College sports and a brand of beef jerky that has been around for more than 50 years might not seem to have much in common. In order to connect with consumers and support athletes, Old Trapper sponsors college sports programming.
It's not an unusual effort. Several brands are reaching out to sports fans to grow their consumer base and build a sense of community.
Jerky scores
In addition to being a sponsor of college basketball on CBS Sports Network for the sixth year in a row, Old Trapper has also acted as the presenting sponsor of live college basketball coverage one night per week.
The demographic makes up one of our key customer segments and is a fan of sports. Extending our presence at sports games where our consumers are is a good idea. Fans like to snack, and more and more they want it to be higher inprotein and lower in sugar, so they use Old Trapper for their game day experience.
The company has a partnership with the Pac-12 Conference as the "Official Beef Jerky" of the conference with promotions at events across different sports, including at its tennis championship last year. During the tennis tournament, the brand was promoted on social channels.
A multi-year agreement was signed in July between Old Trapper and the Big 12 Conference to be a presenting sponsor of football and basketball media days. Through the conference's social and digital channels, the brand has enjoyed engagement.
The Big Ten Conference is an official sponsor of football, men's baseball, men's and women's basketball, and hockey. Old Trapper is the official beef jerky of the conference and has been featured in 30-second spots on the Big Ten Network.
The ability to build visibility and reach to our customers is one of the reasons we chose partnerships. The support these partnerships give our retailers at the national level is taken into account. If we can see ourselves cheering with the fans, then we know we are on the right path.
The Ohio State left tackle, Paris Johnson Jr., promotes Charqui Jerky Co.'s Paris' Cut with a name, image and likeness. (NIL) agreement. (Source: Charqui Jerky Co.)
The Portland Thorns are a member of the National Women's Soccer League. The brand has a presence on radio through The Jim Rome Show.
The partnerships have developed as we have worked to establish a key presence throughout sports programming to interact with our consumers and support our retailers.
The main goal of the partnerships is brand promotion, so they don't focus on a specific product. The brand wants to raise awareness of their entire line of products. Brand exposure can include signs, social media posts, commercials and contests.
The investments are part of a marketing mix that includes finances, staff, time, research, product and media support
Efforts to strengthen and expand partnerships in the sports market will remain a priority in marketing efforts. The goal is to support the teams and athletes while increasing visibility and reach.
Joining rosters
There is a long-term partnership with driver Aric Almirola and Stewart-Haas Racing. The 12th year of the partnership with Almirola and the anchor partner of his No. 10 Ford Mustang will be in 2023.
The brand can be introduced to viewers on a national platform and developed a connection with customers with the help of a spokesman.
Good Ranchers, a Texas-based online meat delivery company, is a sponsor of Scott McLaughlin and the No. 3 Team Penske Chevrolet at the Indianapolis Motorspeedway in 2023.
The partnership between Major League Rugby and the Oceanside, Calif.-based company is built on mutual values. In addition to the day-to-day operations of teams, the partnership allows for the inclusion of Olli products.
Meat District has a partnership with the Los Angeles Rams. There is a football team logo on the packaging of the product.
NASCAR driver Aric Almirola and Smithfield Foods are entering their 12th year of partnership. (Source: Stewart-Haas Racing)
The company is based in Los Angeles and Southern California. The most important thing to us is to celebrate and support the communities we serve.
Meat District will be included in Rams content on digital, radio and social channels as well as at training camp.
Ambassador Meats', a brand of Land O' frost, and Certified Piedmontese's association with IRONMAN races are some of the partnerships. Ohio State University left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. is being used by Charqui Jerky Company to promote a new product.
As brands discover the potential of tapping an established community for their products with opportunities to build loyalty, these partnerships pave the way for more.
“We have a lot of fun when people say that Old Trapper is the college football beef jerky, but supporting all the athletes in the college conferences by sponsoring television and streaming exposure for them is a great way to authentically support good causes while also reaching our core fan base,” Leary said. “Put simply, when our fan base and the partner fan base is the same, it’s an easy decision to make.” 
