World Soccer Celebration presented by Western Union

Sports teams looking to add value to their partners should take a look at what the Colorado Rapids are doing during this year’s World Cup. Capitalizing on the soccer craze gripping the country right now, the Rapids have created downtown Denver watch parties for the World Cup games and sold the naming rights of the events to Western Union.

http://www.coloradorapids.com/worldsoccercelebration

In a sponsorship world where teams are always looking for new inventory and assets, the Rapids successfully created an event that can be activated by multiple sponsors. In addition to selling the presenting rights to Western Union, the watch parties also offer opportunities for the team’s food and drink vendors to get in front of soccer fans (a demographic that typically skews much younger than many other sports).

Within the festival area, Ciao Voice is activating its sponsorship by having a “Ciao Tent” where fans can get their faces painted and make a free 5-minute phone call to anywhere in the world.

The Rapids are also leveraging social media at the event, promoting the hashtag #worldiswatching to gain national and international exposure for the team as well as its partners and the city of Denver.

It’s a win all around for the club, its partners, and the city of Denver. More sports organizations could look to do similar things when seeking to create additional assets and add value for partners and sponsors.

*Note: Impression Sports & Entertainment  is the sales and activation agency of record for the partnerships.