The St. Louis Cardinals aren’t just another local sports team, they’re a historic part of the community and as a local business, associating your brand with the Cardinals and their iconic team is a great sports marketing strategy.
In this blog we’ll talk about how to associate your brand with a professional sports team like the Cardinals, and discuss eight reasons why doing so can make a major impact on your marketing ROI.
1. Winners and Big Games
Not many things can excite and rally a community like a winning team, especially the atmosphere surrounding a big game. Having your brand in the minds of consumers during these big events, and being a part of it will create a positive image amongst your target audience. There’s nothing more memorable than a big win to sports fans, and having your brand associated with that is something they’ll remember for a long time.
Fun Fact: The St. Louis Cardinals have had over 3 MILLION Fans in 21 of the last 22 Seasons.
2. Sports Coverage on the Radio
In today's sports-loving world, 1 out of every 5 adults (20%) age 30+ say they listened to a Major League Baseball event on the radio. People are constantly consuming Cardinals coverage on the radio before, during, and after the games. This is especially true for people when they’re driving in their cars. Radio has also historically been linked to baseball, and you’ll even see people at the games listening to the radio on their headsets. From a marketing standpoint, you’ll have the ability to reach this large, massively engaged audience. You can then use this to your benefit by driving traffic to your website and social media pages by promoting engagement with a social media hashtag or asking fans to share pictures of their favorite moments of the game.
Fun Fact: The St. Louis Cardinals have THE LARGEST Radio Network in Major League Baseball.
3. Cardinals Fans Are Mobile
If you live in today’s world, you know how mobile technology gives you constant access to sports information on your phone. Fans can now view big plays, video recaps, and scores on the go. Not to mention how sports fans can use social media to engage with their favorite teams and players. Sports fans love mobile for these reasons, which is just another indicator as to why radio is a great place to meet them.
4. Community Involvement
The Cardinals have a high amount of community involvement, and attaching your company to them will prove that your brand is local in the eyes of consumers. The Cardinals have long been great supporters of charities, and people love to support businesses that are a part of the local community. Among the many charitable causes the Cardinals support are the “Doin’ it Right” program to help students achieve their life goals and “4 A Greener Game” to promote recycling and sustainability.
Fun Fact: The St. Louis Cardinals Pitcher Jack Flaherty is a candidate to the be National League Cy Young Award Winner in 2020.
5. Cardinals Fans Are Social
Like most sports fans, Cardinals fans are social and love engaging with their home teams online. Your business can piggyback on this momentum to promote your products or services. Some of the most successful social media sports marketing campaigns focus on fan appreciation. For example, you could advertise on the radio a “thank you for reaching __ amount of Facebook followers” for your business during the Cardinals games, thanking not just your customers but also Cardinals fans.
6. Cardinals Games Are a Family-Friendly Experience
Going to a Cardinals game is a family-friendly, feel-good experience that consumers will associate with your brand. The Cardinals are also a St. Louis tradition that kids, their parents, and grandparents often enjoy together. By partnering with the Cardinals you’ll be able to reach across generations and be seen as a family-friendly brand.
Fun Fact: The St. Louis Cardinals Manager Mike Shildt was awarded Manager of the Year in 2019 - in his first full season as Big League Manager.
7. Baseball Attracts a Wide Demographic
The beauty of baseball is that it caters to a wide variety of socio-economic classes. Fans can either splurge for private boxes and seats behind home plate, or cheap bleacher tickets in the outfield or upper-deck. This makes for a unique marketing opportunity, in that you’ll be able to reach across a wide demographic — with varying income levels, for example — with one single ad or campaign.
8. Build Brand Awareness
Advertising with Zimmer and the Cardinals during the season will allow you to be a part of one of the most powerful brands in professional sports. You’ll be able to get the community to view your brand in a positive, localized, and consistent way.
So there you have it, eight ways that associating your brand with the St. Louis Cardinals can get you a bigger bang for your marketing buck. Now that you know how to associate your brand with a professional sports team, like the Cardinals, both on the radio and online, you’ll be able to see the impact on your ROI in no time.
Do you have any favorite or memorable ads or sports marketing campaigns associated with the Cardinals? Feel free to let us know in the comments!
