Do Small Logos have a big marketing impact?

In February 2025, more than 120 million people tuned in to watch the Super Bowl, but the real competition started weeks earlier on social media. Pepsi, Nike, and even smaller brands had already kicked off the marketing game long before kickoff. Hashtag challenges, fan-made remixes, and influencer collaborations were all over TikTok feeds as fans got hyped for game day. By the time the halftime show started, the internet was already buzzing with reactions, memes, and brand shoutouts.

Sports events, like the Super Bowl and the World Cup, are now excellent opportunities for brands to get people's attention. Today, sports marketing includes more than just ads during halftime. It also includes relationships with influencers, funny memes that act as ads, and social media efforts that keep fans interested long after the game is over.

So, what changed? Simple. The fans did. It's not just sports fans anymore, its Swifties and influencers. As soon as something interesting happens on the field, it's clipped, edited, and shared on various platforms. This is where the real action is.

"Sports marketing has evolved from a one-time event into an ongoing digital conversation between brands and fans," Forbes wrote in a 2023 piece about new ideas in marketing. That quote is perfect. The best brands today know that their job isn't just to promote during the game; it's also to join the talk that goes on after the game is over.

This change has been coming for a long time. Because of the pandemic, live games had to be delayed or played in arenas that were mostly empty. Brands had to come up with creative ways to keep fans interested. They started online watch parties, livestreams that you could connect with, and digital fan experiences that made it hard to tell the difference between watching and taking part. When things got back to normal, fans didn't want to just watch, and brands didn't want to lose that level of involvement.

The biggest plays in sports marketing aren’t just happening on the field; they’re happening on TikTok and Instagram. Adidas and Nike didn't just make new shirts for the 2024 World Cup; they also made ads that asked fans to share their stories. Fans were no longer just buyers; they were also creators. That's very different from how marketing for sports used to work.

What’s especially interesting is how marketing now overlaps with storytelling. The best brands aren’t just selling shoes or soda, they’re building emotional narratives. They follow athletes through ups and downs, everyday causes like gender equality and mental health, and connect with fans on a personal level. That’s what keeps the conversation going long after the confetti falls.

At the end of the day, this new era of sports marketing isn’t just about visibility, it’s about connection. The fans are part of the story now, shaping how sports are experienced and remembered. Brands that understand that are playing the long game, not just chasing one viral moment, but building communities that last.

The halftime ad might still grab headlines, but the real win happens online, where the conversation never ends.