One word resonated throughout the first day of the '18 Octagon Sports Marketing Symposium: authentic. It was used consistently by panelists to describe the most effective characteristic of a successful sports sponsorship. If you’re not authentic, they said, be prepared for your audience to let you know. And you may not like what they say. But if you want your message to break through, be transparent and create a message that is true to you and to your brand.
Speakers on Day 1 included the NBA's Amy Brooks, NFL's Renie Anderson and Topgolf's Erik Anderson, and there were few seats left in the room when Olympic gold medalist and activist Aly Raisman took the stage to close out Day 1. Raisman, fresh off a morning appearance on the “Today” show, said abuse isn’t confined to Hollywood and sports -- it’s everywhere. After her session, Raisman was surrounded by people who wanted her to know how much she has inspired and encouraged them.
Day 2 of the conference includes a discussion with the Bucks' Peter Feigin, whose new ownership group is taking a no-holds-barred, hedge-fund-inspired analytics approach to NBA team ownership. Following that is a spotlight on the relationship between P&G/Gillette and Kraft Sports, and a deep dive into Coca-Cola’s sponsorship strategy. See a full agenda.
