The love triangle of a sponsorship

There was a time when marketing in soccer was synonymous with sponsorship, which was limited to logos on clubs' shirts, and panels in arenas. A time when brands entered the field mute and left silent.

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Brands are living beings

Placing brands in the context of sports and leaving them stuck in physical spaces is like putting a gag and blindfolding a person. Brands have life. They want to listen, talk, interact, meet, explore, and be creative. Even with social media, the immense potential to generate engagement is still quite limited. When you go far beyond just brand awareness, new money is generated.

Last week, the Glorious Botafogo announced the biggest sponsorship contract in its 128-year history. This is one of the outcomes of Botafogo SAF''s very talented management and commercial team. The contract is valid from January 2023 to December 2024.

According to Dmitry Belianin, Parimatch's Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), here are the reasons the sports betting company is entering Brazil and partnering with Botafogo:

1. As one of Rio de Janeiro's most successful clubs with a proud history and impressive following, Botafogo has a large and loyal fan base in Brazil and worldwide;

2. Story, heritage, and character pierced through the club and its audience. Which is so well connected to the attributes Parimatch's brand is bringing to Brazil;

3. SAF Botafogo's talented management team, which is open to experiments, exchange of knowledge, and exclusive promotions and bonuses for Botafogo's fans, increasing players' loyalty and engagement;

4. By sponsoring Botafogo's front of the shirt, Parimatch hopes to demonstrate its commitment to football culture. The sponsor expects to reap the benefits of its extensive media coverage, including television, print, radio, and digital press;

5. This sponsorship will also allow Parimatch to launch new products and services in Brazil, through targeted campaigns and initiatives, and build relationships with key influencers and industry professionals;

6. On top of that, Parimatch is looking forward to strengthening its presence in Brazil and other South American countries, as Botafogo is also a well-known brand outside of Brazil.

Unleashing the power of brand alignment

How Parimatch's sponsorship of Botafogo is creating a winning combination for both the brand and the team?

Anton Rublievskyi, CEO of Parimatch International is excited about the synergy between both brands' DNA and the first signs of commitment are clear:

"Our brand colors are very distinctive. And I am incredibly proud of the electric yellow color our brand has.?But we've decided not to use it, this time. And there are five solid reasons why we've done it while partnering with Botafogo:

1. Alignment of visual identity: by using Botafogo's black and white colors, Parimatch aligns its branding with the team, creating a cohesive visual identity between the two brands. This helps to develop a sense of partnership and unity between the two entities;

2. Showing respect to the team's heritage and tradition: by aligning with the team's traditional colors and not using any other colors, Parimatch shows respect and acknowledgment of the team's heritage and tradition;

3. Appeal to fans: by using the team's colors, Parimatch can appeal to the fans of Botafogo and gain more visibility and recognition among them. This is important for building brand loyalty and trust among fans;

4. Creating a sense of belonging: By aligning with the team's colors, Parimatch can develop a sense of belonging among the group's fans, making them feel more connected to the brand;

5. Increased brand awareness: Using the team's colors, Parimatch can raise its brand awareness among team fans and the general public. This is important for building a solid brand presence in the market.'

Much More Than Just Sponsorship: a few creative insights

All this is very exciting news, indeed. But how could Botafogo and Parimatch go one step further (or many steps), creating strong engagement with the fans? The most powerful way to generate real engagement is through deep storytelling. Because it's not just about the stories; it's about storytelling. Here are just a few insights on how to make it happen:

1. Understanding the audience: research to understand the demographics, communities, interests, and behaviors of the football fans that make up your target audience. When we use this information to create a deep story that resonates with each one of the different communities and aligns with the brand's message, a strong bond is created;
2. Creating storytelling: when we develop compelling stories that connect the brand's values and mission with the club's History, culture, and fans' passions, magic happens. For example, highlighting Botafogo brand's commitment to social inclusion, by telling the story of a soccer player who grew up in an environment affected by violence and lack of opportunities, and how the club helped him/her become a role model on the field by offering tools to become a whole human being, taking accountability for their actions -- not only a soccer player but also as a social being. Which, by the way, is well aligned with one of Parimatch's policies, responsible gambling;
3. Making it interactive: the use of technology and immersive experiences, make the story more interactive. For instance, by creating a game, a VR or AR experience, or an interactive web page, where fans can explore different parts of the story and interact with elements, like videos, images, or animations that bring the story to life. Web3 and blockchain technology open a brand-new digital world of possibilities;
4. Creating shared moments: when we offer opportunities for fans to share their experiences, they become part of the story and engage in a more powerful way. For example, by creating a marketing campaign or even a game to identify Story Hunters, who would be part of a competition that encourages fans to share their own stories, photos, or videos, and be part of the brand's story;
5. Sharing entertainment and fun moments to approach potential online gamblers, and people who are not used to gambling or think gambling isn't a good thing. Live videos on Twitch would do a great job in this sense -- events like this one on Neymar Jr.'s Twitch channel;
6. Measuring success: we track and measure the impact of the story by monitoring engagement levels, fan sentiment, and brand awareness. This intel becomes a tool to improve and control the narrative, increase marketing actions and build branding (strategic brand management) more effectively in the long term;
7. The importance of creating an emotional bond with the sponsor's brand: the emotional bond between fans, the club, and the Botafogo brand already exists. By using deep storytelling, we create content that speaks directly to the hearts and emotions of the fans. This creates a connection with the Parimatch brand.

By using deep storytelling to connect the brand with the club's and sponsor's history, culture, and fans' passions, you can create an engaging and memorable experience that will help Parimatch's brand build a strong relationship with Botafogo and soccer fans, by leveraging the strong emotional connection they have to the club they root for.

The creative love triangle

We will be creating a love triangle (Botafogo, fans, Parimatch) and a new virtuous cycle, which will bring an optimized return on the sponsor's investment -- making it more like a partner. As a result, even better future sponsorship contracts for the club of the biggest love in the world (O Maior Amor do Mundo). Fans would be interacting more and better with the club. Win-win-win.

Thank you for your time. I would love your feedback and insights.