In the ever-evolving landscape of advertising, sports-centric marketing has emerged as a cornerstone for brands seeking long-term loyalty. Paramount’s recent announcement of the sold-out inventory for the upcoming 2024 Super Bowl underscores the indispensability of a sports audience advertising strategy, especially as sports programming dominates television viewership. According to MRI Simmons, sports fans are 28% more likely to pay attention to commercials, making a compelling case for brands to align themselves with sports content. And, in this post-cookie world, programmatic advertisers are recognising the need to integrate a sports-based approach into their strategies, leveraging audience context, and engaging viewer attention to foster enduring connections with consumers.
- Making the most of contextual advertising
The impending disappearance of third-party cookies in 2024 has elevated the significance of ad creative. Live sports, with their rich context and highly engaged audience, provide a unique opportunity for advertisers to utilise real-time data. By incorporating AI technology, brands can leverage Dynamic Creative Optimisation to create ads that respond to live scores or changing game odds. These real-time ads not only capture the attention of high-value fans but also drive increased clicks and engagement, essential for boosting sales and conversions in the absence of traditional cookie-based audience targeting.
- Leveraging beloved sports team status for long-term loyalty
Opting for an omnichannel approach means you can connect with sports enthusiasts across various channels, ensuring a seamless and immersive experience, and maximising engagement and brand recall. Even as audiences become increasingly fragmented, sports bring people together to create rich audience context and engaged attention. For programmatic advertisers, in particular, a sports-based advertising approach has emerged as a must-have strategy in the post-cookie world. Pairing audience context and attention with aligned creative and activations, and promoting long-term loyalty to brands of all types.
By integrating real-time game data and creative content, brands can create a cohesive narrative that resonates consistently across TV, social media, mobile apps and other platforms. An omnichannel strategy enables brands to reach audiences at different touchpoints in their sports journey, enhancing the overall fan experience. By embracing this holistic approach, advertisers not only deepen their connection with existing fans, but also have the opportunity to tap into new audiences, reinforcing the brand’s presence across the diverse landscape of sports content consumption.
- Engaging with hard to reach audiences
As younger generations engage with sports differently, advertisers are adapting their strategies to meet changing preferences. The upcoming Super Bowl, airing on both CBS and Nickelodeon, is a testament to this shift, featuring kid-friendly animations and characters. To take advantage of this, advertisers need to embrace a cross-device approach, navigating the diverse streaming apps and environments to capture the audience experience across varied presentations. This adaptability is crucial in the post-cookie world, requiring robust analytics platforms to consolidate data and audience profiles seamlessly.
How to make the shift to sport-based marketing
Introducing Sport Intent, a groundbreaking dashboard powered by Crimtan and Planet Sports which revolutionises the way brands plan, target, and measure against data from over 20 million sports enthusiasts. This tool allows advertisers to target in-market audiences effectively, maximising advertising ROI. Whether the goal is global brand awareness, targeted advertising campaigns for ticket sales and merchandise, or pinpointing specific markets to boost broadcast viewership, Sport Intent provides a comprehensive solution for marketers worldwide.
By incorporating real-time game data, omnichannel strategies, gamification, and reaching diverse demographics, brands can craft effective and sustainable fan engagement, ensuring a winning marketing strategy in the dynamic world of sports advertising. Get in touch today or visit the Sport Intent dashboard.