Unleash The Power Of In-Arena Partner Activations

👋 Welcome back to Sponcon Sports, a weekly newsletter dedicated to sponsored content strategy in the sports industry!

I’ve found sponsored content inspiration in some unusual places. This week’s inspo comes from a mascot account.

Blue, the Indianapolis Colts mascot, shared this video congratulating Josef Newgarden on his second consecutive Indy 500 win. In the video, they appear to emerge from an American Dairy Association milk bottle, referencing the tradition of drivers drinking milk after the race.

I saved this video as an example of how to integrate products into sponsored content—likely a partnership announcement. If a brand has a physical product, this could be a fun approach (e.g., Starry, BODYARMOR, Bud Light, Toyota, etc.).

Product placement in sponsored content can be tricky, so providing creative teams with innovative solutions as thought starters is crucial, even if we don’t use them immediately.

Other examples I have saved include a coffee reveal message from Six Nations Rugby and a can-smashing message from the UFL’s Memphis Showboats.

Make sure you have visual examples like these saved for your team. You never know when a quick-turn project will land on your desk. What I love about these examples is that they’re relatively easy to produce and can seamlessly integrate partner products.

In Today’s Edition:

• Winning Social Strategies For In-Arena Activations 🌟 

• Why iHeart The Miami Dolphins Practice Sponcon 🍊 

• A Ducking Good Idea From Juventus 🦆

🏊️ DEEP DIVE
Elevate Your In-Arena Activations With Digital Partnerships

For the longest time, I was against posting in-arena partner activations on social media. I would get frustrated as brand after brand asked us to "just put it on social."

Whether it was concourse tabling or a video board feature, it didn't feel like a good fit for our social media audience, given that most of our followers weren't in the arena to experience what we were promoting.

But last year, Ben Shaiman, a colleague of mine on the partnership sales team at MSG, challenged my thinking. He pointed out that while fans can't participate in the activation at that exact moment, can we use social content to inspire them to come to a game in the future.

It was a great point and changed my perspective.

These days, I see in-arena partner activations on social media EVERYWHERE, and they’re working!

• Tampa Bay Lightning x Marathon Look-A-Like Cam BTS

• Anna Tobkin (KC Chiefs) Winning Game Presentation Control Room BTS

• Indiana Pacers TikTok-Inspired Concourse Activation

• Seattle Mariners x Hempler’s Hot Dogs From Heaven

• Indiana Pacers Crying Snapchat Filter Used On Lakers Fans

• Pittsburgh Penguins x Dick’s Sporting Goods Junior Starter Mic’d Up

• Atlanta Braves x Racetrac Beat The Freeze

• Cleveland Cavaliers Creator Scavenger Hunt

• Edmonton Oilers Trolling Vancouver Canucks Fans

• IIHF Cartoon Cam and Kiss Cam

• St. Louis Blues x First Bank Look-A-like Cam

• Los Angeles Kings Player Introduction Control Room BTS

I can imagine partnership teams eager to sell these opportunities ASAP.

That said, we still need to be careful with how these opportunities are pitched. When done incorrectly, this content can fail miserably and be a poor allocation of resources.

But I'm here to help. Here are 10 rules for effectively selling and succeeding with sponsored content featuring in-arena partner activations.

Include Content Teams From The Start

As I mentioned earlier, the problem with highlighting in-arena partner activations on social media is that they often focus on a message rather than entertainment (e.g., visit our booth, participate in our contest).

We need to involve content teams in the conversation before pitches so they can collaborate with game presentation and marketing teams to create ideas that will capture the attention of fans both in the arena and on social media.

The Pacers’ TikTok-inspired concourse activation is a perfect example.

The idea was popular on social media and was brought into Gainbridge Fieldhouse as an approachable and recognizable activation that fans would want to participate in IRL.

Set Proper Expectations

Make it clear from the outset that the goal of organic social media content focused on in-arena activations is to drive awareness by entertaining fans.

