Helping brands to partner with athletes in their influencer marketing and sponsorship marketing campaigns

3 Campaign Ideas to Build Awareness this Halloween

Halloween is a time when everyone gets excited to dress up in their favorite costumes and have a good time. For athletes, it's also a great opportunity to get involved in some fun and creative marketing campaigns. Here are three of the best ideas for Halloween campaigns that will help build awareness for your brand.

Best Costume Contest with an Athlete

One fun and easy way to generate awareness for your brand around Halloween is by hosting a best costume contest. This can be done in a variety of ways, but involving an athlete as a judge is a great way to add excitement and generate some press. For example, the National Basketball Association (NBA) hosted a “ Trick-or-Treat with the NBA” contest in which fans could submit photos of themselves in their best costumes for the chance to win tickets to an NBA game. In order to make things even more interesting, they enlisted the help of well-known athletes such as Stephen Curry and LeBron James as judges. As a result, this campaign generated excitement and media attention leading up to Halloween.

Social Media Giveaway

Another great way to get people excited about your brand around Halloween is by hosting a social media giveaway. This can be as simple as giving away a prize to one lucky winner who posts about your brand on social media, or it can be more complex like running a sweepstakes with multiple winners. Whatever format you choose, partnering with an athlete is a great way to generate excitement and increase participation. For example, earlier this year Dunkin’ Donuts teamed up with Boston Celtics player Isaiah Thomas to run a social media giveaway campaign. Fans were encouraged to post photos of themselves enjoying Dunkin’ Donuts products using the hashtag #DDxIT for a chance to win tickets to a Celtics game and other prizes. The campaign was successful in driving engagement on social media and helping to promote Dunkin’ Donuts’ products.

Product Photoshoot

If you want to go all out for Halloween, you could organize a product photoshoot with athletes as the stars. This would be a great way to create some buzz around your brand and generate interest in your upcoming Halloween sale. You could even make the photoshoot into a contest, asking fans to vote for their favorite photos. Alternatively, you could release sneak peeks of the photos leading up to the sale in order to generate anticipation. Whatever approach you take, working with athletes is sure to create some excitement and boost foot traffic in your store during the holiday season. For example, Reebok partnered with NFL player DeAngelo Williams to shoot a series of Halloween-themed product photos.

Closing Thoughts

So there you have it, three great ideas for building brand awareness this Halloween. Now all that's left to do is put them into action!

OpenSponsorship is the perfect platform to help you connect with athletes and celebrities who can help take your Halloween campaigns to the next level. Sign up today and get started on building the perfect brand.

Future of Blockchain Sports Sponsorships

The 2022 global sports marketing report claims that blockchain companies investing in sports sponsorship is expected to reach US$5bn by 2026. Crypto sports sponsorships present an effortless entry towards the ultimatum of integration. Crypto payments for sports merchandise, tickets or salaries being paid in crypto are closer than they have ever been.

OpenSponsorship’s association with the Dallas Mavericks is an excellent example. The NBA team, a step ahead, already accepts crypto payments for merchandise and tickets. Sports partnerships like these are a testament to overall growth and importance to various sports industries. But, how can one leverage crypto to assist in the success of their sports sponsorship business? There is arguably no better method to promote your business than to partner with a worldwide athletic property that can deliver your message to your target demographic directly. Already, we're seeing blockchain and crypto firms form partnerships with sports teams, such as Arsenal and Cashbet in English soccer or Dragon Coin and Techeetah in Formula E.

What are fan tokens and how do they work?

The sports sponsorship industry is continuously monitoring new synergies within the trending space of cryptocurrency. Fan tokens are cryptocurrencies linked to a certain team or league that can be used to exchange team-related value such as tickets, voting on club matters, granting retail discounts, and increasing fan participation. Fan tokens have already been implemented by Atlético Madrid, FC Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain FC, AC Milan, Juventus, and AS Roma.

