This week, Doordash, the on-demand food delivery platform, has announced an official partnership with the NBA, WNBA, NBA 2K League and the G-League – right in time for the NBA playoffs.
Which people are, of course, watching exclusively from home.
The multiyear marketing partnership makes DoorDash the NBA’s first partner in the on-demand delivery platform category. And it’s hard to miss why the timing is what it is.
After a summer where millions DID NOT visit the UEFA European Football Championship and the Olympics, and when other sports restarted with empty stadiums, this is clearly the perfect combination for sports in the COVID times. You watch sports from your couch, you order food.
“We’ve been chatting with the NBA for a while now about how potentially to work together in meaningful ways, not just highlighting entertainment but also confronting some of the real challenges that we face as a society,” said Tony Xu, DoorDash’s co-founder and CEO.
DoorDash is also gaining the spotlight in the #PlayItForward Challenge where NBA player, Ja Morant, was asked to share his favorite Black-owned restaurants.
A donation of up to $100,000 to the National Urban League will be made by DoorDash, $1 for every order placed from a Black-owned restaurant on its platform until the end of the month.
Such initiatives that are both relevant and helpful are crucial these days to help brands stary relevant, and top-of-mind. Or, in Doordash’s case- strike the iron while its hot. Since during the COVID crisis, practically all delivery-based serices grew in activity.
“We’re always looking for ways to double down and get the message out around how to grow local economies and get the best out of communities,” said Xu.
Watch from Home. Drink from Home
Heineken, a prominent UEFA partner, is one brand associated with sports that did see its sports related exposure shrinking in recent months. Now, with the Champions League being back, and with people watching it from home, the lager maker is restarting its campaings in a way that is also especially relevant to the current reality – by betting on the 0% ABV, alcoholic-free sector, with its Heineken 0.0%.
Its non-alcoholic offering comes at a great time when consumers continue to spend more time at home consuming more alcohol, where the booze is cheaper than going out to bars and restaurants. Or the stadium. Which can also mean more chances of less-responsible drinking.
“Heineken 0.0% has seen incredibly strong growth over the past few years, so we’re delighted to announce its first major sponsorship at a time when football is available to watch almost every day of the week. We feel it’s crucial to encourage responsible drinking and give consumers a choice,” said Hans Erik Tujit, director of sponsorship at Heineken.
According to Sports Business, Heineken 0.0% has become the subject of the largest single sponsorship deals for a brand of its type as a sponsor of UEFA.
Heineken’s strong brand responsibility is a nice gesture for the overall wellness of its customers that’s clearly promoting responsible drinking during these challenging times.