Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Bilbao, Baku. Sounds like a bucket list of city breaks this year, right? Well, it’s also four of the 12 host cities for Euro 2020. This year’s tournament is special, for the fact it’s going to be held across Europe rather than in just one country.
That means that it will reach more fans than has ever been the case before. And for you, it would be crazy to not get involved in the fun.
You want to know what’s great about major sporting events like this? Even if you’re not a sports affiliate, you can still create a memorable campaign.
Influencers can help you to achieve that, regardless of the vertical you serve. We’re going to look at why that’s the case in this blog post, along with giving you some tips on making the most of this summer’s tournament.
What are the benefits of influencer marketing?
Let’s start with answering the basic, but most important, question. We’ve written a full blog post about this, so won’t go into a lot of depth.
Perhaps the most important aspect of influencer marketing is that you can get both closer to and more personal with your audience. In fact, one could argue that using influencers is more important than celebrity endorsements. According to Media Kix, only 37% of Generation Z would rather see celebrities than influencers in ads.
Feeding into the above, influencers can help you to reach a better-targeted audience. This is especially the case when it comes to ‘micro-influencers’ (somebody with between 2,000 and 50,000 followers). These accounts tend to have followers with a better-streamlined interest range. So, if your campaign aligns with what they like, you could benefit from higher engagement rates and boosted brand awareness.
How can affiliates stand out with their campaigns?
Teen sensation Wayne Rooney at Euro 2004. Mario Balotelli’s famous celebration at Euro 2012. Premier League misfit Eder becoming immortal in Portugal, after scoring the winner in the Euro 2016 final. Every tournament, somebody makes a name for themselves by doing the extraordinary – you can do the same this year.
Engagement is the key word. Think in this context, rather than going for the first big name you can think of. And consider looking outside of sports. Since this tournament is being held across the continent, you might find success in liaising with travel or fashion influencers instead.
One campaign that you can take inspiration from took place at the 2018 World Cup. During this tournament, the marketing agency Influencer collaborated with Hisense – the tournament’s official sponsor and TV supplier. As cited from an article in The Drum, “the campaign objective was to assist Hisense in reaching and engaging with their customers on a global stage.”
They stopped in Spain, France, England and Germany before reaching Russia. In this, ‘ordinary’ creators were invited to post vlogs with sports legends. That resulted in greater first-hand engagement, plus “enjoyable and creative authentic content” for consumers. Hisense was able to reach a broader worldwide audience, while their success also shows that you don’t strictly need to be a sports brand to make an impact.
Where will fans be at Euro 2020?
Mobile and social media. More than ever. During the 2018 World Cup, Twitter alone had 115 billion impressions during the event (Source: Engadget).
Yes, the Euros are smaller, but people are still interested. 600 million people watched the final between France and Portugal, while two billion individuals tuned in for the tournament (Source: ESPN).
The volume of matches, especially during the early stages, makes it difficult for us to tune in when we’re busy. Facebook, Twitter and Instagram help to keep updated with things on-the-go. Not to mention, even those who don’t follow football closely will see countless memes and funny moments show up on their news feed.
With all of this in mind, your social media strategy needs to be well-planned. Think short, snappy and interesting.
Final thoughts
There’s a lot to be excited about with this tournament. One can hope that the quality of football isn’t as drab as the previous one, but the very concept of being spread across Europe will be interesting.
The above poses a great opportunity to think outside the box when it comes to your influencer marketing. You don’t necessarily need to look for the big names. Some of the most exciting campaigns have been devised with ordinary people, as Hisense showed two years ago.
Either way, social media will be vital. More people will be glued to their phones, with live streaming also playing a key role. Understand what your audience is interested in, seek individuals that share those interests, find out where they hang around and you’ll be on your way to a memorable campaign of your own.
Get more content like this delivered to your inbox each week by subscribing to our newsletter.
