Tennis has long been a preferred marketing playground for luxury and finance brands, and the US Open — the least buttoned-up of the four Grand Slams — has drawn audiences well beyond traditional tennis fans. But this year, average resale ticket prices have soared, making the event less accessible to everyday fans who once watched matches at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center without breaking the bank. In response, sponsors, including several luxury players, have shifted their activation strategies to make fans outside the grounds feel part of the action.

"It's the perfect mix of everything," Chris Weil, founder and co-CEO of Horizon Sports & Experiences, who has worked with multiple US Open clients, told Marketing Brew. "It's New York coming out of summer and everybody coming home, it's a venue that is iconic, it's competition, and then you add the experience onto it... This is an elevated experience that only happens for these two weeks, and so everybody feels like they have to be there."

Taking activations offsite

The US Open is not the only high-demand, highly priced event forcing marketers to rethink access. At events like the World Cup and the Masters, sponsors increasingly activate in spaces not restricted to ticket holders — a strategy that gives more consumers a taste of the event while stretching the sponsorship's reach.

Grey Goose has spent recent years distributing its iconic Honey Deuce cocktail outside US Open grounds through partnerships with bars and delivery services. This year, coffee brand Lavazza teamed with Eataly and Highsnobiety to take its beverages offsite during the tournament.

"There are a couple of elements of hospitality, of course premium moments, but also...moments of connection between people that now make it really like a cultural experience," Daniele Foti, VP of marketing for Lavazza North America, said. "So bringing the US Open outside of the stadium, to me, is key."

IBM, the official AI and cloud partner of the US Open, powers the tournament's app and its data, tech, and IT operations. The company is leaning harder into consumer-facing sports marketing with a free, four-day pop-up at Madison Square Park during the tournament's final week. More than 500,000 people visited the space when IBM first ran the pop-up at last year's Open, according to Sarah Meron, chief brand and communications officer. As a B2B brand, IBM targets potential clients and their influencers — media and analysts — many of whom live in New York. Sports activations also let IBM showcase technology that can be "really esoteric" in a relatable way.

"It's not how many people walk by; it's how many people we can influence in terms of perception and understanding of IBM," Meron said. "If people won't line up to do it, you won't see it from us again."

Wearables, social, and relatability

Oura, the official wearable of the Open, is running out-of-home ads around New York, CMO Doug Sweeny said. It also holds deals with American tennis stars Coco Gauff and Taylor Fritz to show the product in use to audiences beyond those watching the tournament.

"It is a considered purchase, so a consumer may see Coco Gauff talking about it in her feed, they may run by it in a Target, they may see an ad in the New York Times or ESPN," Sweeny said. "There are multiple touchpoints, but those stories tend to be a little bit more deliberate based on the medium."

Mercedes-Benz, exclusive auto partner of the WTA and the official US Open vehicle before 2022, is leaning on organic social rather than creators this slam season. Gauff, a brand ambassador, stars in the automaker's latest campaign, which Mercedes is promoting heavily through organic social, including behind-the-scenes videos of the player, said Ryanne Webber, senior manager of brand communications for Mercedes-Benz USA. The BTS content gives fans greater access to the star while building relatability for the luxury brand across "multiple audiences," she said.

"It is bigger than just the TV campaign," Webber said. "How do you extend the experience beyond what is on site, because it is unrealistic for a large audience to be able to experience it in the same way?"

Influencers remain a friction point: some tennis fans and players have pushed back against creator attendees expecting more decorum at matches.

Educational content can help brands grow the sport among non-fans while providing authentic messaging opportunities, said Beni Brown, global director of strategy at Buttermilk, a creator marketing agency working with Gap, Armani Beauty, and L'Oréal. She pointed to Formula 1 as a model: "That's what F1 did so well: bringing people into this world that has been so closed off, that they might not understand," Brown said. "The brand being a bit of a window into that...feels a bit more of something that the consumer can walk away with and be like, 'Oh, do you remember that exhibition? That's where I found out about what love means.'"

Source: Marketing Brew (https://www.marketingbrew.com/stories/premium-sponsors-us-open-ticket-prices?utm_source=&utm_medium=syndication&utm_campaign=feed) / Source: si.com (https://www.si.com/tennis/why-us-open-ticket-prices-soaring)