2021's long-awaited Summer of Sport is finally here. Alongside annuals like Wimbledon, Grand Prix, the British Open, MLB, and the Tour de France, this summer also sees:
The Euros until July 11
The Olympics July 23 - August 08
The Paralympics August 24 - September 05
The Lions tour of South Africa July 03 - August 07
The Hundred cricket tournament July 21 - August 21
Phew. That's a lot of sport.
Both anecdotal evidence and recent reports show a strong appetite for socialising in restaurants and pubs post-lockdown, and CGA's Drinks Recovery Tracker also reports that venues screening the England v Croatia game on June 13 saw a like-for-like drinks sale rise of 12% against the same date in 2019.
For hospitality business owners, it makes sense to capitalise on the Summer of Sport. Start by optimising your website and online channels for terms like “sports pubs” and your location e.g. “sports pubs in Nottingham”, and also terms like “Sky Sports”, “BBC Sports”, “BT Sports” and “NBC Sports”. Additionally, include games and offers in your social media and ezine comms, and consider introducing QR code table ordering, which helps especially during busy periods.
How can we help?
While we've already shared 8 marketing ideas to try for the Euros, truthfully these can be adapted for other sporting events. Plus, we've collated some data on consumer behaviour that you can use in your Summer of Sport strategy.
Sources
1-3 Kam Media Research, in partnership with Matchpint
5 Kam Media Research, in partnership with Matchpint
