3 Examples of Genius Sports Marketing (and What Made Them Work)

The sports marketing umbrella is vast. Ticket sales and live sporting events stand out as the most obvious examples of sports marketing at work, but the term also includes promotional sponsorships, sports broadcast media, branded merchandise, at-home sports equipment, and the professional stadiums and venues themselves.

The sheer scope of digital sports advertising means major opportunities for teams, businesses, and brands aiming to scale their marketing efforts — and plenty of genius-level ad strategies from which to draw inspiration for your next promotion. Here’s a look at three of our favorite examples of successful sports marketing campaigns from recent years and what made them so impactful.

1. Connecting with Audiences Through Shared Experiences

As mentioned previously, one of the biggest advantages sports marketing holds over the rest of the digital world lies in some of the most effective brand ambassadors on the planet — athletes. The humanizing power athletes hold when carrying a message to an audience is the basis for one of the most highly-regarded ads of the past decade: P&G’s “Thank You, Mom” campaign.

The campaign has been an active part of Olympic coverage since the winter games in 2014, building upon itself every two years since with powerful images and messaging emphasizing the impact of mothers on now-famous athletes’ success. Proclaiming itself a “Proud sponsor of moms” in its initial tagline, P&G formed a connection between parental love and sports on a global stage. The results were unmistakable — the campaign delivered more than $200MM in incremental sales (USA), 33.6 Billion earned media impressions, and a record-setting ROI. In fact, it was the company’s single most effective campaign in its 175-year history.

The Takeaway: Strike an Honest, Emotional Chord. Every sport is comprised of people, and people are always the best source of content. P&G forged an emotional connection between seemingly larger-than-life Olympic athletes and the sacrifices of their mothers, humanizing and familiarizing their stories with a receptive audience. Through the power of sponsorship, P&G put well-known athletes and its own products in the same relatable light.

2. Connecting With Your Community Through Meaningful Outreach

There’s a reason sports teams love partnering with local sponsors. It builds a mutually beneficial relationship that captures the interest of key demographics and deepens ties to the surrounding community. That’s why a Starbucks/Seattle Seahawks crossover just makes sense.

As two of the most recognizable brands in the Pacific Northwest, the Seahawks have worked in partnership with the world’s largest coffeehouse chain for nearly a decade to make visible community improvements. Since 2013, Seattle residents have been treated to their favorite NFL players working as baristas, branded Seahawks cup-sleeves, digital promotions, special edition gift cards, and multiple initiatives to support safer neighborhoods and expanded opportunities for youth. The generally “sponsorship-shy” Starbucks has since inked deals with the Seattle Sounders FC and newly-minted NHL team the Seattle Kraken. This ongoing financial investment has earned Starbucks a credible reputation for giving back to the city it calls home.

The Takeaway: Seek Partnerships with Similar Values. Customers are becoming increasingly passionate about the ethics of their favorite brands and the charitable causes they choose to support. Co-sponsored initiatives like A Better Seattle (ABS) are made possible by mutual investment between Seattle’s NFL franchise and the coffee giant, infusing hundreds of thousands of dollars into area youth programs and committing to hiring thousands of opportunity-starved youth and veterans. Locating sponsorship opportunities with compatible values increases benefits for businesses, customers, and the community at large.

3. Connecting With Target Audiences Through Creative Use of Media

Sports marketing content is too often crafted with only the male audience in mind. This March, Buick wisely broadened its scope through the “See Her Greatness” campaign, highlighting great moments in women’s sports many fans might have missed. Per the ads, women make up more than 40% of today’s athletes but receive less than 10% of total media coverage.

The campaign launched across virtually every marketing channel at the start of the wildly popular Men’s and Women’s NCAA March Madness Tournaments, playing audio from historic plays in female college athletics. In a somewhat daring move, the ads played the broadcast over a mostly blank screen to emphasize how many people missed watching these classic moments live (viewers could then scan a QR code to watch the full highlight).

The Takeaway: Know Your Audience. Did you know Buick has the highest percentage of female buyers in the entire auto industry? Not only does the brand’s newest campaign captivate sports audiences through clever use of audio highlights — but it also demonstrates dedication to values of inclusion and equity among men’s and women’s athletics by forming bonds with female consumers. The campaign is brilliantly designed to show what matters to customers also matters to Buick and is further exemplified by the car brand airing the same number of commercials for both men’s and women’s basketball tournaments.

Marketing within the world of sports creates opportunities for truly unique storytelling. Be it tapping into shared emotions, showcasing a commitment to a city and its teams, or understanding what makes your specific audience tick, there will always be innovative means to communicate impactful messages to the sports audience.