Why Some Brands See What Others Miss

Let’s define the problem first. Vanity metrics = follower counts, likes, views, and comments. They look good on a dashboard. They’re easy to inflate. But do they move revenue? Not really.

Smart sports marketers are shifting toward impactful engagement metrics — the ones that show your audience didn’t just scroll past, but actually paid attention. Because in a world where the average human attention span is down to 8 seconds, flashy numbers don’t cut it anymore. 

What they’re tracking instead:

In successful campaigns, you’ll see these prioritized over surface stats. A few examples:

Nike’s UGC flywheel

Brands are focusing more and more on User Generated Content (UGC). Because it fosters trust, builds authenticity, and enables community engagement. In simpler terms, increased brand loyalty and higher conversion rates. Just watch how GoPro has leveraged UGC for marketing:

Think of Nike’s campaigns as well:

Another trend? Brands are investing in women’s sports and emerging leagues, where fan bases are smaller but more loyal and engaged.

Women’s sports and niche leagues = High-intent goldmines

A study by Wasserman’s The Collective reveals that nearly 75% of women identify themselves as ‘avid fans’ of one or more sports. Whereas, 58 percent of female sports fans are more likely to think positively of a brand that sponsors women’s sports, compared to 38 percent of men. The value of sports fans is evident from the numbers below:

So it’s not a surprise that brands that focused on female sports saw a massive ROI: 

Ally Bank’s strategy is a textbook example:

Their continued push includes partnerships with USGA, Las Vegas Aces, and Unrivaled — all smart bets on underserved but growing communities.

The ROI equation has changed

Marketing budgets are tighter. ROI scrutiny is sharper. And teams, leagues, and agencies all want proof that their campaigns work. That’s why smart marketers are doubling down on:

Which brings us to Southwest Airlines. Their market-by-market model, grounded in local sponsorships, proves that you don’t need to outspend if you can outconnect. In our exclusive interview, Jonathan Clarkson, VP and Chief Product Officer at Southwest Airlines, breaks down how the brand is winning sports fans — one city at a time.

But before we dive into that conversation, quick question for you.

Going local is ingrained in the ethos of Southwest Airlines. The Texas HQ airline company has ties with multiple teams from the Lone Star State and beyond:

2012: Texas Longhorns

2023: Denver Nuggets & Colorado Avalanche

2024: Southeastern Conference (SEC)

Jonathan Clarkson elaborated: 

Why go local? Because that’s where fans are

For Southwest Airlines, it's an opportunity to build a deeper relationship with people from those states by supporting local teams. Or the conference their team plays in.

But here’s the twist: Southwest doesn’t just sponsor teams — it moves fans, supports community initiatives, and adds flights when games matter most. For example, Southwest Airlines: 

In addition, Southwest included new routes as well for college football matches. Clarkson explained that, analyzing the trends of the last few years, it’s abundantly clear that leisure travel has replaced business travel. And that number of flyers sees a dramatic increase during high-season football or basketball. 

“We tried to take advantage of marketing around particular events [at] particular times of the year, so we can catch the wave of the seasonality and make it even more appealing to travel with us,” added Clarkson.

The marriage of Texas-based collegiate contracts (UT) with major conference deals (SEC) reflects a tiered strategy that builds brand cohesion across Texas and adjacent markets. In contrast, fan travel integration, exclusive access, and media content transform sponsorship into fan-first experiences.

Turns out, you don’t need a Super Bowl ad when you’ve got planes full of superfans. For Southwest, local wins scale, and loyalty flies with it.

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