How the pandemic and civil unrest is affecting sports marketing in the US
A new, interesting article on Marketing Dive examines how several months of pandemic measures and civil unrest in the US might be affecting marketers and marketing budgets directed at TV sport. The article suggests that the outlet is no longer the safe bet it once was, but that the situation does present opportunities to take the bull by the horns, be brave, and ultimately stand out from competitors.
The new NFL season is being viewed as a test for what's to come in terms of sports marketing, and indeed, on how much brands are willing to commit to using the outlet to deliver marketing messages. On top of so many major sports events getting canceled earlier this year, the coverage that did occur was relatively stunted and maybe didn't provide the much needed, highly anticipated opportunity that marketers had been desperate to get. Add to that, the widespread disruption and fear of the pandemic, plus extended civil unrest in many states and locations - and sports advertising just isn't the draw it once was. That's expected to cause companies and brands to reassess and redefine how they approach spending money and efforts on sports marketing going forward.
When will sports marketing take a nosedive?
The NFL normally generates billions of dollars in advertising revenue. The collegiate game has already canceled the Big 10 and Pac-12 football seasons due to health concerns among those who run and take part in the operation. Athletes have also grown significantly bolder in speaking out about the social issues currently plaguing the country - and the NFL has gotten in hot water on racism in the past. None of that really bodes well in terms of creating and maintaining a suitable environment for brands.
I'd be interested to hear opinions on this. We're bound to see some fallout from the pandemic in terms of marketing spend, and this article suggests that any lag so far might be based on the longer-term contracts used in sports marketing.
The new NFL season is being viewed as a test for what's to come in terms of sports marketing, and indeed, on how much brands are willing to commit to using the outlet to deliver marketing messages. On top of so many major sports events getting canceled earlier this year, the coverage that did occur was relatively stunted and maybe didn't provide the much needed, highly anticipated opportunity that marketers had been desperate to get. Add to that, the widespread disruption and fear of the pandemic, plus extended civil unrest in many states and locations - and sports advertising just isn't the draw it once was. That's expected to cause companies and brands to reassess and redefine how they approach spending money and efforts on sports marketing going forward.
When will sports marketing take a nosedive?
The NFL normally generates billions of dollars in advertising revenue. The collegiate game has already canceled the Big 10 and Pac-12 football seasons due to health concerns among those who run and take part in the operation. Athletes have also grown significantly bolder in speaking out about the social issues currently plaguing the country - and the NFL has gotten in hot water on racism in the past. None of that really bodes well in terms of creating and maintaining a suitable environment for brands.
I'd be interested to hear opinions on this. We're bound to see some fallout from the pandemic in terms of marketing spend, and this article suggests that any lag so far might be based on the longer-term contracts used in sports marketing.