Not every tactic needs to accomplish every goal of a campaign.

We can encourage participation through other tactics, which we'll discuss later.

No Vague Pitches

Do not include vague terms like “TBD in-arena activation to be shared on team social media channels” in a pitch or contract.

I know it’s tempting to delay providing concrete ideas, but this sets your team up for failure.

It’s worth spending extra time to flesh out the idea during the pitch phase fully.

Vague contract language gives power to the brand partner, allowing them to dictate how the idea will be executed.

Clearly outline the idea, where it will be posted, how many times it will be posted, and the partner integration details.

Avoid Templatizing The Activation

Not all in-arena partner activations are created equal; each opportunity needs to be approached individually.

Take "Hotdogs from Heaven" for example. Its success was partly due to its novelty. Should we promise our partners multiple posts about it? Probably not (but more on that later).

Conversely, “Beat The Freeze" works well with a higher frequency, such as once a month, as it stays fresh by featuring a different race in each game.

Including content teams from the start is crucial. They can guide how often content should be posted.

The number of social media posts doesn't need to match the number of videoboard features either.

For instance, if you use AI filters on the video board like the IIHF and run it 10 times during the tournament, it doesn’t need to run 10 times on social media.

After deciding on a social media cadence, you can add flexibility to the contract.

If you aim to post monthly but worry about timing, state it will run six times per season instead.

This way, you can maintain a monthly cadence but adjust to highlight the best in-arena moments.

Understand Timeliness’ Impact On Activation

The beauty of some in-arena partner activations is that they’re evergreen.

You don’t have to post them right away, which is great if you want to highlight a moment but your team just lost or is on a losing streak. You can wait until the fans are in better spirits.

Conversely, some ideas need to be posted the same night or early the next morning, or other fans or media might beat you to it.

That urgency is especially true if you’re posting videoboard features from the fan's perspective.

For example, the St. Louis Blues lookalike cam needs to be posted immediately, whereas the Tampa Bay Lightning lookalike cam can be posted anytime since it’s from the control room’s perspective. Only your team can highlight that moment from that viewpoint.

Keep Integration Simple

What I love about featuring in-arena partner activations on social media is that there's no need to overcomplicate things.

Include the brand logo or presented-by moment where it naturally appears in real life, like the branded open card from a video board feature.

Then, tag the partner using the paid partnership tool or in the copy alongside your team hashtag or the name of the activation (e.g., @efirstbank | Look-A-Like Cam).

Use Proper Valuation

Do not include social media coverage as added value.

As the examples above show, these posts can generate great results and have strong potential for earned media coverage (e.g. crying Snapchat filter).

Don’t sell yourself short. Charge the right value for taking these activations beyond your stadium.

Your stadium holds 20K to 40K fans, but one social channel can reach millions.

Be Aware Of Background Music

Music playing in your arena ✔️

Music captured on social media ❌

If you plan to record a moment in the arena, confirm during brainstorming whether unlicensed music will be playing. If so, it can’t be posted to social media.

Consider Alternate Perspectives

We mentioned before that not every concept requires a high-frequency cadence on social media. In fact, one post could be sufficient.

A great way to breathe more life into a concept is by switching up the perspective of the content.

For example, with a look-alike cam, you could show a static shot of your videoboard like the St. Louis Blues, or you could show a similar moment from the production team’s point of view like the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Repurpose Content For Alternate Goals

Posting in-arena partner activations on social media can lead to BOGO content, a concept coined by Jaelyn Arndt at the Gondola Sports Summit.

You can repurpose this content to drive future participation in partner activations.

• Email: Feature the post in an email with information about the activation and a CTA to participate.

• Paid Social: Use the post’s video for a paid social media campaign targeting a small radius around the arena on game day or a CRM list of ticket purchasers for that night’s game.

• Mobile: Use a push notification or SMS marketing to drive fans to a landing page on your mobile app with information about the activation and the post embedded.

