With two home nation sides competing in the 2024 euros football tournament and the Paris Olympics just around the corner there’s no doubt a lot of cheering is going to be heard up and down the country. It’s not just pubs and supermarkets who will see an increase in sales, with good planning big sporting events can boost profits for all advertisers.
But whilst the benefits to hospitality, supermarkets and flag makers is well known, advantages to other sectors are less obvious. You don’t have to plaster your ads with Union flags or be selling beer to see a sales uplift from this summer’s sporting events. Read on to find out how sport can help advertisers boost their profits.
Increased circulations and news engagement
Whether you are a sports fan or not it’s going to be hard to avoid it for the next couple of months. As the Euros tournament progresses and the Olympics begin in Paris the nation will be caught up in the excitement, increasing news engagement and print circulations. Advertisers will see the benefit of increased exposure with more responses, wider reach and increased brand awareness.
Feel good factor
Major sporting events famously unite a nation. Buoyancy and confidence are a boon for advertisers. Good vibes are contagious. Even if your consumer is not your typical sports fan it’s likely they’re going to be swept up in a wave of excitement and optimism (even if they don’t realise it!). Happy people are better consumers, they spend money much more easily!
Creative advertising opportunities
Advertisers who can effectively use the tournament as a way of piggy backing on the national mood can boost awareness and engagement. However, it takes more than the addition of a few national flags. The best sport themed adverts take a creative approach. Building sporting events into your ads in a relevant, natural way feels more authentic.
One of our favourites so far is the Specsavers print and outdoor campaign. The brand translates “You should have gone to Specsavers” into numerous languages so fans can confidently insult the referee in the appropriate tongue.
The British Heart Foundation have used the Euros to make a serious point. They are running a campaign to raise awareness of heart disease in young people. Representing the 12 young people who die from heart conditions every week, they have painted 12 murals of young football fans who have sadly lost their lives to heart disease with the strapline “England/Scotland ‘till I died”.
How can advertisers use big sporting events to help boost profits?
We all know that retail is one of the big winners when it comes to counting the gains made during a big sporting event. Sales of alcohol and food skyrocket, as does the amount of replica kit and leisure wear we buy. Obviously large TVs sell themselves but can other sectors capitalise on this?
- An easy win is offering free delivery. High street footfall may temporarily dip so take advantage of those shopping online.
- Run flash sales that celebrate an important victory or commiserate an unfortunate defeat. These offers feel genuine but time limited and act to stimulate purchase.
- Make your marketing communications topical and relevant to the mood of the nation. Cut through the noise and tap in to how your target market is feeling. The more creative the better!
- Promote relevant products. You might mainly sell sandals but if you’ve got running shoes in stock now is the time to tell people!
A good agency can help advertisers boost your profits when a big sporting event is on. Your agency should know which national press titles are going to see the biggest uplift and what TV channels are likely to see increased viewing.
They should also be telling you how you can incorporate sports into your messaging. A little creative thinking can be useful for cutting through the clutter and helping your ads stand out. If you choose to embrace sports in your messaging it needs to feel relevant and authentic and it’s not appropriate for everyone. A good agency will know when to go for it and when to hold back.
Get in touch to find out more about AJ and how we can help you boost your profits.