With fall fast approaching, marketers would typically be kicking into high gear for the return of professional football, as the National Football League (NFL) remains one of the last bastions of destination TV viewing. But, as with so many major events this year, exactly how the season will shape up is unclear as the novel coronavirus continues to spread around the U.S., creating an uncertainty that reverberates down to brands that work closely with the league.
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Questions for Classroom Discussion
- Why do you think Pepsi sponsors the NFL?
- How might not having fans at NFL stadiums this year impact Pepsi’s marketing goals as it relates to the company’s sponsorship?
- What is branding? Why might a tagline be a useful branding tool?
- According to this story, Pepsi introduced its first US-based tagline in more than 20 years as part of this campaign. Why do you think they haven’t used taglines until this year?
- If you were a marketing professional working for Pepsi, how would you use their position as NFL sponsor to reach football fans this season? Be prepared to share your ideas.