Sport events and marketing effectiveness

Which categories are increasing their spend most during events? Are these efforts more or less effective than in non-event times?

What categories advertise the most during sports events?

Across multiple sport events (Olympics, FIFA, Rugby, Wimbledon, etc.) a study of UK advertising spend and its effectiveness showed that both the number of companies engaging in advertising as well as the total ad spend substantially increase. Spend hikes are by far most pronounced for beverage and personal care brands.

How effective is advertising during sports events?

Because of increasing exposure (“advertising clutter“) resulting from the high number of brands advertising during sporting events both the short- and long-term advertising elasticities lag behind non-event periods. The exception are single-sport events where a higher share-of-voice does indeed manifest itself in higher advertising elasticities, especially after the event. If you can afford it, outspend competitors to reach a desired group of consumers more often during such events.

Do sport events impact promo lift?

Price promotions produce strong short-term sales effects. A study looking at 242 brands in 30 categories in the Netherlands over four years shows that the extent of these sales increases varies across sports events and that they are more pronounced in Winter times (Winter Olympics benefit most).