{"id":2558,"date":"2015-01-22T07:00:22","date_gmt":"2015-01-22T07:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.theswitch.us\/blog\/?p=2558"},"modified":"2015-01-22T16:17:56","modified_gmt":"2015-01-22T16:17:56","slug":"evaluating-investment-of-activating-at-big-game","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/switch.us\/blog\/evaluating-investment-of-activating-at-big-game\/","title":{"rendered":"Evaluating the Investment of Activating at the Big Game"},"content":{"rendered":"
Sporting events attract swarms of people and brands \u2013 the Big Game is no exception. But is this level of sponsorship the smartest, most viable means of leading consumers to YOUR brand? We’re not so sure. Here’s why.<\/address>\n

 <\/p>\n

We\u2019re quickly approaching that wonderful time of year when friends and family gather \u2018round the TV to celebrate football, food and, well, \u2026 ads. Although many of us at Switch are unabashed marketing nerds who pay attention to ads year-round, we are not blind to the Big Game\u2019s bizarre relationship with advertising. As most marketers, and really the entire country, is aware, this is the one event of the year that garners just as much attention and talk for the advertisements as for the game itself.<\/p>\n

While most of us are at home watching, there is a while other audience in the game city in person and a whole other layer of marketing that occurs on the ground that most viewers don\u2019t see \u2013 a swarm of sponsorship activations on-site before and during the Big Game. From brand booths to celebrity appearances and interactive games, companies pay top dollar to acquire prime real estate at the event in hopes of reaching fans in attendance through an experience. If brands are looking for a way to participate beyond or instead of a television buy, there are definite advantages to on-site sponsorships: it\u2019s drastically cheaper than airtime and the brand-to-consumer exchange feels more tangible.<\/p>\n

Through our years working on experiences around the Big Game we\u2019ve learned invaluable lessons. While brands that are taking part in this year\u2019s game have already dotted the I\u2019s and crossed the T\u2019s, those of you evaluating 2016 or 2017 plans should take into account these potential challenges and opportunity.<\/p>\n

The Investment May Actually Be More Than It Seems<\/h1>\n

The costs involved in an activation can be astronomical. Acquiring the sponsorship can eat up a large chunk of your marketing budget \u2013 but that doesn\u2019t include the actual implementation costs. The biggest sponsors get first dibs on key hotel space, so depending on the host city location, your team might be left with a hotel that is one or two hours away from the site. Then you have to factor in costs for driving and parking. Be sure to account for all of this when planning<\/p>\n

Plan on Planning<\/h1>\n

The corporate side of the Big Game runs like a well-oiled machine, but that doesn\u2019t hinder the chaos that happens with any large event. To participate in the sponsor activation, you\u2019ll have to think pretty far ahead; locking in your deal needs to happen one-and-a-half to two years out. The NFL has a \u201csafe zone\u201d that can span several square miles beyond the stadium. If you don\u2019t secure a sponsorship, your brand will be locked out of the space \u2013 and the fans \u2013 around the immediate game zone. And once you\u2019re \u201cin,\u201d you need to find a way to stand out. These \u00a0brands are pros that have invested hundreds of thousands of dollars on their displays. To find the best way to make impact, give your brand ample time to research, concept and produce an activation that leaves a lasting impression. Then figure out your logistics: Are you giving product away? How do you plan to transport it? How do you acquire necessary permits? Knowing this information ahead of time will save you headaches later.<\/p>\n

Be Mindful of Measurement<\/h1>\n

There are few events that earn as much national attention as the Big Game. But just because everyone is tuned in, does it make a difference for your brand to be there? Or does the vast crowd make it feel worthwhile? To gauge the success of your sponsorship, your brand has to first define what success looks like and then develop a methodology to measure it. You may be after data collection, social media traction or number of interactions. Based on projected impressions, your brand should have goals defined to identify the return.<\/p>\n

Understand the Full Commitment<\/h1>\n

Festivities kick off more than a week before the big coin toss. If your brand is on board, expect brand ambassadors to be working overtime. There is an onsite 16-hour brand daily commitment \u2013 which can be exhausting for your team and expensive for your brand if you don\u2019t create an appropriate staffing plan.<\/p>\n

Activations at the Big Game can be major game changers (pun intended) for brands when they\u2019re implemented and managed effectively. It\u2019s why certain brands continue to invest in the opportunity year over year. But just because an activation or medium works for Bud Light doesn\u2019t mean it will deliver the same results for everyone. Understanding the potential hurtles and benefits will help you determine if it is the right place for your marketing dollars or if an independent experiential marketing plan might deliver more attention to your brand.<\/p>\n

Get in touch with Terry at TerryH@theswitch.us<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Where there are people, there will be brands \u2013 and the Big Game is no exception. But is this level of sponsorship the smartest, most viable means of leading consumers to YOUR brand? We’re not so sure. Here’s why. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":2575,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,2,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2558","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-experiential","category-featured","category-featured-home"],"yoast_head":"\nEvaluating the Investment of Activating at the Big Game - sw:tch blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/switch.us\/blog\/evaluating-investment-of-activating-at-big-game\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Evaluating the Investment of Activating at the Big Game - sw:tch blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Where there are people, there will be brands \u2013 and the Big Game is no exception. 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