Sports marketing: how to engage your audience

Sports marketing: how to engage your audience

The 2024 Games in Paris promise to be a global event, attracting millions of fans. As a result, brands are looking to position around this sports marketing event to engage their audiences with content around the games.

Sports brands and clubs are not the only ones who can communicate around sporting competitions. Whatever sector your brand operates in, it’s possible to launch a campaign or organise marketing games to the event.

Adictiz shares tips and ideas for sports marketing competitions so that you too can join in the momentum of the 2024 Games.

Why your brand can’t afford to miss out on sporting events

Major sporting events are always high points for brands. Fans have their eyes riveted on the matches, share their fervour with other fans and turn to brands that support their athletes.

The Games, along with the football World Cup, are the most unifying sporting events. Just read the study carried out by Kanta and ACPM for #DemainLaPresse 2 years ahead of the Paris 2024 Games.

The results of this survey of more than 2,000 French people show that 68% believe that the use of games in brand communications is positive for their image. It attracts public attention, when celebrities are featured in campaigns.

The list of advertisers positioning themselves on the games is made up of the various partners of the event (EDF, Caisse d’Epargne, Coca Cola and Visa). But all players can take advantage of fan engagement to expand their audience and increase their visibility.

The communication strategy around games, by organising a sports event or game, is more effective given that 2 out of 3 French people say they are preparing to follow the Paris games. And they will be doing so via digital channel. 58% of those questioned said they preferred live or replay television broadcasts (compared with just 9% who watched the games in person).

Sport and gamification adictiz

Affirming your valued and commitment to sport

Because of the various formats and contexts in which you can set up a game, gamification offers advantages to your brand. But the benefits you can reap are:

Above all, the games are an opportunity to assert values, keeping with the philosophy of this age-old event. Parity, equal opportunities, courage, determination. The sports world is an ideal place to communicate the idea of surpassing oneself, to encourage people to take up sport, for their physical and mental health, and to promote a message of benevolence and acceptance of differences.

Brands that commnunicate around a sporting event take great care with their storytelling. The FDL Group Encourages women’s sport and intends to support at least 400,000 women by promoting female ambassadors. As an offical partener of the Games, Cisco has launched a program to encourage 8-16 years olds to take up sport. The fist event enabled hundreds of people to meet athletes from a Cisco team, take part in training sessions and challenges.

Over and above the values associated with sport, companies are campaigning for a more environmentally-friendly organisation and committing their audience to green initiatives. Renault is providing athletes with electric vehicles to transport them from the athletes’ village to the sports facilities. Maif organised a General Assembly focusing on sport and set up projects on the theme of water. Its partnership with swimming coach Philippe Lucas aims to raise fans’ awareness of water conservation through dedicated actions.

sports marketing

Engaging your audience with game marketing for a sporting event

The two key ingredients of a marketing campaign to engage fans during a sporting event are:

  • Position your brand on strong values linked to sport’s world;
  • Associate your image with that of sports celebrities to promote your brand to a wider audience.

Beyond the advertising and initiatives organised around the 2024 Games, the way to engage your audience on this occasion is the use of sports’ mechanics. Gamified marketing makes it possible  to bring a more playful and interactive dynamic to campaigns (video games, scratch cards or board games).

With the Paris 2024 Games, gamification takes a step further by combining games’ mechanics sport. Your brand will be able to organise competitions, create Playable ads or challenge the audience around games.

Here are a examples and ideas for sports competitions to inspire you.

A scratch card game to win tickets for athletics events

On 3th July, La Française des Jeux launched a scratchcard game offering participants the chance to win tickets for the athletics events. The short-lived game, entitled “Mon ticket for Paris 2024” (My ticket for Paris 204), will give players the chance to win “highly-placed” tickets, as well as transport to Paris, accommodation and catering. Ten million tickets will be drawn and the brand has announced around a hundred winners.

Example of a sporting event game

A sports video competition to challenge game fans

The instant win is a Christmas competition that’s easy to sept up. It’s also engaging, as participant know instantly if they’ve won a prize.

