Branding at the top of its game
Sports brands are some of the most-loved, inspirational and successful brands in the world. Take Manchester United for example, despite recent performances they still enjoy unprecedented loyalty from their fans, devoted brand advocates and a community of believers. Perhaps it is all for the love of the game? More likely they have captured and executed a winning brand strategy driving their success. This article makes four key observations on what makes sports brands great (despite the occasional fall from grace).
Branding at the top of its game
1.Instinctive purpose
All brands have a purpose; it might be part of the creation story, muddled within communications or - for successful brands - the driving force behind the everyday. For sports brands, the nature of the game constructs a naturally clear, overarching purpose. To push yourself (Impossible is Nothing –Adidas), to self-improve (Your Better Starts Here – Sport Chek) and for all sports teams – to win no matter what. To add to this, in competitive sports there is only one winner leaving fans forced to choose - United or City? Tottenham or Arsenal? The neglected brand feels the wrath through chants, debates, cheers and gripes, this reiterates the purpose helping it grow in strength and vigour.
2.Meaningful community
Sports brands are synonymous with high levels of commitment and emotional involvement, building a sense of community rarely found in today’s fragmented society. Identifying as a ‘Gooner’ or an ‘Evertonian’ verifies that fans are not just supporters but crucial members of a brand tribe connected through shared beliefs.
Sports brands have been the first to truly understand, leverage and benefit from our inherent need to belong. Nike+ for example is a global running community that lets members find friends, create challenges and share their miles with their network. Sharing with a community in this way forms bonds, conversations feel more inclusive and the overall brand experience enhanced. In return, fans pay their gratitude to the brand through their continued membership and loyalty.
3.Never-ending story
Despite modern appearances and acceptance into youth cohorts, sport brands are very much heritage brands - chants are sung through generations, stories are told again and again and physical spaces such as the Manchester United Museum showcase the importance of history.
However, heritage brands often lose touch and get left behind. Fortunately, the nature of sports reads like an ongoing story. The story already told is cherished and protected by loyal sports fans while the future is eagerly awaited, building excitement and enthusiasm. Take the Olympics for example, Eric Liddell’s 400m victory in Paris, 1924, is a story still told through Chariots of Fire, fast forward to Rio 2016 and the buzz was still present.
4.Emotional bonds
Sports brands are inherently laden with emotion. Fans feel accomplished, proud and empowered. Pushing limits, beating a personal best, the love of the game and the loyalty to the team. Players and athletes are relatable as fans feel the adrenalin of the team on the field. Elevated in ecstasy at a win and drowning in sorrow at a loss, the emotions of the outcome are shared across the whole community magnifying its intensity. Fans then connect these feelings to the brand, strengthening the relationship and bonding the fan and brand on a whole new level.
In conclusion, sport is a consumption experience much like in any other industry. The differentiating factor: fans over consumers. Fans are emotionally connected and completely devoted to the brand in every way. They sing, tattoo their skin, invest and advocate for free without question or exchange. This is a step up from consumer loyalty. Fans are not loyal, they are dedicated. They don’t like or love, they are captivated in passion. They don’t just speak about your brand, they preach it. The nature of sport means sports brands acquire fans from the offset, leaving a lifetime to nurture and cherish this unique relationship.
This dedication means sports brands are playing a much bigger role in people’s lives. For some: an identity, a coach, a facilitator. Leveraging on the fan’s love and loyalty, the brand is invited onto the sofa rather than sitting cold in the kitchen. In the fans minds the brand is a friend, it offers a gateway to amazing experiences and is always on hand to offer support.
It is with this that when you ask a Manchester united fan why they still stick around, they shrug and respond “I would never support anybody else”, Chad Basra.
Laura Stepney, Strategist, Lambie-Nairn