La Machine’s Post

To get to know the basics you need to drill deep. All the research that can be done on your product or service helps to define the USP, the vision, the brand values. Once you have the information you need to process it, and because our brains only process the important stuff, it is important to be as concise, sequenced and purposeful as possible. For example: Rapha's vision is to make road cycling the most popular sport in the world. But the vision doesn't mention that the Rapha brand makes clothes.

🏃♂️ Baby, we were born to run (clubs) 🏃♂️ 👥 The Copenhagen Marathon took place last week and with that on my mind, I've been noticing a new #trend: running clubs. While running clubs have always been a 'thing' for sports brands (think Nike sponsoring the famous club NBRO, or Adidas Runners, or Planet Nusa ApS's Runs), I noticed how even other businesses are now hopping on the "let's organize a running club" trend. 🍴 In particular, I observed that many of these clubs belong to the restaurant business: Mad & Kaffe, Mikkeller ApS, Ōhā Run Club, GRØD, and the list could get longer just by looking at Copenhagen. 💛 Now, it's been proven that creating #brandcommunities and fostering experiences around those communities leads to #brandloyalty in the long run (pun intended). And in the current loneliness epidemic, running clubs have also become the new way to meet people. 🗣️ So, by being moderators for these communities, fostering relationships and #brandexperience, brands also nurture authentic brand ambassadors, who are more likely to share their experience with the brand through word of mouth. #wordofmouth (WoM) in real life brings in more members, while WoM online provides the brand with free user-generated content (UGC) and social media engagement, ultimately legitimizing the brand and enhancing its reputation, credibility, and authenticity. 💡 Pretty smart #brandstrategy move, even if you ask a non-runner like me. What other run clubs do you know? 👟

Stage six of the Vuelta a Espana (the Tour of Spain, one of Cycling's three Grand Tour events) began 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙖 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙚𝙩 with the cyclists actually riding down aisles lined with groceries and even up an escalator before exiting onto the roads to officially get the stage underway. If the goal of sports marketing is to create memorable and authentic activations between a sports property and its sponsor brand, this one wins the prize. While It's not realistic to lift this as a best practice directly (I don't foresee LeBron James dribbling through the produce department any time soon), there are three great lessons here to apply to any marketing partnership. 𝟭. 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲. With the landscape of sports and advertising becoming increasingly crowded, it's more important than ever to develop creative, fresh, share-worthy content to maximize the value of your investment. Don't be content doing what's always been done before. 𝟮. 𝗧𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗮 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆. Find a way to showcase your brand in the context of the event. Marketing doesn't feel like advertising when it's additive to the fan experience, it's all part of the story of the event. Give fans a story to tell. 𝟯. 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗠𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲. Both Carrefour and #LaVuelta gained exposure far beyond what they would receive on any typical stage of the race by fully committing to celebrate their partnership and taking a bold chance to do something different. #SportsBusiness #SportsPartnership #FanExperience #Storytelling

𝙎𝙥𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙤𝙧𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙤𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙣 𝙙𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙜𝙤 𝙗𝙚𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙙 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙥𝙪𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 𝙡𝙤𝙜𝙤 𝙤𝙣 𝙖 𝙘𝙖𝙧.  The latest '1-Point Drop' by Marriott Bonvoy is a prime example of how to activate a sponsorship and engage fans on multiple levels. What are the Marriott '1-Point Drops'? Exclusive experiences for just 1 point. They are unique opportunities for fans to connect with their heroes and enjoy once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Their latest drop is 𝙛𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙘. The Lewis Hamilton Experience where members get to: 🟡 Meet Lewis Hamilton and attend Qualifying and Race days in Zandvoort. 🟢 Enjoy a 1-hour, group meet and greet in the exclusive Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team area. 🏎️ Support the team from the Grandstand on Saturday and Sunday. 🇳🇱 Stay for 5 nights at the luxurious W Amsterdam and explore the city. ᴡʜʏ ɪꜱ ᴛʜɪꜱ ɪᴍᴘᴏʀᴛᴀɴᴛ? 🤝 𝗘𝗡𝗚𝗔𝗚𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧: This activation goes beyond visual branding. It creates memorable interactions that deepen the connection between fans, the team, and the sponsor. 🫶🏻 𝗩𝗔𝗟𝗨𝗘 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗠𝗘𝗠𝗕𝗘𝗥𝗦: Marriott Bonvoy members get a unique, immersive experience that enhances their loyalty to the brand. 📣 𝗖𝗥𝗢𝗦𝗦 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗠𝗢𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡: It brings together fans of Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-Benz AG, and Marriott Hotels in an exciting, shared experience. This approach not only strengthens Marriott's brand presence but also sets a benchmark for how sponsors can create value through innovative activations. What are your thoughts on the importance of sponsorship activation in sports? Let's discuss! P.S, follow me Vincenzo Landino for more content on marketing and the business of speed. #LinkedInSports #Sports #SportsBiz #Partnerships #Sponsorships #Commercial #F1

As the F1 season picks up pace before the summer break, I was reflecting on last week's race at Silverstone. In Formula 1, the spotlight often shines on the drivers. Yet Williams Racing recognised the unsung heroes behind the scenes—the dedicated team members—deserved their moment in the limelight at the recent British GP. So on their car, they ran a Union Jack livery featuring the names of all 1,005 team members. This initiative isn't new, we ran a similar promotion by putting competition winners on Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes F1 car. This drove significant interest in entering the competition initially and then again when the names appeared on the car. It was a fantastic way for the team and sponsor brands to bring people closer to the sport. In the Williams case it was employees, but brands that sponsor race teams have an opportunity to give fans access or make them feel part of their favourite team, which is incredibly rewarding. Williams' approach is a great demonstration of leveraging brand identity and team pride. The FW46's special design not only flies the flag for national pride at the team's home Grand Prix but also pays tribute to the collective dedication and teamwork. What a great marketing lesson – honour your team, tell their stories, and watch your brand’s legacy grow. It's a reminder that when even the smallest sponsorship space is used effectively it can tell a story. Brand activation goes beyond logos and colours; you need smart concepts and clear ideas. Get that right and you’ll create memorable experiences and emotional connections.

