Building Bridges: Promoting Sports Excellence Through Marketing

Brief introduction and summary of the experience:
The exchange connected Ilaria D’Anna, a host entrepreneur (HE) and head of Reggio Calabria Basket in Carrozzina, with Marieta Kostadinova, a new entrepreneur (NE) from Bulgaria. Marieta, with prior marketing experience and a degree in Business Administration, discovered the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs (EYE) program as a stepping stone to launching her own sports marketing business. Driven by her passion for sports and her connections with athletes in Bulgaria, Marieta envisioned the program as an opportunity to learn European best practices in sports promotion and build valuable skills for her entrepreneurial journey.

Ilaria, leading an inclusive sports club, was eager to share her expertise and benefit from Marieta’s marketing insights. Together, they aimed to strengthen the club’s visibility, attract new stakeholders, and engage supporters.

Description of activities completed:
During the exchange, Marieta and Ilaria collaborated on a comprehensive sports marketing campaign for Reggio Calabria Basket in Carrozzina. Key activities included:

• Developing and executing an advertising campaign with local television (RTV) and online platforms such as Reggio a Canestro.
• Conducting interviews with athletes to promote the club’s achievements and highlight the services offered.
• Creating presentations targeted at investors, sponsors, and stakeholders to enhance the club’s visibility and attract financial support.
• Organizing regular meetings between players and fans to sustain and strengthen the club’s core support base.
• Producing weekly social media and online content to raise awareness and bring more people into the sports arena.

Marieta’s contributions were instrumental in managing communications and creating fresh, engaging content, while Ilaria provided guidance and insights based on her experience. This synergy resulted in a stronger outreach strategy for the club.

Benefits of the project:
The exchange proved to be a highly productive and mutually beneficial experience. Marieta gained in-depth knowledge about the nature of sports promotion, particularly in attracting sponsors, investors, and stakeholders. Working closely with Ilaria, she learned how to highlight athletes’ achievements and the sacrifices made during their preparation to build compelling narratives for campaigns.

Marieta also honed her teamwork skills, balancing her creative vision with the club’s established objectives and aligning promotional strategies to meet stakeholder expectations. This experience provided her with practical tools to structure and market her own future sports marketing projects effectively.

For Ilaria, Marieta’s fresh perspective and marketing expertise brought valuable contributions to the club’s promotional efforts, strengthening its outreach and engagement with key audiences.

Future collaborations:
Both participants agreed that the collaboration was highly successful. Ilaria expressed her confidence that Marieta’s experience with sponsors and supporters will benefit her future projects. Additionally, Ilaria proposed potential future collaborations once Marieta establishes her own brand and explores opportunities for partnerships abroad.

For more information, please contact the local contact points involved in the exchange:

New entrepreneur's contact point:
Foundation Cluster Information and Communication Technologies (Sofia, Bulgaria)

Host entrepreneur's contact point:
MICROFINANZA SRL (Vicenza, Italy)