Why is cryptocurrency essential to the sports sponsorship ecosystem?

There should be more opportunities for companies within the ecosystem willing to participate. Legitimacy and fan engagement are marked as the two key components for the success of sports sponsorship companies. Sport sponsorship organizations can leverage blockchain technologies by implementing a more secure and transparent ticket exchange system. This technology opens up the door for both sponsors and rights holders to forge new relationships by effectively democratising the sports sponsorship playing field so any brand can play on sport’s grandest stages.

What should Sports Sponsorship industries keep in mind moving forward?

Despite the surge in interest in digital money, sports teams should be aware of the dangers that this new technology poses. The value of crypto-assets remains unpredictable, and the legal and regulatory landscape remains unsettled, despite the extraordinary rise. Due to the lack of consistency in this field, sports organizations will be forced to make agreements that hedge a contingency in order to save money if valuations shift. The emergence of crypto-assets, on the other hand, provides potential and excitement for the sporting world.

“Women are powerful” and “the future is female” are both encapsulating phrases that help empower women and their success. International Women's Day is approaching - March 8, 2022. This is the day for the world to celebrate women in all fields of work along with their accomplishments. One in particular is appreciating the influence women have had in the sports world, both as athletes and business women. 

It is never an easy fight for women in sports - there is a constant need to prove and stand up for themselves in a male dominated world. But that has not stopped them; women are succeeding on every level of the sport industry. Check out this list of the top 10 most powerful women in the business of sports in 2021.

Being a female athlete is one battle, but the biggest war is fighting to show just how amazing the female athlete truly is. The best example of women empowering women is the WNBA.

The WNBA is a fantastic example of women fighting for their success every day as an association, not just as individual athletes. They are constantly competing against a billion dollar industry, the NBA, while trying to make a name for themselves, as well as create great opportunities for the women basketball players of the world. One area of distinction between the two leagues is the stark difference in player salaries - the average WNBA salary (less than $100,000) is only 1.5% of the average NBA salary (roughly $7 million). Draymond Green, NBA champion of the Warriors, has been known to support this crisis, and also states how important it is for them to target those who “say” they support equality for women, but do not take action to it. The answer to driving higher pay for WNBA players? Increasing revenues, which therefore would increase the salary pool . So how can that be accomplished?

Draymond also discusses how important marketing campaigns are for female athletes. It can help generate revenue and awareness for this specific industry of women. There are thousands of fashion, skincare, beauty, food, beverage, wellness, and fitness brands that want women as the face of their brand because women are what sells the most. But they do not want female athletes. So it is important to help understand and promote female athletes in the marketing industry because not only will it help them generate more revenue and awareness, but it will also help women based industries like the WNBA. 

OpenSponsorship is the world's largest and smartest marketing platform. WIth over 11,000 athletes, 2,600 of them are females, we can help place the right athletes to the right brands. Opensponsorship can help influence brands to want to work with females athletes, even more specially WNBA players. Ishveen Jolly, our CEO, is a powerful woman in the business of sports. As a female herself she understands the importance of helping guarantee these female athletes what they deserve and not the bare minimum.

On the other hand, there is groundbreaking news for the WNBA. The WNBA recently had a huge breakthrough as they recently were able to raise $75 million from gaining a dozen of new investors. This revenue will be going towards revamping the association and giving what the player deserves in terms of expansions, salaries, and benefits. These investors include funding from Nike, Condoleezza Rice, Laurene Powell Jobs, Pau Gasol, N.B.A. and W.N.B.A. team owners, and other sports and business figures. This not only helps excel women's sports in general, not only the WNBA. It will help fans and investors around the world be able to take women and women in sports more seriously by showing their worth. It is a constant battle for women everyday they step out into the world, it is important that those who say they are advocating for women equality, really are. 

Support female athlete, female leagues, and most importantly support women as gender.

Happy International Women's Day!

