When some company and athlete make a sponsorship deal, we can say that they are in some kind of relationship. Some of them are ordinary, boring and money motivated. Some of them are completely different and show us that ”real love” is not just some urban myth.
One that I will be writing about seems like a ”match made in heaven”. It’s a relationship between Milka chocolate and alpine skiers. Milka Ski Stars love has been around for 20 years now and two things that helped them reach a ”higher” level in their relationship are internet and social networks.
Two-way love
It’s clear that Milka and skiers love each other and it seems that this love gets even bigger when it’s presented to the world.
Proofs of Milka’s love can be found everywhere: on the website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
Proudly presenting their members, following them on their ski tours, celebrating birthdays, sharing happy moments and showing support in not so happy moments are just some of the ways to show love.
If you take a peek into profiles of the skiers who are part of The lilac dream team you can see that the feeling of love is mutual. Inviting fans to be a part of Milka ski star activities and showing that Milka is usual part of their lives are great ways to give some love back.
Fans = matchmakers
One thing that spices up this relationship is fan engagement. They are the ones who create positive emotions and make this campaign so special.
Through creative and heartwarming ”tasks” fans are invited to show their love for ski stars.
In this season fans have the chance to send a message of motivation to their favorite Milka skier. Of course, it’s not an ordinary motivational message – it’s a message of meltivation, written on a piece of Milka chocolate. Sweet idea, isn’t it?
In previous seasons fans were invited to design skiers’ helmets, record messages of support, try Alpine Singing, play Ice Chokey and Winter Hugby with skiers, send them positive energy …
That shows that creativity is the key ingredient to keep fans engaged and active.
Love without a break
It may seem that every relationship has some kind of a ”cold” period. When it comes to skiing, the critical period is the “warm” period or summer, but where there is the will, there is the way.
During this past summer, fans were notified of their stars’ activities on a regular basis. Reminders included invitation for interaction, because fans had to, for example, guess who is on a photo from childhood, who is preparing for an exam, who is BBQing with friends…
For me, an excellent way to keep the love alive in the off season.
The right mix
We all know that videos are one of the fastest ways inside fans’ hearts. Milka Ski Star official YouTube channel is a source of great videos, where everyone can find something interesting.
It seems that the recipe for excellent ”candy mix” has been discovered: videos related to promo activities + motivational videos + personal videos, all spiced up with behind the scenes and bloopers videos.
Important part of every relationship is excitement. And keeping fans excited about what will come next is always a good way to keep their attention.
Milka moment
,,Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.”
In order to collect all those fabulous moments in one place Milka encouraged skiers and all of us to share the sweetest moments using a hashtag #milkamoment.
Special moments deserve a special place, all of them can be found on a special web page.
Since we are mostly surrounded with bad news that keeps coming, an online oasis with a joyful lilac color, bunch of sweets and shiny happy people seems like a great place where you can go to get your daily dose of positive energy.
What have we learned from all of these?
If you were an athlete, who would you rather choose? A company that will think of you as some kind of investment and put its own benefits first or a company that will help you become a brand?
If you were someone in a company responsible for sponsorships, what would you see as a good deal? Giving money to someone who will wear your logo on a questionably visible place or investing in someone who will show their fans (who are your potential costumers) that you are a more than a brand.
Ask yourself what you want from your relationship before you step into it.
Fans/customers will see the difference and it’s up to you to make them believe that you are doing a right thing.