Does every change on your site (big or small) need to be a planned project? Because it shouldn't be. 🚫 When making small changes to your online store or marketing site seems like big hurdles, creativity and overall excitement are hampered—fast. Learn how Rapha—one of the world’s best-loved cycling apparel brands—migrated to composable ecommerce to boost productivity, creativity, and cross-functional collaboration. 🚲 📈 https://lnkd.in/efxv3pTF

What my cycling club taught me about positioning. For years I only wore one brand… I liked the quality… The look and… The fit. More than that… I liked their positioning compared to… Other brands… Especially Rapha (ironically). What does it mean for you? Are you clear on your positioning? How are you different from your competitors? How much do you play on it in your comms incl.visuals? Most likely your product will be of similar quality to your competitors. Why would your prospects buy from you? Only by understanding your target audience will you be able to nail your positioning & tailor your comms to resonate with your prospects & customers hashtag #businessgrowth hashtag #positioning hashtag #customerinsights hashtag #cycling

My question to retail and consumer goods brands not involved with running or athletics, "What's your marathon?" How are you connecting with your customers at the grass roots level in a scalable way? If you haven't figured it out yet, I'm a runner. So I may be a little biased, but marathons, half marathons, ultras, local 5k's, etc. have all become more than just the race. Along with the community part that these events have always been about, the "what's new?" or "what's cool?" aspect of these races has become almost as important. These are great venues for big brands, small brands, and relatively obscure brands to connect with new and old customers. So, how can a food brand connect with people at this level? Local farmer's markets? How can a makeup brand connect with people at this level? Music festival season? How can a coffee company connect with people at this level? Exam week at universities? I think you get my point. Think about the use case for your product and expand on it in a fun and unexpected way. Excited to see what the next marathon is!

Motorsport isn't just a place for making money...and this shows it! Charlotte Tilbury Beauty & Formula 1 Academy Why is this such a powerful partnership? 🌟 40% of F1 Fans are Female...did you know that? That means approximately over 1.5 billion ladies are Formula 1 fans! What that means is that there is a HUGE market for marketing & advertising to target ladies. 🌟 There are no female focused brands in Formula 1 currently This is not strictly true...as a lot of the brands cater for both males & females. However there are no female specific brands focused on F1. Maybe this is because of the money it takes to sponsor F1 or as it is a 60:40 split then it's just not worth the money? 🌟 Motorsport IS a fantastic place to reach a female audience Most brands will probably go elsewhere to target ladies...however motorsport is definitely a great place to invest! (If you activate the partnership correctly) The female racing drivers are making huge waves in the sport and are attracting huge following - naturally from female supporters who can see themselves in the drivers! This means that a lot of these drivers are a lot more accessible and have a lot more influence & engagement on their supporters. All in all, motorsport is a fantastic place to advertise to reach a female audience. It is untapped, raw, with a fantastic community and will generate a lot of attention! If you are on the fence...let's have a conversation and see where we can make it work! #marketing #advertising #brandstrategy #motorsport - - - I work with Logan Hannah, a Scottish Racing Driver with a HUGE future! She is incredibly down to earth, quick in a car and loves to engage with fans, investors & supporters. She is also due to race in a series with no named female drivers (currently) and this will generate huge attention & audience. If you are looking to grow your brand and haven't considered motorsport, then let's have a chat and see what value we can bring to your business. (Info & Image taken from https://lnkd.in/gCEJevc6) British Beauty Council

🚵♀️ New Formats, Bigger Reach: Why Sponsoring UCI MTB Is Smarter Than Ever The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) has significantly transformed the MTB World Series over the past two years. With expanded race formats, enhanced sustainability practices, and improved digital broadcasting, the series has increased its global appeal and deepened its commitment to environmental responsibility. At Clarity Sports, we recognise the UCI MTB World Series as a prime opportunity for brands looking to make a significant impact. Here’s why: 🌍 Global Reach & Diverse Audience: The series broadcasts in over 200 countries and reaches 130 million monthly sports fans on platforms like Eurosport. The audience includes educated, affluent decision-makers, offering a valuable demographic for brand expansion. 🌱 Sustainability and Responsibility: As part of the "United Nations Sport for Climate Action" initiative, the series aims for net-zero events, appealing to consumer preferences for environmentally conscious brands. 🚀 Innovative Brand Platforms: The series provides numerous opportunities for creative brand activations, from on-ground visibility at races to digital engagement via live broadcasts and social media. 💸 Economic Impact and Media Value: Historical data shows significant economic benefits for host regions, enhancing brand visibility and fostering long-term associations with major international sports events. 🔄 Engagement Beyond the Event: The series serves as a continuous engagement hub with exclusive digital content and interactive social media campaigns, ensuring ongoing visibility. 🎉 Festival Atmosphere and Community Engagement: Each event combines high-level competition with a festival atmosphere, including expos, seminars, and family activities, creating an ideal environment for audience engagement. For brands targeting an active, passionate audience, the UCI MTB World Series offers an unparalleled platform. By sponsoring the series, brands can leverage thrilling sports action, a commitment to sustainability, and extensive global coverage. Linkedin posts are limited in length. For a more in-depth read check out our blog at www.clarity-sport.com #UCIMTBWorldSeries #SustainabilityInSports #GlobalSportsMarketing #DigitalEngagement #EconomicImpact #CommunityEngagement