Brewdog's Anti-sponsorship - the new kid on the block, or is it?

"It's Christmas soon". I hear that a lot from people when it hits the 1st of November, Trees go up ??. I'm more of a December the 24th kinda guy in honesty but that's beside the point.

As we all know but especially in a marketer's calendar, you have different events that you want to associate with each year. Christmas is seen as one of those that is a perfect fit; it gives you the warm and fuzzies, and especially in the western world, who wouldn't want to link that to their brand?

How about another event, what about the FIFA World Cup? It's coming at a weird time this year, normally a summer event but now on the run-up to Christmas is it still a huge opportunity?

The closer you look at the World Cup, you, unfortunately, start to see this underbelly of negativity and human rights issues that it can't quite escape, and for good reason.

In this week's newsletter, we're talking about sponsorship, the term 'anti-sponsorship', and the association with big sporting events. Without further ado, let's set sail and charter this week's top story... ??

What are we talking about?

Two things have happened within the realms of marketing for some time now:

1) Trying to outsmart your opponent or competitor. Either with more money or by being more creative. See my recent Newsletter about Ambush Marketing .

2) Brands have seemingly become much more purpose-driven. I can't confirm that's the case with a wacky or slick graph, but it certainly seems more important, especially with the speed of social media over the past 10+ years highlighting faster and more reactive campaigns and the ease to connect with brands now.

So, when you start seeing creative campaigns such as this:

We know brands like Brewdog are purpose-driven, it's what makes them stand out. it's in their copy, their message, their product, and their approach.

But, let's not forget, this isn't new ground...

The 'take a knee movement' began when Colin Kaepernick started a silent protest against police brutality by refusing to stand during the US national anthem (which is played before the start of sporting events).

His protest spread, and caught the attention of President Trump, who declared that the protest was against the anthem. Kaepernick, and anyone who joined him, were portrayed as unpatriotic. This tapped straight into the feelings of some of those who were against the protest.

It gave them purpose.

Nike started working with Colin Kaepernick in response to this outcry and in some part due to their mission and purpose of existing:

Nike’s?mission statement ?is to “bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world.”

A brave campaign to say the least and Nike’s stock took an initial hit but soon?recovered ?after a few days. The campaign paid off.

Its?online sales ?spiked 31% over the weekend following the campaign’s launch, it took a hit with its outer ring of customers but those that stayed and purchased are closer to the brand than they ever have been as a result.

What will we see brands do?

My take on the World Cup is we are going to see more and more of these initiatives over the coming weeks. They will vary in aggressiveness from pure activism to a back-of-the-website PR statement. You can judge the validity of what that actually means within their business but I'm sure, you and many others can see straight through it. ??

I can also foresee an undercurrent of activists lobbying big brands and putting pressure on them to not remain on the fence on this issue, it's too emotional of a subject to ignore.

I like the use of the term Anti-Sponsor, it's quite cool, hipster even - probably perfect for the likes of Brewdog. However, is Brewdog the right brand to be making stands like this? It's not exactly had the most squeaky-clean few years on purpose-driven activities, which is perhaps why we are seeing more backlash than normal...

The easy way out for most brands in this situation is to present themselves as a football Christmas-loving wholesome brand for November and December. Don't be fooled, many conversations will be happening about how these brands work their marketing over the next few months and how they want to align themselves and more importantly, to what.

Should brands be political?

My view is that brands are inherently political. The nature of the 'setup' of a company is by default a political entity because it 'exists' without trying to get too philosophical about bloody marketing over here...

Getting involved in a campaign may not always be in the best interest of a brand. There will always be people who see any brand involvement as trying to profit from people’s pain. However, it’s a risk that brands need to consider if they want to stand by their values or stand out from the crowded fence.

Sure, but how can I use this info?

Yeah ok, maybe your marketing campaigns don't have the weight of a brand such as Nike or Brewdog. Also, is that actually relevant?

I'd say so. you tend to find in these massive events, small pockets of great marketing that shine through. If you're a local business, would you want this type of engagement anyway? Half the traffic might not even be relevant to you. But what you can do is be relevant to your audience by taking your own temperature check.

When 'we' as marketers talk about 'brand' as a concept you can sometimes hear the eyes roll when you talk about it as the be-all and end-all within your own business meetings. Well, this is your golden ticket, you get this right and I guarantee you will win more business than any sales playbook or referral network you have in your back pocket. This is your trump card to play here, no prize for sitting on the fence the longest (although it might be in the world records somewhere)

Simple steps to work out how to position your next marketing campaign for big events or seasons.

1) understand your audience, what do they talk about with their friends and how do they respond to similar brands to you?

2) Think about how to position yourself on the right side of history. This 100% needs to be all in, if you blow up you will be found out for being a fraud. Think of all the campaigns about sustainability that have fallen short due to the supply chain letting them down. Or even this Brewdog campaign only just launching now...

3) Work with a creative agency that can help you achieve that goal. One that gets your brand and how they can position you within it.

4) Don't be afraid to let go of the reigns. Sometimes coming out of your comfort zone and your safety net is hard. If you want to stand up for these initiatives you must also put your chin out to take a punch or two.

Brands have values that they claim to find important, yet if you're unwilling to back up these values with supportive words and actions when they’re needed, some will start to see them as nothing more than meaningless guff. If you take anything from this, it's don't be a Gary Neville. (not linking the two for legal reasons.)

What's your take?