👋 Hey, it’s Alex. Welcome back to Sponcon Sports, my weekly newsletter dedicated to sponsored content strategy in the sports industry!

It’s funny how inspiration really can come from anywhere. On my flight home from London, United Airlines was advertising an original rom-com short called Love In Plane Sight. I’ll spare you the details.

My mind immediately was hooked to “In Plane Sight” and how that could be the name for a sponsored content series for an airline. It could be a series uncovering community heroes, a scavenger hunt to win prizes, photos of your fans supporting you proudly at road games, or even the roof cam footage that’s trending throughout the industry.

You never know when you’ll need an idea in a pinch for a partner. When you find inspiration add it to your inventory list, text it to yourself, or write it down. Most importantly share it with your content and partnerships teams so the idea is top of mind for them as well. You never know, it could turn into an in-season upsell.

In Today’s Edition:

• Must Hire Position For 2024 ➕ 

• The Success Behind HoH IG Story Takeovers 🤳 

• First-Ever Dual Theme Night 🏀 

🏊️ DEEP DIVE
Your Team Needs A Digital Partnerships Specialist

This time of year, many newsletters and thought leaders will be providing you with their trends and predictions for the upcoming year. We won’t be doing that here.

That said, one thing I wish was a trend in 2024, is for more digital partnerships positions to be created within front offices across the sports industry.

The vast majority of teams I speak with do not have anyone in this kind of role.

Without this staff position, your team is missing out on revenue and much more.

Why does your team need a digital partnerships specialist?

The quick answer is that you need someone to bridge the divide between the partnerships and digital content (social, email, app, website, paid media) teams.

[Robin Williams voice] It’s not your fault.

On the partnerships side, the department needs someone who specializes in forming campaign and content ideas based on specific platform and audience insights. They need to keep up with the rapidly changing digital world.

A lack of digital knowledge leads to partnerships teams agreeing to sponsored content that fulfills partner asks, but doesn’t fit what works on digital channels.

That bad sponcon results in poor performance, taking content teams further away from the KPIs in which they’re being measured - ruining the relationship between the two departments.

On the flip side, digital partnership ideation and activation are typically tacked onto a laundry list of responsibilities content teams already have - including the 24/7 nature of social media. Not only are content teams usually small, but also, partnerships is far from the only department they support.

Due to a lack of bandwidth, asks from the partnerships teams often become an afterthought, and the time to get ideas and answers comes too slowly.

The lack of speed and customized solutions makes digital partnerships seem like a hassle, disincentivizing partnership teams from tapping into potential revenue generation, despite the demand from partners.

What does a digital partnerships specialist do for your team?

Two primary components are equally important.

1. Generating more revenue by helping sell and activate digital assets to new and existing corporate partners.

2. Liaising with partnerships and digital content teams to create and package digital assets and content franchises that are both engaging to fans and appealing to partners.

Other responsibilities include:

• Proactively identifying new assets to build creative, integrated campaigns that generate new revenue opportunities.

• Discover and vet vendors in the sports industry that increase and enhance digital inventory.

• Tap into digital experience, industry insights, and an understanding of in-house costs to guide content valuation.

• Create sales materials for digital assets and present them to internal teams and or directly to partners.

• Manage the relationship between the team and the league when it comes to approvals and activations of digital assets. Note - in MLB this also includes aligning on valuation.

• Collaborate across departments to achieve organizational buy-in for custom, revenue-generating ideas.

• Utilize analytics to understand the value of the sold content assets and communicate results back to the partnerships team and ultimately, the partners.

• Provide thought leadership to internal stakeholders and partners on emerging platforms and trends for adoption where appropriate to keep the team at the forefront of content development.

What will your team get by adding a digital partnerships specialist?

MORE TIME to focus on partner relationships, prospecting, real-time digital content output, and strategy development.

MORE MONEY by having someone with the bandwidth to build a robust digital inventory and provide guidance on pricing so that content doesn’t become undervalued.

MORE CONFIDENCE that your team can sell and activate great sponcon that delivers for the content team and the partner.

MORE KNOWLEDGE with a digital expert in-house to help the team understand the latest and greatest capabilities of each respective platform.

MORE SPEED from having someone fully focused on digital partnerships and implementing processes to produce ideas proactively.

MORE INCLUSION because you now have an advocate for both sides. This person will attend partnerships and content planning meetings, giving each department a seat at the table where they normally would not have one.

MORE COLLABORATION and honestly more fun. By ensuring both sides are heard and proving that good sponcon can be produced, it will be more enjoyable to work together to come up with creative partner solutions.

Who should I be looking for to fill this role?

Whether it’s in-house or outside the organization, consider candidates with the following background:

• Strong understanding of digital platforms, as well as content strategy and development.

• Previous work as a content publisher in some way, shape, or form so they can empathize with content teams on the nuances and challenges of working in the digital space.

• Knowledge of the sport is important to guide creative campaign development, but experience with a sports team is not necessary.