For this year’s Olympic Games, the organisers have launched a video competition hosted by French tennis star Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Tsonga is challenging his fans to make a 30 second video of their jongles. The winner could win a training session with Tsonga.

This sport competition has enabled the committee to increase its visibility among a younger audience. But it also increased the commitment of its community thanks to UGC (User Generated Content).

Create a playable ad on the theme of a sporting event

The Olympic Games launched a number of mini-games on the Paris 2024 Club. The aim is to promote the platform and grow the Olympic Games community. Your brand can use this inspiration to create playable ads on sporting disciplines.

Make your mini-games more engaging by adding difficulties. With each game played, participants can collect points that unlock benefits (discounts or free gooies for the Olympics).

Looking for ideas for a sports competition? You can organise:

  • A photo competition to encourage your customers to show their support for the sportsman with a dedicated filter and hashtag;
  • A quiz in the hostory of the Olympic Games and the sports represented;
  • A competition with a random drawing or a wheel of fortune to win tickets for the Olympic Games, goodies, etc.

Discover our solution to launch your sports game!

Engaging audiences at Christmas through gamification

Engaging audiences at Christmas through gamification

Christmas is undoubtedly one of the most important times in your marketing calendar. But it’s also a time when consumers are bombarded with advertising messages. Why not take advantage of this by offering Christmas competitions to your audience?

Gamified marketing is a highly effective way of setting yourself apart from the competition and achieving your objectives.

Find out how gamification can maximise your brand’s visibility and your audience’s engagement during the festive season. We also share some original ideas for competitions to set up, depending on your audience and your objectives.

What do we mean by gamification?

Let’s start with a quick reminder

Gamification is a marketing strategy that involves incorporating animations and/or games into traditional marketing campaigns (email, display, website, etc.). The aim is to boost the engagement of your audience your business objectives (such as increasing your sales, for example).

Let’s take an example. At Christmas, gamification generally takes the form of an interactive advent calendar. Every day, from.1 to 25 December, participants discover a new box behind wihich a mini-game is hidden, giving them the chance to win a gift.

It’s an excellent way of captivating your audience throughout December. But it’s also a great way to vary the fun activities by inviting your prospects to spin a Wheel of Fortune, take part in a Christmas Quiz or win an instant prize.

Why create a Christmas competition?

Because of the various formats and contexts in which you can set up a marketing game, gamification offers many advantages to your brand. But the main benefits you can reap are:

  • Capture the attention of your prospects and boost your visibility. La gamification est en effet un excellent moyen de se démarquer de la concurrence. D’autant plus lors de temps forts comme Noël, le Black Friday, etc.
  • Engage your audience. The fun aspect and the possibility to win a reward encourage users to interact with your brand.
  • Incease your conversion rate. Providing free prizes or toher benefits can encourage your prospects o buy more from your brand. As well as bringing them to your site, you can offer them a promotion to trigger a purchase.
  • Collect and activate customer data. The marketing game is also an excellent way of collecting first-party data. You can then use it to refine your marketing strategy, adapt your offer to your customer’s expectations, etc.
Christmas competition

Christmas games ideas to engage your audience

Gamification is a simple and effective way of achieving your sales objectives in the run-up to Christmas. But what format should you choose? If you’re short of ideas for Christmas competitions, here are a few examples to inspire you.

1. Create a digital advent calendar for Christmas

The most popular Christmas device is undoubtedly the virtual Advent Calendar. This digital version of the traditional calendar allows you to immerse your audience in the world of your brand by creating a reccuring appointment from the first to the 25th of December.

Every day, participants discover a new game and can win prizzes (material or otherwie). In exchange, all they have to do is fill in a form on your site.

Brands that have opted for this marketing strategy and created an online Advent calendar game are gaining in visibility and boosting their conversion rate.

Click here for more advent calendar ideas.

