-------- CASE STUDY --------
Leveraging Sponsorship and Storytelling
to Improve Brand Awareness
The Season
The Season was an all-access series that chronicled the 2018 and 2019 lacrosse seasons from the vantage point of top collegiate programs sponsored by STX. It was an initiative that was entirely new for the lacrosse world.
01_SUMMARY
Over 2.2 million views
Broadcast nationally on ESPN-U
Over $200,000 of earned media
02_HIGHLIGHTS
As the leader of the industry, STX sponsored the best college lacrosse teams in the nation. Unfortunately, due to compliance rules there wasn't a way to capitalize on these relationships. The teams received free products and STX sticks were on the field, but that's where the advantages for each party ended.
The goal for The Season was to create a content campaign that was mutually beneficially for both the company and their teams. STX wanted to capture 500,000 views via YouTube and elevate the visibility of the brand in a unique way that competitors could not easily replicate.
After three episodes, ESPN reached out and asked to broadcast the internally produced series on a national scale. This changed production requirements and elevated the series to a new level. Coaches became more aware of the additional eyes on their programs and wanted more control over the story. In particular, they didn't want their poor performances shown. The crew was forced to portray teams positively without compromising authenticity.
03_CHALLENGE
In order to get around compliance rules STX partnered with the publication, Inside Lacrosse, to produce the series. It required significant legal work and communication between schools and companies in order to get the series approved by both the NCAA and all four conferences.
Thanks to the partnership with ESPN-U, STX was able to quadruple their goal of 500,000 views. Not only did the series create immeasurable amounts of advertising for STX, but it also helped the teams show off their programs and gain a competitive advantage in recruiting athletes.
Although sports are unpredictable, it is guaranteed that teams will face some sort of adversity throughout the season. The production team planned for how to respond to it. Instead of focusing on the conflict, the series showed how teams adapted. This way STX was able to represent their teams favorably without compromising the integrity of the story.
04_SOLUTION
