This past fall Columbia University garnered a slew of coverage for its football team; not the coverage you would want usually as the Lions again slogged to a winless season in the ever-improving Ivy League, but the noise around the program in a major media market showed that there was more than a heartbeat for athletics for Morningside Heights. In reality, the football program’s lack of success is one of the few blips on a highly successful athletics program that has brought fans, brands and interest back to Columbia like the school hasn’t seen in years.
Basketball, both men’s and women’s, baseball, and other sports are more than competitive both in the Ivy League and nationally, with a student-athlete and alumni footprint that is reflective of the University population overall.
It is because of that overall success and the influence of both tis students and alumni that the Lions have pulled in a unique international sponsorship platform this year; one that is reflective of how companies are targeting their spends and measuring ROI. It is with the Tourism Board of Chile.
Now while it is not unusual for countries looking for large exposure points to target high level college and professional events with campaigns and on-site activation, it is unusual for a country such as Chile to try and work with an Ivy School like Columbia. However the demographic of who the Chilean Tourism Board wanted to reach; high net worth individuals with global reach and influence in an urban setting like New York, happened to fit very well with Columbia’s footprint. The Lions sports marketing group was also able to amplify the sponsorship way beyond some signs or PA announcements at football games or at Levien Gym, which will be packed most of the Ivy season, by using some great digital activation and promotion as well, along with giving Tourismo Chile the ability to sample on site and even conduct a pregame reception for influential alumni, fans and community members.
While the overall effectiveness of the campaign won’t be able to be measured until after the winter, it is a great example of an unconventional sponsorship finding its way to a newer American active audience, and the power of elite Universities in being able to deliver a message to a core audience that a brand is looking for. Will Chile expand beyond the Lions in coming years? Maybe, but for now it is worth a great roar for Columbia to pull in a global brand to share its growing spotlight with.
