Curling in Canada: A Sponsor's Guide
- February 29, 2024
- SponsorPulse Staff
Understanding “The Curling Effect”
As winter winds down and the sun begins to set a touch later in the day, the curling season presents a strategic opportunity for brands seeking to engage with a loyal and enthusiastic audience in Canada.
From the Scotties Tournament of Hearts to the upcoming BKT Tires World Women's Curling Championship and Montana's Brier, curling captivates nearly one-third of Canadians, offering a unique platform for brand connection.
Among the many curling events, Montana's Brier and the Scotties Tournament of Hearts emerge as fan favorites, boasting impressive engagement rates of 27% within the Canadian audience. With such impressive numbers in the Canadian market, brands can creatively tap into the hearts of these fans throughout the curling season.
Engagement Trends Within Curling
While the trajectory of curling's engagement in Canada has been maintained in recent years, a few takeaways from SponsorPulse's Insights Platform suggest that certain curling tournaments are experiencing growth.
For example, Pinty's Grand Slam of Curling stands out in the small sea of curling properties — over the past five years, its engagement has surged from 18% in 2018 to an impressive 27% in 2023, underscoring its resonance with Canadian audiences.
In addition, the infusion of new sponsors, such as Montana's (succeeding Tim Hortons naming rights ownership), breathes fresh energy into curling fandom, paving the way for innovative activations and heightened fan experiences.
While these trends unveil the direction and performance of Curling in Canada, the demographics of curling enthusiasts unveil more detail-oriented insights that brands could find fascinating.
The Curling Demographic
While traditionally perceived as a leisure activity, curling boasts a peculiarly diverse fanbase.
Surprisingly, there's a significant overlap between curling fans and basketball, golf, and hockey enthusiasts, with engagement rates with curling of those practicing these sports surpassing 47%.
Notably, males aged 13-29 comprise a sizeable portion of the audience, challenging outdated perceptions and highlighting the sport's broader appeal.
Untapped Opportunities for Sponsors
As brands seek to forge deeper connections with curling fans, strategic sponsorships provide brand visibility, affinity, and resonance opportunities.
While brands like Montana's have established a presence in curling sponsorships, SponsorPulse data identified untapped potential in categories within curling.
Here are a few of the most relevant:
Sport Betting: The PointsBet Invitational appears to be a strong strategic fit with almost 1 in 2 Canadian sport bettors engaging with curling.
Banking: 42% of Canadians who intend to switch banks engage with curling.
Non-alcoholic beer: 42% of consumers who purchase non-alcoholic beer engage with curling.
Vehicle rentals: 41% of consumers who rent vehicles engage with curling.
Real estate: 40% of those who intend to purchase a new home or condo engage with curling.
These numbers and categories highlight an important takeaway for brands and sponsors: finding and engaging with highly specific audiences is not an easy feat. Data is here to help you find your audience.
Embrace the Curling Spirit
Whether it's the gripping matches at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts or the exhilarating showdowns at Montana's Brier, curling captivates countless hearts and minds, embodying the essence of Canadian sportsmanship.
Understanding the nuances of the audience and identifying strategic sponsorship opportunities requires in-depth data analysis.
By leveraging data-driven insights and understanding the evolving audience, brands can craft impactful sponsorships that resonate with curling enthusiasts and achieve their marketing goals.
Create a free SponsorPulse account today and unlock the power of data-driven insights to navigate the world of sports sponsorships.
