Batter Up! How to make the most of your brand’s sports sponsorship

If your brand is somehow affiliated with a major pro sports team, breaking through the clutter can be challenging to say the least. After all, you’re probably one of 40 different products laying claim to the title of the team’s “Official (BLANK).” But that doesn’t mean you can’t make the most of your spot on that crowded roster and become an All-Star marketing partner.

With a little help from Pavone, Turkey Hill Dairy did exactly that.

The Lancaster County-based ice cream and iced tea maker signed a big-league contract to become the official ice cream of the world’s most popular sports team, the New York Yankees. Together, we turned that opportunity into a home run.

In the Big Apple, we highlighted Turkey Hill’s pair of Yankees flavors with a 30-second TV spot (seen in the case study above), among other promotional methods. It was a swing for the fences, but it worked, as the flavor experienced a 30% jump in pint sales over the previous season.

To be fair, we should admit that we weren’t exactly a sports marketing rookie when we stepped up to the plate in New York. Pavone has plenty of pro sports sponsorship experience, including (with Turkey Hill alone), assisting with sponsorships with the Philadelphia Phillies. In the NFL, we’ve worked with the Buffalo Bills, Philadelphia Eagles, and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Here’s how Turkey Hill’s VP of Marketing, Tom Wright, summed up the collaborative effort: “(We) hit one way out of the park with this campaign, which isn’t always easy to do when you’re playing in New York.”

MARKETING LESSON: When it comes to marketing your brand’s sports sponsorships, you have to think outside the Jumbotron ad.