Sponsoring a Rivalry
Posted: 11/13/2009 1:44:23 PM by
Rob Campbell | with 0 comments
This weekend’s rivalry matchup between my alma mater, Northwestern University, and their in-state rivals, the University of Illinois, reminded my sponsorship-geared brain of an interesting deal signed by another Illinois institution, State Farm Insurance.
Last month, State Farm signed a multi-year deal to present a rivalry series between Arizona State University and the University of Arizona.
Although seemingly unremarkable (sponsors already present football and basketball rivalry games and weeks on television networks), this relationship is deceptive in its breadth and depth.
State Farm’s rivalry sponsorship is comprised of one student contest in addition to the 18 matchups the schools have in various sports. The school with the most victories in the year-long contest will be awarded the sponsor-branded State Farm Territorial Cup Series Trophy.
The insurer plans on promoting the sponsorship throughout the year in Arizona by giving away tickets and conducting other promotions.
Cleverly, instead of solely focusing on the two main money-making sports (football and basketball), State Farm crafted the sponsorship to include other sports that would not normally generate the same buzz.
This tactic of incorporating all athletic teams in the sponsorship helps State Farm reach much more diverse and impressionable audiences. By promoting sports that receive less coverage than football and basketball, State Farm becomes a champion of that sport, creating a closer relationship based on the gratitude of the fans.
To further promote the sponsorship, State Farm created the “ASU/UofA Food Fight,” a food drive competition between the two universities to help fight hunger. This type of cause-overlay helps to unite supporters of both schools (instead of divide them as rivalries tend to do) under a much more important issue than athletic supremacy and fosters goodwill towards the sponsor.
State Farm has laid foundation that, with proper execution, could reap tremendous reward for the insurer and perhaps prove an example for future rivalry sponsorships.
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Filed under: college sports, naming rights, packaging, activation