Ritchie Sports Marketing Pulse #1 - Welcome One and All...
"Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections but instantly set about remedying them? Every day begin the task anew." I don't think anybody has a ceiling. Everybody can constantly improve. ~ Chip Kelly
This is how we kick off this newsletter. It was borne out of a need to share some of the insights and developments that we see around the sports marketing space. It will be a mix of business, research, social and economic insights around sports. As you'd know without the 'sport' in sports marketing, clearly there would no 'marketing' too.
History of Sports Marketing and Sports Branding
Sports marketing has come a long way since its humble beginnings. One of the earliest examples? Tobacco cards, featuring baseball players, became an unexpected favorite among collectors, marking the first stirrings of commercial sports promotion.
In the late 1890s with the rebirth of the modern Olympic Games. These events connected athletes, fans, governments, and later, corporations and media, showcasing the growing commercial power of sports. A pivotal moment came in the 1936 Berlin Olympics when Adi Dassler handed Jesse Owens a pair of spikes—thus birthing the iconic 阿迪达斯 brand.
In 1960, Mark McCormack revolutionized the industry by founding 国际管理集团 , the first-ever sports marketing agency. He approached Arnold Palmer, securing a signature that would transform sports sponsorship and branding forever. The original "OG" of sports marketing, McCormack turned athletes into global brands.
...the story of sports marketing is one of vision, strategy, and innovation—a legacy that continues to shape the game today.
Let's get it going...
Week of 16th - 22nd September Highlights
1) Mumbrella's Sports Marketing Summit kicks off down under
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The summit aims to address pressing issues in sports marketing, including leveraging technology for fan engagement and exploring new opportunities in women's sports marketing, which is seen as an area with significant growth potential. Winning gold in sports marketing, acing your partnerships, leveraging on digital fan engagement; sports, story-telling and behavioural science are some of the sessions. Keep it here for highlights and stand-out moments of one of Sports Marketing marquee events of the year!
Yes, we're still on the Paris Olympics trail...Some of the key trends that emerged from the city of love (or light) are Sustainability and Green Initiatives - core theme for Paris 2024, with the Olympics embracing eco-friendly practices like reducing carbon emissions by 50% and using renewable energy sources. These efforts are highlighted through campaigns like the UNFCCC's "Race to Zero" and a commitment to green marketing. Other trends that we saw included;
This week's final part looks at the generation of the moment 'Gen Z' and their relations with sport. Pundits show that Gen Z are less interested in sports than older generations. Gen Zers normally head straight to social media for sports content and highlights, while also looking for community around favorite teams and athletes. An interesting trend though is E-sports are one of the few sports realms where Gen Z is particularly engaged. 51% and 54% of Gen Zers said gaming and fantasy content, respectively, increased their sports engagement (versus 31% and 33% of non-Gen Z audiences), according to the Oliver Wyman Forum research.
Thanks for your indulgence and until the next update, let's enjoy the world of sport!