• Experience managing others (even if they will have no direct reports initially) as well as project management across departments. This is crucial for getting approvals and content activation. If this is your first digital partnerships hire, do so at a manager level or higher.

• Comfort in a client-facing role is key to helping sell digital assets and educate them on platform updates and capabilities.

• An understanding of digital analytics and how to measure success is a must-have for storytelling around campaign reporting and pitching.

💼 CASE STUDY
Sponsored Content of the Week

House of Highlights is delivering substantial value to Google Pixel through Instagram Story takeovers this season.

During these takeovers, Google Pixel secures 100% share of voice across 14 frames. This includes a tag via the branded content tool in each frame, along with #BroughtToYouByGoogle appearing in seven frames.

While Instagram Story takeovers are not a new concept in sports, HoH elevates them by prioritizing engagement, showcasing product features, and aligning the brand with the content through best-in-class storytelling.

Let's take a closer look at this week’s edition from Tuesday’s matchup between the Golden State Warriors and the Boston Celtics!

Game Coverage
Each takeover tips off pregame with consecutive "This or That" games, fostering engagement through the poll sticker.

Now, on-site coverage at the arena, all content from this point onward is captured using a Google Pixel 8 Pro.

Host Chris Beltran sets the scene, mentions the Google Pixel 8 Pro, and encourages viewers to vote in the on-screen poll.

The takeover incorporates an interstitial ad, guiding users to a Google Pixel landing page for a deeper understanding of the product. The link doesn't lead directly to a purchase page; therefore, the focus is on product consideration.

Returning to the Chase Center, we proceed with Player Arrivals and pregame warm-ups. Each frame displays the featured players' stats and employs engagement stickers to captivate fans' attention.

Now, let's dive into the exciting part! Take a look at the frames on the left and right.

Engagement stickers highlight key features of the Google Pixel 9 Pro, such as the 5x Telephoto Lens Zoom and Portrait Mode.

We witness the product in action at an NBA game, allowing fans to express their opinions through the engagement stickers. In all instances (more to come later), the average response was positive, reaching approximately 75% approval.

If this brand integration had been too overwhelming, fans could have expressed that to HoH with a lower score.

As the first half gets underway, we see the announcement of starters. Following that, we head to the concourse for some tacos, once again showcasing portrait mode and capturing a fan’s perspective on the first half's action.

Coverage concludes with a score update and a spotlight on the night's player of the game, also captured in portrait mode.

The Takeaway
Google Pixel holds the designation as the Official Fan Phone of the NBA and WNBA, a crucial aspect being its role as the "fan phone."

The storytelling was flawless. Consider your phone usage during a game. All coverage was captured from a fan's perspective (albeit one with excellent seats), subtly showcasing various use cases—from wide-shot videos to quick zooms, food photos, interviews, and portrait mode.

Nevertheless, both photos and videos exhibited crisp quality, and credit goes to HoH for the clarity and layout of on-screen graphics.

From this takeover, fans should leave with the understanding that the Google Pixel 8 Pro is tailored to meet the needs of a basketball fan, offering specific features that set it apart from the competition.

🔍 SPONCONSPIRATION
Steal These Ideas

I’m seeing double! The Houston Rockets and the Detroit Pistons are collaborating on the first-ever dual theme night - Twin Night in honor of the Thompson twins.

Manchester City FC and Puma brought manager Pep Guardiola and Norwegian chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen together for a long-form conversation about their greatest moves.

You need to check out the #OneWeekOf1 campaign where the Vancouver Canucks and TD Bank spent the week leading up to the Roberto Luongo Ring of Honour induction ceremony, by sharing highlights of his career in Vancouver and celebrating his success.

Nearly two million views on this Dallas Cowboys Instagram Reel, cleverly named Nacho Business in partnership with Rico’s Products.

The Milwaukee Bucks rolled out a new content series with Junipero Gin. I’d love to use this name for sponcon in the spirits category.

🚨 ICYMI
What To Watch For

Score With The Next Generation: Andy Marston of Sports Pundit shares his insights on La Liga’s new mobile game, ‘Land of Goals' as the league seeks to blend the excitement of football with an immersive adventure experience.

Must Listen: You need to binge season three of The Fan Experience EXPERIENCE podcast where Mark Bradley and Darren Young walk through their fan journey model using each episode to talk about a single touch point of the gameday experience [h/t Scott Goodacre].

Stat of the Week: According to Blinkfire’s 2023 Insights Report, the top five sponsored content scenes in 2023 were Goal Celebration, Action, Training, Score Graphic, and Player Arrival.

New Fan Experience: The New York Islanders launched Isles+ a new web-based platform that allows users to watch the action on the ice from four camera angles at once, watch replays of the game at any time, and much more.

Best of 2023 Partnerships: LinkedIn had a wealth of best-of lists this week. Silvia Schweiger shared her top five F1 sponsorships of the year. Gianfranco Pastore provided his most exciting sports partnerships of 2023. Ricardo Fort featured his top 10 list of this year’s best sponsorships.