Sporting events are some of the best opportunities for brands to connect with consumers. Now that games, matches, tournaments, races, and other fan-based activities are happening in person, you'll want to consider the many ways you can leverage those events to boost your company's visibility and expand your reach.

The benefits of sports marketing go far beyond having your logo on the sideboards of a hockey rink. Marketing through sports allows you to engage with niche audiences, opening the door for increased relevance, strengthened loyalties, and memorable experiences through creative on-site activations.

Look at any event audience, and it can usually be broken down into three distinct groups.

First, there are those who enjoy the status quo of networking with new groups of people and contributing to panel discussions. Next, there are the people who generally shy away from large gatherings and networking. Wedged between those personalities are attendees whose interest depends on the event itself.

The need for interpersonal connection is natural for humans. In the words of bestselling author and marketing strategist David Meerman Scott, people crave the opportunity to be “part of a tribe of other humans.” Needless to say, the COVID-19 pandemic has limited this ability.

For many companies and customers, the pandemic has tested the durability of our relationships and spotlighted our basic need for human interaction. We’ve seen weddings canceled or postponed, seminars go virtual, and routine greetings like handshakes and hugs pushed aside. All the while, we’ve had no clue when those everyday interactions — and large in-person events — will return.

Can you prove that your event marketing plan is paying dividends?

Chances are, you already believe it does. According to Bizzabo's 2019 Event Marketing Benchmarks and Trends Report, most marketers see event marketing as their most effective channel. But can you prove it to your boss?

The study states that event marketing spend grew 17% between 2017 and 2018. Clearly, company executives are willing to pay for this type of marketing. But that favor will only extend as far as marketers can show ROI. Just as with traditional promotions, you need to capture quantifiable marketing metrics that show the results of your experiential events.

Experiences have long shaped our perceptions, causing us to view the world through different filters. If we perceive something positively, the past experiences we associate with that thing were likely good ones. It’s for this reason that we’re now seeing more brands use experiential marketing to up the customer experience ante. An Event Marketing Institute study estimates that 76% of marketers use experiential to support other marketing initiatives.

Like any strategy, experiential will vary from brand to brand. But the overall goal is the same: expose people to a series of fun and unforgettable activities to create a positive association with that brand. These good vibes can serve as a foundation for loyalty, which can improve customer retention, word-of-mouth buzz, and overall sales.