Promoted feature: Facebook looks ahead to the 2020 sporting calendar

It’s a testament to the fast nature of the industry that in the wake of the Joshua versus Ruiz rematch and the busy Christmas period, many of you are already looking ahead to the next year of sport. With the typical staples of Cheltenham, the Grand National and Premier League football joined by the Euros, McGregor’s potential resurgence and a big year for heavyweight boxing, it’s hardly surprising that as an industry you have 2020 vision.

It’s a tough task to summarise the complexities of the sporting calendar but below we’ll run through the highlights of the first six months of the year and where we think the best impact can be delivered to your business and your customers.

January – February

When we are into the new year, it’s easy for all eyes to be fixed on Cheltenham, but it’s worth taking note of some more immediate opportunities in January and February, both of which offer left-field acquisition opportunities for operators willing to broaden their horizons.

Cheltenham and the Grand National aside, the biggest acquisition opportunities in the past 12 months have revolved around combat sports and rugby union; both of which feature prominently in the first two months.

McGregor versus Cerrone’s fight at UFC246 on the 18 January will be closely followed by the long-awaited rematch for the heavyweight world title between Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder. Interest in the Irish fighter is unlikely to be diminished by his year-long absence and build up to Fury/Wilder is sure to have marquee moments. Both present an opportunity to efficiently acquire a more entertainment-focused bettor, and also to reactivate customers acquired around previous fights.Source: App Annie

Increasingly brands are looking for quicker returns on their acquisition activity and with UFC and boxing customers this can often be challenging. Consider a two-pronged strategy; build an acquisition plan around highly engaged fight fans in your target markets alongside a CRM strategy which focuses on customers previously acquired around boxing events. This will be key to driving value over time.

Fighting aside, the Six Nations also kicks off in February. Given the strong showings of England and Wales in Japan, this is shaping up to be a competitive year with increased interest in the sport following the World Cup. To increase relevance, brands should also tailor the messaging which they are delivering to each of the home nations.

March – April

Despite the varied and frequent amount of sport, March and April are still dominated by horseracing. Strategies for approaching the biggest racing days of the year are numerous and diverse; less established operators may be looking to claim increased market share with race specific, enhanced offers whereas more seasoned brands might aim to drive value from existing customers or to increase favourability with brand campaigns.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach and different needs will lead to different strategies. What you should be cognisant of is leveraging a full funnel solution. You can improve brand metrics, acquire customers and drive existing customer value through a reach and frequency strategy in the run up to the events to build intent, run direct response campaigns during the racing and have an always-on CRM strategy active throughout.

May – June

With the jumps season winding down, football reaches the business end of the season, and we anticipate English teams going far in European competitions once again. The Premier League may be a done deal at that stage but interest levels shouldn’t decrease drastically and we expect opportunities right up until mid-May. Add in the first three golf majors of the year as well as Wimbledon, and there are many opportunities across the sporting spectrum. The key is to match the message to the individual, and utilising tools such as Facebook’s Dynamic Ads can allow you to achieve this from both an acquisition and CRM perspective.

There are only 12 days between the Champions League Final and kick-off of Euro 2020, so these end-of-season games represent a key opportunity to cost-effectively reach football fans ahead of the summer tournament. Following Wales reaching the semi-finals in 2016, and England doing the same at the 2018 World Cup, there will be heightened interest and anticipation in next summer’s tournament.

We recommend building your brand in advance of the opening games and front-weighting your acquisition activity; as customers acquired ahead of the tournament will be likely to bet with you throughout. Don’t allow these new customers to go long without hearing from you though – you’ll need to be active in the build up to the tournament. Sky Bet has seen success with this strategy in the past with their Premier League campaign.

Tie it all together

So, why are we telling you about sporting events that are already on your radar? We still see marketing activities siloed and events executed in isolation with no plan in place for the thousands of Cheltenham punters acquired post Gold Cup, the recreational boxing fans picked up on fight night or the rugby fans who may lay dormant until February 2021. We believe all of the events on the sporting calendar can strike a natural cadence, and with the right strategy you can reap the benefits of a more holistic approach to your year. Today’s marketing mix is a complex pie chart of TV, traditional media and a plethora of digital channels. Facebook has the capability to add to, and complement, this existing activity while giving you the means to speak to your target market at all stages of the funnel.

To find out more about our products and solutions and the ways in which Facebook can help you to achieve your campaign objectives, please contact us at rmg@fb.com.

Brendan Tinnelly (left) has been at Facebook for the past five years, where he currently supports some of the largest Real Money Gaming operators in Europe with their paid social strategies. Having previously worked on some of the largest gaming and entertainment brands, he is passionate about helping the industry as it increasingly moves towards brand-led advertising.

Based in Dublin, Dave O’Riordan is a client solutions manager on Facebook’s Real Money Gaming Team. Prior to joining Facebook, he was part of Paddy Power Betfair’s online media team where he helped execute numerous campaigns, including those for Cheltenham, Euro 2016 and World Cup 2018.