Upgrading facilities to be LEED-certified, reducing carbon emissions, using recycled or compostable foodservice products, and diverting waste from landfills are common ways that sporting events are going green. However, especially with large events, much of the impact is contributed by the fans.
Upgrading facilities to be LEED-certified, reducing carbon emissions, using recycled or compostable foodservice products, and diverting waste from landfills are common ways that sporting events are going green. However, especially with large events, much of the impact is contributed by the fans. Companies can use their advertisements to promote behavior change, or offer recyclable, zero-waste sporting goods, but truly engaging fans can be a daunting and difficult task.
The San Francisco Bay Area Super Bowl 50 Host Committee, in collaboration with social cause marketing agencies in/PACT and Citizen Group, is taking on the challenge. To help meet their goal of delivering Super Bowl 50 as a “Net Positive” event, the Host Committee launched a new campaign this week: “Play Your Part” will recognize and reward fans for their sustainable behavior.
“Given the millions of fans that the Big Game attracts, there’s a huge opportunity for all of us to join together and play our part in shaping a better future,” in/PACT CEO John McNeel added.
Fans can perform or pledge to perform actions such as taking public transit or riding their bike, using a reusable water bottle, properly recycling waste, or hosting a sustainable Super Bowl party. When they make a pledge to take action, fans will automatically be entered to win a pair of tickets to Super Bowl 50 and other prizes. Participants will also be rewarded with “GoodCoins” that they can use to support environmental causes. By giving their GoodCoins between January 25 through February 7, fans can weigh in on how the 50 Fund’s $200,000 Sustainable Environments Game Changer Grant will be allocated to a short list of Bay Area environmental non-profits.
Partnerships that Create Positive Impact & Important Behavior Change
Join us as leaders from Diageo, ReFED and the Impactful examine case studies of collaboration delivering tangible benefits while also driving virtuous cycles of behavioral shifts among customers, innovation partners, suppliers, vendors and local communities— Wed, May 8, at Brand-Led Culture Change.
“By leveraging the Bay Area’s leadership in technology, sustainability and philanthropy, we have the opportunity to create a real legacy,” said Robin Raj, founder and executive director of Citizen Group. “We’re proud to work with the Host Committee and in/PACT to set a new standard for how future major sporting events can engage and support their communities for years to come.”
The Play Your Part website also has information on actions that the Host Committee is taking to meet its net positive goal, including offsetting unavoidable emissions through TerraPass, serving locally sourced and organic food options, participating in a food recovery program to redirect food waste, running a “Fan Express” charter bus with pickup points throughout the Bay Area and electric bus shuttles for media personnel, and more.
Published Jan 20, 2016 12pm EST / 9am PST / 5pm GMT / 6pm CET