Transcription
Hi guys, welcome to class five. Today we'll be talking about media approaches in B2B sports marketing. The whole class is about B2B. So B2B means business-to-business, for those who don't know or maybe have forgotten.
So B2B sports marketing thrives on various aspects, mainly media-driven exposure. So there's a leverage between traditional and digital platforms here. The whole intention is to attract corporate partners. So this could be done by providing custom sponsorship opportunities, data-backed return on investment insights, and exclusive networking events. All these contribute to maximizing their appeal and making them more attractive to other businesses.
So having said that, for the business to look more attractive, they need to come up with what they call a communicate—communicate through a sports-driven storytelling, and in a way, how to sell themselves.
Firstly, we're going to look at media-driven exposure. Organizations use the huge reach of traditional TV and radio as sources, and also the digital world. So social media, streaming—all these platforms are used as tools to attract B2B partners. An example for this is what Formula 1 has been doing with companies like Amazon. This showcases the real-time race and obviously, through data analytics during their broadcasting. This isn't just about logos. So before, when you think about just logos, now it is more—there are analytics involved, and there's a whole storytelling concept here. This is a way to demonstrate to Amazon how technology, due to millions, has attracted their viewers and made themselves more attractive to B2B when it comes to decision-making, and this is a worldwide concept here. Not just Formula 1 uses Amazon; other sports have used other websites and other companies who operate online for this kind of partnership.
There's also custom sponsorship opportunities. So here they offer tailored sponsorships fitting the brand's goals, rather than a one-size-fits-all model. An example of this would be Manchester United collaborating with TeamViewer as their shirt sponsor. So when you look at the jersey of Manchester United, on the shirt, right on the front, you can see TeamViewer. All right, this is a personalized, customized sponsorship opportunity that Manchester United has sealed with TeamViewer. They do the same thing for their other sponsors as well. We mentioned before that sponsorships come in tiers. So not everyone has the same deal. Instead of just placing a logo, the deal also includes tech integration to optimize Manchester United's remote operation, showcasing TeamViewer's business solutions directly to a corporate audience. This is a worldwide brand, so they need to think about the concept of globalization here as well. And hence, this is why they use TeamViewer for this.
Data-backed return on investment insights. Modern sponsorships are heavily supported by data showing visibility, engagement, and business impact. An example of this is the NBA with Microsoft. Okay. So the NBA uses digital matrices like ad impressions, social engagement, and audience demographics to provide sponsors such as Microsoft with detailed return on investment reports. Microsoft can see exactly how their brand exposure during NBA broadcasts contributes to business lead generation. So providing stats, providing data is giving the investors, other businesses, a better showcase as to how well their sponsorship deal is doing. And this is an example of social media. So they do track this, and they do understand this information by the likes, number of likes on a post or this story, comments or reactions—positive, negative, whatever they may be—shares as well, and also profile views. So these are different matrices that are used for Manchester United to showcase to their—their, or the NBA, whoever it is—to showcase to their partners as to how the deal is going. This is really good information, and it gives a better insight to both parties here. So this information is vital.
There are also exclusive networking events. So this is like more traditional, but since there is digital marketing involved, there's more globalization now. So business partners from around the world can also be invited to this event for networking. So there's a bigger reach. We have been seeing, over the course of this module, how globalization has helped companies—and when I say companies, I'm also referring to clubs and their partners—integrate better and work together in a sound way. So there are opportunities here for both parties. Sports organizations host private events that bring businesses together for high-end networking experiences. There's an example of the golf tour events. So they often include VIP hospitality suites where corporate sponsors like Charles Schwab or Rolex can entertain clients, meet executives, and close deals, all within a premium, relaxed sports environment. All right. Another example would be clubs having their own boxes. So they sell those—we've seen that they sell those to corporate companies for hospitality issues. So once this is done, once this is sold, then it is another opportunity to close more deals, to have more conversations, to meet different people, and obviously for networking and partnership.
