Our Top 5 Sports Marketing Firms in 2022

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Modern sports marketing agencies are pivotal to inspiring healthy participation and driving fan engagement.

In the digital age, the best sports marketing agencies use a range of channels to connect with passionate target audiences and drive brand awareness within the industry.

There is so much innovation and creativity happening in the biz right now. To celebrate that wonderful fact, here we look at the five best sports marketing agencies of the moment.

Why sports marketing is important in the digital age

Before we look at our rundown of the best sports agencies of 2022, let’s look at why these strategic powerhouses are so important in the digital age. Sports marketing agencies offer…

  • Targeted content that offers personal value and taps into your audience’s specific interests
  • Cohesive sports marketing campaigns that will boost brand awareness and expand your commercial reach
  • Focused and dynamic sports messaging for specific fans or consumers to tap into thriving local markets
  • Completely original niche experiences, campaigns, and multi-channel content that will make your sports organization, brand or business a trustworthy thought-leader, accelerating your growth in the process

The 5 best sports marketing agencies of 2022 revealed

Now you know why sports marketing agencies are such a big deal, let’s look at the best of the best right now.

1. CAA—evening the playing field

First up, we have the Creative Artists Agency (CAA). Making waves in the industry since 1975, this global sports marketing agency delivers dynamic campaigns across a range of mediums including television, music, and digital media. This ever-evolving collective’s main focus is promoting as well as celebrating diversity in sports—and as such, the CAA works in close collaboration with its clients to deliver experiences that truly resonate with their target audiences. Kudos.

2. SPORTFIVE—the partnership powerhouse

A thriving partnership powerhouse, SPORTFIVE are experts at bringing together sporting brands, fans, media outlets, and rights-holders to develop campaigns or initiatives that offer value to all. This savvy sports marketing agency takes a deep dive into major pockets of the industry to create thought-leading content that enlightens, inspires, and amazes across every channel or touchpoint. An agency that is experiencing a significant level of growth year after year.

3. WePlay—savvy with social media

WePlay offers its sports clients a wealth of powerful promotional services, but the main reason the agency has made it to our list is its ability to earn big wins through social media. As an official Meta Business Partner, WePlay has used its savvy social media skills to earn its clients a collective $300 million in incremental returns (in just 10 years, too). Oh, and WePlay has won some pretty coveted awards in the past decade, including marketing prizes from The DADI Drum and The Football Business Awards.

4. Fifty-ThreeSix—the campaign conceptualists

This energetic agency is well-rounded in terms of its abilities. But, without a doubt, one of Fifty-ThreeSix’s biggest strengths is its ability to conjure up cutting-edge sports marketing campaigns concepts (the kind that really cut through the noise). This celebrated sports marketing agency has worked with the likes of bet365, IRFU, Allianz, and the FA with the aim of converting passionate fans into loyal brand advocates. This recent multi-channel campaign with the Rugby Network is proof that the agency has succeeded in its mission.

5. Samba Digital—a local and international content colossus

Last but certainly not least, we have Samba Digital (us). As a multi award-winning sports marketing agency, we provide a range of cutting-edge services designed for the digital age. In addition to providing thought-leading campaigns for a variety of sports brands, clubs and institutions, we’re also specialists in localisation, community management, monetizations practices, and Esports. Our recent influencer marketing campaign for Playbetr was a roaring success—and you can find out more by checking out our collection of case studies.

Conclusion

“One person can be a crucial ingredient on a team, but one man cannot make a team.”—Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Sports marketing agencies can help sporting brands, teams, and organizations reach new audiences and engage their fanbase in ways they never thought possible. The best agencies in the biz work as an extension to your squad, helping you play to the best of your abilities in a new and exciting digital age. And that’s a beautiful thing.

If you want to find out more about what we can do for your sports brand or organization, please contact us. We look forward to hearing from you.

4 innovative examples of sports marketing in action

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Today’s hyper-connecting digital playing field offers sports brands and organizations almost limitless scope for connecting with their fans across a wide range of touchpoints.

Through well-crafted and highly-targeted content, you will cut through the noise and inspire your audience in ways that will encourage lifelong loyalty. The right sports marketing campaign will push you ahead of the pack—earning your club, brand or organization droves of new fans in the process.

But, to become that glistening needle in a giant digital haystack, your sports marketing content has to hit the mark.

To inspire your creative efforts, here are four innovative examples of sports marketing in action.

  1. STATSports – the power of storytelling

As a brand that specializes in providing deep dive metrics to professional athletes, STATsport uses the power of storytelling to showcase its key brand USPs in a way that is inspiring and engaging in equal measures.

