Opportunity: Women’s volleyball is one of the fastest growing sports in the US, selling out football stadiums, setting viewership records on ESPN, and professional teams launching in 2024. Volleyball Club teams are thriving across the country where girls 11-18 excel in the sport by playing tournaments bi-weekly for six months of the year. The format of play– where you play a game and rest a game– lends itself to the brand engagement of Gen Z and their parents.
The 210 Countdown Classic is the largest 18 and under girls volleyball tournament in South Texas with more than 480 teams and 24,000 spectators over two days of play. The tournament, held annually in San Antonio, Texas, pulls 90% of its player base from the state. This posed a unique opportunity for Procter & Gamble and their portfolio of brands sold at HEB. GDC Marketing & Ideation was engaged to help create opportunities to position specific brands allowing our experiential marketing team to stop, engage, and give consumers a reason to act.
Our Approach
GDC negotiated a presenting sponsorship role for P&G at the tournament. The comprehensive sponsorship package included various branding opportunities such as website presence, facility signage, net tape branding, and social media posts. The activation strategy focused on pre-event promotion through social media, sponsorship assets like court schedules, and a 30 x 30 booth for on-site engagement. Inside the booth brand ambassadors offered samples and showed customers how to clip digital coupons to save up to $15 at HEB stores. Additionally, a photo booth was able to capture social sharing moments with teams and parents to further extend the reach of the event.
Results
The impact of P&G's activation at the 210 Countdown Classic was substantial:
- The branding and awareness of P&G and its portfolio of brands were evident throughout the facility.
- More than 8,000 interactions with customers to share samples and download coupons.
- Social and web metrics revealed significant online traction with thousands of impressions, page views, and unique visits on various platforms.
