10 Trends in Sports Marketing You Must Know and Apply
Digitalization is creating a buzz in the field of sports and also in the field of sports marketing. This has led to changes that were unimaginable only a few years ago.
The digital world requires everything from the people who manage marketing for sports businesses. It's nearly impossible for a person to have a complete understanding of every aspect of marketing for sports. Daniel Macaulay, founder and director of Brandwave, a full-service sports marketing agency Brandwave provides an overview of the top ten trends in sports marketing and some of the most fascinating examples.
1. OTT (Over the Top) Content
Netflix, Amazon Prime or Facebook are the best examples of OTT services. OTT is a reference to "Over the top" and implies that the content is able to be downloaded and received without regard to the operating system of the terminal device.
What's the connection with sports? Platforms such as Facebook or Amazon change the sports rights market, which has been for a long time, upside down. For instance it is the case that the Primera Division, Spain's best professional soccer league, is run entirely through Facebook as of India. In addition, the short news website Twitter plays a role in the rights of sports. "If you were looking to watch soccer you switched on the television," explained Daniel Macaulay. "Now you can live stream soccer anywhere, every device."
Many former niche sports benefit from the streaming options. "Facebook has acquired an exclusive rights deal with the World Surf League and will pay 30 million US dollars over the course of the next two years," Macaulay said. Surfing is a perfect fit for the target audience of the digital age.
The competition on the Internet can cause difficulties for traditional media firms. They also have an important benefit: "They create profiles of their users, which means they know who has access to their content, and at what time - and they can then use it to play targeted ads," said Macaulay.
This database elevates sports marketing to a new level. According to Macaulay an organization is also a major advantage: Amazon. "Amazon is unique in that it is: the biggest online store worldwide. This means that any content could be capitalized on directly."
AI stands for Artificial Intelligence. Al is changing the world, no doubt about that. Three things are required to make this happen: Data, data and data. Also, of course, a speedy Internet connection.
Chatbots are an exciting type of artificial intelligence used for sports marketing, says Macaulay: "FC Arsenal has created a chatbot dubbed Robot Pires in collaboration with GameOn's experts from GameOn that communicates with fans using Facebook Messenger, Skype, Slack, Kik and Telegram".
It's also very entertaining. Robot Pires - the name comes from Arsenal Legend Robert Pires - provides users with stats, results, news , and a few exclusive videos from the Premier League Club in humorous and easy language.
Chatbots' use in sports marketing provides a variety of benefits:
A clever and entertaining chatbot is able to reach new groups of people and build fans' loyalty by providing exceptional material.
The sports business or club are portrayed as thought-leaders in the field and, consequently, increase their credibility within the B2B sector.
Chatbots are able to collect data and provide important information about customers or fan's wishes.
The question of whether investing in AI is worth it for sports marketing remains to be seen. So, the chatbot that is being used by FC Arsenal should be understood more as an experiment.
3. Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality and Mixed Reality
The advances that have been made in VR (Virtual Virtual Reality), AR (Augmented Reality) and MR (Mixed Reality) are amazing, according to Daniel Macauly. "In previous times, VR and AR were expensive and uncomfortable, however, nowadays, the attention is now on the positive benefits," the sports marketing specialist told.
Online retailers must contend with the high CPAs (cost per purchase) due to the free delivery policies that have created a sour routine of behavior: "Customers order each product in three sizes and colors, then try the various options at home, and then - in the event that they can - buy just one. The remainder goes back."
With the aid of AR For instance sporting shoes can be viewed virtual before. Through glasses or smartphones the user can view the shoes on his feet and, hopefully, select it with greater precision.
The market for wearables has grown from its niche and has since evolved into one of the largest areas of the sports business. As Daniel Macaulay put it, "wearables are the norm."
According to research, the global sales of wearables are predicted to reach 95 billion US dollars by 2021. Hyperadapt is a shoe that self-laces. Nike has come up with a fascinating illustration of a new product that is futuristic, Macaulay said.
However, the expert in sports marketing was also impressed with the smart soles like as Digitsole which was showcased during ISPO Munich 2019.
Any sports marketer cannot afford to not take E-Sports seriously. Gaming on the internet is becoming increasingly popular, and players are making their way into ESports. According to predictions the amount of world players is set to exceed 500 million in 2024. Daniel Macaulay sees huge potential in this regard for sports marketing.
