Skip to main content
LEWIS

By

Alex Robinson

Published on

03/10/2024

Tags

events, marketing

Table of Contents

    The Mumbrella Sports Marketing Summit 2024 convened leading experts in sports marketing and sponsorship to discuss the rapidly evolving sports landscape. The event focused on authenticity, purpose, and new opportunities for marketers and brands to forge meaningful connections with sports fans. Themes included the growth of women’s sports and the necessity for brands to differentiate themselves in a crowded media environment. The summit featured practical insights, inspiring case studies, and innovative strategies designed to empower brands to leverage the power of sport effectively.

    Five Key Takeaways:

    1. Authentic Storytelling is Key: Focus on true, engaging stories rooted in real experiences. Campaigns highlighting genuine narratives of athletes and communities have a stronger emotional impact, as exemplified by Rebel Sports’ shift towards raw, emotional storytelling.
    2. Seek New Opportunities in Sports Partnerships: Brands should explore creative ways to connect with fans at sporting events, moving beyond traditional sponsorships. Experiential activations, like New Balance’s pop-up store at the Australian Open, enhance fan engagement memorably.
    3. Growth of Women’s Sports: The undeniable rise of women’s sports presents vast opportunities for brands. As female athletes and leagues gain visibility, it’s crucial for brands to authentically align with these movements and support their growth.
    4. Purposeful Content Amidst Market Clutter: In an oversaturated sports content landscape, ensuring that every piece of content has a clear purpose aligned with the brand’s values is essential. Without a defined message, efforts risk getting lost in the noise.
    5. Be Selective with Big Brand Activations: Large-scale sponsorships don’t always guarantee effectiveness. Brands must carefully choose the right moments and methods to engage with their audience, ensuring activations feel natural and don’t overshadow the sport or the fan experience.

    Mumbrella Sports Marketing Summit Sessions

    When Sport is Stronger Than Fiction: The Transformational Power of Real Stories

    Panelists:

    • Adam Slater – Creative Director, The Monkeys, part of Accenture Song
    • Brock Coleman – Head of Marketing, Rebel
    • Ella Goldberg – Account Director, The Monkeys, part of Accenture Song
    • Connor Beaver – Creative Director, The Monkeys, part of Accenture Song

    Advert: 

    Coverage: ‘Sport is the antidote to a modern and stressful life’: How Rebel became more than ‘the place you go to buy your gear’

    Key Finding:
    Domestically the “big sports ad” has run its race. Real stories from everyday athletes can be more impactful than those of superstars. Rebel Sports’ success came from telling the raw, emotional stories of athletes like Brendan Cullen and Sinead Diver, emphasising authenticity over stylised campaigns. Rather than jump on sporting moments, AFL, Back to School and Grand Finals, they wanted to engage consumers consistently throughout the year. By reframing what sport means, Rebel positioned itself as “the home of sport,” highlighting that it could change lives through sport—not just provide gear.

    Overview:
    This session discussed the shift from overly stylised, inauthentic sports advertising to honest, raw storytelling. Rebel Sports worked with lesser-known but inspirational athletes, rather than megastars, to create campaigns that felt more genuine. Their approach tapped into the post-Covid boom in fitness, recognising that real-life stories often resonate more with consumers than fiction.

    Acing Your Sports Partnerships: Lessons from the AO

    Panelist:

    • Ben Knighton – Head of Global Brand and Consumer Marketing, Visit Victoria
    • Roddy Campbell – Director of Partnerships & International Business, Tennis Australia
    • Florenco Aimo – Vice President – Area Marketing, Mastercard
    • Britt Wickes – Head of Event Brand Marketing, Tennis Australia

    Key Finding:
    It’s not just about what’s written on paper – it’s about how deeply brands can understand each other’s goals and collaborate to unlock unexpected opportunities. Going beyond the contract is where the real magic happens in sports marketing. By offering unique experiences, such as New Balance’s on-site store at the Australian Open, brands can create lasting memories and stand out from the crowd. Custom activations tied to the event culture drive deeper engagement.

    Overview:
    Tennis Australia discussed how they create enduring brand partnerships at the Australian Open (AO). With 30% of attendees not even watching tennis, they stressed the importance of unique activations, with partners like Visit Victoria and Mastercard, who focused on live music and gaming opportunities to engage diverse segments and create more immersive experiences for fans.

    Winning Gold in Sports Marketing: The Neuroscience and Strategy Behind Engaging Fans

    Panelist:

    Content Example

    Key Finding:
    Sports have a powerful emotional impact on fans’ brains, creating a unique opportunity for brands to align with these moments subtly. Nine’s study on the Olympics showed how brands can harness these emotional highs for greater recall and engagement without overshadowing the event. They also focused on the importance of how the Olympics, despite being held every four years, is an event that can be talked about all the time. Especially with Brisbane hosting the games in 2032, the planning for brands to jump on board is already starting.

    Overview:
    This session explored the neuroscience behind why sports engage audiences so deeply. Experts from Nine discussed how emotional moments in sports, such as during the Olympics, can lead to heightened brand recall. They stressed the importance of brands aligning with these moments, but in a subtle way that doesn’t detract from the sporting experience.

