Maximizing Sports Sponsorships: Lessons from a Cheese Truck and a Popcorn Guy

Author: Chris Copacino

“Proud official sponsors”, this message is for you. Because if that’s as far as your commitment goes, you’re making a bigger mistake than not giving the ball to Marshawn on second and goal.

Creating a powerful emotional connection with your audience is at the heart of advertising and marketing. Sports teams have this in spades, making a sports sponsorship enticing. If you can generate passion by association, the reasoning goes, the dollars will follow.

But to maximize sponsorship dollars, it’s not enough to create a fan montage, feature their mascot in an ads or echo their rallying cry (we get it, you support the 12s). True fans’ devotion has been forged through decades of shared experiences. To create a strong connection, you’ve got to show them you deserve to be there cheering alongside.

When our client, Gesa Credit Union, became the official sponsor of WSU Athletics, our goal was to prove Gesa is a real Coug fan, especially considering a certain other credit union is still an active WSU sponsor. We knew we needed to go deeper.

Which brings us to cheese and popcorn. More specifically, Cougar Gold Cheese and a still-nameless fan who famously ate some popcorn.

If you’re a WSU student or alumni, you almost certainly know and love both.

Introducing the Cheeseback Rewards Card

Made on campus by the WSU Creamery, Cougar Gold is one of the best cheeses in the country, going for as much as $65 a tin. For WSU fans, it’s another special thing from a special place. We saw an opportunity to tap into that love to promote Gesa’s WSU Athletics Debit Card by creating the first-ever Cheeseback Rewards Program where Gesa members could earn points towards free Cougar Gold during the football season. We kicked it off with a traveling cheese truck at games and branches, delighting fans across the state.

We expected it to be a hit. We didn’t quite expect to exceed our giveaway goal by 170% and generate nearly $1 million in new deposits.

A Legendary Fan Reborn

In a rainy game WSU was losing by nearly 30 points, one “spirited” fan was caught in the stands dumping popcorn into his face. Dubbed simply “Popcorn Guy,” his true identity has never been revealed, despite ESPN creating a mini-documentary about the search for him.

To commemorate his epic performance, and the return of the WSU Lumen Field game to Seattle, we turned him into a six-foot by eight-foot masterpiece, complete with free popcorn and bleacher seats for WSU fans to recreate the magic. It debuted at the CougsFirst! Expo, a showcase for businesses eager to attract Cougs...that featured a small table with a branded sign from Gesa’s main competitor.

On his first stop this summer on the way to this year’s Apple Cup game in September, the Popcorn Guy activation saw an endless line of fans joining in the fun, and giving Gesa a warm welcome by the Coug family.

Up next for Gesa’s WSU sponsorship: well, we can’t give it away just yet. But what we have planned is going to be surprising, heartfelt, and meaningful for WSU fans. So when Gesa says “Go Cougs!”, they know they mean it.

Looking for ways to get more out of your sports sponsorship? Shoot us a message. We’d love to help you make some more fans.