Sports celebrity appearances score two media touchdowns!
Sports celebrity appearances score two media touchdowns!
Supermarket publicity campaign case study
Celebrity appearances aren’t just for the big guys with gigantic marketing budgets. With a little strategic planning, it is possible to capitalize on a celebrity’s popularity to draw big crowds and get lots of media coverage without a huge monetary commitment.
We have helped a supermarket to use this strategy twice, with outstanding results both times.
Challenge
In 2009, Media Relations was asked for innovative ideas to draw attention to a supermarket’s newly re-designed store, located in a small Midwestern town. The company wanted to show off its new concepts and layout, as well as its well-priced products.
We knew immediately that we wanted to create the feeling of a small town celebration. While the supermarket’s team worked on other details for this family-oriented event – which included everything from hot dogs and popcorn to face painting for the kids – we decided to look for a sports celebrity whose appearance would be a thrill for the entire family.
We outline our plays
Our first strategy was to ask the client to schedule the event on a Tuesday, because we knew the National Football League encourages its players to do community service work on that day.
Then we passed the ball to our Communications Specialist Jennifer Hanson, who is a huge sports fan. Jennifer made a few phone calls to our friends at a major league football franchise.
The local NFL team’s linebacker eagerly agreed to make a two-hour appearance to meet his fans and sign autographs. In return, the supermarket agreed to donate $1 per autograph to Special Olympics, his charity of choice.
Jennifer then called the local media to tell them about the event. Jennifer was thrilled to talk football with the writers and producers, who were all enthusiastic when they heard the details. For that small community, it was a big deal to have a sports celebrity making a free appearance. Because we were inviting the entire community to this family event, the newspapers and radio stations were happy to include the store’s address in their pre-event coverage.
Touchdown #1
On the day of the event, the line of moms, dads and kids stretched out the door. Many brought items from home that they wanted to be autographed. Others purchased football paraphernalia that we made sure was on hand for just this purpose. Still others got creative: One fan even grabbed a cereal box off the store shelf for the sports celebrity to sign! People had their photos taken with him, and enjoyed the other activities throughout the store which included product samplings in the different departments.
The media was present to capture the fun, which resulted in valuable post-event coverage. This sports celebrity’s two-hour appearance successfully raised awareness of the supermarket, and the positive impact continued to be felt for months afterward. And for his two hours of work, the sports celebrity earned a very nice donation for his charity.
Touchdown #2 (a year later)
The sports celebrity’s appearance was so successful that our client decided to do it again in 2010. This time, the event was scheduled just before a big game. The folks in this small town were thrilled to learn that NFL team’s quarterback would be in their town!
Incredibly, the turnout was even bigger the second year. Every media outlet in town and in the surrounding areas ran the story. Newspapers sent photographers and blasted coverage on the front pages of eight newspapers.
In addition to creating a carnival-like atmosphere, the supermarket also brought in a nutritionist to work with the kids, which helped pull people through the store. By spending two hours signing autographs, the quarterback raised money for his charity, while large crowds of people were introduced to the supermarket.
Post-game wrap up
“Sports celebrities generally have a tremendous family appeal, which is why we believe we achieved attendance numbers and media impressions far beyond our expectations,” comments Heather Champine, vice president of media production for Media Relations.
“This was a smart way to use a celebrity appearance,” she continues. “By engaging the celebrity for just a few hours, our client played in the sports celebrity arena without spending a big chunk of their marketing budget.”
Adds Jennifer Hanson, “Working with these sports celebrities on behalf of our client was a thrill for me too. I wish all of our projects could be this fun!”