    How the CommBank Matildas Got it Done

    Panelist:

    Campaign:

    Coverage: Football Australia comms head says inclusivity in modern sports is ‘no longer optional’

    Key Finding:
    The “Til It’s Done” campaign was successful because it embodied the values of the Matildas and resonated with fans, becoming a rallying cry across the country. When fans adopt your tagline and turn it into a cultural movement, it’s a sign of a truly authentic and effective partnership.

    Overview:
    This talk highlighted the process behind the award-winning campaign for the Matildas during the FIFA Women’s World Cup. By tapping into the team’s “Never Say Die” attitude and the struggles of past players, Ogilvy and Football Australia developed a campaign that transcended mere marketing, becoming a national slogan. They also touched on how after the World Cup the campaign lived on, leading into the Olympics in Paris and the Asian Cup in 2025. They also spoke about being brave and trying new things highlighting the AI-driven podcast voiced by Matildas captain Steph Cately they launched during the Olympics to keep kids engaged when they couldn’t watch late-night games.

    Sport, Storytelling, and Behavioural Science: Building Deep Brand Connections

    Panelist:

    • Sophie Fawns – Netball Player, NSW Swifts
    • Jenny Hutchison – Exec Manager, Sponsorships & Community Response, Suncorp
    • Sarah De La Mare – Head of Community & Sponsorships, Woolworths
    • Samara Kitchener – Founder and Managing Director, House of Kitch

    Campaign

    Coverage: Suncorp’s sponsorship manager emphasises the importance of aligning mutual values

    Key Finding:
    Brands that use storytelling to connect with the emotions of sports fans can build deeper, more meaningful relationships. Suncorp and Woolworths achieved this through values-led partnerships with Netball. These really resonate with communities, demonstrating how sport can drive social and cultural change. Netball has a great following in Australia, and the goal is to use these partnerships to attract new fans and players.

    Overview:

    This session explored how sports trigger neurochemical responses in both fans and players, making it a powerful tool for brands to build deep connections. Suncorp and Woolworths shared their experiences with their Netball values-based sponsorships, showing how storytelling in sport can inspire societal and cultural change while delivering strong ROI for brands.

    Maximising Broadcast Effectiveness in an Evolving Media Landscape

    Panelist:

    Key Finding:
    Tailored and creative content is essential for maximising sponsorship impact. McDonald’s used humour and region-specific campaigns to engage AFL audiences, leading to impressive brand recall and awareness.

    • 80% are more likely to buy from brands again if they use humour.
    • 72% of people are more likely to choose the brand over others.
    • 63% of people will spend more with the brand.

    Overview:
    The discussion covered how the broadcast landscape is changing, yet remains critical for reaching large audiences. McDonald’s successfully used humour in TV ads tailored for NRL fans in Sydney and AFL fans in Melbourne. Westpac also saw huge gains as the ball sponsor for NRL, showing that creative and audience-specific strategies are key to maximising sponsorship results.

    What’s New is Old: How a 45-Year-Old Campaign Brought New Life to Tooheys

    Panelist:

    Campaign: I Feel Like a Tooheys

    Key Finding:
    Reviving historical campaigns can reignite brand love. Tooheys leveraged a 45-year-old jingle to re-establish cultural relevance with both new and old fans, proving that tapping into nostalgia can be a powerful brand strategy.

    • The campaign, which they launched around the State of Origin, took on a life of its own when, post-game, the players started an impromptu singalong of the jingle in the sheds.
    • The campaign helped Tooheys reclaim the number one beer spot in NSW, a position they’d lost for the previous two years.
    • Embrace heritage but make it modern.
    • Jump on moments to maximise brand impact.
    • Leverage partnerships fully to get things done.

    Overview:
    Tooheys and the NSW Blues shared their story of reviving a 45-year-old jingle to reconnect with their audience. By leaning into the nostalgia of past successes, they rejuvenated the brand for both older and younger fans, illustrating that “what’s old is new again” in sports marketing.

    Creating a Splash and Scoring Big in Paris

    Panelist:

    • Tilly Kearns – Olympian and Water Polo Champion
    • Kerry Turner – Manager Participation and Partnerships, NSW Office of Sport

    Coverage: Olympian Tilly Kearns on using social media to inspire young girls

    Key Finding:
    Athletes should have creative control over brand partnerships. Tilly Kearns emphasised the importance of brands aligning with an athlete’s values and trusting them to produce authentic content that resonates with their audience on social platforms like TikTok and Instagram.

    Overview:
    Olympian Tilly Kearns discussed how athletes can best work with brands, stressing the importance of giving athletes creative control. She shared her experience creating social media content from Paris, explaining how brands need to trust athletes to deliver authentic messages that resonate with their fan base, rather than relying on scripted campaigns.

    What keeps CMOs up at night?

    We asked hundreds of them to find out. Our eight-part Global CMO Report reveals the true state of marketing today.

    Do get in touch