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

In the spirit of Halloween, it’s time we explore one of the scariest things in digital partnerships: contractual TBD sponsored content. Nothing generates ad-like content in teams’ feeds more than trying to activate these assets once your season is underway.

This can be solved with the perfect pitch. Let’s dive into how you can make that happen.

In today’s edition:

• Perfecting the Pitch 🗣️

• An X Doomsday Plan ⚾

• Sponcon of the Week 👀🔴

🏊 DEEP DIVE
How To Write The Perfect Sponcon Pitch

Digital assets differ significantly from their IRL counterparts due to evolving platform features, changing algorithms, and distinct best practices.

Clarity in describing sponsored content is crucial before finalizing partnership contracts or upsells. Providing detailed information addresses four essential issues:

1. Preventing Post-Contract Changes: By outlining all details upfront, you reduce the likelihood of partners requesting modifications in-season resulting in branding imbalances or confusion team-side on how to activate the sponcon.

2. Reducing Negotiation Back-and-Forth: Detailed descriptions set the stage for productive feedback and minimize negotiation.

3. Managing Expectations: Clear specifications ensure partners won't get excited about ideas that aren't feasible.

4. Equipping Sales: Complete information empowers partnership sales teams to answer high-level queries.

Six Key Elements

As shown in the example above, every sponcon pitch should include six key elements: Description, Cadence, Channels, Brand Integration, Visuals, and Estimated Results.

All elements of the pitch should be reviewed by the digital team activating the content.

Description: Explain what the partner will receive and clarify why it benefits the team, fans, and the partner. Highlight alignment with established KPIs.

• Does it have a history of success in a certain metric, like impressions or engagements?

• Is it something like Birthday posts that give partners a rare chance to be included on a year-round content series rather than an in-season content series?

• Does it align in any way with the messaging they use in their marketing?

Pro Tip(s)

• It is crucial to tailor the description to each partner that you’re pitching. Let’s take player arrivals as an example. For Gillette you could position the series around the fact that players look their best at that moment in time during gameday. For NEXEN Tire, it could be focused on associating their brand with being on the road with the team. For Kroger, it could be positioned around fresh fits, like their fresh ingredients.

Cadence: Specify how often the sponcon will run. Clearly differentiate between the number of occurrences and total posts. I’ve learned from experience. Make sure the partner knows that when you say Mic’d Up content will run 12 times, it means there will be four unique videos running across three channels, rather than 12 unique videos running across three channels.

Pro Tip(s)

• Avoid providing ranges and give a fixed number otherwise the high end of the range will become the expectation. Give a hard number you know you can activate even if it’s conservative. No partner will be mad if you overdeliver.

• Create flexibility for your digital team by laying out cadence for the full season versus the number of times per week or month (where possible). For example, if a content series is expected to run twice a month you could say 12 times per season in case your team hits a dreaded cold streak.

Channels: Detail where the sponcon will appear, naming specific channels, and any conditional aspects.

Pro tip(s)

• Never say “and/or”. “And” will always be the expectation.

• If you know channels can be oversaturated during a game or after a win, create flexibility by saying, “content will be posted on at least one channel among Facebook, X, or Instagram as decided by the social team.”

Brand Integration: Explain how the partner's brand will be incorporated, including logo inclusion, tagging, product integration, and naming conventions.

Pro Tip(s)

• Be sure to note any conditions. Let’s use Wallpaper Wednesday as an example. You may say something like, “logo inclusion only on the intro frame of Instagram Stories. No logo inclusion on X. Tagging on all Instagram Story frames via the branded content tool. Tag in copy on X (e.g. #WallpaperWednesday | Partner Handle)”.

Visuals: Provide mockups or visuals of the sponcon, making it easier for partners to visualize.

Pro Tip(s)

• If the idea is something you have never done before, provide a link or screen shot to visual inspiration you saw from another team or account.

Estimated Results: Share expected outcomes aligned with KPIs, using the term "estimated" rather than "guaranteed - unless you want to risk living in make-good land.”

Pro Tip(s)

• I know what I said above, but always include impressions/audience size. Partners always want to know even if it’s not the KPI.

• When running something new use a benchmark from comparable sponcon or use a results floor based on paid boosting budget.

• Reminder - this is why we tag unsponsored content and make a plan prior to the season - so we can pull estimates for new ideas.

🕙 TIMELY TIPS
How Moneyball Can Help You Plan For a Potential X Collapse

In Elon’s first year after buying X, its daily active users dropped by 13%, and most of the world’s biggest advertisers have stopped buying ads on the platform.

Despite this decline, the remaining daily active users are still spending a consistent amount of time on the app at an average of 15 minutes per day. In contrast, Threads sees its daily active users spending less than five minutes per day on the app.

So while an X collapse is not imminent, we still need to plan for a world where that happens. I've personally witnessed such scenarios in the past when a partner requested to be excluded from X for a few months, resulting in a change in our channel strategy.