2. The survey

The Christmas survey is a Christmas competition based on the classic survey. You ask your customers to answer a series of questions or give their opinion. Each participant can win points or advantages on your online shop. The best answer, for example, will be rewarded with an exclusive price.

This format is an excellent way of engaging your audience and gathering feedback about your brand. You can ask thel what they would like you to improve, etc. This data is a real goldmine for refining you marketing strategy and your offering.

3. Christmas competition

Another ultra-interactive feature you can offer your audience at Christmas is a competition. It’s an excellent way of stimulating the creativity of your community and generate UGC (user-generated content).This content is valuable for your brand because 97% of buyers under the age of 30 say that content by other consumers influences their purchasing decisions.

For example, you could launch a Photo Contest and invite your subscribers to post photos with your Christmas-themed products. You can also take advantage of the opportunity to get your teams involved to create an even stronger bond with your audience and share with them what goes on behind the scenes at your company.

4. Instant Win

Instant wins are Christmas competitions that are easy to set up. It’s also highly engaging, as participant know instantly if they’ve won a prize.

You can integrate them directly into your e-commerce site, but also via your marketing emails or social networks. The one-amed bandit, the wheel of fortune or a Flip and Win mechanism are excellent examples of instant prizes to engage your audience.

our tips to maximise the impact of your Christmas games

Now all you have to do is launch your Christmas competition. To maximise its impact, remember to follow these best practices:

  • Launch your competition at the beginning of the month : get ahead of the game to grab your audience’s attention as early as possible. But also to ensure that your gifts arrive before Christmas;
  • Optimise the distribution of your Advent calendar. Utilisez tous vos canaux de communication pour amplifier l’impact de votre jeu concours. Mobilisez vos réseaux sociaux, mais relayez également votre campagne via votre newsletter, votre site web, en magasin (via un QR code) ou en vous associant à des influenceurs ;
  • Choosing the right rewards : be relevant in your choice of prizes. And be generous to encourage your audience to take part (for example, by offering delivery costs to the losers on the final page).
  • Think retargeting: increase audience retention by sending instant, personalised emails to participants to build loyalty.

Launching Christmas competitions is therefore a powerful marketing strategy for engaging your audience, generating leads, collecting qualified data and boosting your sales. To create your own interactive Christmas game and gain a significant competitive advantage during this busy period, discover our gamification platform.

Influencer marketing campaign: the example of Celio

Influencer marketing campaign: the example of Celio

Social networks have transformed the way brands communicate. Influencer marketing is adapting to these new codes and is focusing on levers such as gamification, interactivity and influence.

The brands that come out on top are those that take advantage of these levers to create engaging campaigns. This is true for Celio, the men’s ready-to-wear brand.

In the run-up to Father’s Day 2023, Celio has organised a campaign which combines the ingredients we’ve mentioned. La caisse des Pères combines gamification, interactivity and influencer marketing in collaboration with content creator GMK.

Launched via our gamified marketing platform, we take you behind the scenes of an original and effective competition. You’ll also find some practices for launching your own campaign.

La caisse des Pères: a perfect example of an influencer marketing campaign

To celebrate Father’s Day and promote its collection of t-shirts created for the occasion, Célio opted for a marketing game. The principle was simple: participants had to :

For the version of the competition on the Celio website (and not on social networks), participants had to fill in a form. In-store, the brand’s customers could simply scan a QR code to go straight to the entry form.

influencer marketing game competition campaign

The prize for this no-obligation competition is a second-hand (77,990km) 2017 Audi RS6 avant performance 605, registered in France and with a street value of €81,900.

And the results are in: in just 3 days, 780,000 people signed up for the competition and Celio’s Instagram account registered over 800,000 new followers! It’s an example of an original marketing campaign that results in a boost in visibility and engagement!

Marketing game mechanisms to borrow from Celio

If Celio’s competition has had such a huge impact, it’s because the brand is serious about Father’s Day and has pulled out all the stops for the occasion, as it explains in its press release.

Above all, it’s because it has an understanding of gamification mechanisms to apply to a campaign. You can take inspiration from this by following the practices that have been applied for this game.