Social media has become an integral part of a professional athlete's career and female athletes seem to possess some of the larger followings, giving them strong influence. Not only can this help the individual athlete but it can be a powerful tool in highlighting women's sport, bringing more interest and additional coverage.  Female athletes can also evoke change in other ways by being an influencer, such as by using their own personal stories to inspire others. “The stakeholders on the commercial side of sports are constantly searching for the next frontier, the next growth play,” Dan Cohen, who leads sports marketing company Octagon’s media rights consulting division, said in an email. “It is clearly women’s sports.”

It has been reported that women's sport does not receive as much coverage and investment even though it has more room for growth than men's sport. In 2018 studies showed that only 0.4% of the total commercial investment (in sport) goes into women’s sport, despite a Nielsen report revealing that 84% of general sports fans have an interest in women’s sports. 51% of those surveyed were male, which means utilizing female athletes as a way to reach fans can be greatly beneficial. Deloitte projected that the rise of women’s sports in 2020 would dominate the sports industry and that “sponsors should consider getting involved now to capitalize on the new opportunities and avenues for engagement that this growth area may create.” The influence of social media has also grown since the Nielsen survey was taken, especially since digital activity has been vital to the survival of many industries and how many athletes and leagues interacted with their fans throughout the pandemic. Deloitte's survey found that millennials are 40 percent more likely than baby boomers to use social media to obtain information about their favorite teams and players. This behavioral trend emphasizes the importance of the digital connection athletes have with their fans and the power it wields. 

The pandemic was hard on the sport industry but women's sport continues to have strong growth and investment potential. NWGL's Packer said, "the amount of money that it takes for a company to meaningfully support a women’s league is so vastly different than what it takes to have the smallest piece of attachment for a men’s league.” A good example of this potential for growth is women's soccer in the U.S., which has seen an increase in interest that has translated into an increase in stadium attendance. In 2020 the NWSL was poised to have a record-breaking year after signing new broadcast deals, which resulted in a 22% increase in game attendance, according to Soccer Stadium Digest. In addition to this the women's NCAA tournament continues to prove that it can bring in viewers as it could fetch as much as $20 million a year as a stand-alone event on the open market. Now that things are getting back to normal women's sport will need to keep up the momentum.

While scrolling through Instagram stories, chances are you’ll find at least one person asking you to swipe up or use their discount code. It’s easy, nonchalant, and we don’t think twice about it. Advertisers are using this type of marketing, coined affiliate marketing, as another way to promote their products. There has never been a better time, as an athlete or a brand, to get started with your affiliate program.

Although affiliate marketing has been around for years, many people are still not aware of what it is and have not yet taken advantage of the opportunity. As a brand, you are using a third party (the athlete) to sell your product or drive traffic to your website. You will give this athlete some of your product and a unique URL or discount code for them to share with their followers across all their social media platforms. The athlete will create content with your product and share it with their fans while providing the code. The URL/code can be trackable so that you can track the performance of the athlete’s post and, in some cases, pay them commission off of it.

As an athlete, it is important to remember that you’re more than a salesperson, you’re partnering with that brand. While you are endorsing the product, you should be doing more than just posting once or twice on your story. You must engage with your audience, who are now your customers. The more you show your followers that you believe in this product and show how it helps you, the more interest it will create. Check out Ebony's post below:

With the Coronavirus pandemic causing a major halt in the world, brands are being forced to cut back on costs. For many brands, spending your budget on a 30-second TV commercial is not financially feasible. Instead, you can spend a fraction of that and partner with an athlete. As a brand, picking an athlete gives you more control over who views your products. Rather than spending more money on an ad that may be seen by a larger audience, you can use athletes in affiliate marketing to focus on your desired target audience. You should also consider the type of ads you are generating. When you go on a website and an ad comes up on the top banner, what are the odds you click on it and go purchase something? Even if the ad is relatable, there is a good chance you will skip over it. Now, what if your favorite fitness instructor is giving you 20% off supplements? Odds are that will drive you to the website and see what that brand has to offer. Fans trust their favorite athletes and are willing to listen to their opinions. Athletes in affiliate marketing are a good way to effectively interact with customers and let them know about your product.