What do we do if we can no longer run sponsored content on X?

The challenge here is that there's no perfect substitute for X. No other social platform offers real-time news coverage combined with easy sharing and engagement through a public feed.

The Moneyball approach

Until Meta, Meta’s X - aka steals ideas from the platform - such as embracing the app as a home to news, you’ll need to recreate X in the aggregate. What needs to be replaced is the impressions via platforms suitable for real-time coverage and the engagement from in-feed posts that can be shared to other users' feeds.

Real-Time Coverage Options

I am not including Instagram Stories on this list given it’s often paired with sponsored content on X. But that same content can be repurposed on the following channels:

1. Facebook Stories: Utilize your existing, large audience and repurpose Instagram Stories content on Facebook Stories.

2. Snapchat: Reach Gen Z and Millennials, as Snapchat has a strong presence in these demographics.

3. TikTok Stories: Benefit from built-in engagement features, making it easier to create interactive content.

While these channels offer valuable solutions, they still lack the enduring and public shareability of news and opinions that X provides.

In-Feed Replacement

Facebook could be included here, but likely already included in the channel mix. The answer here is short and sweet.

• Threads - Should X decline, Threads could potentially become the new public square, particularly if it embraces real-time news. Downloads are increasing and it’s adding features quickly.

Next Steps

Consider investing more in the four channels mentioned above. At best, this preparation safeguards against the potential loss of X and reduces the chaos of delivering partner assets mid-season. At worst, it enhances the viability of these channels for sponsored content, leading to increased revenue and a strong case for expanding your content team.

💼 CASE STUDY
Sponsored Content of the Week

This week, we're featuring a two-for-one special, both of which are tied to this summer's schedule release.

The Chicago Bulls took a proactive approach to extend their schedule release platform into the regular season. In August, they wowed everyone with an NBA Schedule Release themed around Gameboy Pokémon, sponsored by AT&T.

Fast forward two and a half months, and the Bulls revisited this theme for their game against the Toronto Raptors using their game day graphic and giveaway items distributed at the arena and on social media. The icing on the cake? They clinched a victory in the game and proudly shared a custom clip featuring a battle between DeMar DeRozan and a Raptor.

This isn't the first time Chicago and AT&T have succeeded in carrying a captivating schedule release theme into the regular season. They earned a Hashtag Sports Award for their NBA Paint-themed schedule release from 2021.

This approach is worth replicating for your schedule release. Typically, schedule releases are short-lived moments. Not the easiest platform to sell. However, they can become significant earned media opportunities for both the team and its partners when elements like regular season giveaways and theme night integrations are added.

Meanwhile, in the NFL, the Atlanta Falcons once again approached schedule release reactively, turning it into a win for NAPA Auto Parts this weekend.

Back in May, the Tennessee Titans won hearts with their iconic Broadway interviews, where fans guessed their opponents based on logos. This is when the Falcons were fondly dubbed the "Atlanta Red Stallions"...rawr.

Just as they did in May, the Falcons revived the Red Stallions name for this week's game against the Titans.

My prediction might not have been entirely accurate, but the call back was undeniably effective.

The Falcons organized "Red Stallions on Broadway presented by NAPA," a free fan event held in Nashville on Saturday. The event featured special appearances, complimentary appetizers, and live music. The team documented the event using a combination of videos and imagery across eight Instagram Story frames.

The Takeaway: Schedule releases don't need to be a one-time event. Whether you take a proactive or reactive approach, keep an eye out for fun opportunities to expand the platform to benefit both your partners, the team, and the fans.

🔍 SPONCONSPIRATION
Steal These Ideas

I love the way the Washington Wizards incorporate a train schedule board aesthetic for their Tale of the Tape graphics sponsored by Amtrak.

Check out this perfect camcorder-like design of the Fifth Third Bank Dub Cam from the Cincinnati Bengals.

This small business contest concept from the Dallas Cowboys and UPS is worth exploring for your team.

I’m digging the On The Move concept between the Los Angeles Lakers and their new partner, Sixt, showcasing the winning walk back to the locker room.

The Phoenix Suns’ Stat Line of the Game promoting FanDuel’s Daily Fantasy Sports is a strong example of quality integration.

🚨 ICYMI
Headlines

Fashion and Function: This partnership between Rakuten, Steph Curry, the Golden State Warriors, and the Black in Fashion Council is the ultimate example of the power of a sports partnership.

Must Listen: How the Kansas City Chiefs are winning in Germany, with CMO Lara Krug. Podcast in English.

Digital Content Transforming Engagement: This article was eye-opening, reshaping the way I think about the future of Web3 in sports (and so much more)!

Start Me Up: Here’s a helpful deep dive into how FC Barcelona and The Rolling Stones teamed up for El Clásico and a unique use of Spotify’s front of shirt sponsorship.

UGC Boost?: Instagram is testing collaborative posts allowing users to contribute to carousel feed posts.