At the beginning of 2021, the creative agency We Are Social launched its own unit dedicated to sports marketing, We Are Social Sport, on the strength of an expertise gained over the years, collaborating with brands such as adidas, Juventus, Lega Serie A and Ferrari, among others .
We Are Social Sport, guidata da Mirco BertolaDirector Sport, works with the same approach as the agency, according to a strategy based on the observation and interpretation of people’s behavior online to identify social insights and reach people in a relevant way.
During the year, the agency develops a series of researches that analyze the most significant changes in the world of communication. Among these Think Forwardan annual analysis of the main behavioral trends of people that influence and guide brand communication, which this year also saw an edition dedicated to the world of sport. Think Forward Sport analyzes the current scenario of sports marketing, helping brands understand how to reach their audience effectively in a context that appears increasingly fragmented.
The research highlights ichere are the most relevant trends to keep in mind:
The first of the trends analyzed (Textured discovery) refers to the revolution in the way people explore the Internet and discover sports content. In fact, traditional research methods are now being integrated – if not actually replaced – with the more visual, collaborative, sometimes casual approaches that are typical of social media. Over time, sport has been something inherited from the family or acquired through participation, but today social platforms are creating new accesses to this world.
The second trend (Collapsing Narratives) is instead more linked to the content. We are witnessing the fragmentation of narratives that today no longer follow a regular linearity, with stories that start and end in the same world and on the same medium, but are more unpredictable. This is why it is necessary to give greater importance to in-depth analysis and personalisation, which represents a real added value.
“In this scenario, it is important for brands to establish a valuable dialogue with people and the best way to do this is by listening to and interpreting the behavior of fans, communities and niches”, comments Mirco Bertola, Director Sport We are Social. “In We Are Social Sport, we work starting from this approach, to ensure that the communication of the players in the sector is interesting for the audience they want to reach. Today attention is no longer only on the field but also on the entire ecosystem that surrounds it and for brands it is necessary to understand how to be able to enter in a relevant way.”
The third trend (Margin Chasers) concerns the fact that the more people expose themselves in an unconventional way, the more credible they are considered. In sport, for example, niche behaviors are perceived as more authentic and GenZ allows themselves to be conquered by athletes or sports exponents who reflect their values rather than by celebrities.
The fourth (New Cooperatives) highlights the lesser attention paid to the single individual in favor of building communities, so it is important for brands to understand how to highlight them and how to fit in.
The latest trend (Expanding Identities) instead concerns the many possibilities that people have today to express themselves online thanks also to the creation of their own online alter-egos on spaces such as the metaverse. It is therefore another way for brands to reach people in a new and original way.
“People today are inundated with content, in sport as in any other sector and to be heard what can make the difference is the quality of the same. There is no longer an event that is not commented on and the formats that are having the most success are those that add anecdotes, background stories and stories that otherwise would not be told, such as “The Shop”, a series starring LeBron James as he talks about facts not related to his profession in a barbershop. The originality of the proposal, the in-depth analysis and interpretation are key factors for bringing out one’s contents and having people’s attention.”, he says Mirco Bertola, Director Sport We are Social.
An example bearing the signature of We Are Social Sport is the “Keep on Dreaming” project created for Ferrari: a story that begins with the discovery of letters written by children to Enzo Ferrari in 1985. The wishes expressed by young admirers were often very simple , such as: “I would like to receive the stickers applied to your single-seaters…”, “I would like to visit the factory where the Ferraris are made…” but, almost always due to personal data, they could not be realised. Thus, for Christmas, Ferrari wanted to fulfill their wishes and three of those children who once wrote to Ing. Ferraris were invited to Maranello, where they were able to meet Piero Ferrari in person and share their passion with him, which has never aged over time. A story that comes from the brand’s heritage and communicates the bond of people with it.
