Planning Effective Sports Media Tours

August 8, 2023

It’s time to put on your team colors, get the tailgate ready, schedule the watch party and even partake in some friendly competitive banter with your rivals. Football season is here — the time of year that holds so much meaning for American culture and so many opportunities for brands to grow. Imagine reaching nearly 17 million people with your brand message in one night — that was the average television viewership for an NFL game in the 2022/2023 season. With all those eyes on the ball this season, KEF Media can help you capitalize so that viewers will walk away thinking about your brand and not just their team’s ranking.

KEF Media has been ahead of the game already this season. We produced a Satellite Media Tour for The Honey Baked Ham Company with ESPN host and reporter Laura Rutledge as spokesperson. Our team brought the outdoors inside the studio to show fans the essentials to host a stellar tailgate for all those hungry football enthusiasts.

Laura was booked to do short segments or interviews with more than 25 media outlets during a few hours. She had fun, shared tips and most importantly, gave our client the brand visibility they desired.

During football season, we typically see an uptick in sports-related media tours just like the one for The Honey Baked Ham Company. Our goal is always to create a unique message and experience for each client that will optimize results and reach their target audience. Here are three principles KEF Media applies when planning and executing successful sports media tours

1. Make your set stand out. Football season is fun, and your set should be too. We equipped the set for The Honey Baked Ham Company’s Satellite Media Tour with everything you’d need for a real tailgate: a tent, chairs, games, and of course, delicious food as the centerpiece. The goal of a set like a full tailgate is to draw attention to the screen. We can customize the set for your tour to best tell your brand’s story in a creative way.

2. Get the right personalities. The key to great sports media tours is getting the right personalities. Retired players are always a great option since many current players are focused on their season. Retired players still have a great perspective on the game, plus they attract viewers, especially if they are well known. The same goes for sports reporters and analysts– we want faces that fans will recognize immediately. The right spokesperson (or spokespeople) make it easier to book a tour with media outlets as well as draw in more viewers.

3. Tell a story. This one may seem obvious but think about this: the main story may not be the event or brand you’re trying to promote. The main story the media covers may be something related to the brand or story. The Honey Baked Ham Company tour’s story was more about tailgating tips and delicious foods you could serve than it was about the specific brand. Of course, the brand was mentioned and worked seamlessly into the tour in multiple ways. But offering the audience information to hold on to and use in their everyday lives will benefit both the viewer and the brand. We want the tour to feel less like a commercial and more like a story.

When you’re ready to start planning your next sports media tour, KEF Media is here to make sure you get the results you want and expect for your brand or your client. Contact us to get started with a free consultation.