Why Brands Get a Real Kick Out of Partnerships with Athletes

Working with a sports star generates ROI of $6.20 for every $1 spent, according to a study by IEG.

We know that when brands partner with sports stars something 🪄special happens. This might explain why the global sports sponsorship market is expected be worth nearly $90B by 2027.

These partnerships work for one unique reason…

⚽️ players are inspiring ⚽️

Athletes may (or may) not be gifted content creators but they definitely motivate consumers based on their determination and drive.

Look at someone like Michael Jordan, for example.  

After the NBA banned Air Jordans, Michael Jordan continued to make headlines, not just for his stellar athletic performances, but because he continued to wear the shoes. Yes, he racked up fines (that Nike then paid) but he also made consumers connect the dots between his skill and Nike through renegade product placement. Nike capitalized wisely in this moment and aired commercials with a big X over Michael Jordan’s shoes and the word banned scrolled across the screen. There was more publicity generated by this situation than any marketer could have hoped for, and this well played upon moment created arguably the best sports marketing campaign ever.

We’ve also found remarkable success working with athletes.

For eBay, we helped to drive awareness by showing how the platform was community powered with a campaign that placed Roberto Carlos and Eni Aluko in local 5-a-side leagues. This led to outstanding results.

+ 874K engagements

+ 2.2M reach

We did it again as lead in a multi-agency campaign, which drove eBay’s association and credibility with football memorabilia by delivering awareness and site traffic during the World Cup.

With 98% positive sentiment for #memorabiliaraffle and 81% for #eBay during the

campaign period, the campaign moved the needle at a time of hyper-activity within the

football market.

Peter Crouches’ agent said: “The content looked great. We thought it was edited really

well and come together nicely across social. Peter, within reason, had free reign on his

own captions, which definitely helps for his audience especially as his only platform is

Twitter. I think the chemistry between Peter and Mason was good and that definitely

showed in the sit-down elements of the content.”

+ 17.5% Click through ate

+ 84M Reach

How do you maximize the potential brand partnership and advertising opportunities with athletes?

🏆Amplify their relevance

🏆Amplify their authority

🏆Amplify their fandom

🏆Amplify their relevance!

Take women’s soccer as a case study. It has the highest following of any women’s sport globally. With 22% of the world watching, according to YouGov. The 2023 #FIFAWomensWorldCup will include more teams than ever before (32) and has sold more than half a million tickets already.

There is a big opportunity for exceptional, significant marketing campaigns to be created. Not only is focusing on female soccer players and their fans vital, but there is also as a chance to create social change through thoughtful marketing campaigns.

This year’s Women’s World Cup will be led by FIFA’s first Chief Women’s Football Officer, Sarai Bareman. In 2020, FIFA’s maternity leave rules were rewritten to be fairer for players. The rules where then made stronger by regulations that will enforce fines as well as transfer bans on clubs that discriminate against players during pregnancy.

There is a positive shift taking place currently and there is a clear message being delivered of empowerment and equality. The smartest and most effective marketing complains will help drive this social change and will capture memorable moments in women’s soccer.

Athletes work hard to perform and excel, and brands and marketers can benefit from that momentum.