However, Brandwave's Brandwave CEO has noticed an additional trend: "It's exciting that there are sports zones now during tech conferences."
Through his talk regarding Dark Social, Daniel Macaulay offered a variety of thought-provoking characters since the majority of listeners were not yet familiar with this particular issue. "Dark Social is a term used to describe any website traffic that can't be accurately identified," Macaulay explained. "Over 80 per cent of the world's traffic is generated by Dark Social."
This type of traffic happens when people share messages via whatsapp, Instagram or via email. The analysis tools then become overwhelmed as one does not know "why an individual suddenly is at the entrance of the building, and how he came to be there". If you aren't able to analyze, and you won't be able to (well) make use of the market.
Adidas recognized the opportunity to capitalize and launched a thrilling Dark Social campaign with Adidas Tango Squads. "Selected influencers were offered exclusive items and were invited to parties," Macaulay explained. The distribution of information was done primarily through messages and social media groups.
Sport and sustainability are closely connected. "80 percent of products are purchased for their emotional value, 20 percent are purchased for practical reasons," Daniel Macaulay said. Therefore, sports marketing is more and more about giving people the impression that they're doing something beneficial.
Some examples of environmentally friendly products for sports are sneakers or outdoor jackets made of recycled plastic. The trend toward green products goes so far as logging, or the collection of rubbish while running is now a significant trend.
"Good gyms have sprung up all over Great Britain," Macaulay stated. The idea is to look well while running and shopping for the neighbor you used to be when you return.
However "ethical consumption" isn't without boundaries The expert in sports marketing declared. It is vital to ensure that the campaign is in line with the brand. For instance, Macaulay cited Gillette's #MeToo advertisement, which caused Gillette suffered a massive loss of the brand's credibility: "The tone was completely incorrect."
For many years the business of sports was predominantly a male-dominated field. However, with the evolution of the world of sports, the business is becoming increasingly mixed with other industries. This is because women are becoming a more economically strong segment of consumers. "Like many other industries, the sport business is witnessing an increase in target segments," Macaulay said.
ISPO has recognized this trend in the initial stage. The organization it has responded with "Connecting Women" provides a world-class program designed for women who are dedicated.
However, companies like North Face, which are being praised for the "She moves mountains" campaign are pushing for women to be involved in sport according to Macaulay who also brought an instance of in the British Isles with him: With "This Girl Can" the Government of England addresses the women who make up the majority of the population.
In an era where sports are on the rise and news concerning overweight adolescents and children are being reported on a daily basis and a fight against obesity is vital. Not just for noble purposes however, digitalization has entirely new opportunities for distribution. Manufacturers of products that are niche like e-mountainbikes, or climbing shoes for sizes for children, can market and sell their products via the Internet.
In the words of Daniel Macaulay, it is crucial that children get exposed to sports in the earliest possible time because "it is much more difficult later on to get people to engage in sports". Through the program " "The Daily Mile" The expert in sports marketing has presented an initiative that involved more than two million children across the UK. The concept is straightforward: children run at their own speed for 15 minutes each day when they go to school.
If you examine the massive public advertisements of companies that promote sports It will quickly become evident that they are using images of active, extremely athletic people with a full life. But , in this instance it is changing As more and more sports products for people who are older are being introduced to the market. On the one hand because the population of seniors is growing from one year to the next, but on one hand this group of people is financially sound and is becoming more demanding.
A lot of Western societies are ageing as a result of aging - "this causes huge financial burdens for the health system of public health," Macaulay said. Macaulay cites "Make the Health last" in Canada as a highly well-known example of a successful campaign to help active senior citizens. "What are your next 10 years be like?" is the premise of this campaign. It also includes a version that includes and without sports to illustrate.
A Summary of the Sports Marketing Trends
Sustainability, individualization and digitalization are definitely three of the most significant trends in the world of sports which also call for fundamental changes in marketing for sports. "The world is going through a massive transformation and digitalization is driving the pace of change," said Daniel Macaulay who summarized the state of affairs.
To succeed in the field of sports marketing, one must be aware of what's going on both sides of the fence. There are many possibilities, but not all of them which are opening up are becoming commonplace. It is nevertheless advisable to be aware of the top ten trends in sports marketing that are listed here.
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