🏆How to boost brand awareness on the back of a big event

IDA Sports x Women’s World Cup

"Can I have another go?" pleaded an enthusiastic participant, determined to improve their juggling score. What started as a quick 30-second juggling contest, part of our activation with IDA Sports during a Women's World Cup watch party, turned into a prolonged flurry of dribbles and giggles. Each person aimed to better their score, all in the hopes of winning a prize.

Picture this: Attendees at a Women's World Cup watch party took part in a juggling contest. Their task was simple—try on a pair of boots from IDA Sports and juggle as many times as possible for just 30 seconds. However, the excitement proved irresistible, extending those 30 seconds into several exciting minutes for most participants. This experience perfectly captured the essence of our brand activation.

How can you create an event that defies the boundaries of time? What can you do to ensure the experience remains vivid in people's memories beyond the 30 seconds they spent juggling in our booth? The answer? Crafting an unforgettable encounter. And the strategy? Anchoring it around a momentous sports event to create a lasting association.

In this edition of The Feed, we draw inspiration from IDA Sports’ juggling contest to delve into the art of amplifying brand awareness through a major sporting event, like the Women’s World Cup. Using insights from our recent collaboration with the pioneering footwear brand, we provide a blueprint for brands seeking to center their activations around significant events.

TL;DR:

Sporting events like the Women’s World Cup provide excellent tentpole moments for brands to center their activations around. By carefully choosing events that resonate with core values, collaborating with strategic partners, and leveraging the occasion to forge a connection with the target audience, brands can create impactful and extraordinary experiences.

The Details:

IDA Sports prioritizes high-performance and comfortable footwear for athletes who have traditionally been overlooked. Whether you're a weekend warrior or an elite athlete, IDA believes that women should have greater access to the best equipment when stepping onto the pitch. The company's female-founded ethos and the empowerment theme of the Women's World Cup presented a perfect alignment for this activation.

The Partner

Partnering with TOCA Football facilities, which hosted watch parties for the USA vs. Netherlands game at their locations across the country, we established a powerful collaboration. TOCA Football, founded by ex-Premier League player Eddie Lewis, has redefined soccer training through innovative methods that integrate technology. Their commitment to enhancing skills across all ages and levels resonated deeply with IDA's mission.

The Activation

For the activation, we strategically chose three locations as convergence points for our target audience. The Denver facility, whose audience most closely aligned with IDA’s target audience, took center stage. Leveraging TOCA's facilities and our resources, we orchestrated an engaging juggling contest that became the defining moment of the event. Attendees flocked to the IDA step-and-repeat and camera setup at the designated bay. An IDA representative introduced the contest, encouraging passersby to participate. Players lined up, completing a quick form to enter the contest, and also had the chance to explore products and chat with IDA reps. With IDA boots on their feet, participants juggled for as long as they could. Scores were tracked on a live leaderboard throughout the evening and the top three jugglers received an IDA prize pack including boots, swag, and other branded goodies.

Our activation also extended to other locations, albeit with a more modest capacity. At these venues, we seamlessly integrated into existing TOCA programming. Instead of offering a typical prize wheel experience, we reimagined TOCA's skill challenges as pathways to winning an IDA Prize Pack. This was achieved by connecting the points earned in TOCA challenges with the number of contest entries.

Key Considerations:

The success of this activation hinged on the consideration of several key factors:

Authentic Alignment: There was a natural synergy between IDA's mission and the empowering theme of the Women's World Cup. This alignment tapped into the energy surrounding a marquee moment in women's sports, creating a tie founded on a shared passion for sports and pushing boundaries.

Proactive Promotion: Partner activations depend on proactivity. We reached out to IDA's customers in our geographic areas with well-crafted 360 campaign comms before the events. Each considered message encouraged community members to get in on the action, generating buzz and driving attendance.

Local Outreach: We went beyond our owned audience and connected with local communities that shared in our mission and love of the beautiful game. Dozens of groups in each area received a touchpoint from the brand, with interested groups receiving tailored messaging and assets to distribute within their community. These resources were shared through channels such as email, newsletters, social media platforms, and word of mouth. This strategy not only efficiently promoted the event but also heightened its resonance among attendees.

Strategic Partnership: Collaborating with TOCA Football, whose audience aligned seamlessly with IDA's target demographic, substantially broadened the scope and influence of our event. This collaborative approach enabled the sharing of responsibilities, costs, and communication efforts.

Continued Engagement: Our strategy ensured that the activation's impact stretched beyond the event itself. Attendees received keepsakes like tote bags, stickers, and event photos. Post-event, we maintained engagement through well-timed follow-up communications. We offered participants a discount to keep the connection alive and encourage them to make a purchase after getting to experience IDA products IRL.

Considering a brand activation? Think about aligning with a major sports event and using this roadmap to build your brand’s awareness and connect with your audience.

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🤝Let’s work together. If you would like to learn more about Robin, or want to talk about your brand’s marketing, communications, and product development initiatives, contact us at hello@androbin.co.

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