More Than A Logo: How To Get The Best Content From Your Sports Partnerships

Australia is a sporting country. Where a race stops the nation. Whose Prime Ministers wear green and gold tracksuits, lead the Sharks’ song in the locker room, and declare that any boss who sacks someone for not turning up after winning the American Cup is a bum. In this opinion piece, Redengine SCC associate planner Michael Waddups explains how brands can get the most from a sporting partnership.
Partnering with sports organisations, whether that be at a code, competition or club level, is a great way to connect your brand with an established and engaged audience.
The best partnerships work when there is a clear intersection of audience, of values and of consumption. Finding that overlap between your brand and a sporting entity is the first step to a good sponsorship. The second, is making sure you get as much value as you can from it.
Sure, you can stick a Steggles’ logo on to a Roosters’ jersey and you’ll sell some chicken. But since you’ve paid for the privilege (or in my biased Brisbane Broncos opinion, the dishonour) of partnering with the Eastern Suburbs Football Club – you’d want to get some content that can live on after the game is over and the fans have gone home.
To help marketers, media partners and mascots give their 110 per cent, I’ve had a look at some of the best sports partnerships from across Australia and come up with a simple philosophy to ensure you’re getting the most ‘bang for your buck’ from your sponsorships.
I’m calling it: ‘right place, right time, right person, right message’.
What do you mean it’s a thing already?
I’m not talking about geo-targeted media placements bought in real-time, targeting audience segments with personalised messaging. This is different. This is about creating content that connects. This is about sports and stuff.
Right place
Step into the ring. Leave it all in the pool. The MCG is hallowed turf, Tiger town and a Giant graveyard all in one.
Sports are events that operate in stadiums, courses, open water and steel cages. Even eSports competitions, which take place in virtual worlds and where brands are relatively new (for now), are being played in giant stadiums rather than dark basements.
Not only do you want your logo, your activation and your free box tickets to be in this setting – this is also the best place to capture your content. The UberEats Australian Open takeover is a great example. By filming their ads ‘in’ tennis matches, UberEats is leveraging the attention the audience has on the tennis court.
It may seem obvious, but setting your ads in the places associated with your sports partner is an easy way to trigger that connection in the mind of your audience and make them sit up and take notice.
Right time
It’s a game of two halves. Every second counts. The last weekend in September. Where history is written.
Sports are moments in time. Moments that can’t be missed or easily forgotten. It’s in these moments that your content should be present and promoted. It’s why brands spend millions of media dollars to put their ads in the Super Bowl or in Australia, in Melbourne Cup Day coverage.
But owning the moment doesn’t just have to mean buying a TVC spot. In 2016, Gatorade leveraged the buzz of the AFL grand final by creating a custom Snapchat lens of the famous Gatorade dunk.
Right person
The Thorpedo. Australia’s tennis bad boy. King Wally. Tayla Harris. Steve Sandpaper Smith. Cathy Freeman in a swift suit. Leo Barry you star.
Sports are nothing without their players, coaches, volunteers, umpires and commentators. There are champions and chumps. Cult heroes and despised villains. Powerhouses and underdogs. They’re more than just participants, they’re the very reason we watch, cheer, cry and boo.
They’re also the very people that need to be the star of your content. Again, this is not news. But the trick here lies in picking the right person. Choose wrongly and the face of your campaign may quickly fade from the spotlight or worse – be in it for all of the wrong reasons.
So how do you decide? Look to your audience. Find the person that best represents what your consumer and brand stand for. What they want to be seen as. For VB, that was a hard-working family man and a no-frills bloke who represents modern Australia. For Bundaberg, it was a guy from country Queensland, a club icon and a responsible member of the team.
Sometimes the biggest stars aren’t the best people for the job. Especially in Australia, where a love for the underdog and a serious case of tall poppy syndrome means we don’t hold our leaders in the same esteem as countries like America. As content creators, this can be a positive. It means we can look past the obvious stars to find the perfect champion for your brand.
Right message
Mack Horton takes a stand. Adam Goodes celebrates with a war cry. The Waratahs sack Israel Folau. The A-League expands.
Sports are full of storylines. The comebacks, the upsets, the scandals and the successes. Attaching your brand to one of these stories, or in Google’s case – lots of them, is a great way to land your message. Again, the challenge is identifying the sport story that supports the brand story.
One of my favourite campaigns every year is NAB’s Mini Legends. It ticks all the boxes – right place (footy field), right time (runs during the season), right person (recognisable and diverse stars) and right message. But what is the message? At face value it’s just a cute ad, right? There’s no denying it’s bloody cute. And it’s cute because it plays on the classic sporting storyline of growing up wanting to be a sports star. The line at the end of the TVC gives it away – “supporting footballers from NAB AFL Auskick to the big time”. This speaks to NAB’s involvement in AFL grassroots, as well as delivering a bigger message. Here’s a quote from their website to show you what I mean – “we’re there from the beginning to support them through every stage of the business lifecycle.”
The top-level of sport in Australia is all about entertainment. When you partner with a sporting organisation, you should be looking to add to this entertainment. So when it comes time to bring your partnership to life just remember – right place, right time, right person, right message*.
*Can also be used for media strategy. I guess.
Latest News

