Leading sports betting operator Paddy Power has caught the attention of Manchester shoppers with their latest marketing stunt. Manchester United was the butt of the joke as this operator mocked the team for ‘window shopping’. This offline regional marketing attempt has gone viral and has boosted brand awareness for an already established brand in the industry.
A Great Stunt
The creative marketing strategy by Paddy Power featured a storefront with top football players in the window. The players in question were those who the team were supposedly going to sign during the recent transfer window. This includes players such as Gareth Bale and Jadon Sancho.
The store has been “dedicated to transfer deadline day’s greatest window shopper – Manchester United Chief Executive Ed Woodward”.
In case you missed it, Paddy Power has also set up an additional store named “Ed’s Panic Buys’” which focuses on his last-minute purchases for the team. This bold marketing decision by Paddy Power shows just how creative their team can be.
A spokesman for Paddy Power said: “When it comes to transfers, Ed Woodward is the ultimate window shopper. We wanted to celebrate his penchant for looking at high-end purchases, before instead throwing money at an ageing attacker that could have been signed much earlier. No doubt the store will be ‘busy’ again come January.”
Viral and Offline Marketing
This latest campaign by Paddy Power was well-thought out despite the last-minute nature of the news. It is very interesting to see some of the bigger brands in the industry resorting to offline regional marketing and viral campaigns to draw attention at this time.
This move is likely a result of the tough regulations on affiliates and large brands at this time across social media and advertising. Viral campaigns like this can be shared organically by fans who pass by – genius! In comparison to a simple social media post, this stunt would have been costly but well within the Paddy Power budget.
It is likely that other big brands will follow suit and try out some offline regional marketing. For now, Paddy Power is leading the way and is certainly improving their brand awareness in this area. We look forward to seeing some more stunts like this one.
