Sports marketing is a powerful and popular way of promoting a brand, product, or service through the association with sports or athletes. It helps brands reach and engage their target audience, showcase their values and purpose, and differentiate themselves from their competitors.
But it isn't only for B2C companies. B2B IT companies, which provide technology solutions and consulting services to other businesses, also benefit from sports marketing.
This blog aims to share some insights and examples of how B2B IT companies use sports marketing for their business, based on my research on the topic with the help of Bing Chat. We will also discuss the critiques and challenges, and what we can expect in the future from this field.
Why B2B IT Companies Sponsor Sports and Sports personalities as brand ambassadors
- To increase their brand awareness and visibility among potential customers, partners, and employees. Sports events and platforms can provide a large and diverse audience for B2B IT companies to showcase their brand name, logo, and message.
- To showcase their technology solutions and innovations in a relevant and engaging way. Sports events and platforms can provide an opportunity for B2B IT companies to demonstrate their expertise, thought leadership, and innovation through their products and services.
- To align their brand values and purpose with those of the sports and athletes they support. Sports events and platforms can provide a way for B2B IT companies to communicate their brand identity, mission, and vision by associating with sports or athletes who share similar values or goals.
- To demonstrate their social responsibility and commitment to sustainability. Sports events and platforms can provide a way for B2B IT companies to showcase their CSR initiatives, environmental impact, and ethical standards through the support of sports or athletes that promote social causes or environmental issues.
- To build relationships and trust with their stakeholders through sports events and platforms. Sports events and platforms can provide a way for B2B IT companies to network with their existing and prospective clients, partners, and industry leaders, as well as to educate, influence, and nurture them through sports-related content and activities.
How B2B IT Companies Sponsor Sports
Depends on the objectives, budget, and target audience. Some of the common ways are:
- Title sponsorship: This is when a company becomes the main sponsor of a sports event or team, for example- Aston Martin Cognizant F1 Team. This gives the B2B IT company the highest level of exposure, recognition, and influence among sports fans and stakeholders.
- Official sponsorship: This is when a company becomes one of the official sponsors of a sports event or team, for example- Infosys for the French Open, TCS for a bunch of marathons worldwide, including the New York City Marathon, and Capgemini for Rugby. This gives the B2B IT company a significant level of exposure, recognition, and influence among sports fans and stakeholders.
- Technical sponsorship: This is when a B2B IT company provides its technology solutions or services to a sports event or team, such as Sportz Interactive for IPL. This allows the B2B IT company to showcase its expertise, innovation, and creativity in delivering engaging and immersive sports experiences to fans across the world.
- Endorsement sponsorship: This is when a B2B IT company partners with a sports personality as its brand ambassador, such as Rafael Nadal for Infosys' "Champions Evolve". This allows the B2B IT company to align its brand values and purpose with those of the sports personality, as well as to leverage his or her popularity, credibility, and influence among the fans.
Critiques of Sports Marketing for B2B IT Companies
- Sports marketing may not be cost-effective or measurable for B2B IT companies. Unlike B2C companies, B2B IT companies have a smaller and more niche target audience, which may not be reached or influenced by mass media exposure. Sports marketing may also be challenging to quantify in terms of return on investment (ROI), brand awareness, or customer loyalty.
- Sports marketing may not be relevant or authentic for B2B IT companies. B2B IT companies may have a hard time finding a logical connection between their products or services and the sports or athletes they sponsor. Sports marketing may also be seen as a superficial or opportunistic way of marketing, rather than a genuine reflection of the company’s values or purpose.
- Sports marketing may entail risks or challenges for B2B IT companies. B2B IT companies may face negative consequences if the sports or athletes they sponsor are involved in scandals, controversies, or poor performance. Tiger Woods x Accenture brand endorsement had a bitter ending when Woods admitted to being unfaithful to his wife, which wasn't in line with Accenture's values.
What to Expect in the Future from Sports Marketing by B2B IT Companies
Sports marketing is a dynamic and evolving field that offers many opportunities and possibilities for B2B IT companies. Some of the trends and developments that we can expect in the future are:
- More digital and data-driven sports marketing: B2B IT companies will leverage their digital and data capabilities to enhance the fan experience, provide insights into the sport, and track and analyze their sports marketing performance. They will also use digital platforms and channels to reach and engage their target audience in a more personalized and interactive way.
- More social and sustainable sports marketing: B2B IT companies will align their sports marketing strategies with their CSR initiatives, environmental impact, and ethical standards. They will also support sports or athletes that promote social causes or environmental issues, such as diversity, inclusion, health, or education. Salesforce is already on this journey by helping Formula 1 with its emissions.
- More creative and innovative sports marketing: B2B IT companies will use their expertise, innovation, and creativity to deliver engaging and immersive sports experiences to fans across the world. They will also use their products and services to solve problems, create opportunities, and add value to the sports industry.
Conclusion
Sports marketing is a powerful and popular way of promoting a brand, product, or service through the association with sports or athletes. B2B IT companies can benefit from sports marketing by increasing their brand awareness and visibility, showcasing their technology solutions and innovations, aligning their brand values and purpose, demonstrating their social responsibility and commitment to sustainability, and building relationships and trust with their stakeholders.
However, sports marketing also has its critiques and challenges for B2B IT companies, such as cost-effectiveness, measurability, relevance, authenticity, risks, and challenges. B2B IT companies need to carefully plan, execute, and evaluate their sports marketing strategies to achieve their objectives and overcome their obstacles.
Sports marketing is a dynamic and evolving field that offers many opportunities and possibilities for B2B IT companies. We can expect more digital and data-driven, social and sustainable, and creative and innovative sports marketing in the future.
I hope you enjoyed reading this blog. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to share them with me. I’m always happy to chat with you. ??
Disclaimer: Credits where it's due. The majority of this article was written by Bing AI.
