Event Marketing With Promotional Gifts

With an audience of thousands in each sporting venue – and even more for televised events – the summer of 2012 provides what is arguably the largest marketing opportunity ever seen in the UK. Sport is now synonymous with business, and the feel good factor associated with this year’s games will inject even more vigour into this closely intertwined relationship.

When it comes to sports advertising, the one area that initially springs to mind is sponsorship – who supports a favoured football team without being aware of the main advertiser?! Far from being viewed as ‘selling out’, sponsorship is perceived as a natural and favourable element of sport – it can even help generate the mega bucks needed to secure the biggest sporting names!
On a smaller scale, replica kits can be used by regional teams to generate awareness, as well as offering co-branded opportunities for local partners. This can often be a very attractive proposition since the target audience is localised and typically a very narrow demographic.

In addition to clothing, support for a favoured team is often shown through the use of souvenirs and novelties. Drivers, for example, will happily display mini-kits of their chosen team in their back windows, or hang novelty logo air fresheners  from their wing mirror. Local teams can apply this concept too, by adding their logo to team branded memorabillia and merchandise. Offered for re-sale to local fans, this can help to drum up additional funds as well as raising awareness.

And let’s not forget the enthusiam of the crowd! Spectators love to wave, clap, whistle, and foghorn their allegiance, so how about applying a bold logo to thundersticks, flags or whistles?

The spirit of sport really is worth embracing – a dedicated audience provides a receptive and responsive crowd that is rarely seen elsewhere.