The heart of every business lies within its marketing. You can’t have a successful company if no one knows who you are, or what services you offer. This is where marketing comes into play. We are familiar with traditional marketing tactics such as newspaper ads, billboards, television, and radio. But how is traditional marketing tactics different than sports marketing?

What is Traditional Marketing?

Traditional marketing has been around for decades and can most easily be recognized through platforms such as newsletters, billboards, flyers, radio, and newspaper print ads [Chron]. People often refer to traditional marketing as “tried-and-true” because in the past it has always worked. However, the world we live in today is drastically different than it was even a few years ago. What worked in 2010 simply will not work today.

Take radio ads for example, and think of the last time you heard a radio ad. Do you remember what company it was for? Could you give a brief explanation of the service(s) offered? More than likely, your answers to these questions are “no.” Individuals are consuming music in new ways. Now, it’s Pandora Premium, Spotify, or Apple. People are willing to spend an extra $5 a month on a music subscription to not hear ads.

Traditional media is suffering because there are newer, more interesting ways to obtain information. Why pay for a traditional billboard, when I can get that same information on Facebook in a highly engaging way?

Unfortunately, traditional marketing is no longer an effective strategy for your company. It is quickly becoming outdated and obsolete.

What is Sports Marketing?

In short, sports marketing is the act of using sports and the passion of the sports fan to sell and promote goods and services [Marketing Schools]. Sports marketing can take place at all levels of sports such as professional sports (NFL, NHL), collegiate sports (FSU, UF, LSU), minor league teams (MiLB), and even youth sports.

The goals you wish to achieve and the budget you have is what will determine which athletic organizational partner would make the best fit for your company. If your target demographic is adults ages 45-65, then perhaps sponsorships in youth sports may not be the right fit. It is all about you and what your company wishes to accomplish!

The main component that sets sports marketing apart is the fact that they do not rely on one method to promote their brand, but instead an incredibly flexible and dynamic world of promotional options. It is not just a billboard on the side of the interstate. It is a sign in the outfield that gets attention and changes every time a home run is hit, it is the iconic promotion that takes place at halftime that gets the fans up and out of their seats screaming for a mascot to run faster, it is the once in a lifetime experience of meeting the head coach, the social media post that was seen by the teams 450,000 person fan base on Facebook. It is so much more than just one thing, but to the true fan, it is the most important thing…

Why That Matters To You:

Sports fans are some of the most passionate individuals there are. They are 2X more likely to change their buying habits in order to have them align with “their” team.

When your company is partnered with a sporting team they have the full support and backing of the team’s entire fan base. The fans get to have an experience that they will never forget, which in turn means that they will never forget your company name. No amount of traditional marketing can do that.

Another factor that contributes to sports marketing success is the amount of time spent looking at your company logo and other engaging information. A radio ad is maybe 30 seconds, you only see a billboard for 10 seconds, but a sporting event, on average, is 2+ hours and there are several dozen games throughout the season We are no longer measuring seconds, but hours.

So next time you find yourself engulfed in your game day traditions such as wearing your lucky socks and jacket to a game in the middle of September, ask yourself if that billboard ad is really working or if you should switch your spending to sports.