Advertising and marketing are both a fine art. Understanding the principles, nuances and variations that attract and keep attention translates into sales. The concepts are important no matter what the sports scoreboard format: static (non-changing) or video. The ultimate goal is to bring together the person viewing the ad and the sponsor for a win-win scenario.
There are five important elements in Marketing 101: audience, advertiser, message, appearance and presentation. Below is a summary of the key aspects of each of these pieces to assist you in creating scoreboard advertising that will get your sponsors to buy and bring repeat sponsorship.
Audience: You always need to remember who will be viewing and hearing the electronic scoreboard advertising. In a young audience, it’s appropriate to use terminologies and technology references (i.e.: social media) that are part of their lives. This is not the case when you have an older or mixed audience. Examination of cultural, and local and trending topics may also come into play. Political opinions are not acceptable, as these may backfire. An advertisement must speak the language of the viewer and be clearly understood, presenting the sponsor, product and brand in terms that they receive well.
Advertiser: The company or organization will be paying for the scoreboard advertisement and will expect the very best quality. While most businesses are accustomed to having marketing and advertising, you may come across some that have specific requirements. Ultimately it is the decision of the advertiser that must be respected and acknowledged, they may not, however, always have the best taste. Addressing this challenge can be a fine line and will require delicacy. The advertiser usually has copies of their logo, products and brands on hand. Offering alternative recommendations for the best results can assist in a top rated scoreboard advertisement.
The message: In your discussions with the sponsor, you need to establish exactly what message they wish to convey. This can be a simple recognition of sponsorship all the way to special savings on their products. The message should be clearly understood and be easily read or viewed. The call-to-action is a top requirement as this entices the viewer to respond to the advertisement. These types of advertisements generate an action that the advertiser can measure for positive results for the advertising investment.
Appearance: We have previously mentioned that the appearance of the sports scoreboard advertisement needs to be ‘clean’. What this translates to is easy-to-view. Typically, a clean advertisement is fresh and uncluttered. Whether static or video, it needs to be excellent resolution with single font overlays for the message. The product, offering, brand, logo, phone number and/or website need to be included, but should not overtake. A typical rule-of-thumb would be one third to one fourth the sizing of the balance of the page or screen view.
Presentation: When you include all of the other four elements in creating an appealing and enticing scoreboard advertisement, it creates an easy environment for presentation. Offering sample examples for the advertiser to view and hear will allow them to visualize what it will look like for their company or organization. This stimulates their creativity as well as adds a level of excitement.