09.27.19
By Lisa Major
Over the years the sports fan experience has changed drastically with bigger and better tailgate areas, mixed-use neighborhood stadiums, and sponsored events surrounding sporting events. The exciting atmosphere that surrounds a sporting event gives brands the perfect opportunity to connect and engage with their target consumers. As a result, brand activations and brand experiences have become a staple at most major sporting events around the world. In this week’s Happy Hour we take a look at some ways that brands can use experiential marketing to connect with sports fans. We also discuss the growing trend of wearable technology in events and how one popular mall brand has thrived during the “retail apocalypse.”
Photo: AgencySpotter/Pendulum Creative
Sports fans are some of the most dedicated and loyal people in the world and brands see the value in creating memorable brand experiences for them. Whether it’s through sponsorships or experiential driven events, brands can connect with fans at sporting events in memorable ways by piggybacking on the already vibrant and exciting atmosphere. From the Super Bowl to the Kentucky Derby, here are a few ways that brands can engage sports fans through experiential marketing – and score fans of their own.
Experiential and event marketers are always looking for new ways to make events more enjoyable for attendees as well as ways to capture personalized data to measure key performance indicators. And with wearable technology, they can do just that. Wearables are a powerful tool that have changed the way we experience the world around us, and event marketers are taking advantage of everything that they have to offer. From smart badges to smartwatches, this article outlines everything you need to know about wearable technology and how you can use it to amplify your events.
If you’re an 80’s kid and a fan of Stranger Things, Starcourt Mall surely triggers some good memories. For me, it’s a bit two-fold because the mall where the show filmed was the first “big” mall that opened in my area. And I emphasize was, because that poor mall, like many others across the country are dying along with many of the retail stores that occupy them. However, there is one mall brand in particular that has survived the “retail apocalypse.” And it’s not just surviving, it’s thriving. The brand’s CMO attributes experiential retail as the driving force behind its success. In this article, Business Insider talks with American Eagle’s Kyle Andrew about the brand’s approach and how experiential retail saved them from the unfortunate fate of many of their counterparts.
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