In addition to launching an influencer-led 2021 sports marketing campaign featuring the likes of Alex Morgan and Tyler Adams, STATSports recently created a behind-the-scenes video of how the University of Delaware uses its GPS Player Trackers to track and improve athletic performance. A narrative that has led to increased brand awareness in a crowded market.

Lesson: Developing an original campaign concept and focusing on telling a story while leaning on your brand, club or organization’s USPs will cut through the noise and drive engagement.

2. Climate Pledge Arena – brand-boosting partnerships

To build a buzz and benefit from a touch of brand-boosting cross-promotion, PepsiCo Beverages North America (PBNA) teamed up with the NHL’s Seattle Krakens in a long-term partnership designed to tackle climate change.

Through this new partnership, the two brands pledge to achieving net-zero annual carbon emissions by 2040. Not only does Pepsi’s sustainable packaging now feature heavily in the Krakens’ Climate Pledge Arena, but it’s also offered enormous scope for creating inspiring cross-promotional social media content.

Lesson: By working with a brand partner that shares your values and working together to develop well-crafted multi-channel content, you will boost your brand reach significantly.

3. Puma, Man City & Roblox- New age immersive marketing

Roblox, Puma, and Manchester City are all leaders in their fields—and combined, they’re a sports marketing tour de force.

To launch its brand new third club strip, Puma and Manchester City decided to tap into the metaverse and allow fans to wear it virtually. In this immersive marketing initiative, fans can dress their Roblox avatars in the new team strip while navigating Puma’s brand new ‘Land of The Games’ experience.

Not only is this a completely original feat of sports marketing, but by offering fans the chance to wear the kit while interacting with other players, Manchester City earned maximum brand exposure. The campaign also inspired droves of social media interaction and user-generated content (UCG).

Lesson: Embracing emerging tech trends and developing and allowing your fans to reach out and touch your brand with your fans will position you as a leader in your field.

4. Quaker’s Super Bowl ad (2022) – how to use a content

A masterclass on how to run with an original hook and flip a traditional concept on its head, Quaker Oats’ 2022 Super Bowl commercial is nothing short of iconic.

With all of the essential ingredients of a super emotive Super Bowl beer commercial (sweeping shots of hop fields, sweating brewers, and nostalgic music), Quaker launched a campaign that urged beer-swilling football fans to ‘pre-grain before the big game.’ A brilliant play on words and an original concept that earned the oats brand a healthy return on investment (ROI).

Lesson: Using a specific brand USP to create a punchy campaign hook being bold or creative with your messaging will propel your sports marketing efforts from average to amazing.

Why creative content is essential for a sports brand

As a sports club, brand or organization, focusing on creative content will empower you to showcase everything you have to offer in a way that offers genuine value to your audience.

If you get your sports marketing content right, you will:

  • Drive brand growth
  • Inspire fan loyalty
  • Connect with fans using new and creative mediums
  • Create a deeper level of engagement and interaction
  • Provide quality messaging that resonates with your target audience
  • Tap into potentially rewarding local or regional markets

We hope these inspiring examples of sports marketing have offered a little fuel for the creative fire—and if you need help with your content creation and campaign efforts, please get in touch. We look forward to hearing from you.

3 powerful ways sports teams and brands can connect with their fans

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In the digital age, sports brands and teams have an ever-expanding number of fan engagement opportunities at their fingertips.

From email and social media to mobile apps, loyalty schemes, and beyond, sports marketing is a rewarding playing field for brands or teams willing to explore the right channels or touchpoints.

To stand out from the crowd, delivering experiences that offer your fans personal value is essential. As a sports team or brand, you have to inspire, entertain, and amaze—and here we’re going to show you how.

1. Deliver exclusive or personalized content

Did you know? 92% of leading marketers and businesses see content marketing as an invaluable business asset.

By creating exclusive content for specific segments of your fan base across a mix of online channels, you will offer a level of personal value that will not only grow your audience—but boost your brand awareness.

Content is a powerful promotional tool for sports teams, clubs or brands. If you take time to get to know your audience by using data and buyer personas, you can get extra personal with your content.

Creating exclusive content (from email newsletters and blog posts to personalized landing pages and social media communications) that meets the needs and interests of your fanbase will show fans that you’re an authority in your niche—it will also demonstrate your value as a modern sports team or brand.

To engage Spanish football fans in the English Premier League, we produced a show with Cracks Columbia. A geo-gated TikTok-based stream of the Merseyside Derby, this highly-targeted exclusive content earned over 500,000 views and resulted in over 4,000 competition entries. A testament to the power of content in sports marketing.