ghd Appoints GrowthOps Digital As Digital Marketing Partner
Global hair styling brand, ghd has today announced the appointment of GrowthOps Digital as its digital marketing partner.

Prahran Market Announces Masterchef Grand Finalist Simon Toohey As ‘Sustainable Simon’
Prahran Market is excited to announce Simon Toohey as the Market’s new sustainability guru ‘Sustainable Simon’

Xandr Shares Comprehensive Approach To Identity
Xandr today shared insight into its multi-faceted approach to identity solutions, to facilitate high-value transactions for buyers and sellers following the deprecation of third-party cookies and device IDs.

Bolster Group Launches Regional Tour ‘Small Town Big Sound’, For The Transport Accident Commission’s Vanessa
A nod to the colourful, late 70’s Aussie pub rock scene, Bolster Group has created the Small Town Big Sound campaign; collecting a handful of the nation’s locally adored bands to tour regional Victoria in the latest campaign for TAC’s Vanessa.

When It Comes Brand Building, Less Isn’t Always More
In this guest post, Hulsbosch’s creative director Marcel Wijnen, casts his design eye over what truly makes a brand and says it’s all about being true and essential… To do simple – and to be original – is a truly tough task. Not impossible, but not easy. Naturally, we can get lost in ‘striving for simplicity’ […]

Seven Victorian Charities Join Forces To Light Up Thousands Of Lives With ‘Power Up’ 2021 Campaign
Seven Victorian charities are uniting for a month-long virtual fundraising challenge - Power Up 2021 - between 28th February and 28th March. There’s no denying that 2020 affected everyone, but small charities experienced a huge drop in much needed donations and it is hoped the Power Up campaign will bring fundraising back to life.

South Australian Supermarket Chain Foodland Launches ‘Mighty’ New Campaign, Via KWP!
South Australia’s largest independent supermarket chain, Foodland – with its unforgettable jingle “Foodland, the mighty South Aussies, yeah” – will launch a new campaign on 7th March. The campaign coincides with the chain’s $251m expansion program to open twenty-five new stores, revamp fourty-seven and create 2,500 new jobs over the next five years. Agency KWP! […]

AFG Launches Brand Refresh From The Works Ahead Of Tech Launches
Ahead of major new technology launches, AFG (Australian Finance Group) has unveiled a new brand design, logo and campaign created by The Works.

Client Retentions Boost Carat’s Billings And Solidify Growth
Jim Groves, Managing Director of Carat Perth, announced today a significant growth period for the agency with the retention of three existing clients.

Julie Bishop, Thelma Plum And More: Klarna’s First Aussie Smoooth Session
A-listers turned out to Klarna's Sydney party last night. It did move significantly down the alphabet on B&T's arrival.

The Future Of Post-Pandemic Advertising Or Plain Gross? People Are Freaking Out Over This Racy Menswear Campaign
B&T warns this contains imagery of attractive people in various states of undress. And by "warn" we mean "encourage".

