6 Ways to Get the Most Out of Your Brand’s Sports Sponsorship

About Sloane: Prior to joining 9Rooftops, Sloane spent eight years working in sports for the PGA TOUR, United States Tennis Association and on the U.S. Open tennis tournament, overseeing content globally and domestically for these organizations. During that time, Sloane worked closely with league and event sponsors, finding ways to connect them to relevant storylines around the game and players.

As one of the few happenings these days that audiences pay attention to live as the action unfolds, the sports space presents a unique opportunity for brands looking to drive awareness. There’s also the enthusiasm that goes hand in hand with certain sports leagues, teams and, of course, athletes. Aligning your brand with the passion points around sports can be an effective way to not only reach audiences, but to also be highly relevant to them.

Getting the most out of those partnerships takes more than just securing the rights for your logo to be displayed. Sure, that can be done. But the key is to take things further and find ways to connect your brand to the storytelling opportunities around the game, building deeper audience connections along the way. These are some of the best ways to do that.

Find a Partner That Shares Your Brand’s Values

The first and most important step starts with finding the right partner. When looking for the right sport, team or athlete, the key is to identify any shared values in addition to examining how their audience overlaps with your brand’s. This not only ensures your brand is in the right place, but it also makes it easier for the sports team, league or athlete to connect to your brand in ways that will break through and be relevant.

A great example of this is the official partnership formed between 19 Crimes and the UFC. Like 19 Crimes, the UFC has a passionate fan base that is energized by those that often go against the status quo. The shared values between these two brands opened up a lot of possibilities for 9Rooftops to create unexpected and bold experiences supporting the partnership inside The Octagon and outside of it.

Connect to Common Causes

Once those shared values are identified, sometimes a common connection to a cause also becomes apparent. Consider that many sports leagues are set up as non-profits with a mission to give back to communities in some way. The same is true for many athletes and sports figures who also support specific charities.

This type of opportunity arose in a cause-related partnership where 9Rooftops designed limited edition Adidas sneakers that commemorated the 50th anniversary of Stan Smith’s epic Wimbledon victory. The best part of the special designs and collaboration was that it was all for a great cause: the sneakers were auctioned off to support the Boys & Girls Club of America.

Consider Niche Sports

While sponsorships with high-profile leagues and teams may be appealing, in some cases, it may be worth looking beyond them to niche sports that are growing in popularity like pickleball or esports. Brands that partner early on with these types of leagues and teams can often earn goodwill with fans that are excited to see growth in their favorite sport and new avenues for exposure.

Leverage Social Media for Unique Storytelling

Meet the audience where it lives, both in-game and outside of the game, by considering social media campaigns with a sports partner. Within social media, there can be opportunities to connect to quick-turn content that becomes relevant as storylines unfold. And there are also ways to get creative with content and collaborate outside of the event.

As Agency of Record for the Pennsylvania Lottery, 9Rooftops develops custom campaigns on behalf of the Lottery with multiple sports partners across the state of PA. Recently, 9Rooftops collaborated with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds to develop social media content that brought the Lottery to Riverhounds fans in a truly unique way.

Within the sports space, while paid media can be applied to boost post performance, it is notable that even organic social content can often generate sizeable reach and engagements, further showing the value of connecting to the passionate fans out there.

Partner with Sports Influencers

Developing partnerships with athletes or other figures surrounding a sport can also be a way in for brands. When it comes to developing these partnerships, the same advice applies to finding a figure whose audience and values align with your brand’s. From there, it’s also important to closely examine the social media presence of the sports influencer, looking for quality of content, engagement rate, any partnerships with competitors and, of course, elements related to brand safety. With the NCAA’s policy on Name, Image and Likeness, there are also more opportunities in this space than ever before to find athlete influencers with a passionate following.

Be First in Innovation

Sports teams and leagues are often at the forefront of innovation opportunities given the organic audience they command across different channels and technologies. For brands willing to experiment, this can present unique opportunities to become synonymous with first-ever experiences for fans, as well as the press that inevitably goes along with it. This can be more of a risk versus other opportunities but for the right brand, the upside can be tremendous.

Sloane leads the Social Media and Influencer team at 9Rooftops, where she’s responsible for the strategic direction and implementation of social media programs. With experience across a wide range of industries, Sloane specializes in helping brands and publishers develop social media content that breaks through and makes an impact.