Originally published 7/6/2022; updated 5/20/2025.
Tiger Tailgate has long held the reputation of the biggest tailgate party at Mizzou. Over a thousand community members gather to enjoy food, drinks, music, and celebrate their favorite home team. Sponsoring this event offers local businesses a unique chance to share the spotlight, connect with the community, and turn passionate fans into loyal customers.
What You Say to Tiger Fans Through Sponsorship
Marketing is about telling your brand’s story and connecting with your audience. Sponsoring Zimmer’s Tiger Tailgate is one of the best ways to do this, giving you the chance to integrate your business into the community while building strong relationships with prospects and customers.
When your business aligns with fan loyalty, the message is clear: “We support the home team.” By showing your love for Mizzou football, you demonstrate that you share the community’s passion and care about enhancing their game-day experience.
As a business owner, you may see this as an opportunity to showcase your offerings and get involved locally. But to attendees, the message is, “We’re a good neighbor.” With over 1,000 attendees, face-to-face engagement in such a positive setting is invaluable.
Your ultimate goal might be to boost your brand by delivering an unforgettable experience, but what your audience hears is, “We know how to have fun.” You’re showing the community that your business isn’t just engaging — it’s worth their attention.
What You Get Out of Being a Sponsor
Sponsoring the Tiger Tailgate with Zimmer offers more than just marketing opportunities at the event—it comes with additional valuable benefits that help boost your foot traffic.
Promotional Opportunities & Increased Foot Traffic
Sponsors will have plenty of opportunities to showcase their participation in the event — but it might take some effort on the business's end too. When people visit your location to pick up their free Tiger Tailgate passes, there's a good chance that's their only intention in walking in the door. In order to encourage them to take further action, it's a good idea to offer some sort of incentive as well. This can be done in many ways, such as:
- Including a coupon with the Tiger Tailgate pass
- Offering a discount to people who return to your business within a certain amount of time
- Entering visitors in a raffle to win a giveaway
Each of these methods encourages people to return to your business location, thus increasing not only brand awareness, but overall foot traffic... and likely sales! Plus, you can repeat the process for each home game of the season.
Another key to increasing your ROI and foot traffic with a Tiger Tailgate sponsorship is taking advantage of the radio advertising that is included in your sponsorship plan. These ads are broadcast at high frequency to thousands of listeners, all season long! The value of radio is obvious, and you get to use it to your advantage. Whether you're encouraging customers to visit your business to pick up Tiger Tailgate passes or using them for your own promotions, this is a fantastic opportunity to enhance your marketing strategy.
At the Tailgate
As a sponsor, you also unlock the opportunity to set up a table or booth at the Tiger Tailgate before each home game. Here, you can give away free promotional products and even coupons to encourage attendees to visit your business. One of our sponsors last season, Shangri-La, had a table at each tailgate and gave away hats, stickers, coozies, and more, all to increase brand awareness.
Minimal Effort on Your End
Southern Glazers highlighted how simple this process is for sponsors.
"Zimmer will handle most of the heavy lifting, including identifying your target audience for radio and much more, with your approval. All you have to do is show up and enjoy the event."
During tailgate season, Southern Glazers increased sales effortlessly, and they continue to profit from attaching their brand name to such a prominent event.
Access to VIP Sponsor Den
Tiger Tailgate's VIP Sponsor Den offers the ultimate game day experience. It’s the perfect spot to escape the crowd, enjoy some shade, and grab food or drinks without the hassle of waiting in line. This exclusive area is reserved as an added bonus for official sponsors, featuring a dedicated food and beverage line, a private bathroom, and separate entrances and exits for quick access. Depending on your sponsorship level, you may also receive game tickets.
Tiger Tailgate is a beloved tradition in our tight-knit college town, making it a prime opportunity for local businesses to get involved. Sponsorship takes it a step further, offering advertising opportunities, valuable resources, and increased foot traffic—all while showing your support for the team.
Don’t miss out on your chance to sponsor the Tiger Tailgate! Contact us today to learn about how to become a sponsor.
