This Sunday is one of the biggest events in sports and entertainment. Super Bowl 58 will be in Las Vegas and will feature the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs versus the San Francisco 49ers.
Many people will be watching the game just to see the commercials. What goes on behind the scenes of the companies who advertise their products during the big game?
Amy Lund, Vice President of Marking and Media Investment for E & J Gallo Winery, joined SportsJam with Doug Doyle to talk about marketing strategies in pro sports.
E & J Gallo Winery, the world’s largest family-owned wine and spirits company, is the official wine and vodka sponsors of the NFL, NHL, and UFC, and home to the #1 wine and spirits brands in the U.S. - High Noon and Barefoot Wine.
Lund says her company has really benefited from marketing to a whole different consumer, the sports fan.
"It's been phenomenal. I was nervous going into it. The NFL is a juggernaut. They're huge so I wondered how we were going to work with them and get our content approved. So we had a strategy to focus on one brand at first. We have been really focusing on Barefoot, America's most-loved wine brand that brings the most consumers into the category. It's kind of like the Coca-Cola of wine. It's easily accessible and it's affordable. We're in our second year of partnership with the NFL and we've got multiple years to go. This is a long-term venture for us. Typically back in the day, Anheuser-Busch had all of the alcohol rights. They recently gave up the wine category space and we jumped on it. We think that there is a real authenticity about the football fan. It's two-thirds of Americans are an audience of the NFL. That's just mind-blowing when you think about the size and magnitude of it."
Lund says when it comes to being a fan, football and wine are similar because you don't have to be an expert to enjoy the product.
"We really wanted to start to demystify the wine category. You can have a glass of wine with ice cubes if you want. You can have it in a Solo cup and you can have it much nachos. What a great way to do that with football. It's a celebratory moment with friends and family. You can have a glass of wine with a hot dog or slice of pizza. We really want to piggy-back off that NFL fan, the size of that fan and the diversity of that fan. Sports unite us."
Lund, a Seattle Seahawks fan, will be going to the Super Bowl this Sunday. She won't be cheering for either team but her company has connections with both the 49ers and Chiefs. E & J Gallo Winery has partnerships with San Francisco and Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce's mom Donna. She had fun in last year's Super Bowl with her son Travis on the Chiefs and son Jason on the Philadelphia Eagles. Jason recently announced his retirement from the NFL.
Amy has been with E & J Gallo Winery for nearly 24 years and credits the Gallo family for its values and commitment to excellence.
"They work extremely hard. They are very humble. They're curious and supportive. They empower you. For me, I have a real curiosity to learn all the time and they have let me explore it. They allow me to continue to grow and they are super supportive of my family."
That family consists of a husband and 16-year old son who both love sports. Amy played basketball in high school and enjoys watching her son on the court.
You can SEE the entire SportsJam interview with Amy Lund here.
