to deal with media vehicles. Determining the best way to reach the audience has to deal with understanding their lifestyle, behavior and attitudes.  The younger generation is prone to digital media more so over print, while the older generation tends to stick with what they know. Television advertising will always be around and effective for folks that tend to watch sporting events from the comfort of their own home or local sports bar. Finding out the appropriate blend of marketing is also important. The message has to be able to be transferred from one medium to another without confusing the consumer.

So to recap the best practices for marketing and promotions to me are:

1.     What – What are you selling/promoting

2.     Who – Who are you marketing to? Who is the target marketing and what are their interests

3.     How- How are you planning to enhance the fan/consumers experience? How are you going to get them interested in the product/service

4.     How – How are you going to get the message across? What media medium is best to use for your target market? What devices do they frequently use?

If all of those questions can be answered in detail, then I believe a strong marketing and promotions campaign has the chance to be successful.