The Value of a Photo

Everyone knows the saying, "A picture is worth 1,000 words." While there might not be 1,000 words in this post, the value that this photo offers is immense. As you can see in the photo background, there is space in the UNI-Dome that is bare and would be a great spot for a corporate sponsor to take advantage of by placing signage there.

Recently I interviewed, Rob Miller Account executive with Panther Sports Properties, to get insight about the value of this photo and how to use this photo when selling signage space in the UNI-Dome. 

Me: What is the value that you see in this photo?

Rob: This photo tells the story of what Panther Sports Properties can offer on Gameday for brand awareness, with a wide reaching exposure. In the way that college sports is the vehicle for our partners to reach the community at large.

Me: What would your overall objective be with this photo?

Rob:  The goal would be to show the prospective partner “lots of eyeballs”. I want to show a packed house, captivated audience, and brand connectivity between the prospective company and Panther Athletics.

Me : Could you walk me through/tell me how you would use this photo in a client proposal?

Rob: First, I would work with the prospective partner on the messaging that they would want to incorporate into a signage space. Then I would take a photo of the full UNI-Dome, a play that catches the audience’s attention, and transpose this prospects brand message into the signage space.

Me: What is the biggest objection/hurdle do you face when selling signage or this signage piece in particular?

Rob: The biggest hurdle we have to overcome when selling is signage is "how do I measure success?" How can I as a client track sales from a sign?" 

Me: How do you overcome these objections?

Rob: What I would do is pair the sign with other elements that we (Panther Sports Properties) offer to help create top of mind awareness. The goal is to reach fans through multiple channels, signage is just a reminder. Signage keeps the client top of mind and then we have several other things that we pair the sign with, like radio, giveaways, web & social media posts, to enhance the awareness of the client.

As you can tell, there is much more to this photo that meets the eyes. In the eyes of Rob Miller, this photo shows an opportunity to connect a potential client to the Gameday atmosphere of  UNI Panthers football.

Marketing on Gameday

College Athletics create a great atmosphere with a loyal & passionate fan base. These fan bases or potential customers, if your looking at it from a sponsors view, provide sponsors with a huge target market. In college football alone, the average attendance to a college football game was 46,074 in 2011 and that doesn't even take into account the millions of fans that are watching or listening to the game at home or in their car. For example, in 2012 the Alabama vs. Georgia game brought in 9 million viewers to the CBS network. The Sports Marketing world provides numerous opportunities and a large target market for sponsors to take advantage of.

The following are 5 effective ways for sponsors brand themselves and be apart of the college sports atmosphere:


Static Signage: These are signs of the sponsors logo, slogan, etc. that represents a visual presence in the selected college sporting venue. Placement for these signs could be in a variety of different places and could have unique options. Some examples include scoreboard  signage, concourse level signage, courtside signage, on the catwalk etc. The use and placement of static signage will be tailored to the sport and what opportunities the venue of choice offers.

Digital Signage: These signs allow sponsors to add a little more flare to there advertisements/impressions on Gamedays. Digital signs can be displayed on the venues videoboards, courtside,  or along what is called a ring beam. The ability to use videoboards and ring beams allow for multiple signs to be displayed throughout a game. Common usages of these signs are actual commercials, sponsor logo with a slogan, instant replays, etc.

Gameday Sponsorship: Gameday sponsorship allows the sponsor to own a college sporting event. This is a way for a sponsor to directly identify themselves with a college team and be apart of and in the eyes of the fan exclusively. Usually in a Gameday Sponsorship, the sponsor will be identified on the tickets, programs, videoboard, they could have their own tailgate, and have various PA announcements in the venue and on various media outlets, e.g. radio & TV.

Gameday Promotions: Gameday Promotions can be utilized in various ways and usually involves some creativity from the Account Executive selling the promotion and from the sponsor.  The better the promotion is tailored to the sponsor the more effective it will be for the sponsor. Examples of promotions are t-shirt toss, half-court heave, group of the game, and various other unique ideas and giveaways. The sky is the limit when it comes to Gameday promotions, but all have the same goal of connecting the sponsor with the fans.

Radio/TV: Radio allow for sponsors to be mentioned live during the game, during game breaks, as well as pre & post-game recognition on the network the game is being broadcasted on. TV ads & commercials give the sponsors visual representation with the game. A main element with TV would be commercials played during breaks in action during the game.

Regardless of the avenue of choice that the college and sponsor take to market on Gameday there is always on common goal, "To connect the Sponsor with the exciting and passionate Gameday atmosphere that college athletics create."

Reference:

http://www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/public/NCAA/Resources/Latest+News/2012/January/NCAA+football+attendance+reaches+new+heights+again

http://www.sbnation.com/2012/12/11/3754632/college-football-tv-ratings-2012-alabama-notre-dame