Feature: Give brands a sporting chance

David Atkinson, managing partner at Space, examines the opportunities for brands to leverage the opportunities from sport this year and beyond

“The Super Scorcher Summer of Sport” booms the voiceover, and with it the heart rate of millions of fans quickens. Whether you’re the sort of Sport Billy who tunes into everything from Crown Green Bowls to the Olympics, or whether you’re only interested in the big stuff, this summer’s got the lot. From the Brit-free Euro 2008, to the Beijing carnival of sporting excellence, to the head-to-head Ryder Cup face-off in Kentucky, there’s no shortage of performances and results to get passionate about over the coming months.

There’s also Wimbledon, test matches and one day internationals, rugby league internationals, World Cup qualifiers, Tri Nations, Grand Prix, darts, horse racing, show jumping, mini golf… as I said, genuinely something for a fan of any sport.

With this interest comes sales and marketing potential the likes of which come along only every two or even four years. Pub landlords will be feverishly WD40-ing their tills, sportswear manufacturers will be plotting deliveries from various corners of the world, supermarkets will hope that their decision over which event to back pays off, and television networks will be assembling their Dream Team of pundits for the big showdowns.

We come to expect the marketing battles off the pitch to be no less hotly contested as those on the field of play. We assume that leading brands will be there to stake their claim to the passion, belief, love and cash of fans – Pepsi and Coke, Nike and Adidas, Visa and Mastercard, Vodafone and T-Mobile, Carlsberg and Carling, Panasonic and JVC – whether in an official capacity or just capitalising on the euphoria and public appetite.

Some of these associations are written in the stars and long-term. But what of those brands looking for short-term promotional opportunities? Is it realistic to compete for share of voice with these established sporting leviathans? Is it even feasible to come close to the budgets that they invest in marketing around these events? Is it possible that newcomers can become faster, cleverer, better and more generous in their marketing to increase impact?

There are examples both of “own goals” by big brands but also disproportionate achievement by smaller or less established sporting brands. I recall especially Tango’s “Officially a drink during Euro 2000” campaign, and the frequent appearances of Peperami’s “Fanimal” which both, for different reasons, have become highlights of the past 10 years.

But what are the challenges when planning activity in the summer of sport? How can brands decide whether to join the bun fight or aim for less cluttered battlegrounds? And what rules can be followed to best avoid wasting investment?

In usual circumstances, I would first of all say that short-term, tactical activity should be ruled out altogether, because to truly engage and cut through, brands need to commit to their sporting partner for a longer period than just a six-week in-store burst. And I do believe this in spite of Tango and Peperami’s days in the sun as fans’ best brands.

The relationship a fan has with a sport is often based around a sense of community. For brands to intrude into that community, they need to understand the emotions at play and, as with most of the best relationships, look like they might be in for the long term. It’s no coincidence that Coca-Cola, at a recent European Sponsorship Association conference, took the general plaudits for having won the sponsorship battle of the 2006 World Cup as voted by their peers; and although their campaign was clever, intuitive, creative and engaging, much of that success is down to 90 per cent plus recognition of Coke’s role in football and acceptance of the value it brings.

Decisions on how to take sports promotions to market this summer depend on the goals of the activity – awareness, a sales spike, a shift or reinforcement of brand values, association with a pinnacle sporting event to build credibility and reputation, etc. Official sponsorship of Euro 2008 is only really appropriate for pan-European brands. Sponsorship of British teams would be relatively pointless given that no “home nations” have qualified, but could provide an interesting platform from which to engage consumers. Brands therefore become limited to “generic football” activity, which may only add to the wallpaper and clutter that accompanies major football bonanzas. If promoting in-store, brands will be fighting with others who have greater claims to the eyeballs and wallets than theirs, as well as with the retailers themselves.

The Olympics, until 2012 at least, does not hold the same interest with UK audiences and is far less explored in terms of promotional marketing other than by official sponsors. Their high investment can usually cut through due to the insulation and protection from the International Olympics Committee shutting out ambush tactics. As for the Ryder Cup, perhaps a few more brands could observe the potential of this event, albeit one that really only occupies air space for two weeks every two years.

The key is to provide entertainment, reward or value for fans of the sport being targeted. Just “being there” is not sufficient. Where once the worst you could expect from marketing activity around major sporting events was neutral brand or sales results, we have observed negative reactions to marketing activity in recent years. For example, overt support of one side, team or individual might open a brand up to rejection from supporters of other teams or players. Essentially, underestimating the relationship that a fan has with their sport could cause untold and unexpected damage to a naïve brand.

We work with Samsung, who recently picked up the title of best integrated campaign at the Sports Industry Awards, in leveraging their sponsorship of Chelsea FC. When looking at potential to polarise consumers, Chelsea is right up there. And yet Samsung’s understanding of the triggers from within the sponsorship rights that might engage wider audiences than Chelsea fans alone, is what has made this campaign so successful. After all, as wide as the Chelsea fanbase is, Samsung’s support of the club has needed to reach out to all football fans to ensure that positives outweigh negatives. Access to the stadium, players, training ground and matches home and abroad, has built an enviable cannon of content, along with Samsung’s desirable product range, to lure even the most passionate anti-Chelsea contingent.

But the real truth is that, for consumers to welcome intrusion into their pure relationship with sport, brands need to demonstrate a reason to be invited, a thank you for the time together, and a sign that just maybe they might be at the same party again in two or four years’ time.