Take a Chance on Me: Brands and Properties Should Follow ABBA’s Advice

The admonition to be bold and take risks in order to achieve success is far from a new idea. Yet it bears repeating for marketers and rights holders involved in sports and entertainment, a sector that too often suffers from the same menus of standard benefits, me-too activation programs and a reliance on the usual suspects when it comes to sourcing new partners.

On the sponsor side, marketers often move cautiously, especially when it comes to partnering with emerging sports versus well-established ones. Although there is plenty of justification for not playing fast and loose with budgets that are typically stretched thin, playing it safe also limits the potential returns.

I’m reminded of this by news of Oakley’s new partnership with USA Football, becoming official eyewear partner through 2028. The brand, already an NFL and USOPC sponsor, also signed Diana Flores, quarterback for Mexico’s national flag football team, as an endorser, where she joins NFLers Patrick Mahomes and Justin Jefferson on Oakley’s roster.

With flag football joining the Olympic sports roll in Los Angeles in four years, there is a lot of buzz about the sport. But at this early stage, partners are buying into the potential that they hope will be achieved rather than being able to capitalize on current reach, exposure and promotional power.

While many brands are uncomfortable doing that, Oakley’s bet is a calculated one. With its Olympic seal of approval and its stronger-than-ever connection to the NFL and its players thanks to inclusion in the Pro Bowl and other initiatives, flag football’s prospects are very bright.

Oakley is not guaranteed success, but it no doubt “bought low,” increasing the odds of a big win versus other brands who wait to see how the sport develops over the next few years.

Properties also can benefit from calculated risks by looking beyond the most active sponsors for challenger brands in major categories. Although these smaller players typically come with shallower pockets, fewer human and other resources for activating, and other concerns, they bring other valuable things to the table.

Consider properties such as the LA Clippers and KC Current that have signed deals with prebiotic soda maker Olipop to sell its canned drinks at the new Intuit Dome and CPKC Stadium venues.

While the path of least resistance would be to grant the broad category exclusivity that Coca-Cola and PepsiCo desire, carving out an “official functional beverage” segment allows the venues to offer fans more product choice and take advantage of the addition of in-venue grab-and-go stores that can sell canned products—increasing the variety of options versus fountain sales.

Is there potential to impinge on a property’s relationship with Coke or Pepsi? Could an upstart company face financial headwinds that might put a deal in jeopardy down the road? Yes, but here again the risk is calculated.

In making their play for partnerships, both fledgling properties and emerging brands could do worse than adopt the lyrics of everybody’s favorite Swedish pop group as their pitch theme: “Gonna do my very best and it ain't no lie. If you put me to the test, if you let me try.”