Athletes across the world are sitting at home with more free time than they could have ever imagined. As an athlete, no matter how big of a following you have, now is the perfect time for social media to be used as another source of income. All it takes is a few posts or stories on your Instagram to become an affiliate marketer. It is important to remember a few things once you partner with a brand. First, you must create a personal connection with the brand and product you are promoting. If you believe in the product, it will be easier to sell to your followers. Second, it’s important to diversify, but don’t go crazy. Chances are the followers you have are interested in the sport you practice. If you stray too far away from your niche, it could negatively impact sales. Lastly, stay on top of trends. Things change quickly, take the substantial rise of TikTok for example. You must be able to realize when something is trending up and when it is trending down and be able to capitalize on these trends before it’s too late.

Today, merchants see about 23% of their revenue being generated from affiliate marketing. With athletes having to think of creative ways to generate income, and brands trying to cut back costs, look out for affiliate marketing to take on a larger market share. Whether you are an athlete or a brand, capitalize on this opportunity for athletes in affiliate marketing and talk to an OpenSponsorship representative today, info@opensponsorship.com.

The Coronavirus pandemic has taken the sports world by storm, and athletes now have an unprecedented amount of time on their hands leading to an increase in the number of athletes on TikTok. Some are taking on new hobbies -see Giannis Antetokounmpo learning the guitar and Cody Zeller learning to cook and play the guitar (well, trying to). Some are doing their best to stay in shape at home- nice setup, Serge Ibaka! But most of all, athletes are more active and engaging on social media than ever before. The most interesting takeaway from this uptick in social media activity has been the increase in athletes on TikTok.

If you’re not familiar by now, TikTok is a social media platform where users can post short videos of just about anything they want- dancing, comedy, music, tricks, or one of the countless “challenges” that go viral on the platform. TikTok began to take off in 2019 has over 500 million active users, making it a great place for influencers, like athletes, to build their brand and engage with their audience.

The sports world began to take notice long ago, with teams, leagues, broadcast networks, and even team mascots creating accounts and regularly posting content, ranging from highlights, messages from players, and just normal funny clips. The NBA even invited TikTok stars Addison Rae, Charli D’Amelio, Dixie D’Amelio, Chase Hudson, and Jalaiah to 2020 All-Star Weekend. The former three made videos with several NBA stars, including OpenSponsorship athletes Nikola Jokic and Pascal Siakam, and even helped out Aaron Gordon with this Dunk Contest dunk! And now, with athletes home and quarantining, they have had the time to join in on the fun themselves, and we love seeing athletes on TikTok.

Philadelphia 76ers rookie Matisse Thybulle was one of the first- “the only logical thing for me to do at this point is to start making TikToks!” He has been regularly posting content, even taking the time one day to interact with a fan who was hoping an NBA player would notice his post. Star Grizzlies rookie Ja Morant joined in too, making a fake player introduction to help cope with him missing basketball. Young Thunder stars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Darius Bazley teamed up in a different way than usual to perform one of the hundreds of viral dances that become popular on TikTok.

But it’s not just the young guys having fun on TikTok, even the world champ athletes are on TikTok! LeBron James and his family enjoy the platform, where LeBron’s son Bronny posted a video of the family dancing that LeBron later re-posted on his Instagram story. Retired athletes on TikTok include NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal who is a regular on the platform and collaborated with Forto Coffee to create a fun and energized post promoting their coffee shots that received over 310 thousand impressions and nearly 19 thousand engagements.

