The roar of the crowd, the thrill of competition, the global spotlight – major sporting events like the Summer Olympics and Euro 2024 capture the world’s attention like few other events. But what if you’re a non-sports brand with no direct connection to the games? Can you still benefit from this global stage? Absolutely!

5 ways non-sports brands can leverage major sporting events for marketing purposes

Here are some creative ways non-sports brands can leverage the excitement of major sporting events to achieve their marketing goals: 

1. Let your audience make fun predictions (and win!): 

Tap into the competitive spirit by creating prediction games. Use Playable to develop a mobile-friendly experience where users can predict competition outcomes, player performances, or even funny in-game moments. Offer exciting prizes or discounts for the most accurate predictions, keeping engagement high throughout the event.

2. Test your audience’s knowledge in a playable way: 

Challenge your audience’s knowledge in a fun and interactive way. Use Playable to create a sports-themed trivia quiz or memory game with questions related to the event, famous athletes, or even iconic moments in sporting history. Offer rewards for completing the quiz or achieving high scores, encouraging participation and brand recall.

Lex.dk, Denmark’s national encyclopedia, did a fun quiz for the Tour de France 2023 where they asked 10 questions about the history of the Tour de France. 

3. Engage your audience with fun skill games 

Go beyond static content. Use gamification to develop interactive games that allow your audience to participate in the sporting spirit actively. Imagine:

• A fun game for the Euros where participants are a goalkeeper who needs to catch the footballs while avoiding yellow and red cards
• An exciting tennis game where participants need to hit the tennis ball for Wimbledon. 

These challenges not only boost engagement but also can help you collect an incredible amount of marketing permissions.

County Broadband, a broadband network to connect rural communities in the UK, held a fun drop game for the Rugby World Cup where players had to catch the rugby balls while avoiding the other teams’ players.

4. Promote special products using playable experiences

Tailor your offerings to the event! Develop limited-edition product lines, special bundles related to the games, and more. Then, use interactive experiences to promote these products effectively. For example, you could use a luck game, such as a wheel of fortune where participants can either win the product, or a discount code to buy the product. 

This not only promotes your products but also helps you to engage your audience, collect marketing permissions, and increase brand awareness.

Ditur, a Danish retailer specializing in watches, held a fun and engaging game for the Tour de France 2023. In the game, players had to catch the green watches while avoiding the red ones. Participants who achieved a high enough score could enter a draw to win a Tissot watch from the 2023 Tour de France.

5. Improve your brand image by associating with the local or national team

While formally partnering with the national team can be a powerful way to align your brand with national pride and sporting excellence, it’s not always feasible for every budget. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t participate in the spirit of the games! Here are some alternative ways:

• Show your support: Simply express your support for the national team on your social media channels, website, or using playable campaigns.
• Run local promotions: Design special offers or discounts that coincide with the games, showcasing your patriotism and local spirit.

Partner with local organizations: For example, lots of cities organize events where fans can go watch the Olympics or EURO 2024 on big screens in parks or stadiums. Sponsor these events, give samples, have a stand where people can play playable campaigns on their phones or tablets to win items, etc.

Despite not sponsoring EURO 2020, Carlsberg, sponsor of the Danish National team, ran the “Win with the Team” campaign. Fans bought limited edition Carlsberg cans and scanned the QR code to win Danish fan merchandise, showing support for the team. Read the full story here!

Are you ready to leverage the upcoming sporting events? 

Major sporting events offer a unique opportunity for non-sports brands to tap into the global excitement and achieve marketing goals. By implementing creative strategies like interactive games, quizzes, and special offers, brands can engage their audience, boost brand awareness, and even collect valuable marketing data. So, don’t miss out on the next sporting extravaganza – leverage its power to get your brand in the game!