Logistics professionals have traditionally been the unsung heroes of the business world, taken for granted until something goes seriously wrong. That all changed when the pandemic hit, snarling supply lines and creating product shortages—and, ultimately, bringing supply chains out of the shadows.
Fast forward to 2024, and the sector has gone positively glitzy, landing marketing deals and mainstream sponsorships. Take the recent flurry of tie-ups between supply chain service providers and sports teams, for example. Pick your favorite collegiate or professional squad, and chances are, you’ll find an affiliated logistics company.
Do you follow women’s college sports? Reno, Nevada-based third-party logistics service provider (3PL) Full Tilt Logistics has signed on as the presenting sponsor of the University of Nevada’s Wolf Pack women’s athletics in a deal that includes signage at women’s sporting events, game sponsorships, and social media mentions.
On the diamond, the Irving, Texas-based 3PL Perimeter Global Logistics (PGL) is the official logistics partner of the Texas Rangers baseball club. And on the links, transportation and logistics services giant Ryder backs a golf pro named, wait for it, Sam Ryder (no relation). The golfer has even taped a series of comical TV ads where he attempts to prove he’s more than just a namesake.
If you’re a pro football fan, you may already know that freight transportation provider RXO is the official supply chain and logistics partner of the Carolina Panthers. And on the other side of the field, Florida-based Magellan Transport Logistics is the official logistics partner of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Auto racing fans may have noticed the “WWEX” logo of Dallas-based logistics group Worldwide Express emblazoned on the No. 1 and No. 99 Chevrolet cars in the NASCAR Cup Series. Professional drivers Ross Chastain and Daniel Suárez even star in a tongue-in-cheek video clip about the deal, pretending they’re loath to share that sponsorship and holding a mock Western movie-style shootout with packing-tape guns. Over in Europe, CMA CGM’s Ceva Logistics arm serves as the official logistics partner of Scuderia Ferrari, the Formula 1 racing division of automaker Ferrari.
Germany-based logistics powerhouse DHL takes things up a notch, recently marking its 20th year of sponsoring the overall Formula 1 racing circuit, not to mention additional deals with the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series tournament and the Manchester United soccer club. Meanwhile, the opposing soccer team Blackburn Rovers counts the Lancashire, U.K.-based parcel delivery and courier company Barcode Logistics Ltd. as its official partner.
So what do all these logistics service providers get out of their sponsorship deals? Executives say the marketing partnerships highlight their unique abilities to manage complicated moves, make deliveries on time, and keep sporting events on track. “This is the largest sporting event in the country, 38 weekends a year. That scale brings a complexity we’re well-equipped to address,” Mike Grayson, EVP and CRO of WWEX Group, said in a release announcing the renewal of its NASCAR deal. “When it comes to supply chains, only our teams have the leading carrier relationships, business intelligence, and decades of logistics experience required to provide fast, forward-looking solutions.”
Ryder leaders expressed similar sentiments about their own campaign. “It’s working for us. People love Sam Ryder,” said Karen Jones, EVP, CMO, and head of new product development for Ryder, in a press release. “There are a lot of synergies between golf and business, and the sport is closely followed by our target B2B audience. Our goal is to connect with that audience in a much more personal way, and Sam’s humor, humility, and charisma has helped us do that. When our ads are on air, we see increased interaction with our website and digital advertising and a reduced lead-cycle time. I think that’s a testament to the natural alignment of our brands.”
