As the new NFL season gets under way, the sports e-commerce retailer Fanatics has linked up with Uber to offer Los Angeles Rams the ability to celebrate big, live in-game sports moments by purchasing Rams merchandise in real-time
Fanatics, traditionally known for its on-demand printing, is leveraging interest in and excitement around the Rams return to Los Angeles after 22 season away in St Louis by teaming-up with a similar on-demand brand Uber
On the Monday of the Rams new NFL season opener, Fanatics partnering with the football franchise and Uber to offer and deliver LA Rams game day merchandise and signed memorabilia via the UberEATS app.
The alliance enables fans to use the app not just to order food from more than 150 local restaurants ahead of the Rams v San Francisco 49ers Monday Night Football game, but to also purchase genuine apparel and kit worn by the team apparel, as well as collectibles signed by rookie quarterback Jared Goff (who is signed up as one of Fanatics’ exclusive memorabilia athletes).
Rams fans in identified key support areas in Southern California (including the Valley, Westside, Downtown, South Bay and Orange County) are all eligible for the initiative which was promoted through PR and direct email, as well as push notifications announcing the real-time retail initiative, plus social activity across Rams, Uber and Fanatics platforms too.
Get @RamsNFL gear from @UberEATS today. Open up app, Search "RAMS" to find The Official Fanatics Rams Shop and order pic.twitter.com/7cZyx8Xge9
— Fanatics (@Fanatics) September 12, 2016
@ZoroRivera For additional info and coverage area check out this link https://t.co/JQyz2xpdpq.
— Uber Support (@Uber_Support) September 12, 2016
Fanatics also runs the Rams’ official online store, as it does for hundreds of other sports stores and US pro leagues, teams and universities – so there is both a pre-existing Rams relationship and plenty of experience.
All three parties involved in the initiative claim that it is the first of its kind for the global online retailer and sports franchise.
‘UberEATS is partnering with Fanatics to deliver on our promise of connecting people with a truly unique on-demand experience,’ says Allen Narcisse, UberEVERYTHING’s Southern California general manager.
‘Simply tap a button, order unique Rams merchandise, and tailgate-themed eats for the ultimate Rams fan experience whenever and wherever they chose to celebrate the historic return of the Rams to Los Angeles.’
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According to Chief Marketing Officer Chris Orton, today’s fans live in the here-and-now and have an appetite for speed and convenience, so it is increasingly vital for teams and their partners to try and meet this desire.
‘For the Fanatics business, we’re really focused on this notion that if there is a hot market, if there’s a milestone event that happens or an exciting win, we want to be first to market to celebrate that,’ Orton explained.
‘When we were talking to the folks at Uber, it was very clear that, ‘Wow, we are really aligned with this notion that the world is going digital. The world is going on-demand. There seems like a real natural fit there.’
Indeed, this real-time memorabilia offering is becoming a trend right across the sports world.
Some of the other stand-out initiatives illustrating this growing ‘live retail’ and ‘real-time sports auctions trend include ‘The Hashtag 500’ (see case study)
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and the NRL’s ‘Instabilia’ live, in-game auction (see case study).
Fanatatics also welcomed in the new NFL season with some online, consumer-created spots of its own – such as ‘Love Never Loses – Helmets’.
Links
Fanatics Web:
We Are Fanatics Web
Fanatics Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/Fanatics
Fanatics YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/user/Fanatics
Fanatics Pinterest:
https://uk.pinterest.com/Fanatics/
Fanatics Twitter:
Fanatics Google+:
https://plus.google.com/112623879660895165792
UberEats:
LA Rams Web:
LA Rams Twitter:
NFL Rams Shop:
http://www.nflshop.com/Los_Angeles_Rams_Gear
