How can you engage non-sports fans in sports marketing?

Nothing brings people together like sports and music, and both pillars often overlap. But because sports is competitive and usually tied to geography, you have a whole range of feelings that are stirred. The ups and downs, the oohs and aahs, the taste of victory and agony of defeat, all these feels bring a community together like nothing else. Demonstrating those feelings to non-sports that are experience by people in their communities may bring them closer together, and might help them understand fandom. They may even want to experience it for themselves. Marketing is about how you make someone feel, not necessarily feel about your product. Make non-sports fans feel like they belong, and they'll consider your product/service.

To engage non-sports fans: Make it relevant to them: try to see what appeals to them. For example their identity or nationality. Even a non-cricket fan will vouch for India at the world cup, so adidas can take advantage of patriotic pride. Or even a non sports enthusiastic disabled person will support their fellows at the Paralympics. Take advantage of these niches.

I don't think there is necessarily a one size fits all approach, but in broad terms, it's about making the sport relevant for them. It's about putting the sport in the context of something that they are already doing / engaging with / interested in. This will differ on a tournament by tournament basis; what engages a non-sports fan, or 'big eventer' in a football tournament (e.g. the social element, watching together with friends, the pub) may differ from what engages a big eventer during Wimbledon (e.g. the celebrity culture, the fashion). It's about looking at your big eventer's passion points and pulling out the stories or moments from the sport that can be told through that lens to make it relevant for them.

Usually it is too must focused on the prestations. The old fashioned idea is that a winning team attracts. Yes, of course in some way it does. But they still doesn’t attract non-sports fans. The overall entertainment factor is very important. People want to be entertained. And as long as your event provides entertainment items for different groups (age/interest/background/…) the people will come (and stay). And of course, showcasing this via the different types of media will attract more. Entertain people! Photos and videos are always the most powerful tools to attract people to the game. There is no better way to share the emotions of athletes/actions. So no matter what you do to communicate to the outside world: ensure good footage.

A little extra research goes a long way - fashion and sport have never seen more synergy than they do right now. A non-sports fan who is a sneakerhead will engage if their favourite athlete is wearing the latest Nike/Adidas/BAPE drop. Find similar interests and industries, find ways to leverage athletes and brands that people connect with, and find the right platform to carry it out.

At the heart of any sport team being successful off the field is the art of storytelling and feeling closer to the club/team. Any sport today is either innovating in the stadiums through personalizing the complete customer journey or creating in-stadium activations and ticketing products that attract people who may not enjoy the game but those that don't want to miss out on the best in class experiences. All of the above stems from 'emotion', if you understand your target audiences emotion in the right manner, you will be able to engage them through creative innovation.

To engange people with something is not always about the "product" itself. It works with emotions and feelings. Especially with sports it's so easy to 'trigger' emotions, with storytelling, with marketing ideas around the actual sports event f.e.

Sport is built on passion and emotion, and so it often has the ability to transcend itself with good storytelling. This is especially true if you can leverage athlete voices to help connect with different audiences through varied representation and resonance. Authenticity is key.

You need to add a human element to it. Non sports fans may only see the team/ sport environment and not understand the personal stories that make it compelling. By incorporating a human element, you bring relatability and emotion into the marketing narrative. Consider showcasing the athletes' journeys, struggles, and triumphs. Share anecdotes that resonate universally, emphasizing the people behind the game rather than just the sport itself. This approach can bridge the gap and make sports more accessible and intriguing to those who might initially perceive it as distant or exclusive.

Comme on a pu le constater avec la sortie de la série "Drive to survive" sur Netflix, le sport est un puissant vecteur d'émotion encore plus quand la narration de celui-ci est travaillée efficacement. Le succès de la série est tel que cela a permis de toucher une audience non-fans de sport mais consommateur de fiction intéressés par la narration développé dans la série.

To engage individuals who aren't typically interested in sports, a strategy involves establishing collaborations with non-sports brands and companies that have a significant social influence and a broad following. Aligning with such brands enables the rights holder to reach a different audience segment and execute both traditional and digital initiatives, leveraging various social media platforms. Ideal partners could include brands in sustainability, healthcare, personal hygiene, and similar sectors. This partnership not only raises awareness for the brand but also enhances engagement for the sports team or organization by reaching diverse demographics and geographical areas.

Dans le marketing sportif, les causes et les valeurs sociales sont les ponts vers les non-fans. Alignez votre marque avec des initiatives significatives. Que ce soit l'inclusion, la durabilité ou le soutien communautaire, faites du bien tout en suscitant l'intérêt pour le sport. C'est ainsi que vous établirez des connexions durables avec un public diversifié.

Harnessing the power of social causes and values in your marketing endeavors can resonate deeply with your audience. Identify causes aligned with your brand values and audience interests. Showcase genuine commitment through purpose-driven campaigns, emphasizing your brand's positive impact on society. Engage in corporate social responsibility initiatives, promoting transparency and authenticity. By aligning with meaningful causes, you not only contribute to societal well-being but also build a strong emotional connection with your audience, fostering loyalty and positive brand perception. This approach not only benefits the community but also enhances the overall impact and reach of your marketing efforts.

El deporte se convierte en una herramienta de desarrollo social y por este medio se puede transformar la vida de muchas personas que son no aficionadas al deporte. A través de actividades sociales y eventos deportivos se puede llegar a sensibilizar sobre temas representativos para la sociedad como son la seguridad, la salud, las relaciones interpersonales. Muchos clubes deportivos buscan trabajar para apoyar fundaciones y ser más cercanos a la población que más lo necesita, para transmitir un mensaje de responsabilidad con la sociedad.

Aligning sports initiatives with broader societal issues, one can tap into the shared values and concerns of a diverse audience.

Incentivising the non sport fans is a lucrative strategy however, is part of the long term process. Sports teams, federations, leagues and brands need to offer value to keep them hooked and eventually make them part of the larger and active community. The sweepstakes definitely help you garner numbers in the immediate future. The bigger goal is always to convert them into brand advocates organically. This circles back to identifying the right audience segments who are open to becoming active participants of the sport.

?? Pour séduire les non-fans dans le monde du sport, rien de tel que des incitatifs et des récompenses. Offrez des expériences uniques, des cadeaux attrayants. Transformez l'adhésion en une aventure à part entière. Des billets gratuits aux exclusivités, faites du marketing sportif une destination avec des avantages irrésistibles.

Incorporating incentives and rewards into your marketing strategy is a powerful way to capture and retain audience attention. Create enticing promotions, discounts, or exclusive offers that resonate with your target segment. Implement loyalty programs to reward repeat customers, fostering brand loyalty. Gamify interactions by introducing contests or reward-based challenges to make engagement more interactive. Tangible rewards, such as discounts, freebies, or exclusive access, motivate potential customers to take desired actions. By incorporating incentives strategically, you not only attract new customers but also encourage ongoing engagement, contributing to the overall success of your marketing initiatives.

Quand les personnes sont plut?t très éloignées de la sphère du sport, il faut essayer de les accrocher via d'autres leviers qui peuvent être mis en place dans un cadre sportif. Pour cela on peut mise sur le gaming, les jeux concours ou les expériences "money can't buy". Pour prendre un exemple sur le Tour de France, nous avions mis en place avec notre partenaire Century 21 un jeu concours qui pouvait intéresser tout le monde même les non fans de sport car ils pouvaient remporter rien de moins qu'une maison ! La portée de ce jeu concours de part le nombre de personnes participantes a largement dépassé le cercle des fans du Tour de France.

Ojo con los premios por que pueden desvirtuar el objetivo en vez de motivar. Lo más importante es disfrutar de lo que se hace y conocer a tus clientes te ayudará a encauzar, con dinámicas, clases, cursos, eventos…. Tener unos profesionales empaticemos, adema, que se adapten a los clientes, hará que quieran formar parte de la comunidad de tu negocio. De esa manera fidelizar y sentirse parte de la familia. Dejaron de estar para además ser.

Le sport, il faut le vivre. Vivre c’est expérimenter. Il faut donc créer une expérience unique pour le non-fan de sport qui lui donnera envie d’en savoir plus, de participer plus, d’expérimenter plus et donc de s’engager. L’expérience peut être autant digitale que money can’t buy, tant que l’individu est au centre et qu’il vit des émotions nouvelles.

To engage non-sports fans in sports marketing, emphasize broader lifestyle benefits like community, health, and entertainment. Create relatable content, showcase inspiring athlete stories, and tie promotions to universal themes. Connect sports to everyday experiences, making it inclusive and appealing beyond traditional sports enthusiasts.