• Website: Include information about the partner activation on your ‘Know Before You Go’ page with the post embedded. A web push notification could be utilized as well.

• Partner Channels: Have partners share the post on their pages with a participation CTA.

• Creator Marketing: Have a creator attend a game or visit your arena to highlight partner activations (e.g., Cavaliers Creator Scavenger Hunt).

Additionally, participation should be encouraged through a pregame or in-game feature in the arena.

The Takeaway

Including digital channels in in-arena partner activation plans can extend the campaign's reach beyond your venue, engage fans, and drive future participation when done correctly.

Although there are 10 rules for building an effective strategy, it’s crucial to bring all departments to the table from the brainstorming phase through activation to set up the team for success.

💼 CASE STUDY
Sponsored Content of the Week

The Miami Dolphins are putting a unique spin on player music playlists, revealing deeper stories than we usually see for this concept in the sports industry.

While player music playlists as sponsored content are not new, they're typically based on the simple fact that players listen to music. It’s a solid marketing opportunity, but often teams post these playlists primarily to satisfy a partner, rather than because they want to.

That's not the case in Miami.

The Dolphins have a tradition of naming an orange jersey recipient, an award given to the best practice player from the previous session. As a bonus, that player gets to choose the music for that day’s practice.

This season, the orange jersey platform is sponsored by iHeartRadio, the team’s radio broadcast partner—a perfect fit. Last year, Ciroc sponsored the platform.

Like any player playlist, this content helps fans learn more about the players through their music tastes. However, this version stands out because:

• It has a revelatory element, announcing the orange jersey recipient - appealing to both fans and media.

• It serves casual fans interested in the music and diehard fans interested in which players excel in practice.

• The Dolphins tailor the news rollout to the specific social media channel it appears on.

Most importantly, the orange jersey platform gives fans a reason to follow team social accounts during off-season practices. It's an excellent way to drive engagement and revenue during the “downtime” of the year.

The Takeaway

When I think of this platform, it’s similar to how I would advise a team to decide whether to join a social media trend.

Can you put a unique spin on the trend that aligns with your brand?

In this case, the answer is a resounding yes!

The Miami Dolphins are creatively using player music playlists to engage fans and highlight standout practice players with their orange jersey tradition, now perfectly sponsored by iHeartRadio.

🔍 SPONCONSPIRATION
Steal These Ideas

This Roland Garros partner puts the ALL in All Access.

Arrow McLaren aligning a crucial pit stop radio call with SmartStop Self Storage is a match made in heaven.

Juventus collaborated with Jeep to showcase the auto brand’s ducking tradition.

Mercedes F1 came through with very on-brand Monaco sponcon in partnership with Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection.

Try this style if you’re one of the many teams asking players to rate their teammates’ outfits. Tottenham Hotspur nails it by using the green screen effect native to TikTok.

Liverpool and Google Pixel put together a 3,000-image mosaic in the Liverpool City Centre as part of Jürgen Klopp’s farewell.

🚨 ICYMI
What To Watch For

Extra Spark: Astasia Williams, a freelance social media strategist and former Nike social media marketing lead, shared a few gems from the WNBA this week. The Los Angeles Sparks are leveling up arrival content with their custom Urban Decay wall. Meanwhile, the Chicago Sky are collaborating with Angel Reese to promote their rookie forward’s website.

Sponcon Stats and Tips: David Brickley, CEO/Owner of STN Digital, shared seven best practices for sponsorship and the future of social media from his talks with 25 NFL teams.

X Live Odds: BetMGM live odds can now be found on X game pages and click out to the brand’s sites to place bets.

No Fly Zone: The Seattle Mariners are offering general admission tickets to the J-Rod Squad section in partnership with adidas. Julio Rodriguez is an adidas athlete and those sections of center field are known as the No Fly Zone due to his outstanding defensive skills.

Comic Collab: Blue Lock, a sports manga, celebrated Inter Milan's 20th Scudetto with a special edition featuring characters in this season’s Inter jerseys.