Choosing the right prize

The success of a competition depends on the appeal of the prize. In the case of Celio, the brand had put a car up for grabs, presented as every father’s dream car. Valued at over €80,000, the prize is tempting indeed.

What’s more, to maximise the impact of its campaign, the brand teamed up with an influencer specialising in sports cars. The community that was redirected to Celio’s competition was obviously interested in the chance to win an Audi.

Simple (for participants) and effective (for the brand) participation conditions

As mentioned above, the Celio competition was open to everyone, with no obligation to buy. So you didn’t have to buy from the brand to win the car. Celio is thus widening its audience and proving its generosity (in exchange a gift, it expects nothing more than a strength on the networks or the sharing of personal data).

In addition to its marketing campaign on Instagram, Celio also ran its competition on its website via a form. This was an effective strategy, as it was easier for the brand to implement. While at the same time allowing it to redirect participants to its site (and encourage them to place an order).

So it kills two birds with one stone and collects more :

  • visibility and engagement on its social networks;
  • traffic to your website and potential sales.

A multi-channel competition for even greater impact

In addition to the very accessible participation conditions, Celio succeeded in multiplying the impact of its marketing campaign by launching it across several channels. Audiences could participate via social networks, directly on the brand’s website, and also in-store by scanning a QR code to access the form.

This multi-channel strategy makes it possible to reach a larger number of potential participants. It also helps you to achieve a number of different objectives: gather data on your target audience, boost sales, increase your profile on social networks and expand your audience.

Influencer marketing: an effective lever for your marketing games?

The great strength of Celio’s original competition was also its partnership with an influencer. Comme on l’a déjà mentionné, le choix de GMK est particulièrement judicieux puisque sa communauté est naturellement intéressée par le lot à remporter, et donc plus susceptible de participer.

But above all, with almost 4 million followers on Instagram, Celio is considerably increasing the reach of its marketing campaign among an audience of young men who are a good match for its buyer persona.

The partnership with GMK was not limited to announcing the marketing game, as the influencer regularly posted updates on the random drawing and the discovery of the car by the winner and his father. Celio has perfectly understood how to maximise the impact of influencer marketing.

influencer marketing

The brand is banking on a privileged, long-term partnership with the content creator. And she’s taking advantage of GMK’s publications to tease a new competition in the near future to win another car!

Want to launch your own gamified marketing campaign? Discover our solutions for creating a marketing campaign as powerful as Celio’s.

Cookieless: how can marketing rise to the challenge?

Cookieless: how can marketing rise to the challenge?

At the dawn of the cookieless era, the digital marketing is undergoing a radical transformation. Concerns about privacy and changing regulations have prompted industry players to rethink their data collection and advertising strategies. So this is the opportunity to revolutionise your digital marketing!

In this context, several approaches are emerging: contextual targeting and semantic targeting. At the same time, Google’s evolution, with the end of third-party cookies and the introduction of the Privacy Sandbox, offers a new path for privacy-friendly digital marketing.

It’s not easy to find your way around this new cookieless era, which is why we’ve brought together relevant schemes to help you see things clearly!

Google and the end of third party cookies

Google has announced the end of thris-party cookies by 2024, causing an earthquake in digital marketing. The decision follows a growing awareness of privacy concerns and the collection of users’ personal data.

However, Google is offering an alternative called Google Privacy Sandbox!

Privacy Sandbox: Google’s answer to the cookieless world

The end of third-party cookies means that advertisers will no longer be able to track users across websites to target their ads. However, Google’s Privacy Sandbox introduces privacy-based techniques that preserve users’ anonymity while allowing them to deliver targeted advertising.

Google’s Privacy Sandbox is based on the use of techniques for processing data on the user’s device, rather than sending it to remote servers. These approaches, which focus on the protection of user data, mark a turning point in the online marketing industry.

However, marketers will have to adapt to these methods, which focus on the context and aggregate users’ behavior, rather than on individual data.

