Gatorade and Hockey Canada are hosting a conference in Toronto today featuring former NHL coach Pat Quinn and retired defenceman Paul Coffey as part of the brand’s ongoing hockey marketing program.
Gatorade flew in 100 coaches, trainers and athletic directors from 30 hockey organizations like Bank Hockey Academy and the Ontario Hockey League for the one day conference, held at the Hockey Hall of Fame, in hopes of turning them into brand ambassadors.
By enticing the amateur hockey industry with a free trip and conference sessions by well-known experts about conditioning, skill and fitness testing and the psychology of hockey, Gatorade believes it can improve brand loyalty and increase usage amongst an influential set of consumers, according to Shirley Mukerjea, Gatorade’s director of marketing for “hydration” and emerging brands.
“We’re engaging key influencers in sport – coaches, sports trainers, nutritionists and athletic directors,” Mukerjea said. “We believe this group of hockey leaders in the industry will drive a cascade of influence that will dovetail into the entire industry.”
Mukerjea said Gatorade’s demographic “bullseye” in Canada is 15 to 17-year-old elite hockey players who play for AA or AAA leagues. She said this group is influential amongst other athletic consumers and Gatorade can drive further purchase intent by targeting them.
Gatorade sees the conference as a “launching pad” for the rest of its hockey marketing efforts, which include local tournament sponsorships and providing digital training programs (created in partnership with TBWA) for coaches.
In the U.S. much of Gatorade’s marketing focuses on basketball, football and Nascar, but in Canada the brand focuses on hockey. “We want to make sure we’re tapping into Canada’s number one sport. What we’re all passionate about as Canadians is hockey,” Mukerjea said.
Gatorade has partnered with Hockey Canada on a number of initiatives for more than 25 years, including providing training materials and free product to players during the World Junior Championships.
SDI Marketing, Gatorade’s Canadian sports marketing agency, helped organize and run the conference, while High Road Communications handled PR and TBWA assisted in strategy and creating promotional materials.
