It’s the holiday everyone can agree on: The Big Game.
Even if you’re not into the game, you’re there for the snacks, the halftime show, the excuse to have a party on a school night.
This is not just a sports event; it’s a quintessential American event where some of the best American strengths are showcased. From the commercials to the performers, there’s plenty of excess and artistic excellence on display. It’s a good time.
What about the game itself? There’s excellence there, as well. It has changed a lot over the years, advancing in complexity and intensity.
You could say the same of marketing. You see, marketing, just like football, has changed and advanced over the years. If you are intentional with a strong marketing strategy, it can deliver impressive results.
Investing in Guesswork
Let’s begin with a consideration of where marketing and football began. In the beginning, it was guesswork and intuition for football teams, along with experience, guiding every play on the football field.
It was the same for marketers.
Whether you were talking about launching a new product in your market or trying to navigate a challenging season on the field, both realms were dominated by a reliance on internal factors.
For instance, if you were in marketing, you would rely on word-of-mouth to find out what kinds of products might be needed. Between anecdotes and what you had seen in the field, you may decide that a product had a good chance of selling.
It was the same with a team. An offensive coordinator was dependent on what he observed on the field and what he thought his players might be capable of executing, along with a heavy reliance on intuition.
And there’s no knocking it. Some of the most recognizable, enduring brands got started in the era of guesswork and got it right.
But today’s football game and marketing activities have advanced, partly due to technology, but also because innovative minds have created some best practices.
Stats, KPIs and Analysis: Continuous Improvement
Yes, stats are a bit dry. Nobody ever printed their KPIs on a hoodie. And most people feel themselves check out of a conversation as soon as analytics are mentioned.
Yet, it’s hard to deny that watching metrics has improved both marketing and football tremendously.
Both are activities where small refinements and individual activities add up to success. If you’re not counting sacks and touchdown-to-interception ratio, you’re not going to improve them.
And if you’re not monitoring your social media engagement metrics, guess what? You won’t have any idea what to change to improve them.
Strategy is all about coming up with a plan and then measuring your team against that plan. Review and refine constantly.
Tell a Story
Another area where football and marketing overlap is in their storytelling. Your strategy isn’t all checklists and metrics; it’s a story about where you got your start and how your journey is playing out.
Think about the New Orleans Saints, who became a critical symbol of hope and unity in the recovery efforts of the city after Hurricane Katrina. Or the Green Bay Packers, who are a small-town, community-owned team and enjoy a strong bond with their fans.
Maybe your brand is a local, family-owned business with a reputation for providing unsurpassed service. Or you might be the edgy newcomer to your market, offering an unconventional approach to your industry.
Whatever story you are telling, make the most of it. And if you’re not sure what your story is or you think your story isn’t all that worth hearing, that’s a good area where a marketing professional can help.
Building Loyalty
This ties in closely with storytelling. Football teams can’t do much without fans. It’s a reciprocal, symbiotic relationship at the core of the entire football industry.
Fans are to football what customers are to your business. You may not hope to find customers willing to paint your logo on their face or put your company name on their license plate, but there’s still a version of this you should pursue.
Build a community among your best customers. You might invite them to a special insiders’ social media group, giving them early access to your best products or promotions. In exchange, they provide feedback or give you a bump on their social profiles.
You can also build loyalty by investing in what your audiences care about, such as a local charity or your presence at an event. Your company is probably going to do some service work and make some public appearances anyway; you may as well align them with the preferences and passions of your customers.
A Little Spying Never Hurt
Football teams know the value of understanding the strategies of other teams, and they spend hours analyzing plays and reviewing footage of their competitors.
It’s another lesson you should bring to your marketing team.
Do a little digging. Get a little nosy. Find out what your competitors are up to by doing some listening on social media and exploring their websites a bit.
Granted, you’re not going head-to-head in an arena with television and in-person audiences, so this step may not feel as critical. Gaining market share and audiences is a bit more subtle. But it can be just as fierce, so make your competitor’s business your business by watching their marketing activities.
At SJC Marketing, we would probably not be the best football strategists. Our only experience is from the armchair and we are blinded by our love for the Kansas City Chiefs.
But do you know what we are really good at? Developing and executing a marketing strategy. So, if any of the concepts you’ve read about here have piqued your interest and you’d like to know more, contact us about an initial consultation. We have a great solution to help you meet your business goals this year with a marketing playbook and expert consultations that work together to give your business a strategic plan for 2026! Let’s get started!