Entertainment is the final frontier for brining in non-sports fans in the platform! Including pop culture to the mix with Sports works really great. A great example of this is how Barstool Sports operates. They cover various facets of sports but also go heavy on recent pop culture trends, which helps them tap into a bigger audience base within the non-sports fans. It's not always easy to pull it off but when done with a proper strategy & planning with micro managing content, it works it's magic.

kinetic entertainment games and shorten time activities. Changing the general concept of sports in order to target that group

Creating entertaining content that simplifies sports, breaking down rules and strategies in a way that's easy to grasp. Use engaging visuals, videos, and stories to illustrate key concepts. Highlight the excitement and community aspects of sports, emphasizing how they connect people. Keep the language straightforward, making it accessible for those less familiar with sports terminology. This approach ensures that your content is both informative and enjoyable, appealing to a wider audience.

It’s all about building the narrative. Engage them with the stories within the sport and bring to life the personalities that participate. There’s only a small % of the U.K. population that watch darts. But most households will have heard of Luke Littler and his rise to stardom recently at the PDC World championship. Great story. Great personality. Darts engagement ??

Great sports marketing usually has a tie in with wider culture, and this is often a route which captures attention of any cross over 'non-sports' fans

Nowadays, many major actors in the sports sector (sportswear brands, professional teams, national/international organisations, etc.) are constantly collaborating with the cultural industries (music, fashion, art etc.) and creating crossovers. I believe that this is now an essential element in engaging with a greater number of younger generations and non-sports fans.

Like in politics, non sports fans are like undecided voters. It is therefore imperative to capitalize on their interest and/ hobbies or passions through entertainment to lure them in. Similarly to educate them as a way to make sure eventually they develop and interest and stay grounded. Winning is one but making them develop a lifelong relationship with sports is the ultimate goal. In sports fans is like the fuels that runs the engine, wherever they are it is a worthwhile goal for those in sports management to reach out to them.

Collaborations with brands that reach audiences beyond sports are a great idea to attract new people. For instance, HC TORPEDO in Russia is currently partnering with the coffee shop "Sweet Gorkiy" selling coffee in cups featuring the image of the head coach Igor Larionov, a hockey legend. His personality, along with the vibrant cup design, encourages people to learn more about the club.

To engage non-sports fans in sports, focus on universal themes like teamwork, perseverance, and passion that transcend the specific sport. Create compelling narratives that highlight personal stories of athletes, emphasizing their journey and struggles. Employ humor and relatable content to break down barriers, making sports more accessible and enjoyable for a broader audience. Utilize social media platforms to share engaging short videos, behind-the-scenes glimpses, and interactive content. Additionally, offer promotions and events that cater to a wider demographic, emphasizing the inclusive and community aspects of sports rather than the competitive nature, thereby making it more appealing to non-sports enthusiasts.

Engaging non-sports fans in sports marketing requires tapping into broader interests. Content diversification is key, as seen with football clubs in Europe, like Manchester United. They leverage lifestyle content, fashion collaborations, and behind-the-scenes glimpses, transcending sports. By creating diverse and relatable content, these clubs capture a wider audience, transforming casual observers into engaged followers, showcasing the power of strategic marketing beyond the game.

Our experience in skateboarding has taught us to embrace and check ourselves against authentic partners in the community. The best way to do that, is using the services of the core community in all aspects of our projects and some of the best examples are in generating content, from text, to photos and film, using both fresh talent, and trusted old guard who often have experience that is priceless.

Often this is forgotten and marketing is only aimed at the “real fans” In many sports the players / sportsmen are distant, make them more approachable and how they are real people. Employ culture and humour to break the ice and free the preconceptions. Who recall the “save chip” campaign, started by soccer am. This was before social media. Build a culture that reaches outside of just sports. Remember you only have 20-30 seconds to engage, so get to the point. We all have mobile devices. The use of AR/VR. In that aim to engage. And of course a giveaway won’t hurt.

One of the most crucial things in marketing is to understand/know your client/customer. Find out what motivates them or would make them interested in your product/service. Sports these days are competing for discretionary time in a wider entertainment market. It may only take a simple modification to your core product (eg cricket reduced matches to T20 events to appease the time-contrained) or perhaps it is identifying opportunities of using wider distribution channels for those non-sports fans that are in business & wanting to grow. Price to participate would no doubt be another key reason but simply offering significant discounts upfront are not sustainable. Focus sessions, surveys, etc could all unravel some absolute nuggets of gold.