In the midst of a jam-packed summer of sport, the success of the Women’s Euros was clearly a standout celebration of women in sport and brands are beginning to sit up and pay attention. Brands need to invest in more than just leaning on golden storylines; as Steve Martin (M&C Saatchi Sports and Entertainment Global Chief Executive) explains: “We're no longer marketing a dream; you're now marketing a reality”.
A record-breaking 87,000 tickets were sold for the final of the Women’s Euros – outselling any previous Euros final in history, including the men’s. This proffers a significant opportunity for brands to back women’s sport, with momentum of support for women’s sports and ticket sales soaring post Euros. The uniqueness and values held by women’s sports fans are often overlooked in marketing, with monetisation heavily resting on male sporting events. If your brand aligns with the sporting world, now is the best time for brands to utilise the opportunity women’s sport brings, identifying touchpoints to engage your audience . A few brands have already got in on the action, for example Just Eat are setting up participation initiatives, Bodyform educating on women’s health issues and EE are pushing efforts to tackle online sexist hate.
But where do you start? Start with your audience - look at the shift in trends and interests. In Q1 alone there was a 16% increase in the number of Gen Z fans following a female athlete online, and TikTok reported that 42% of their users share sports and fitness-related videos to their friends. This shows the ever-growing popularity of sports content and must be seen as just the beginning.
Sources: Deloitte, The Drum, Campaign, GWI 2022, TikTok 2022
Authored by:
