Emirates is leaping into the new customer base by marketing its airline business through NBA sponsorship. The global partnership would have a special jersey featuring the Emirates logo for the NBA players. All-star NBA players would wear the jersey, giving massive brand awareness to the sports community.
The NBA is one of the most popular sports in the Western regions. American citizens watch the NBA in significant numbers. Thus, sponsorship would help Emirates create substantial brand value among the sports players and indirectly help the airline company churn good money through a new customer base. The global expansion of airlines is the plan of the strategy. Airline business is quite competitive; hence, staying ahead of competitors, especially in price-sensitive companies, would take a lot of work.
Emirates is positioning the brand into the potential market. The long-term return for the sponsorship is expected to turn multifold in the business.
The sponsorship patch will begin in 2024 in the NBA all-star game. Emirates also signed a multiyear sponsorship deal with the National Basketball Association (NBA). The company is snatching the title sponsorship to be visible to the viewers in all the games. The airline became the title sponsor of the in-season tournaments.
On top of that, the NBA in-season tournaments will have the title sponsor’s name highlighted as Emirates NBA Cup, according to the agreement. The primary goal is to get the top sponsorship that makes the brand shine in the community.
Every game would have the Emirates logo flashing on the scoreboards and players’ t-shirts, giving massive coverage to the brand in the local media.
The collaboration with the NBA clubs will generate substantial business avenues for the company. It is expected that the customers of the Emirates lie in the premium category of service buyers. Exposure in the western zone will produce good returns for Emirates Airlines in the long run.
Choosing a title partnership is a big win for the company because it gives the brand maximum exposure in the game. NBA players would have specially printed jerseys with the partner’s brand logo. The NBA game receives global coverage. Thus, the brand will receive a global presence through all the games.
Rising basketball popularity worldwide will drive more viewers to the game in 2024. The world’s top players globally consider the game a prestigious league. A huge following of these professional basketball players drives significant viewership. Even non-American viewers also enjoy the NBA in their countries. Hence, the brand paying for the sponsorship would enjoy global exposure through each match.
Global partnership has special rights to place the brand logo on the referee jersey. The initiative to cover the referee jersey is the first decision that NBA management has taken. All-star games starting Sunday, 18 February, would have the jersey with the Emirates brand logo.
Emirates will also participate in the marquee league events that support the NBA Crossover and NBA Finals legacy project conducted for educational investment.
The Emirates airline logo also gets a place in the virtual in-arena signage atop the backboard. These boards are exposed during the games. Also, the nationally televised channels would have their cameras pointed at these places, which makes the brand receive much-needed attention during the game.
NBA games are viewed throughout the world. Therefore, a season would give the brand global exposure. It will add credibility to the brand image and drive more customers to their airline business.
The airline also said that the co-branded logo of the Emirates will be disclosed at the NBA Cup events, promotions throughout the season will have the brand logo highlighted, and social media community posts and updates will cover the brand logo with the name. On top of that, the global exposure through media and digital channels would give Emirates needed exposure throughout the NBA game seasons.
Emirates partnership
Emirates is actively participating in buying the exclusive rights to sports events to create the much-needed branding for the company. Global sports partnerships give the company huge returns through their passenger travellers. The company has a history of buying sponsorships for top sports events such as soccer, rugby, golf, horse racing, tennis, etc. Out of all the top sports popular in the Western region, football remains the most celebrated sport in the area. The Emirates finds the spot in the football games and coverage through sponsorship.
The airline business is quite competitive. Also, the global industry is saturated by a small percentage when you are in the premium service category. Thus, the company have to be an exclusive airline to gain new customers and retain the old customers who travel more often through their airlines.
Sponsorship to the top games gives the airline exclusive rights to promote its brand to the target audience. High-value individuals are the fans of these sports. Hence, the brand receives exposure through the games, which increases the company’s brand value.
