Earning Attention Through Experiential
From taking over host cities beyond the arena to turning true loyalty into un-buyable status and rallying the athlete in everyone, brands are moving past the standard sponsorship, giving audiences tangible means to participate, perform, and belong. More actionable insights as we start to peel away at the business of sport. This month’s sporty spotters: Caroline Lidz, Kristy Hong, and Meghan Michalski.
Host Cities are Becoming the Main Stage
Brands are proving product performance against athletic standards.
Post-pandemic demand for live events has pushed ticket prices to new highs, and hosts inside the gates are raising the bar to match. During the US Open, IBM’s AI Sports Club took over Madison Square Park, Grey Goose set up at Grand Central, and Evian hosted a soirée under the bridge. And earlier this summer, the World Cup ran the same play, with Telemundo’s fan village at Rockefeller Center and Chewy’s Cuddle Shuttle bringing emotional support dogs to Miami neighborhoods.
Loyalty Unlocks a New Level of Fandom
Some fan experiences can’t be bought; they’re earned by showing up.
Brand loyalty is shifting from transactional points to earned cultural status. From Las Vegas Raiders season ticket boxes to Kansas City Chiefs bespoke varsity jackets, sports franchises are rewarding long-term devotion with a level of hospitality and exclusivity that money alone can’t unlock.
Brands Sponsor the Athlete in Everyone
Brands are proving product performance against athletic standards.
As more consumers enter their “optimized era,” tracking sleep, steps, and heart rate the way athletes track splits, sports sponsorships and activations are shifting away from general awareness plays toward specific product messaging. Brands activating at major sporting events are moving away from “you the fan” positioning and toward “you the athlete” framing, borrowing each event’s athletic connotations and transferring that sense of athleticism to the consumer.
OUT-THERE EXPERIENCES
People, brands and marketers continue to push the boundaries of physical and digital experiences, with new and creative executions popping up across the globe.
Catch up on all our previous Experience Intelligence reports. Or schedule a strategy session with us!