After years of relying on third-party cookies, cookieless marketing is proving to be a real challenge!

Yet this is an opportunity to do things differently, while respecting users’ privacy and guaranteering a secure online experience.

SSO: a solution form the cookieless world

In today’s digital world, Single Sign-On (SSO) is a solution for simplifying the user experience while strengthening security.

SSO allows users to access applications and websites using a single set of login credentials. This approach reduces the need to remember multiple passwords, making users’ life easier.

From a marketing perspective, SSO offers opportunities to help optimising advertising campaigns and understand the users’ behavior.

With SSO, users can share credentials with third-party platforms, providing access to demographic and behavioral data.

By using this information, you can personalise your advertising according to users’ preferences and interests. You can also create relevant and attractive messages!

Data collection

targeted data: the future cookieless through segmentation

In the cookieless era, where user privacy is a major concern, contextual and semantic targeting enable data to be segmented by analysing a web page and the associated keywords. This method is the response to the disappearance of third-party cookies.

Contextual targeting

Contextual targeting focuses on a web page content and the information that surrounds it.

By analysing the keywords, you can place your adverts in a relevant way, ensuring that they reach an audience with an affinity with the content.

This approach enables companies to maintain advertising effectiveness while respecting users’ privacy concerns. Indeed, no personal data is required for targeting. This makes it an indispensable strategy today.

segment data

Semantic targeting

Semantic targeting takes into account the meaning and intent of the words used in content. Thanks to machine learning algorithms, you can analyse the semantic of a text and understand the nuances between the words used.

This enables advertisers to target their advertising based on key concepts and users’ search intentions, rather than relying on cookies and personal data.

In this way, semantic targeting offers a subtle and precise approach to reach users interested in a subject, while preserving the data confidentiality.

Beyond third-party cookies: the power of first-party data

As restrictions on third-party cookie increase, advertisers need to rethink their data collection strategies to continue to target their audiences. This is where the collection of first-party data takes on its meaning.

By focusing on information provided by users, you can build a relationship and obtain data for personalising the experience. First-party data collection offers an advantage, as it is based on consent and provides an understanding of preferences.

First-party data collection is a strategy in this cookieless environment, enabling to continue to collect data from users, while strengthening the relationship with them.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the advent of the cookieless world has propelled online marketing into an era of change and adaptation.

Contextual and semantic targeting offer approaches to reach consumers without the use of third-party cookies, by focusing on the relevance of content and the meaning of words.

Google’s initiative to put an end to third-party cookies and the introduction of the Privacy Sandbox offers you opportunities to deliver targeted advertising while preserving the user’s’confidentiality.

However, it is crucial that these developments are accompanied by an ethical approach that respects privacy. Not only to comply with the regulations, but also to strengthen the bond with its consumers.

You’re now ready for the cookieless era! Now it’s up to you to revolutionise your digital marketing strategy.

4 AdTech trends to incorporate into your marketing strategy

4 AdTech trends to incorporate into your marketing strategy

The way we communicate online is constantly evolving, notably with the use of AdTech. This applies to individuals and for brands, which need to adapt to new marketing channels and strategies to stay one step ahead of their competitors.

In the space of just a few years, we’ve moved on from ultra-scripted television advertising inserts to native marketing campaigns on social networks, created and driven by consumers. Brands are adopting an authentic and engaging approach to communication, relying on levers such as marketing games, challenges on social networks and UGC.

These marketing strategies are based on the use of new advertising technologies, also known as AdTech. What are the key trends for optimising the way your company communicates with its audience? And how can you incorporate them into your marketing calendar? We’ll answer all your questions!

What is AdTech?

Adtech refers to a range of technologies and solutions that enable your brand to create and deliver advertising campaigns. These may be software or SaaS platforms offering different functionalities. Or more targeted tools that focus on personalising, targeting or monitoring your digital advertising.

A very good example of AdTech is the header bidding system. This is a computer programme that manages bids and sets the fairest price between the advertising network (e.g. Google or TikTok) and the advertiser (e.g. your brand).

