Brand activations that stand out from the peleton
In 1903 French newspaper L’Auto launched a cycling event as a marketing tactic to promote newspaper sales. Fast-forward to 2019 and an estimated 12 million spectators made the pilgrimage to France to experience Le Tour de France.
Even its famous leader’s maillot jaune [yellow jersey for non-Francophiles] was formed as a promotional tool for sponsor L’Auto - chosen due to the yellow paper the newsletter was printed on.
117 years have passed but Le Tour still offers several lessons for how sponsors can successfully engage with sport in 2020 to grow brand equity:
Be remarkable
Enable storytelling
Connect and grow communities
Limit complexity
1. Be remarkable
More than simply being different, Le Tour is remarkable because - as Seth Godin would say - it is worthy of remarking on to your network. The concept was bold and ambitious from its inception; a 2,428km race around France traversing some of the most picturesque and mountainous landscapes one can find. Using today’s universal metric for energy expenditure, it takes ~300 Big Macs to complete. Remarkable.
“Remarkability lies in the edges. The biggest, fastest, slowest, richest, easiest, most difficult. It doesn’t always matter which edge, more that you’re at (or beyond) the edge.”
Seth Godin
By playing beyond the edges of how sponsors engaged with sport in 1903 rather than replicating others, organisers created a movement that evolved from a brand activation to become the pinnacle of a sport.
2. Enable storytelling
Remarkable activations compel people to tell stories.
The power of Le Tour’s storytelling ability has seen roads become personified and develop into mythical-like characters. Mountains gain cult status. Each stage rolls together Shakespearean-style tragedy, drama and triumph which contribute to the ongoing narrative of the event. Simply mentioning ‘Chaingate’ to a fan will spark a polarising decade-old debate around sportsmanship and opportunism.
These stories were perhaps architected by the sponsor but never directed - until you add humans into the mix the event is simply a map with directions. The stories emerged once the sponsor found a community of riders and followers who wanted to engage with it meaningfully.
3. Connect and grow communities
Broadcasted into 192 countries, Le Tour has few rivals outside of the Olympics and FIFA World Cup in multicultural engagement. I remember first-hand standing on the L’Alpe D’Huez roadside during the 2013 Tour and engaging with fans from 20+ unique nationalities across the day.
The shared experience becomes a common language and connector to build a multi-national community, providing the platform for brand growth. The sponsor again acts solely as the architect and facilitator of the experience, rather than the owner.
4. Limit complexity
Despite its scale and boldness, Le Tour retains a core of simplicity. A three-week lap of France, with teams vying to have riders win an overall category or an individual stage.
[Sidebar for non-TDF fans: a surprising amount of race tactics is also geared towards commercial ROI for team sponsors through ‘time on camera’]
Complexity in a brand activation or experience creates barriers to engage, makes stories trickier to share, and messaging and purpose can become blurred.