TikTok is the hottest social media platform in the world right now and athletes on TikTok prove that the sports world is taking notice. These posts garner massive amounts of impressions and engagement from fans and partnering with athletes on TikTok is the perfect way for brands to connect with these audiences. Talk to an OpenSponsorship rep today to take advantage of this opportunity, or send us an email info@opensponsorship.com

New sports technology

Most aspects of our lives are now linked to the internet and electronics. Food delivery, social networks, shopping, entertainment, communication.. You name it. Sports are no exception to the rule. In fact, new sports technology might just be one of the most dynamic market as possibilities are pushed further everyday by both developers and athletes.

Our OpenSponsorship team is made of athletes as well as huge sports fans. Which is one of the reasons we love those new sports technology products so much. These products make athletes safer, help them reach their peak and improve competitiveness levels in every sports. We love being the connecting point between these great products/brands and our awesome OpenSponsorship athletes!

SportTechie has been an invaluable source of information for this article.

4 brands caught our eye through their amazing new sports technology:

I/ AfterDark Technologies: LED jerseys and ball for flag football

LED Flag football jersey and ball by AfterDarkTechnologies

These awesome jerseys and balls are definitely going to revolutionize flag football. Indeed, these kits will allow us to enjoy our favorite sport at any time of the day. No more cancelling a game because of the hour! Not only do these amazing kits let you play in the dark, these also include some useful features such as alternating colors on the QB's jersey, representing the rush count down. Also, its optic fiber flags to never miss your "tackle"!

Our idea for a campaign is to have a major league player from the NFL, NBA or NHL, to take a video playing some flag football with their friends, family, teammates or have kids play at one of their football camps! The NFL player could be Michael Vick who is now playing in the AFFL: American Flag Football League or Eric Berry (ballhawk safety and 2016 all-pro). Another idea could be finding an athlete from a Niche sport like Rowing, Skiing or Triathlon, who loves football, to test the product out, thus showing the appeal of the fastest growing sport to athletes (in college) to all.

II/ Mobile Virtual Player (MVP)

Mobile Virtual Player Drive

The MVP is the future of american football and rugby training. Dummies have been used for decades in contact sports training as it reduces unnecessary injuries during practice. However, a moving target makes training more realistic, thus prepares athletes better to in-game action. This is one of the reasons MVP has been developed! The MVP also has been tested for tactical training: now preparing shooters better than ever! Our idea for MVP is to make a campaign is to have a player with a reputation for his tackling such as Clay Matthews (NFL linebacker) or Fulgence Ouedraogo (Flanker, France national team 7s and Union), record and post a 30 seconds video trying the dummy out in different game like settings.

III/ CTRL Eyewear: Tint changing glasses 

CTRL Eyewear's tint changing glasses

Vision is key to any sport, it is even more important for activities during which you are highly exposed to environment changes and sunlight such as cycling. CTRL Eyewear released a pair of glasses changing tint within 0.1sec depending on your environment's light. Finally, people are safer during situations such as: being exposed suddenly to very bright light. Or on the contrary, riding through a dark zone right after having the sun in your face.

Our idea for a campaign is for a skier/snowboarder or a cyclist such as Travis Rice or Cam Zink to record a close angle video while riding down a mountain to show how quickly and accurately the glasses change tint (from the sunny top to a dark valley for example).

IV/ FlyPro Drones

New sports technology :Fly Pro's XEagle Sport smartwatch controlled drone

FlyPro revolutionizes the drone industry for athletes and sports enthusiasts with its smartwatch controlled drones. No more worrying about your filming: just focus on your activity! This is like having a photographer following you around. It makes it easier than ever to record your best feats no matter where you are and if you are alone! This helps you keeping your followers up to date and content going at all times.
Our idea for a campaign is to have one or more snow or water sports athletes such as Gus Kenworthy or Kelia Moniz taking the drone for a ride and post curated highlights of it on their social media!

If you are a brand sign up for free here to access our roster of 2600+ athletes, teams and events.

If you are an athlete then sign up for a free account here and start applying to some of the awesome campaigns posted by our brands