A Win For Privacy Or For Google? Ad Tech Industry Weighs In On Tracking Changes
Here, B&T asks "a win for privacy or for Google?" & you'd pick the splinters out of our arse such was the fence-sitting.

72andSunny Announce New Narratives: Mapping Modern Masculinity Event
72andSunny announces plans for a masculinity event, adding it's not compulsory to do donuts in a ute before attending.

Government Supports ‘Buy Aussie Now’ Marketplace With ‘Tick Of Approval’ For Australian Businesses
B&T always looks to buy Australian, except that is when it comes to sombreros, Shih Tzus or plundered Inca ruins.

Co-Founder Of Eyeota Returns As Head of Brand Solutions AU/NZ
Eyeota, the leading audience technology platform enabling the intelligent use of data, today announced its co-founder, Trent Lloyd, has been appointed Head of Brand Solutions, Australia/New Zealand.

Muval Launches First Broadcast And Digital Advertising Campaign, Targeting ‘Relocation Of The Nation’
Muval is an online booking platform for removalists, despite sounding like a psyllium fibre supplement for constipation.

The Indie Recipe: A Dash Of Agility And A Spoonful Of Adaptation
Here's the recipe for indie agency success! Sadly it doesn't go so far as tips on stealing your competitor's clients.

Clems Melbourne Launches New Content Division
Judging by the press photo, Clems content division enjoy a laugh. Unless they're learning of a colleague's termination?

The Wiggles Mash-Up Tame Impala’s ‘Elephant’ With Iconic Hit ‘Fruit Salad’ For Triple J
The Wiggles have done triple J's 'Like A Version' and, thankfully, no one had a bout of narcolepsy or a heart attack.

Yes, You Can Now Buy Cadbury Creme Egg-Flavoured Beer!
The hot cross bun said to be the ideal accompaniment to Cadbury Creme Egg beer. Followed by a trip to Weight Watchers.

WPP Snares Facebook’s Dave Rolfe For Global Head Of Production Role
Dave Rolfe named WPP's global head of production while confirming he's no relation to convicted sex pest Rolf Harris.

Thursday TV Wrap: Gogglebox Numbers Continue To Climb
With MAFS on hiatus, it was a Steven Bradbury sprint to the line for the networks last night. Sans the silly helmets.

Australian Community News Launches Travel Website
Clearly having not read a newspaper in the past 12 months, Australian Community News announces plans for travel website.

Moccona Launches New “Me-Time” Brand Platform, Via Edge
Moccona's the premium instant coffee of choice at the B&T office. Even if we do refill the jar with International Roast.

Network 10 And Nickelodeon International Partner For First-Time With Live Action Series
Dreading the fast-approaching school holidays? This may be of interest or even a bulk purchase at Dan Murphys.

Introducing The Zavy Social Scoreboard
Get yourself acquainted with the Zavy Social Scoreboard here. Why not mix a martini for added mood and intimacy.

Study: 81% Of Creatives Say COVID’s Hit Their Earnings, 40% Saying It’s More Than Halved
In lieu of the AstraZeneca vaccine, B&T's warding off the pandemic with a Vick's Vapor Rub & a Johnnie Walker & honey.

Priceline Pharmacy Celebrates Every Day Being A Festival of You, Via Whippet
Priceline celebrates the 'festival of you' in latest campaign. Particularly if you stink, itch, secrete or blister.

Foxtel Media Unveils Four New Digitally Enabled Cient Offerings
Miss the Foxtel Group 2021 Showcase yesterday? Watch a video replay of it in full here while pausing for toilet breaks.

“The Free And Open Internet Is A Force For Good”: Quantcast Reveals New Intelligent Audience Platform
On Thursday, Quantcast held their Virtual NOVA event, discussing the current state of the advertising industry, the end of third-party cookies, the open internet vs walled gardens, and data privacy and consent. The event coincided with the launch of their new Quantcast Platform. It is an intelligent audience platform powered by the company’s patented AI […]