2. Create immersive sports fan experiences

Another effective engagement tool in sports marketing is creating immersive fan experiences.

We live in an age where sports fans can access information about their favorite sports teams or brands with the swipe of a screen or the click of a button. To win on the commercial battlefield, using this untapped access to content or information to your advantage will put you in the poll position.

The sports tech market is set to reach $31.1 billion by 2024—a clear indication that digital sports events and marketing is a worthy investment.

Creating immersive fan experiences that place people at the heart of the action is paramount to success in today’s world. Virtual stadium tours, high quality live streams with access to exclusive footage or content, and even virtual reality (VR)-based experiences are all viable ways of creating maximum engagement in the digital age.

To gain momentum after the pandemic, the Bundesliga teamed up with AWS to launch ‘Bundesliga Match Facts’. This immersive initiative offered fans extra game statistics by honing in on live video feeds and using machine learning (ML) technology to tailor the experience to the fans. An inspiring concept that earned droves of engagement.

3. Inspire fan loyalty

Did you know? 83% of consumers say loyalty programs make them more likely to engage with brands or organizations.

Developing a loyalty scheme or incentivizing people to interact with you online, you will improve your retention rates while turning casual fans into loyal brand or team advocates (helping you to grow your fanbase further in the process).

Creating a loyalty scheme or incentives will empower you to engage with your fans directly while offering access to exclusive events, content, merchandise, and experiences. Doing so will inspire your audience to remain active fans rather than passive followers—creating sustainably healthy levels of engagement in the process.

Sports apparel colossus Nike, for example, has developed a digital rewards scheme with input from leading athletes. The wildly successful loyalty scheme offers access to members-only deals, inspirational fan content, and highly-targeted experiential rewards (including exclusive sporting event access, athlete meet and greets, and personalized products).

The branding is on point and every pocket of the fan or customer journey is seamless. Another driving force behind this world-famous sports brand’s continued growth and success.

Why having a sports marketing campaign is important

If you combine these three powerful sports marketing engagement concepts, you can create campaigns that will not only give you an edge on the competition, but it will accelerate the growth of your fanbase.

By investing more time and resources into your sports marketing efforts, you will:

  • Build trust and authority in your niche
  • Earn more fans
  • Cement fan loyalty and brand advocacy
  • Remain adaptable in an ever-changing digital age
  • Earn more revenue and steer your team or brand in right direction

At Samba Digital, we have the talent, the track record, and the experience to get you where you need to be. As a leading international sports marketing agency, we’ve worked with some of the world’s best sports brands and teams on a wealth of successful promotional campaigns. Now we want to work with you.

To find out more about what we can do for your sports brand or team, explore our library of recent case studies.

AC Milan’s rebuild includes major plans for their fans and sponsors

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AC Milan has a history of being regarded as one of football’s titans, dominating on the field and influencing the game through style and technique. The last several years haven’t been relatively successful, but that’s about to change. AC Milan is on a mission to reclaim its cultural credentials, which they choose to accept.

Casper Stylsvig’s goal

After suffering in the mid-table, the seven-time Champions League winners are back in the competition for the first time since 2014. It’s been a long time since they last won, which was in 2011 in Serie. With these factors in mind, Casper Stylsvig is determined to end the drought.

In just over 15 years, Casper’s football pedigree has brought him all over the world, including FC Barcelona, Manchester United, and Fulham. In March 2019, he joined AC Milan with the goal of winning football through culture while also appealing to a younger audience. Casper stressed that on-pitch success is no longer enough, albeit it has been steadily improving.

In 2017, Li Yonghong, a Chinese investor, purchased the club from Silvio Berlusconi, a business tycoon and three-time prime minister whose enigmatic ownership carried it to dizzying highs and lows. Li’s goal was to increase China’s enthusiasm for the club. This, however, was not the case. Instead, the team lost communication with the billionaire, and current owners Elliot Management gained ownership. In order to turn things around, the club is currently establishing a strong foundation for a modern football brand. Stylsvig has been the driving force behind a massive digital transformation effort as well as the club’s expansion into the Fortnite metaverse.

Learn more about football in the Fornite metaverse, including the most recent players to join the game, by visiting this page.

AC Milan currently runs the Qlash esports squad, conducts virtual gigs, and is making waves in the fashion industry. They’ve also created a complete media studio to meet the increased demand from partners. Stylsvig believes the club is finally able to start delivering on its legacy in the football elite as a result of its entrance into this important sector.

Consumption Of Media

Since AC Milan was at the top of the leaderboard, football has evolved dramatically. Stylsvig argues that spectators consume sports in diverse ways, with the younger generation watching on many screens. While some may prefer the highlights, it is clear that they no longer focus on just one television screen. AC Milan needed to modernize in order to fulfill the demand and provide all of the information that their young followers desire. It’s about more than just the game.

