College football fans across the country are eagerly awaiting the start of the 2024 season to cheer on their favorite teams toward playoff glory. But these fans aren’t just spectators; they’re dedicated followers who live and breathe their team’s success.
They invest emotionally, financially, and socially in their favorite teams. They travel long distances to attend games and proudly wear their team’s colors throughout the year.
So, what is it about college football that turns 47.5 million1 people into such a loyal customer base?
It’s a long list, to be sure, but there are a few things that stand out:
- Strong and consistent branding
- Memorable experiences
- Community engagement
By understanding the principles behind college football fan loyalty, small businesses can adopt similar strategies to cultivate their own devoted customer base.
Strong and consistent branding
If you want to see a prime example of a strong and consistent brand, look to any of the top teams in college football. From instantly recognizable logos and mascots to chants and team colors, these teams have learned to turn common branding elements into symbols of pride and unity for fans.
Alabama Crimson Tide
The Alabama Crimson Tide is one of the most well-known brands in college football. Fans instantly recognize the visual representation of the prestigious football program as soon as they see the team’s iconic “A” logo, the crimson and white colors, and their beloved elephant mascot, Big Al.
Now imagine if the Alabama Crimson Tide suddenly switched up their branding. They say goodbye to the boring crimson and white color palette and hello to neon green and hot pink. The traditional “A” logo is replaced with a “T” and Big Al is replaced with Little Bo-Peep.
Even the most loyal Alabama fans would feel confused and disconnected, struggling to recognize the team they’ve supported for years.
Small business branding
Small businesses that want to strengthen their brand identity can learn from college football teams and focus on consistency. That means using the same logo, colors, and design on everything from their website to their social media posts.
Presenting a unified look and feel everywhere can help differentiate you from your competition and make it easier for customers to recognize your brand.
Memorable experiences
Game day for college football fans is about more than just a sport; it’s a tradition that fans look forward to all year. From tailgating to halftime shows, these experiences turn attending games into unforgettable memories that fans want to share with friends and loved ones.
Florida State University
One of the most iconic aspects of the Florida State University (FSU) game-day experience is the pre-game ritual featuring Chief Osceola and his horse, Renegade. Dressed in traditional Seminole attire, Chief Osceola rides Renegade to the center of the field and plants a flaming spear into the ground. This ceremony electrifies the crowd every time, serving as a powerful, emotional experience that fans eagerly anticipate, game after game.
Event ideas for small business
Small businesses can learn from FSU and develop signature experiences that customers look forward to, like a special in-store event or even a signature product or service that becomes synonymous with the brand. For example, a coffee shop could have a weekly “brew master’s pick” event where customers can sample and vote on new coffee blends.
Community engagement
College football teams further excel at building a loyal and diverse customer base by actively engaging their fans through membership programs, community outreach, sponsorships, and more.
Oklahoma State University
Oklahoma State University (OSU) is a shining example of a university and college football team that excels at community engagement. Not only do they engage their internal community of current and former students through exclusive offers and membership programs like the OSU Alumni Association, but they also make it a point to include the broader Stillwater community.
Between offering K-12 STEM Camps to local students and partnering with small businesses to provide workforce development opportunities, it’s easy to understand why OSU’s signature bright orange, along with the Cowboys’ mascot, Pistol Pete, is proudly displayed throughout the community.
Small business communities
Small business owners can take a page from OSU’s playbook by keeping current customers engaged while simultaneously attracting new customers. Hosting events like open houses, workshops, or charity drives can help businesses build relationships and create a sense of community around their brand.
For example, a local bakery could host a monthly hands-on baking workshop where current customers learn how to make one of the bakery’s signature treats. For a community-wide event to help attract new customers, the bakery could host a baking class for kids or donate a portion of its sales to a local charity.
College football loyalty
Even if you hate college football, it’s impossible to deny the loyalty and diversity of the fans. Fans are prospective students, current students, Alumni, faculty, administration, donors, local residents passionate about their hometown team, fans who only became fans because of a parent or spouse, and so much more.
If you take away one thing from this article, let it be this: attract customers from all kinds of places. Just as college football teams don’t rely on one type of fan, you shouldn’t limit yourself to a single type of customer or marketing strategy.