XRii Reveals Four Winning Sports Marketing Campaigns

Sports season is in full swing across Australia, with stadiums across the country alive with energy and excitement. But as inflation surges and discretionary spending tightens, are sporting organisations doing enough to attract, engage and inspire the next generation of sporting fans?

Leading sports organisations are already embracing the power of digital experiences to achieve a range of objectives. Whether to enhance the excitement of game days, engage with fans on a deeper level, capitalise on a global audience or tailor content to specific demographics, the following sports clubs are creating innovative and impactful digital experiences with experiential marketing that drive results.

Perth Heat

Established in 1989, Perth Heat has emerged as one of the most accomplished teams in the Australian Baseball League, boasting an impressive history with a record 15 Claxton Shields and a track record of nurturing players who have gone on to Major League Baseball. 

Looking for innovative ways to enhance fan engagement, Perth Heat turned to XRii to develop a customised app, which facilitated a AU$50,000 cash giveaway, enabling data collection and rewarding users with in-app incentives. The seamless integration of XRii's AR technology with digital campaigns and in-venue experiences led to impressive results, including:

• 60% app downloads converted to user sign ups
  

• 75% app users entered into the AU$50,000 promotion

• 76% vouchers collected

• 95% vouchers redeemed

The integration of XRii technology not only fostered greater engagement with fans and sponsors on game day but also opened new avenues for revenue generation for both the club and its partners.

FIFA

Founded in 1904 to provide unity among national soccer associations, the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) is arguably the most prestigious sports organisation in the world. 

To keep pace with its winning reputation and exceed fans’ expectations, FIFA continues to push the boundaries of innovation and deliver unparalleled experiences. In 2022, it released FIFA+, an AR app that offers viewers immersive content via mobile devices to bring the action to fans wherever they are, which is sure to bring even more excitement to FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand this year.

The completely free platform features a host of immersive and engaging features. A few highlights include:

Full tournament coverage, with an industry-leading live blog running non-stop, capturing the sights, sounds, atmosphere and energy of the world’s biggest football celebration.
Official highlights, with each and every match recapped within minutes of the final whistle and all the thrills, drama and emotion available to fans in every corner of the globe – with a version available to watch in sign language as well.

FIFA+ Stadium experience, allowing fans in the stadium to experience the action in new ways with a live AR overlay of stats, heat maps, insights, different camera angles, VAR replays and more. 

MLB 

Formed in 1903 to foster unity among baseball enthusiasts worldwide, MLB (Major League Baseball) stands as a symbol of excellence in sports. Continually pushing the boundaries of innovation and aiming to exceed fan expectations, MLB recently debuted its immersive ‘MLB All-StAR Scavenger Hunt’ this July, bringing the game to life like never before.

The first-of-its-kind MLB scavenger hunt cleverly engaged fans, earning participation and gaining valuable customer information that could be further used to personalise experiences by:

Offering fun prizes: World Series tickets, signed baseballs, a batting practice experience and All-Star-themed apparel were up for grabs.

Unlocking creative AR experiences: Using Snapchat to scan designated, hidden Snapcodes at various locations, fans could unlock innovative AR experiences.

The NFL 

The NFL (National Football League) is not only a prominent professional sports league in the United States and Canada but also the pinnacle of American football worldwide. It sets the benchmark for innovation among sporting clubs.

To enhance the NFL experience, the league introduced an app with augmented reality (AR) features. Fans can use their cameras to create and share images, incorporating virtual helmets and eye black, on social media platforms.

The 2023 Super Bowl is a testament to the club’s ongoing commitment to pushing boundaries with innovative partnerships and technology usage, including:

• Avocados From Mexico partnered with ChatGPT to create an immersive campaign during Super Bowl 2023. Leveraging AR and ChatGPT technologies, they launched a digital platform called "Always Good” that allowed users to engage in various online experiences, including:
  A music toolkit that generates personalised tracks based on the user's Spotify account.
  

• AR capabilities on Instagram, enabling users to trigger specific sounds with different facial expressions.

• A ChatGPT section for generating and sharing Tweets

A collaboration with Roblox to develop a series of virtual experiences, including:

"Super NFL Tycoon” game, which allows users to experience owning an NFL team, undertaking tasks like drafting players, building an "Intuit Stadium” and managing finances, payroll, taxes and customer acquisition with the assistance of Intuit's products

A virtual concert for the NFL's Super Bowl LVII pregame, featuring musician Saweetie.

Striking the right balance

The future of marketing is here. By embracing the convergence of in-person and digital experiences, sports clubs can amplify their reach and deepen fan connections. This involves leveraging technology to enhance the in-stadium experience with interactive displays, mobile apps and real-time fan interactions. Simultaneously, clubs must invest in robust online platforms, social media engagement and personalised content delivery to engage with fans beyond the stadium walls.

In today's rapidly changing landscape, where inflation is rising, fan expectations are evolving and competition for attention is fierce, sports clubs cannot afford to ‘sit this one out’. By staying agile and harnessing emerging technology to keep sports a fun experience for every generation of fans, sports clubs can win, maintaining their relevance, fostering enduring connections and securing their position in the ever-competitive sporting industry.

Matthew Endresz, Founder and CEO, XRii