This is the media. So in this table, you can see a summary of media approach, a description, and a real-life case. So you have broadcasting media. So the description would be live games, highlights, and documentaries on major networks and streaming; premium ad placement, sponsorships, integrations. Then you have own digital platforms: official team league websites, mobile apps, and newsletters; B2B advertising slots, corporate content collaborations, branded content, social media posting game updates, fan engagement, and sponsorship activations; LinkedIn for B2B networking; Twitter for real-time brand mentions; Instagram for visual storytelling; event medium: corporate networking events, sponsor summits, press coverage, hospitality suites, sponsorship pitch meetings, networking opportunities; and finally, esports and media: digital collectibles, metaverse, stadium experience, gamified brand activations, NFT sponsorship, branded virtual spaces, blockchain-driven partnerships. So as you can see here, this sums up everything that we have been speaking about.
Another aspect that we're going to be looking into is media approaches in B2B sports marketing. So we're going to understand how clubs, leagues, and federations attract companies here. So firstly, data-driven sponsorships. An example would be FC Barcelona and Spotify, their collaboration together. So what does this platform have to offer to Barcelona? So Spotify partnered with Barcelona by leveraging detailed audience insights about the club's global reach, particularly among Gen Z and millennial listeners. This data convinced Spotify that aligning with Barcelona would drive music streaming and brand visibility worldwide. Spotify is another international platform where basically you can do anything on it. All right. In terms of listening, so people have moved away from traditional radio, and now many listeners prefer Spotify for this. You can choose your own playlist, your own podcast. So information here makes sense a lot for this generation. Okay. So it's very, very current, and that is why they are collaborating together because they have seen that it is trending. Spotify is trending much more than traditional radio.
Premium content and storytelling. Manchester United, the United Way documentary. Manchester United created rich media narratives highlighting the club's legacy and community impact. This kind of content builds an emotional bridge between the team and brands wanting to align with history, passion, and influence. So storytelling is something that engages fans a lot because we have seen how fans, traditional fans, have a certain emotional connection for their team, and they would want to know more about the team itself. All right? Or history about the team, their passions, their influences, and anything that the team has to offer. The fans will be there to listen to this documentary because it is an area of interest. Sometimes such information also draws fans from other teams as well, just maybe for curiosity, but or else just for the love of the game, or because they are fans themselves. Either way, it is still working, and it is a way of storytelling.
Corporate hospitality and networking events. So here we have Formula 1 Paddock Club. So Formula 1 offers high-end hospitality in its Paddock Club, allowing brands to host clients or partners in an exclusive, immersive setting. These experiences can help companies solidify relationships and impress stakeholders. So when going back a few lectures back, when we spoke about the niche target market, high-end clients or as high-end fans, this is where it comes into play. You know, sports such as Formula 1 or else golf or else sailing, they tend to have targeted people from a certain demographic, mainly income. All right. So let's say they rule with the elite of society. So their events, their clubs will be more exclusive, and the experience will be more high-end.
Then there's cross-platform brand integration. The example of the NBA and Nike partnership here. So the NBA gives Nike massive exposure via jersey branding, digital campaigns, courtside signage, and social media tie-ins. The multi-platform integration ensures Nike's presence across traditional and digital touchpoints. So again, we are seeing a very important collaboration here, on a different level, not so high-end as the previous one, but it has a bigger catchment, okay, because there are more fans of the NBA than fans of Formula 1, and when it comes to branding to jerseys, merchandise in general, there are more—there are more giveaways, and there are more streams of income coming from here.
CSR and ESG initiatives. Here we can see WFA and Pepsi's collaboration together when it comes to the recycle campaign. So what did these do together? They partnered with PepsiCo during the Champions League to promote recycling in stadiums and fan zones, aligning both entities with environmental sustainability goals and socially conscious branding. So here there's the element of sustainability, environmental sustainability, which is something green, a green concept that Pepsi wanted to reinforce and take care of when it came to their recycling campaign, which is something nice because this was as part of the PESTEL analysis of a whole company. So this was their goal, and they used WFA, they used the Champions League to collaborate together so that they can reinforce this idea.
As a brief summary, we can see that sports entities attract companies through data-driven propositions, immersive storytelling, premium experiences, multi-channel exposure, and social responsibility alignment. Okay. So there are various ways how companies can collaborate with sports, being a sports company or as being a non-sports company. There is still something that they can offer. We have seen the differences between sports companies and non-sports companies wanting to advertise in sports, and now it is coming all together, and it is finally making sense. It has to be a win-win situation for both entities for them to collaborate.
