Billions of fans are on the edge of their seats—painted faces, flags waving, and hearts racing. They’re there for the players, but teams aren’t the only ones in the game. Brands are too, and everyone’s competing.
A global sporting event like the world’s biggest football tournament is a major opportunity for brands to drive revenue. But all too often, campaigns become part of the noise.
Most fall flat with generic, lookalike marketing, failing to resonate with audiences who want to be seen. Effective campaigns are built around hyper-personalized experiences. The brands that craft offers like this to verified audiences win loyalty by a landslide.
Plus, the permissioned data brands gain from verified audiences is invaluable—but more on that later. Let’s explore four ways verified fan offers drive ROI, and make your offers unforgettable.
Play 1: Target the Right Fans
When a sports event rallies billions of fans, speaking to all of them at once is risky. After all, fans are there for the game, not your offer.
The first step you can take to have your offer stand out is to speak to specific audience groups. Groups of consumers like students, educators, and the military are more likely to notice—and take advantage of—an offer that’s clearly meant for them.
Here are some examples to consider:
- Students: Whether they’re watching from a dorm room, library, or gym, students respond to offers that match their routines and budget. Ninety percent of students will check to see if a brand offers a student discount before making a purchase, and even more will share that offer with other students.
- Educators: Educators love brands that support their passion for educating, spending more than $750 each year on classroom necessities. Ninety percent of educators are more likely to buy from a brand that offers an exclusive educator discount.
- Young Adults: Young adults, including Gen Z, are a high-value audience across all industries. It’s up to your brand to find them and speak to them in a way that reflects their values. Nearly 50% of Gen Z said they are more loyal to brands that give them an exclusive offer.
- Military: Shared experiences are what make the military and their families a tight-knit group. Military members are most loyal to brands that understand their needs and values, and you can build goodwill by showing you know them. Military members are 48% more likely than average to follow and have an interest in this event.
- Healthcare Workers: Healthcare workers might be catching the scoreboard between shifts. Brands that show their gratitude for the critical services they provide can win their loyalty. 54% of healthcare workers would use an exclusive offer to try a new brand.
- First Responders: Sixty-five percent of firefighters are volunteers, and many exceed 1,000 hours of overtime in a season. Rewarding their service with a relevant, exclusive offer makes a lasting impression on 62% of first responders.
- Seniors: With a large disposable income and increasingly tech-savvy habits, consumers aged 65+ comprise 364 million people globally. When some of the biggest lifelong sports fans hear from your brand, not only do they listen, they share with peers and re-engage, with 80% saying they would shop with that brand more frequently.
The brands that win plan and personalize, using their campaigns to drive relevancy, trust, and ultimately ROI at scale.
Play 2: Ditch the Generic Playbook
Identifying your target audience is only the first step. Developing standout creative is the second.
After all, your campaign isn’t just about the discount, it’s about the surrounding narrative that your offer lives in. You’ll want to explore a range of concepts that resonate with your audience, and give each one time to brew. Here are a few key points to remember:
Highlight Exclusivity: Be clear about who your offer is for, and don’t be shy about it. Use specific phrases like, “Exclusive for educators,” “Verified student discount,” or “Military members only.” Layer your brand’s voice and tone over these specific call outs to stay true to your brand.
Authentic Visuals: Use imagery that sparks a connection with your audience, and is something they can see themselves in. Your brand most likely will have brand guidelines to adhere to, so ensure those images also align with your brand.
Empathetic Messaging: If you’re running a thank you campaign during this major sports moment, filter your messaging for a genuine tone. Instead of “20% off for the military,” try “As a thank you for your service, enjoy 20% off your entire order.” Use language that evokes sincerity and gratitude.
Of course, creative campaigns are complex and highly specific to your brand, products, services, and the moment at large. The bottom line: Don’t discount personalized messaging, genuine imagery, and intentional creativity when it comes to creating an offer.
Play 3: Put the Right Offer into Motion
Once you’ve learned what resonates most with your audience and developed a strong creative game plan, it’s time for the perfect assist: an offer that feels thoughtful and recognizes your customer’s unique values and needs.
After all, blanket discounts often only attract one-time bargain hunters. They erode margins and impact brand recognition.
Exclusive offers, on the other hand, are how smart brands build loyalty across audience groups. They come in all shapes and sizes, and can resonate among different groups. When creating your offer, consider:
- Tiered Offers: They’re more exciting than a flat discount. Add additional perks or bundles to the offer, like free shipping or exclusive early-access to products.
- Example: Get 20% off plus free shipping for verified students
- Expiration Dates: Time-sensitive offers create urgency, and can be tied to key moments during the sporting event. A specific event window drives urgency and action.
- Example: Exclusive offer for students valid until July 19, 2026
- Free Gift: Either include a free gift with every purchase, or add the item onto an existing discount. Bundles connected to their specific group’s needs can drive goodwill.
- Example: Military members receive a bonus gift with purchase over $100
- Free Shipping: A great way to add value, and make the price friendlier for budget conscious audiences like students.
- Example: Free shipping
A thoughtful offer can create a real moment of connection. When you recognize unique customer audiences and their preferences, you show them that they matter to your brand. They feel seen, and you start to build CLV, and overall, that creates impact.
Play 4: Capture Data For the Next Season
Every verified interaction gives you permissioned, privacy-safe data— in other words, data that a consumer willingly shares with your brand. This means you don’t have to rely on third-party data, and you also don’t have to guess who your fans are at a whiteboard meeting over lunch. The pros to permissioned data are substantial, including:
- Highly accurate, consumer-verified data
- Builds trust and strengthens brand relationships
- Enables deeper personalization and CLV
- Compliant with privacy regulations (GDPR, CCPA)
Above all, it provides a clear value exchange with your consumer, which means you can instantly build trust compared to other marketing tactics. You can also use it to engage them throughout the full customer journey. When consumers see this benefit, it ultimately drives long-term loyalty, even after the big game is over. They’ll reward your brand by coming back, again and again.
The impact to your bottom line says it all. Brands that engage with verified offers see:
- 2–4x higher customer lifetime value
- 30–50% higher repeat rates
And 83% of marketers in a Forrester study say that they can expect a positive impact on CAC.
So while a sporting event can capture your audience in the moment, keeping the connection alive throughout the year is what scores fans for a lifetime.
See how SheerID can help you own this moment—and every one after it.