Beyond Finances – How Sports Engages Us and Carries Carries Us Through
It is clear that the year 2020 will be a defining moment in history. With all of the hardships around the world, it is important to keep in mind the things that unite us, one of them being sports. We all know that sports have a strong financial impact, but today we are going to take a look at some of the other reasons why athletics are so important.
Worldwide Fan Engagement
You may have caught our post last week about virtual engagement in sport through gaming. With so much devastation going on in the world right now, sports are a great conduit for community and togetherness, even if just online, as we join to support teams, athletes, and each other. Sports connects people in an emotional way. Best.Day.Ever. loves to see fans engaged – heck, we’ve made a business of it. Feel free to click to button below to learn more on our tactics.
Role Models
In exciting news, and paving the way for more support for women in sports, the NWSL has welcomed a new soccer team calling itself Angel City, in Los Angeles. It is important to note that the investment was underwritten by celebrities such as Serena Williams and Natalie Portman. Not only is this a great leap forward for female athletes, it also penetrates and engages new consumer markets for the sport.
The time has come to reshape expectations on & off the soccer field.
This is the place. The time is now. Welcome to the beginning. #WeAreAngelCity pic.twitter.com/M3bvsmiAfm
— We Are Angel City (@weareangelcity) July 21, 2020
VIP Engagement & Activation
If you’ve ever been to a Best.Day.Ever. event, you know that hospitality is a key part of what the B.D.E. team does. We activate our clients’ customer touch points for them, including virtual applications, with a relentless approach to execution before, during, and after each event. VIP packages done right tend to result in long lasting collaborations and partnerships. Incentives like enjoying the atmosphere of a luxury box or providing a “can’t miss” virtual watch party experience are perfect ways to make a lasting positive impression.
Health & Fitness
With so many being stuck inside their homes these days, the “Quarantine 15” is a real issue. It is crucial for individuals to keep active while staying safe, and distancing themselves from others. Being inactive physically, stuck inside, and away from friends takes a toll on your body and mind. Sports are a great way for people to stay active and have fun, even in the Covid-19 days, whether doing exercises in your apartment or home, walking around the block, finding an empty basketball court, or hitting tennis balls against the wall. As we discussed before, younger fans look up to athletes, and get motivated, leading to a healthier lifestyle, which is particularly important these days. Take a page from the younger generation and find your motivation today.
Here’s a video of @CKluber painting. pic.twitter.com/EDRCkdeurr
— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) April 24, 2020
Gamification
As we’ve talked about in previous posts, gamification has become a big part of the sports industry, especially as we consume exclusively from our couches. This concept is only going to grow more with the return of live sports. NASCAR has done a great job of integrating online content into so much of what they do. They first created an application called iRacing, that gave fans and broadcast partners a taste of normalcy during the first months of the pandemic. Not only did NASCAR’s gaming pivot actively and successfully engage their fans, it also introduced their product to an untapped demographic of younger fans. eNASCAR telecasts had longer and more active viewing times from the 18-49-year-old-category. For reference, the Gen Z and younger Millennial demographics only equate to about 8% of their normal broadcast audience.
Bigger audience means more inspiration, motivation, entertainment, distractions – insert whatever noun gets you through – for a larger, more diverse group of people. All because of sports!
Learn how MVP partner, @NASCAR, set the pace for the return to live sports while expanding brand value and fan engagement through innovation and social responsibility.https://t.co/yF0zl860ey
— MVP (@MVPindex) August 11, 2020
The list above is a snapshot of reasons beyond financial that sports are so important in today’s world. When aggregated, it becomes clear that the underlying themes of hospitality, engagement, gamification fitness, and role models is the notion of bettering oneself. Better yourself, make others better, and enjoy the elements that sports has to offer. At a time when couch sitting is at a premium, try to remember the ways sports can unite key counterparties and authentically drive relationships forward.