Many football clubs have boosted their content output to lengthen the window of engagement between games as they pick up partners. Younger fans want to know everything about professional footballers, including how they live, practice, eat, and relax. Behind-the-scenes footage has proven successful. Casper refers to this content strategy as “Monday through Match Day,” with the purpose of remaining relevant every day.

This foray into the Forntie realm didn’t stop there; there were even virtual concerts to highlight emerging talent. With the exception of statesmanlike Ibrahimovic, who has returned to the club, youth is clearly a theme as they aim to have one of Europe’s youngest squads.

Style by Stylsvig

Milan has long been known as one of the world’s fashion capitals, and it offers a one-of-a-kind branding opportunity. In this aspect, AC Milan enjoys a head start, with PSG being the only other team with the same advantage. Fashion and sports have a strong relationship, with footballers and brands both interested in the sport. Last year, AC Milan collaborated on an exclusive collection with Paper Planes, a fashion brand. This was a huge success, as they sold out of their whole collection in less than 48 hours.

The Power Of Social Media

Instagram played an important role in re-establishing the club. This platform has seen the most development, and it appears to be where the majority of their admirers spend their time. This isn’t the only platform; TikTok is gaining traction, and Twitch offers a lot of content, especially esports. To expand even further, the club is promoting on many Chinese apps, but Casper points out that Serie A was shown on CCTV in the 1980s and 1990s, and that the club has always been popular in China.

Here’s more on Instagram’s power, as well as the popularity of Reels, TikTok’s competitor.

The emergence of social media in football is frequently tied to the players, who serve as both influencers and athletes. AC Milan no longer has world-class players like Kaka, Shevchenko, Cafu, Dida, and Ronaldinho, to name a few. It’s not a coincidence that they’re being cautious about who they sign. On and off the field, AC adheres to Alex Ferguson’s famed saying, “No player is larger than the club.” With this in mind, every athlete receives the same amount of social media exposure.

Players didn’t have as much power when AC Milan was last prominent. That has altered as a result of social media. Ronaldo reportedly brought 1 million followers and half of Juventus’ Instagram followers with him when he transferred from Real Madrid to the loathed Juventus.

Content Is Key

Content is crucial if you want to succeed in the entertainment industry and meet ambitious revenue targets. It is well recognized that doing this in-house is less expensive and faster, which is why a new media studio was built at the start of 2021. The demand for content from partners skyrocketed during the pandemic. Meanwhile, football had died out and stadiums were deserted, so the team had to re-establish its fan base online. During the lockdown, AC Milan increased its content output in a year and signed on around 14 additional partners. One campaign has even become a TikTok case study.

AC Milan is yet to reveal the reasons why a football club should be a brand’s first choice rather than a content or influencer agency. However, if you use football as a platform for engagement, you may be able to persuade the customer. Casper thinks that by combining the team with sport, fashion, and design, brands will buy into big plans and innovation, as well as winning people over through culture.

For the time being, they will continue to be cost-conscious and do everything they can to increase income. The club has no plans to spend an extreme amount of money on players in the near future. Fans will most likely be excited by the stability, and if that isn’t enough, they will see a lot of new content and Fornite skins.

GET IN TOUCH

To find out more about Samba Digital, get in touch with us via our Contacts Page.

The Best Social Media Practices By Sports Brands In The Americas

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Despite a lack of live sports around the world, many sports brands in North, Central, and South America are looking to be creative by keeping up with current trends, maintaining their club message, and even trying humor from time to time.

Here’s a look at some of the best examples of sports brands connecting with their audiences.

COVID-19 Awareness From Sports Brands

As COVID-19 has spread across the world, there have been some important messages from teams, sharing information on how to be smart during this time while providing helpful announcements.

Parana Clube

Parana’s tweet.

In Brazil, a video was made to show that the number of deaths in the country had surpassed the number of people that would fit in Parana’s stadium: The Estádio Vila Capanema. It was a sad but important message to stay home and understand the importance of the issue as Brazil has one of the largest numbers of COVID-19 cases in the world.

AS Monaco

AS Monaco’s post

The Monegasque club provided a somber, important message on its Portuguese account, making reference to the number of COVID-19 deaths in Brazil, saying that it has surpassed the capacity of the Stade Louis II. The video was to send their support to the people in the South American nation by saying “If you can, stay home. Save lives.” 

