It’s officially football season, and whether or not you’re a fan, you know it. (American) football in the United States is a large subculture. So large that a 2017 article in the Atlantic (which explored the NFL as the battleground for culture war), noted that football allegiance has long surpassed religious practice in the US. It’s the most watched sport in the nation, with 400+ million fans worldwide.

And if you are a fan, the team you root for can say a lot about you — where you grew up, how much disappointment you’re able to endure, and maybe even what your politics are.

Your team of choice and more broadly, your role as a “football fan,” can be more than a brand affiliation or a preference — for many, it becomes part of their personal identity. 

What the NFL knows about marketing (hint: a lot)

So, how does football achieve this level of subscription and consumer loyalty? Putting aside any fans’ genuine “love of the game,” when it comes to the NFL, investment in a lot of strategic and innovative business and marketing decisions over decades have built the money-making, consumer engagement machine that is professional football. (There are a ton of articles and Twitter threads on the NFL’s marketing strategies if you want to dive deeper.)

But a basic level, the NFL and your favorite team wins hearts (and dollars) by applying these 4 principles:

1. Build and reward fan (customer) loyalty through engagement

What is football about if not loyalty? You can show your loyalty by wearing merch, collecting cards, attending games, buying season tickets, getting the mascot tattooed on your body. Not only does the NFL and its teams encourage this, it celebrates it. Calling out fans of the game, putting on special events or access for season ticket holders, etc. 

2. Use Influencers/ambassadors to lift brand reputation

The athletes and coaches in professional sports, but especially in the NFL, have super-star celebrity status. Teams can use those individuals’ brands to help uplift their overall brand and general affinity for the sport. In fact, recently NFL Chief Marketing Officer Tim Ellis was quoted saying that part of his strategy to “modernize” the league’s marketing and connect with younger audiences was to encourage players to be the faces of the NFL and “show these guys for who they were — just really interesting, complex,  compassionate, wonderful human beings. Not just great athletes.”

3. Own your season (but don’t rest in the offseason)

Football season runs from September to January, but fans don’t stop talking about football after the new year, and the NFL doesn’t quit selling. But the messaging and tone often shifts. Maybe during the season there’s heavy focus on the upcoming games, guys on the roster, etc. while during the off-season there might be more high level brand awareness messaging and fan engagement opportunities outside of games. 

How to apply football’s marketing rules

The key to these basic three strategies is consistency. Just like the very best football players, the best marketers know that consistency is everything when you want to win. 

1. Build and reward fan (customer) loyalty through engagement – What ways are your customers (fans) already engaging with your services, product or business without being prompted? Is there an opportunity to share or invite user generated content? To create a rewards program for loyal customers or referrals? 

2. Use Influencers/ambassadors to lift brand reputation – Who are your stars? Your leaders, staff or even customers who live and breathe the brand? Who are engaging, charismatic and relatable? How can you use them to represent your messages and perhaps connect to new audiences?

3. Own your season (but don’t rest in the offseason)  – Some points in the year will be more lucrative for your business, or your messaging will just resonate better. This isn’t to say you can’t be advertising year-round, but read the room. Know when customers will be more interested in paying attention to what you have to say, and when it might be time to swap in a gentler, more awareness-focused campaign. 

Your Homework: Build That Playbook

Whether you like the NFL (or football in general) or not, it’s hard to argue with the effectiveness of the machine that is professional football. Beyond these basic three strategies, there are so many more intentional marketing tactics — from playing on the emotions and nostalgia associated with sports, to audience targeting based on geography to building goodwill with philanthropic efforts… and on and on. This season, pay attention to how your team’s building engagement among fans. Then, think about how similar tactics could apply to your company or business, and start building your playbook.

P.S. Go Birds.