See sports marketing through fresh eyes… Postgraduate student Tash Coyle shares what she learnt from two weeks working at award-winning agency Redtorch.
As an English graduate and postgraduate student, I didn’t know all that much about marketing. I came into my work experience at Redtorch with a love of sport and a willingness to listen, learn, and offer any ideas I had. Here are my five key takeaways on how to offer effective sports marketing from my fortnight working alongside the different departments within Redtorch.
- Great research is essential
This was less of a surprise to me as much of my studies are centred around the quality of research conducted. Yet, at Redtorch, I saw a different application of the importance of great research. Without the foundation of great research, effective strategies cannot be devised, and without an effective strategy, the content creation is left in a grey area. Great research is the foundation of a strong marketing campaign.
- Keep it simple
Once the research has been conducted before a campaign is brainstormed and its strategy formed, it’s very easy to make a campaign more complicated than it needs to be. Suggesting lots of ideas is great in the initial stages—better to have more ideas than fewer ideas—but it’s necessary to shave away any ideas that may clutter the overall campaign strategy. I was once told that good writing is simple writing – the same principle goes for sports marketing.
- Communication is crucial
Not just within the campaign delivery, but strong communication is crucial to Redtorch’s effectiveness as an agency. All areas of the business – the research & performance lab, digital suite, and creative studio – work in unison to offer every client their own dedicated dream team to suit their specific needs. Clear communication between departments is vital for meeting tight deadlines, producing engaging content, and pitching compelling marketing campaigns.
- Creativity is key
Creativity is the key force in delivering an engaging and effective campaign. Sport is serious but it’s also unscripted drama – it’s fun. Creativity drives strategy and content creation.
- It’s all about your team
Just like many sports, great marketing relies on amazing teamwork. Redtorch is the perfect example of fantastic teamwork in action. The flexible and compassionate culture within the agency allows everyone to work at their best. Culture shapes success and this is certainly the case at Redtorch where I was embraced into an unknown environment and immediately felt like I’d been working there for years. The added competitiveness over the office games of table tennis also contribute to Redtorch’s culture – it couldn’t be a sports marketing agency without a little bit of healthy competition every now and again!
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