Sponsorship inventory for the Copa America Centenario is now sold out, with Soccer United Marketing reaching a deal with the tournament’s 15th and final partner, multinational energy company Total Gas & Power.
Winning the rights to sell sponsorships for the tournament alongside WME-IMG in December 2015 with just six months until it began, SUM President Kathy Carter said she and her team “knew what we were getting into in terms of timing” but that it did not sidetrack any of the negotiations.
“We were very up front in conversations with partners about time. They knew it. We knew it. But that didn’t detract anyone,” she said. “We were all up for the challenge. Now we’re just excited for the event to start.”
While Carter would not reveal financial terms of any of the deals, she said SUM hit its targets. “We didn’t know how the market would react being that it was a compressed timeline,” she said, “but companies recognize the size and scope of this event.”
According to a source familiar with the deal between SUM and WME-IMG and tournament organizers CONCACAF and CONMEBOL, the two firms guaranteed the soccer federations roughly $20 million, with any additional profit being split.
The special edition of the tournament, which celebrates its 100th anniversary and is being held outside of South America for the first time, begins Friday. The 16-team tournament features the U.S. and Mexican national teams as well as all 10 members of CONMEBOL, the governing body of soccer in South America, which includes Argentina, Brazil and defending Copa America champion Chile.
For many of the tournament’s other 14 partners — which include Anheuser-Busch, Coca-Cola, Ford, MasterCard and Procter & Gamble — the tournament’s dual continental appeal drove their interest in aligning with Copa America, and also how they plan to activate.
“Initially we looked at this as a great way to reach and connect with more U.S. Hispanics, but as we learned more about the opportunity we realized it would really complement our overall marketing efforts in Latin America, where we continue to invest and grow awareness for the Delta brand,” said Annika McKinney, Delta’s director of international marketing. “It aligned perfectly with our existing plans and strategies.”
To appeal to those audiences, Delta just completed a tour of the Copa America trophy to Mexico City and São Paulo, and will have traditional advertising, digital and social campaigns highlighting its involvement in the tournament in both the U.S. and across Latin America. The company will also activate at game locations with a number of experimental activities, including meet and greets with famous players from Latin America.
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Coca-Cola will activate throughout the event with its Coke and Powerade brands.
Photo: COURTESY OF COCA-COLA
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Delta also will be tailoring its marketing toward whatever team will be playing. For example, if the Mexican national team is playing, all of its assets on-site, signage in the stadium and across the broadcast will highlight its partner Aeroméxico. It will do the same for other countries where it has partners that service that area.
MasterCard sponsored a similar trophy tour in Mexico and Argentina, and is running a campaign for cardholders in a number of Latin American regions to win “Priceless experiences” — attending the tournament in person.
Coca-Cola Co. will be activating around both the Coke and Powerade brands, with elements ranging from national TV ads, in-venue commemorative Coke cups and Powerade serving as presenting sponsor of the Golden Boot award, given to the highest scorer in the tournament. Bob Cramer, Coca-Cola vice president of sports marketing and partnership management, said the tournament provides a good way to reach key audiences “during our monthlong soccer conversation around Copa America.”
“Copa America provides an opportunity to enhance everyday experiences by building stronger connections between people and their passion for soccer,” Cramer said.