Understanding sports products and branding. So now we're going through sports products, and we are going to see why they are unique, and what differences do they have to offer. So when it comes to sports products, they are unique because they blend intangible experiences such as games, events, and emotions with tangible goods: merchandise, equipment, and facilities. So their value comes from fan loyalty, engagement, and passion, rather than just functional utility. How is this done? So there are unique characteristics of sports products: intangibility, perishability, inconsistency, emotional and social connection. So starting from intangibility, there are the live games and fan experiences are emotions-driven and unpredictable. Perishability: once a game ends, its value exists only in memories, replays, or stats. Inconsistency: outcomes vary. You have wins, you have losses, you have draws, making product quality unpredictable. Emotional and social connection: fans form deep, long-term bonds with teams, players, and leagues.
So the sports product continuum looks like this. So here in this table, I have categorized products based on tangible versus intangible attributes. So this tool helps marketeers position products effectively for different customer or consumer segments. So you have tangible products, then you have your hybrid products, and you have your intangible services. Equipment such as balls, jerseys, and shoes. Then hybrid, you would have the venues and the stadiums. Intangibles: you have live games and tournaments, collectibles, trading cards, NFTs, so media rights and streaming, coaching, training, sports tourism, licensed merchandise like hats or posters. Hybrid would be fantasy sports and betting. Intangible services would be sponsorship and fan engagement.
Secondly, sport product augmentation techniques. Augmenting sports products adds extra value to improve fan experience and differentiate from competitors. So you have digital enhancements such as VR experiences, second-screen apps, personalized content, premium access, VIP seating, exclusive meet-and-greet events, gamification, fantasy leagues, prediction games, interactive fan rewards, community engagement, social media interaction, loyalty programs, charity events.
Sport product life cycle. Like all products, sports offerings evolve through four key stages. Teams and leagues rebrand, introduce new content, or partner with influencers to extend their life cycle. So it is very important, as you might have studied previously for any other industry, especially products coming from non-sports products, you know, you are familiar that there are stages of a life cycle of a product. So there's always the introduction phase, then there's the growth stage, the maturity, and the decline. What I mean in this slide right here is if you do not introduce new content, or else if you do not do any kind of rebranding, or else find new ways how to market your product, if it is technology-based then you find updates. If you do not keep up with all this, what is trending in the market, then you might be in danger of having a decline in your product, which eventually will become extinct, right? So you will lose this product. A good example for this would be Nokia. Nokia has decided to not introduce smartphones, and so they have left the market once the smartphones started taking over the market. So the introduction would be a new product, limited awareness because not many people know about this yet. Emerging leagues as an example, or new team jerseys. Growth: rising popularity, increased sales such as esports leagues, growing club fan bases. Maturity: high competition, stable demand, established leagues like the NBA, FIFA, top clubs like Real Madrid. The decline: declining interest, innovation needed, so outdated merch and struggling leagues. So these sum up different processes, different stages of a product or else a service.
Sport branding and brand licensing. So for sport branding, we have creating emotional connections with fans through team culture, legacy, and identity. Key branding elements: logo, mascots, slogans, history, player personalities. And an example for this would be the Jordan brand. Okay. So following Michael Jordan's legacy, it extends beyond basketball because he has a different line of diversification into Nike where it has this leisure line. Branding and licensing: selling the rights to use a sports brand's name, logo, or merchandise. This generates huge revenue through apparel, collectibles, and video games. Example: FIFA by EA Sports ensures wider product availability without direct production costs for teams. A well-managed sports product strategy leverages branding, augmentation, and life cycle extensions to maintain fan interest. Brand licensing and strategic positioning helps teams and leagues maximize revenue while strengthening their global presence. So basically, this is what the second part of this lecture was all about. It is not enough to just have a brand. It is not enough to just have a product. You need to keep updating this product. You need to keep making alliances. You need to keep having sponsorships because all of this and advertisement of course, because all of this contributes to maximizing your revenue. And also if you are a global brand, it will help you in global presence. So brand positioning is also very, very important.
This week's reading is this one right here. You can find this under your readings, and then obviously, do not forget that we always have the weekly activities. Thank you for your time, and we'll see you next week.