3 Tips for Targeting Sports Fans With Aerial Advertising March 24, 2014
Sports fans are a loyal bunch, and getting them on your side is usually a winning strategy for businesses. Aerial advertising is a unique and effective way to reach sports fans, whether they’re at a sporting event or watching on television at home.
Here are three tips for targeting them.
1) Identify what type of sports fan you want to target: It’s critical to understand your target market. If motorsports is a big draw for you, you’ll want to be at those kinds of events, such as NASCAR races. Aerial advertising allows you to target sporting events anywhere in the country, from the Little League World Series all the way to the Super Bowl.
A major benefit of aerial is that it’s not regulated by any specific team, venue, league or event. That means you won’t be blocked due to exclusions by competitors. That’s often a big challenge with getting your brand into sporting events. Bigger brands tend to have exclusive rights to sponsor events, such as marathons. But with aerial, exclusivity isn’t an issue. It’s a cost-efficient way — and sometimes the only way — to break those barriers.
2) Focus on tailgating: Aerial advertising is most effective when fans are gearing up for the event. Restrictions prevent flights during NFL games, for instance, but you’re allowed to have a presence before or after the game. Plus, research shows that it’s best to target fans when they’re outside and not distracted by the action on the field. Once fans get into stadiums, they’re usually bombarded with distractions, from the game itself to other advertisers.
3) Complement on-ground sponsorship: If exclusivity isn’t an issue, aerial advertising is a great way to supplement activities inside stadiums or events. BMO Harris Bank, for example, sponsored a marathon and used aerial advertising to encourage runners. Its banner said, “See you at the finish line,” because the bank is a sponsor of the event. There are many creative ways for advertisers to reach their audience on the ground and drive even more attention to the banner overhead.
Airships are also a great option to consider for event sponsors. They command a lot of attention on the ground, but also have the added benefit of providing aerial coverage for live broadcasts. This allows you to reach people watching the game in the stadium as well as the audience at home. Simply put, these airships are impossible to miss.
With DVR and TiVo, it’s hard to know for sure if the audience is actually watching the 30-second spot you paid big money to get on the air. The truth is that many people simply fast-forward through ads. On-air plugs for aerial coverage, however, occur during the action of the game, and fans aren’t going to miss that. Providing aerial coverage gives you exposure to an engaged audience.
The key is that aerial advertising campaigns offer a great way to get your brand noticed by sports fans, and there’s no shortage of ways to bring the added flair of aerial to your mix.
Want to target sports fans? Interested in where you can fly? Contact us today!