A Winning Strategy: Finding Success with Sports Advertising
Jun 18, 2025
A Winning Strategy: Finding Success with Sports Advertising
Running a business means you always have an eye on the calendar. You have days circled for big sales, stakeholder meetings and quarterly earnings reports, but there’s another date you shouldn’t let pass you by – the start of the fall sports season.
When sports season kicks off, you want to have your message front and center. Sports advertising can be a powerful tool in supplying your business with loyal customers.
Meet three businesses who incorporated sports advertising into their strategy and found success.
An Overtime Standing Ovation
Buffalo Wild Wings
Nothing goes together like wings and sports. And no one knows that better than Kathryn Safar, Marketing Manager for 11 Buffalo Wild Wings locations in North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota.
“In the last couple of years, we wanted to see how we could increase our partnership with Midco Sports,” said Safar. “We talked it over with our Midco account executive, and we landed on overtime promotions.”
When the game goes into overtime, Buffalo Wild Wings gets their message out to fans with in-game callouts, score bugs and commercials.
As they look at the upcoming season, Safar appreciates the communication between her organization and Midco.
“They’ve reached out throughout the season to keep us updated,” remarked Safar. “They’ve done a phenomenal job, telling us how many overtime games there have been, and if there haven’t been any overtime games, they make sure our commercials still get played. I’ve been with Buffalo Wild Wings for 17 years. I’ve worked with a lot of regional and national advertisers. It’s nice to see Midco do their job in a professional and honest manner. They are not pushy. They go for the win-win value, and that’s what we want in a partner.”
A Stellar Rookie Season
Anthem Oats
Fifth-generation farmers Taylor and Cassandra Sumption were looking to add more action to their advertising strategy. An SDSU alum, Taylor was already watching Jackrabbit games on Midco Sports, so they decided to add their homegrown oatmeal products into the game rotation.
“We knew the college audience would be a good group to advertise to for brand awareness,” said Taylor. “I think people might have seen our products on store shelves, but maybe they didn’t realize that we are a South Dakota company.”
They reached out to the local Midco advertising expert in Aberdeen and worked with the Midco Creative Services team to develop commercials and in-game sponsorships. These aired during SDSU events and the 2025 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) and 2025 Summit League basketball tournaments.
“After the first game, we had a lot of online sales,” said Cassandra. “We had people come up and say they had seen our ads. We’ve boosted our in-house marketing team, and that, paired with our Midco advertising, has helped our sales for e-commerce increase greatly.”
Now with this increase in brand awareness, the Sumptions are already thinking about next season.
“Our experience has been good,” said Taylor. “We moved from the agricultural industry to retail, and the team at Midco really helped us through the process. I think this is something we’ll continue to do. There is so much to offer for a small budget. It really is the way to go.”
Cheering for the Hometown Team
Agtegra Cooperative
When the game starts, and the region's local college teams take the field or court, Agtegra Cooperative's target audience tunes in.
"Our primary audience includes local farmers and community members who are passionate about these games and will pause their work in the fields to watch," Agtegra's Communications & Event Manager Brittney Bulson stated. "That enthusiasm isn't typically shown for professional games – our farmers support local teams. The in-state and state rivalries are always a highlight. I love that North Dakota and South Dakota each have strong, spirited teams and fans; however, when one advances to a national championship, the entire region rallies behind them, which is what supporting local is all about."
Agtegra Cooperative is a local agricultural cooperative headquartered in Aberdeen, South Dakota. The cooperative is owned by over 6,800 farmers and ranchers, predominantly in North and South Dakota, with a network of over 70 locations and 850 employees. To bring more awareness to its farmer-owned cooperative, Agtegra started advertising with Midco Sports.
"We were aware of Midco Sports' partnership with SDSU and wanted to explore what opportunities might be available," Bulson said. "The production team has been outstanding – I've been able to share ideas, and they've not only embraced them but brought them to life with creativity and enthusiasm."
Since utilizing advertising spots and sponsorships on Midco Sports, Agtegra has received positive feedback from its members.
"There's a strong sense of pride in seeing the Agtegra logo and commercials featured during the games," Bulson added. "The visibility we've gained through our partnership with Midco has played a significant role in helping us expand our brand and services into new markets."
Ready to suit up and get in the game?
Lace up the sneakers, stretch those muscles and reach out to the advertising experts at Midco. We’re ready to stack your playbook with spots and sponsorships that make sense for your goals and budget.