Sports are one of the most widely followed activities worldwide. They have the power to fill large stadiums while breaking records in live broadcasts. As a form of entertainment, sports are a mass phenomenon that unites cultures, generates unique emotions, and functions as a powerful industry where events, athletes, and brands create a significant impact on the public.
As an economic sector, sports can also leverage public relations as a valuable communication tool that provides visibility and helps all players in this highly competitive and demanding sphere carve out their place. From companies and specific brands to athletes with their personal brands, public relations offer significant opportunities for success.
Why is public relations important in sport?
Athletes, teams, and sports organizations aim not only to succeed in their disciplines but also to take advantage of the immense benefits offered by the industry. Public relations in sports can help athletes:
Build a public image
That attracts the attention of audiences, sponsors and media outlets. A well-crafted strategy that highlights the values and achievements of these actors helps to connect emotionally with fans and generate a greater impact.
Crisis management
Because as any other industry, sports are not immune to crisis. Controversial statements, public scandals or media accusations are common factors in this industry. Public relations play a vital role handling these situations effectively to manage communications in the best way, protecting reputation and minimising media impact.
Having a specialized press office allows for strategic and effective communication management, ensuring quick responses aligned with the brand’s values in order to preserve its credibility.
Maximise the impact of sponsorships
Ensuring that collaborations are carried out effectively. Brands seek return on investment through visibility and lasting partnerships.
Benefits for athletes, teams and brands
Public Relations provide tangible benefits for athletes, teams and brands. The high visibility to which they are exposed ensures media coverage and presence on key platforms, so knowing how to leverage this is the key to success. To this end, it is important to carefully measure the messages to be shared, that they are consistent and well targeted, creating that all-important connection with the public.
In addition, brands, allying with public figures who manage their personal brand is a strategy that can bring a great impact in terms of notoriety and reach You can read an article on this topic on our blog.
This leads to strategic win-win strategic relationships among teams, athletes, media, sponsors and stakeholders ultimately resulting in greater economic benefits and increased investment capacity to elevate the level of competition.
Successful campaigns of public relations
High-profile professional athletes serve as effective tools for promoting brands and taking them to the next level. Many people, especially younger generations, aspire to be like their sports idols. Leveraging an athlete’s image can provide a significant boost in brand sales. Below are two successful examples of athlete-driven campaigns:
Serena Williams and Bumble
Beyond her success on the tennis court and being considered one of the greatest athletes in history, Serena Williams has been the face of multiple campaigns and has a well-defined public image. “The ball is in her court“ was a campaign launched by the social networking app Bumble, in which Serena promoted female empowerment, encouraging women to take initiative in all aspects of their lives. The campaign was unveiled during the 2019 Super Bowl final, one of the top five most-watched sporting events year after year, with an average viewership of 98.2 million in that edition.
Messi and Adidas
Sports brand Adidas has one of the world’s greatest footballers, Lionel Messi, as an ambassador for its football line. The debate over whether Messi is the greatest player of all time has been ongoing throughout his career. To reinforce this, Adidas launched a campaign to introduce a new range of football boots. The campaign revolved around the word “GOAT”, which stands for “Greatest of All Time”, and featured Messi posing alongside real goats. This association reinforced Messi’s image as the greatest footballer in history while also solidifying Adidas as a leading brand in sports.
If your company needs specialized campaigns or is launching a new product or brand, at LF Channel we will be happy to support you. Contact us and we will help you find the best solution.
