MAXIMISING THE MOMENT: BRAND BEHAVIOURS AT UEFA EURO 2024
Michael Johnson, Managing Partner
Thomas Boecker/DFB
The Euros is here and the excitement and anticipation is palpable. But while the players are preparing to vie for attention on the pitch, for many brands the battle has already begun - hoping to capitalise on the enormous audience and interest that the tournament commands.
For tournament sponsors the appeal for partnering with UEFA is largely obvious, with the opportunity for huge brand exposure, the ability to offer memorable fan experiences and the chance to elevate your brand image through association with this prestigious event.
As one example, Lidl, has launched the Lidl Kids Team Programme where parents/guardians can put forward their children to be official player escorts at a match. The campaign around this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity not only cleverly utilises the rights they have purchased to maximise brand visibility, but it is also highly PRable and presents the opportunity for a huge amount of first-party data capture.
A massive win for them alongside other ticket giveaways and fan zones they are setting up across relevant European markets.
Similarly, there is a huge potential benefit to partnering with teams who are competing. Though constraints exist and, with the exception of Germany, the matches aren’t being played ‘at home’, there is a chance to tap into national pride, leverage exclusive player and legend access and receive the stamp of approval that comes with the use of a national team’s IP and owned media channels.
Marks & Spencer are a prime example of a brand who have generated a large amount of noise through M&S Food’s partnership with the UK’s national football teams. In an effort to deliver their core “Eat Well, Play Well” messaging, they have brought on board Ian Wright as a brand ambassador and spokesperson, utilised their player access to show them having fun while eating healthily and even collaborated with fellow FA partner, Panini, to create a sticker book that is only available at M&S Food.
A brilliant effort in the pursuit of keeping eating healthily top of mind.
Marks & Spencer
Equally, while a brand such as LG has some direct sponsorship involvement with national teams, it isn’t the only way they look to maximise this period of opportunity. They recently approached Ten Toes to partner them with a number of top-tier individual players from across key European markets to develop a content series that promoted their new product. This series was smartly distributed across the player’s channels prior to the tournament and any accompanying ‘commercial blackout’ windows.
The final group of brands to keep an eye out for, however, are those who have no official association. The brands who simply recognise the potential for tapping into this hugely significant cultural moment. Who appreciate the role they have to play in enhancing or impacting normal fan behaviours. Or who have strong ties to football, just not with the tournament or team.
They can be household names, like Specsavers, or cult favourites, like Irn-Bru. They may be promoting a message for good, like the British Heart Foundation, or a more mischievous one, like Paddy Power.
Regardless of the brand or message, however, they share a central challenge: to drive visibility and cut-through during this heavily-congested period of marketing activity.
And it is for this reason, perhaps, that I personally take such enjoyment out of following their campaigns.
The lack of built-in reach, credibility and access that team and tournament sponsors benefit from generates a need for brands to be more innovative in their approaches.
Higher importance is often placed on finding the perfect insight that will resonate with fans; creative devices like humour are deployed to deliver more memorable and shareable campaigns; social media is utilised to spark conversation or encourage user-generated content; and tactical spend on media, ambassadors and influencers are actively sought out to make sure the campaigns reach their target audience.
Furthermore, because they don’t have to operate within the constraints imposed on partners, these brands can be far more reactive as the tournament goes on. Given the notoriously unpredictable nature of football, this can prove invaluable.
So, while there has been and will continue to be brilliant brand work delivered by tournament and team partners, I’m excited to see what risky, unique and outside the box (pun intended) thinking will come from their ‘unofficial’ counterparts as the tournament develops.