Interaction with Fans

Racing Club’s Virtual Press Conference

A very cool new initiative teams are trying is to interact with fans who are accustomed to pre and post-game press conferences. Racing Club, in Argentina, undertook an interesting new initiative by becoming the first team to undergo a virtual press conference with their captain Lisandro Lopez.

The virtual press conference was done on Racing’s official media channel called “Racing Play” where Lopez spoke about his future, about his teammates’ expiring contracts, the return of training sessions, and what his day-to-day has become in quarantine in Argentina.

Racing’s press conference

Surprising Fans

Back in Brazil, Ceara created an interesting initiative where two of their players, Fernando Prass and Rafael Sobis, were able to speak to a male nurse, Werttanio, a fan of the team, who got COVID-19. They simulated a goal call where Werttanio is a part of Ceara, playing a match against COVID-19. In the simulation, Werttanio scores the goal and “beats” the disease before having a conversation with the two players.

Ceara’s meeting

Food Challenges

In Mexico, one of the more popular clubs, Club America, involved food in their content by having different players participate in a cooking challenge. Using various dishes, they were able to see who the best chef on the team is.

Club America’s “cooking challenge”

Finding Humor in A Mistake

In MLS, FC Cincinnati announced their new manager Jaap Stam, only to run into a mistake. The announcement photo did not include Stam, but rather a different manager, Tinus van Teunenbroek, who shares his bald look.

When the official announcement photo was changed and fixed, other clubs in the league had some fun with it, as the Columbus Crew and the New York Red Bulls replied with different bald celebrities to joke about the latest Dutch managerial appointment to MLS.

FC Cincinnati speaking to other clubs.

Throwbacks

Finally, in the United States, the use of “Throwback Thursday” has been important in keeping relevant even with the lack of live sports. With the success of “The Last Dance” miniseries that centered around Michael Jordan and the 1990s Chicago Bulls, the NBA’s official Periscope account showed various great games, including Michael Jordan’s last game with the Chicago Bulls in the 1998 finals against the Utah Jazz. The replay ended up with over two million views, showing that the interest and relevance of certain players and documentaries are still intact well after their playing days are done.

Image
Michael Jordan’s shot.

For some more information on how these sports brands are utilizing their social media, contact us at Samba Digital’s Contact Us page.

TikTok: A New And Creative Medium

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Every so often, there is a new form of social media that comes and takes over the entire world due to its simplicity and uniqueness. When Chinese-based TikTok was launched in 2016, it had a slow start. That was until it arrived in the United States and expanded to the rest of the world was when this unique and different app took off.

Here’s a look at how a simple social media network like TikTok turned into one of the biggest and most downloaded apps in the world.

Knowing the Consumer

The idea of TikTok is very simple. It allows users to create a short video of themselves which often feature music in the background, can be sped up, slowed down, or edited with a filter. With that, you can also lipsync yourself to a specific sound or music from up to 15 seconds to up to a minute. This is a contrast to a similar video-sharing service predecessor such as Vine, who also found popularity because of its eight-second video feature where you can be creative as much as you want.

An important piece is being able to know your audience. TikTok’s audience generally ranges on the younger side, with 41 percent of TikTok users are aged between 16 and 24, with roughly 50% of TikTok’s global audience is under the age of 34 with 26% between 18 and 24, according to a recent study.

With this audience, it’s important that the sports brand has to be creative but also to try and capture the attention in less than a minute. Despite its simplicity, you can also be more open-minded once you have your general understanding of the app.

Ligue 1’s TikTok Account has become one of the most popular on the app for sports brands.

Approach For Brands

Because of TikTok’s different approach, many sports brands are trying to capture because of TikTok’s different approach, many sports brands are trying to capture the consumer’s attention with a lot of special effects, cool designs and even include a bit of humor, just like Ligue 1’s official TikTok account has shown with their videos helping them reach nearly a million followers and over eight million likes on all of their videos.

Frédéric Fausser, the CEO & co-founder at Samba Digital, spoke about how despite the little bit of a disadvantage that the app has, it allows for brands to think outside of the box while also using different forms of software to make stand out if possible.

« I think it’s still a great opportunity because it’s still considered a “new” social media network if you compare it to Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. TikTok is helping a lot to use its best practice and promote the new profiles organically, so it’s a good opportunity as it was for the aforementioned social media networks. I think the most challenging will be to finding that organic reach.”

Overall, we have seen a lot of sports brands go out to TikTok where they have been able to promote their players and has shown a lot of success, even when it’s going for a more “traditional” approach unlike many of the other successful TikTokers who are much younger and have used dancing as a tool to reach the success that they’re at.

For more information on Ligue 1’s TikTok account, check out our feature on SambaAgency’s website.