The Draft May Be King
May 4, 2021 | John McCauley
“With the first overall selection in the 2045 NFL entry Draft, the Brooklyn Badgers are proud to select Wade Watson,” bellows the fictional general manager of a fictional NFL team that I just made up.
At this time of the year, my thoughts always turn to such things because, after 22 years in the sports industry, there is no more significant audience-building opportunity than the NFL, NBA, NHL, & MLB drafts.
Why you ask? Because every single team is involved, and every pick is meaningful for the future of that franchise. The aggregated audience of an entire league-wide event is something that each professional franchise has been trying to capitalize on more over the years. The opportunity has grown for them to create more sponsor-able experiences.
For teams on the rebuilding side of the ledger, it is a time of rejuvenation and hope; for teams in the middle of the pack, it may mean that extra piece to push you to the next level, and for the teams close to a championship or defending one, it is about staying on top. All of these scenarios equal one thing … ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITY.
Sports teams must take advantage of these live events or pillars to add value to their existing sponsorship packages and create new ones.
The Indianapolis Colts have always been innovative when it comes to digital, but as you saw recently during the 2021 NFL Draft, they took it to the next level. Here is a list of engagements that they had on the go over the four days of draft-mania and the week leading into the event.
Draft Check-In To Win!
Check-in, each day of the 2021 NFL Draft, to be entered to win a TY Hilton autographed football and a $100 Colts Pro Shop gift card! Everyone who checks in will receive a discount code for 10% off at the Colts Pro Shop.
Predict The Pick!
Submit your prediction for which position the Colts will select with their first pick in the 2021 NFL Draft for a chance to win a TY Hilton autographed mini-helmet and a $100 Colts Pro Shop gift card.
Draft Trivia
Play Colts Draft Trivia for a chance to win a Coach Reich autographed football and a $100 Colts Pro Shop gift card! Everyone who answers all the trivia questions will receive a discount code for 15% off at the Colts Pro Shop.
Draft Bingo
Play Colts Draft Bingo for a chance to win a Darius Leonard autographed football and $100 Colts Pro Shop gift card! Everyone who completes a bingo card will receive a discount code for 15% off at the Colts Pro Shop.What is so impressive about the Colts engagement plan is that the concepts are so intertwined and feed off of one another in a way that builds an audience, collects data and drives revenue.
And as I always say … when you do those 3 things as a professional sports team, you’ll always be at the top of the best practices draft class.
Written by: John McCauley
Published: 4-May-2021