Chase is offering a series of experiential virtual events around the 2020 U. S. Open tennis tournament. The author points out the advantages of the program as well as some considerations going forward.
It is well documented that from a consumer behavior point of view millennials value experiences. The that the ability to develop relationships with a brand via experiences is a key aspect of the appeal of experiential marketing programs for young consumers. JPMorgan Chase, long a sponsor of U. S. Open tennis has been offering experiential events surrounding the tournament in recent years. However, COVID-19 and social distancing requirements have led to the company’s credit card unit to move to offering virtual experiences to fans in conjunction with the event in 2020. Among the special virtual events and experiences available to the general public at Chase’s U. S. Open website are a virtual concert hosted by Serena Williams featuring the music of Khalid, Chloe x Halle, and Kane Brown, and a daily “Warm Up show” previewing the day’s matches. Another offering is a sweepstakes which offers the chance to win a USO/Chase hat or water bottle along with treats from 3 Chase small business customers – Nikki’s Popcorn, The Good Batch and Greyston Bakery. On the site, Chase also promotes its charitable partnership with United States Tennis Association, called the Return the Serve program. This year the program will provide a grant to 12 chapters of the National Junior Tennis and Learning network for socially-distant tennis lessons, online academic achievement programs, and remote physical activities for children in under-served communities throughout the U. S. The site also offers exclusives in a digital lounge for Chase card holders, including a “Chase Chat” on financial health with Serena Williams and former NBA player Jay Williams, as well as 30 virtual events with tennis pros and legends. The lounge will also feature a content series with Andy Roddick and Brooklyn Decker, match previews with Tracy Austin and Lindsay Vonn, and virtual cooking demonstrations with celebrity chefs including Carla Hall, Josh Capon and Gregory Gourdet. So will Chase’s virtual experiences be an effective promotion for the company? There are four major reasons why the program is a timely idea: 1) The experiential aspect of the promotion is likely to generate high engagement and excitement among key consumers and reach a large audience. As advertising and promotion textbooks point out, a key advantage of an appropriately targeted sponsorship is the ability to create high levels of engagement surrounding an event. As a major sporting event, the U.
