If you are looking to get back to your marketing as sport reopens we can help, find out how in this handy resource.

1. THE RETURN

2. It’s been a hugely difficult time for the sports industry, COVID-19 hit the industry’s greatest
strength: live spectator events. And while we certainly don’t have the green light we do
see the green shoots of movement in the industry.
The Bundesliga and K-League are well underway, La Liga and the Premier League have
returned. Elsewhere the UFC has shown the success of live sports without crowds, Nascar
returned with a 38% increase in viewing figures this month and Horse Racing has returned
in the UK.
It’s our job to make sure that our clients are ready to go when they do get the nod to jump
off the starters line.
So we’ve been working on creating some tools that will solve some of the issues that will
affect brands, sponsors and sports organisations in the ramping up of the sports calendar.
AVOIDING A
STANDING START

3. We are about to see one of the most congested years of sport ever.
As a fan of sport that is great, but as a business unit fighting for budget, trying to analyse
the value of your media and trying to win back customers it is both an opportunity and a
minefield. Whether you are looking to maximise your content output, drive more traffic
through highlights packages or improve brand affinity with a certain audience we can
help you achieve it.
We are offering our clients rapid response teams that can deliver new strategic and
editorial approaches. Our experience of working with major sporting organisations and
brands means we understand what will get through rights owners and how to make the
most of our exclusive rights.
Once receiving a brief we will work to provide a new approach to our clients with a five day
turnaround. Working collaboratively with you to ensure we can deliver a plan at the end
that pays into business objectives and can be signed off by rights holders.
ON YOUR
MARKS

4. Day 1
● You provide a specific client brief over video conference that details an editorial need
to execute around events
● Response team dissect and play this back at the end of play to deliver a creative /
editorial brief that is rooted in strategic insight
Day 2
● Territories and editorial concepts presented at end of play - volume over detail here
as we seek to get an idea that sticks
● Shortlist confirmed or adapted
Day 3
● Shortlist fleshed out and concepted in more detail
Day 4
● EOP concepts presented to client for final round of feedback
Day 5
● Final concepts for new calendar presented to client to be signed off and go into
production
A SPRINT
START

5. The calendar is not the only thing that has and will continue to be affected by this challenging
scenario. Your audiences have changed.
There is a long tail to this virus that will impact how brands connect and communicate with
audiences. Consumers have gone through a digital crash course - learning new behaviours and
accelerating the use of digital products. Direct to consumer brands are flourishing, video
conferencing is ubiquitous, contactless payment has spread faster than before, streaming
content has increased for every demographic.
There are also core values that have been challenged and new ones that have been created -
from a growth in home exercising, to an increase in the support of ESports, and a focus on home
cooking and nutrition.
Understanding these changes and new rituals is going to be vital in creating effective marketing
and it is something that can help to trigger new strategies or tactics.
We Are Social has always operated in a social first mindset, which prioritises how audiences
behave and interact. This means that we start with social behaviour, how our audiences act in
their real and digital environments, because we know that human insight needs to be at the
core of our work.
YOUR NEW
FANS

6. To help our clients, we’ve created a three stage process that can help your business
understand the new reality for consumers.
STAGE 1
Expert interviews generate hypotheses about the area we are studying.
STAGE 2
Diary studies with key consumers groups reveal how they are behaving day to day.
STAGE 3
Audience research is conducted on a larger scale, supplemented with social listening to
clarify our learnings
OUTPUT
A detailed review of your audience that provides actionable insights for your marketing.
DEVELOPING
UNDERSTANDING

7. We’re already working with a number of clients on that big return-to-sport moment. And you
should be getting prepared too to engage with your returning sports, however, there is more
to consider.
For example, with sports returning behind closed doors how can you get more value from
social media, how have your rights changed and has your contract been affected by the new
reality.
Social is going to become more important and more valuable to brands in this new world.
With a recession looming and social distancing in place for a considerable time there is
going to be a desire to get as much bang for your buck as possible.
With no fans in stadia, a move towards streaming from broadcast TV and OOH playing a less
impactful role in the marketing mix, social media will be more important for communicating
effectively. Renewed focus on generating real brand value for sponsorships will be needed,
and looking to sweat association with tournaments will be a key benefit for sponsors.
There has never been a stronger argument for investment in social.
SOCIAL
VALUE

8. Our Research & Insight teams are responsible for creating measurement frameworks for
some of the biggest brands in the world. If you are looking for a deeper clarity on the value
of your social media marketing we can assist you.
We provide
● Econometric modelling
● Brand lift analysis
● Campaign reporting
● Global ethnographic studies
● Audience profiling
● Trend analysis
● Focus groups
DEFINING
SOCIAL VALUE

9. Similarly we’ve seen a shift in the expe of production approaches.
With brands like Lucozade, L’Oreal and Garnier producing TV ads that look more like
Instagram Stories than TV commercials and UGC being at the forefront of TV comms
in the lockdown period.
Consumers are even more accepting of an authentic social aesthetic for their content.
You don’t need to create a multi million pound TV ad to talk to your audience. Instead
you can shoot 4k using affordable equipment that has a feeling that is relevant to the
community you are talking to.
We Are Social Studios enables us to produce content of all sizes whether remotely
directing, commissioning animation or shooting at a safe distance.
NEW PRODUCTION
APPROACH

10. We are on hand to jump to the starting line and help our clients prepare for the return of
sports. If you are looking for guidance on your new audience behaviours, in need of
creative sprints, want a production partner, or are looking for a view on how to prove the
value of social please feel free to get in touch.
If you would like to get in touch please contact sport@wearesocail.net
FIND OUT MORE http://wearesocial.co.uk/sport
WHAT
NEXT?

11. REWRITING
THE RULES OF
SPORTS
MARKETING