Score Big: How Collaborating with Local Sports Teams Can Boost Your Alcohol Brand

We’ve all been seeing the massive influx of celebrity endorsed/backed alc-bev brands as of late; Beyonce and Jay-Z getting into the spirits game, NFL superstars the Kelce brothers are investing in beer flavored beer, the list goes on.

Jay-Z's (now owned by Bacardi) cognac brand, D'usse and custom tap handle.

Unless you have a massive marketing budget or connections with celebrities, it can be hard to get into the celebrity endorsement game. But don’t fret! There is certainly hope for those of you without celebrity contacts and big marketing dollars! Enter: the local sports team collaboration. We’ve been seeing an uptick in tap handle designs for alcohol brand partnerships with local sports teams, so we wanted to dive into this topic in a little more detail. Now, we’re talking about anything from pro sports teams, to NCAA sports, minor league teams, e-sports teams, and anything in between. We’ve found these partnerships are more attainable than you might imagine, often being relatively low-cost and easier to access, as well as proving successful for both the alcohol beverage brand and the local sports team.

So, why collaborate with a local sports team? We thought you’d never ask!

1. Boost your brand visibility. When you collaborate with a local sports team, you get: 

• Hundreds, if not thousands of eyes on your product at every home game (potentially more if the games are televised!).

• Those impressions only increase if you are packaging that beverage and selling at local retailers around the area.

• You are able to get your brand(s) in front of more, often targeted consumers in your target demographic.

• The sports team is able to reach new fans within your core demographic.

• Your combined marketing and advertising efforts are more likely to yield in more impressions and engagement for your brands.

• You both just might make some new fans in the process where you wouldn’t have before!

2. The power of local partnerships. Did you know that according to a recent Capitol One shopping statistics study, that 74% of consumers prefer to browse and/or shop locally? It’s no secret that your backyard is likely your strongest market (and if it isn’t, you’ve got some work to do!) where you have a very loyal fan following. Your local sports team(s) have a similar benefit of having a die-hard fan base in that same market. So why not marry the two? Your brand and that of the sports team resonate with local fans, so if they see two local brands they love teaming up, they are that much more likely to pick up one of your beverages vs. a competitor. Rather than putting their hard earned dollars in a beverage that was made on the other side of the state/country, they can keep their dollars local by purchasing your collab, which in turn helps bolster your local economy in a small way.

Virginia Beer Co + College of William & Mary "Griffin Gold" Collaboration Beer Tap Handle

3. Expand your distribution channels. Now, we will start with the disclaimer that making a collab beverage isn’t a guarantee at new/increased distribution, but it can certainly increase your odds of nailing down some new distro if leveraged correctly. The sports team’s stadium will more than likely want to carry your new collab in at least a few locations around the facility, and local retailers are more likely to support the collab (think: independent grocers/liquor stores and sports bars). You can use that collab as a “foot in the door” to help grow your distribution in those accounts once the season starts winding down. “Oh, you enjoyed our collab beer with Team Pup and Suds? Then you are going to LOVE our Brink Bock…”

Gravely Brewing collaboration with Louisville Cardinals custom tap handle.

4. Cultivate community loyalty. Many consumers are incredibly proud of their home town and want to support their local teams and businesses. As we mentioned earlier, when those local consumers see local businesses working together, they are more likely to support your brands. That consumer will also know that you are a supporter of their home team, which they may remember the next time they are at the bar or on the beer aisle deciding which beverage to reach for. Local collaborations foster a sense of community, allowing your brand to connect with fans on a personal level and build loyalty within the local market. Community engagement by drinking a tasty beverage? We’ll take two!

Tioga-Sequoia Brewing collaboration with Fresno State "Red Wave" Tap Handle

5. Create memorable experiences. Events like tastings, exclusive promotions, or branded fan experiences can create memorable interactions that strengthen brand affinity and encourage word-of-mouth marketing. If a fan has a great experience at a game, and your brand was a part of that experience, they are more likely to have a positive view of your brand. For instance, if your brand sponsors a pre-game tailgate party, offers in-game sampling opportunities, or even if a fan simply enjoyed your beverage during an exciting game, those can create lasting impressions in the mind of the consumer. Specific experiences are something that can be negotiated with the sports team when you are hashing out details of the collab, which they are motivated to do because they want to help increase the rate of sale of the collab as well!

A thoughtful and well-executed collaboration can elevate your alcohol brand, increase visibility, and foster community loyalty. We know every alcohol beverage brand in the US may not have a professional hometown team to collaborate with, but many minor league, college teams, and outside of mainstream sports opportunities abound for those willing to look for them.

Got a collab project in the works? Reach out and let us know. We’re happy to help in any way we can.