Creating Fans: Budweiser & the FA Cup Final Sponsorship Activation
8th May, 2012
This weekend’s FA Cup Final was a fantastic platform for headline sponsors Budweiser with global media exposure and 80,000 loyal fans in attendance. Brand exposure at such a high level is not a new entity, but what stood out the most with Budweiser’s sponsorship campaign was the key focus on audience engagement and interaction – building a stronger personal relationship with their target demographic.
Budweiser launched various social media campaigns in order to build on their audience relationship and including:
- A Mobile App – the “Bud” was created to make the players feel a part of the team (and part of the win!) by posing with replicas of the FA Cup trophy. This was activated through the app by fans pointing their smartphone at a Budweiser beer mat, meaning fans could experience the sense of victory for themselves.
- Man of the Match on Facebook – Budweiser utilised their strong social networks and created value to the fans that were already supporters by involving them with the Man of the Match. Of the Facebook activation, Jason Warner, Global Vice President of Budweiser, said, “We’re looking forward to sharing our passion for the beautiful game, bringing The FA Cup closer to fans around the world through an exciting programme of activity. For example, in an FA Cup first, Budweiser will give football fans the opportunity to vote for the official ‘Man of the Match’, a role usually reserved for the broadcast commentating team.”
Events can be a hugely effective platform for brands to reach out to an audience. However, to simply place branding at an event with the assumption that it will have the intended effect on its participants is not necessarily the answer to a successful sponsorship campaign. It is vital that a brand takes into consideration factors such as their target audience, the message they want to get across and what exactly it is they want to achieve from a partnership with an event.
Budweiser’s sponsorship of the FA Cup is a great example of truly engaging fans to create brand advocates through the combination of social media, audience participation and innovative thinking.
