How Sports Marketers Are Communicating Around The Global Coronavirus Pandemic

From sportswear brands and retailers, global rights-holders, leagues and teams, official sponsors and suppliers, to sport and entertainment agencies, we segment the key strategies and showcase some of the most striking illustrative initiatives responding to the Covid-19 crisis.

What have we learned so far about strategies, tactics and creative?

Sports marketers are largely adopting a seven-step approach to the pandemic:
> Education & Public Service Announcements
> Direct & Indirect Relief: Actions, Fundraising & Facilities
> Tributes To The Frontline & Real Heroes
> Participatory Utilities: Lockdown Body/Mind Health Tips & Virtual Classes
> Ongoing Engagement: Fan/Athlete-Created Clips/Content & Archive Film
> Simulated Seasons: eSport/Gaming Equivalents & At-Home Competitions
> What Next? Remote Fans/Media & Flexibility

While brands and sponsors are typically creating campaigns by crowd-sourcing consumer-created clips of people playing sport and exercising at home, rights-holders tend to favour player-sourced material edited into either PSA style advisory and educational messages or entertainment engagement content, leagues are turning to either eSport, gaming and simulated equivalents, while sportswear and apparel brands are favouring practical utilities based around exercise, health and social connectivity running across their social sites and through apps.

Education & Public Service Announcements

NFL ‘Stay Home, Stay Strong’

Visa ‘Do Your Part Like An Olympian’

FIFA ‘Tactics To Tackle Coronovirus’

BCCI/Indian Govt ‘Team Mask Force‘

Tributes To The Frontline & Real Heroes

FIFA ‘#WeWillWin‘

Arizona’s Major Pro Sports Teams ‘#ALLAZ‘

Direct & Indirect Relief Effort Via Fundraising & Facilities

Team GB & British Red Cross ‘Isolation Games‘

Octagon ‘Athletes For Relief’

Everton FC ‘Mother’s Day Calls’