4 AdTech trends to be aware of in 2023

The world of AdTech is evolving at breakneck speed. To boost your brand’s visibility and maximise its acquisition rate, it’s crucial to keep an eye on the new advertising technologies you can incorporate into your strategy.

Here are the key trends to watch in 2023:

Advertising programming

Programmatic advertising involves automating the buying and selling of advertising space across a wide range of distribution channels. But also for a wide choice of display formats (including responsive display ads, which adapt to the user’s device).

This technology enables your company to allocate its budget effectively and ensure that its campaigns achieve the expected results (number of clicks, conversion rate, etc.).

Display advertising is set to continue growing strongly over the next few years. In 2019, over 86% of display ad spend was programmed. This percentage will rise to over 91% by 2023.

Artificial Intelligence and AdTech

AI is playing an increasingly important role in the AdTech sector. It makes it possible to optimise segmentation, refine targeting and personalise your message according to the behaviour of each consumer.

Netflix, for example, uses artificial intelligence to automatically determine which of several thumbnail selections is most likely to encourage users to watch a film or series.

Mobile-first advertising solutions

Advertisers are increasingly recognising the importance of meeting the needs of consumers who primarily use their mobiles to connect to the Internet. AD Tech companies are therefore developing mobile-specific formats and strategies, including in-app advertising.

The gamification boom in AdTech

AdTech is increasingly linked to online gaming. This connection is happening at every level. There is a real boom in native advertising in games, particularly in free game applications. Users are invited to view an ad before they can start or continue their game. This practice is becoming increasingly popular, especially for applications that are partners of the Twitch streaming platform.

At the same time, advertising is incorporating a gamification dynamic. As consumers are exposed to more than 1,200 advertisements every day, they have developed a form of banner blindness (i.e. ignoring the information shared in traditional advertising banners).

To win the battle for attention, brands have had to invent new, more entertaining formats. This is the context in which Playable Ads have emerged. These interactive display formats are ideal for increasing the visibility of campaigns, boosting advertising performance and raising brand awareness.

In practical terms, a playable ad is a mini-game that runs for a few seconds. This format has become so popular that it is no longer confined to game applications, but is also used by generalist brands. They can capture the attention and engage their prospects through a marketing game.

The benefits of Playable Ads for your brand

Playable ads advertising format offers your brand a number of advantages. Firstly to capture the attention and boost the acquisition of your targets by offering them unique and entertaining content.

In the world of gaming, playable advertising is a bit like the interactive trailer for your mobile application. But for a brand in another sector, such as beauty, telecoms or sport, this gamified format is an extension of your game marketing strategy.

Your playable ad allows you to promote a new product or service by letting players discover it in an immersive virtual environment.

Playables ads help you to achieve several objectives:

  • Brand awareness: by raising awareness of your offer and demonstrating its added value;
  • Engagement: by encouraging users to interact with your brand. Playable ads attract 47% more attention than traditional video ads.
  • Conversion: by boosting traffic to your application or website.
  • Qualification: by gathering insights that will enable you to capitalise on consumer preferences.

Examples of interactive and playable displays

When it comes to gamification scenarios, you’re spoilt for choice. Memory, Battle, Swiper or Rattrape-Tout. Your brand can draw inspiration from different game mechanisms depending on the product to be promoted and its target audience.

Annonces jouables memory red sfr

To give you an example of a promotional campaign in the form of Playable ads, RED by SFR recently used the Memory game mechanic to present its range of packages. The interactive format makes the advertising more engaging. But the very nature of the game also encourages better retention of the information presented (and in particular the value delivered by the company).

Conclusion

The new advertising technologies (or AdTech) enable your brand to meet its key marketing challenges and stand out from the competition. Your ability to create unique interactive experiences will be a powerful lever for attracting and converting new customers, as well as gathering and activating valuable insights into your market. Discover our turnkey solutions for creating your Playable ads or opt for customised support for your next campaigns.