Stepping Up Their Game.
Dumfries' premier ice hockey team, the Solway Sharks, took a step up joining the Northern Ice Hockey League (NIHL) in 2023.
The new owners, David McCarroll & Phil Reilly, asked me to develop thier sponsorship opportunities and step up marketing and merchandise sales.
Curating Sponsorship Opportunities
As the Sharks took the leap into the pro-league, they were keen to generate more local interest, community interaction, and funding for the team.
I worked closely with the owners to compile intriguing sponsor opportunities and design a comprehensive brochure with a breakdown of the perks and pricing. Interested local businesses had the chance to sponsor everything – from players to jerseys, pucks to the penalty box, and socials to livestream – even the ice they skate on!
Sponsorship Deliverables
I was also responsible for the design and production files for the sponsor deliverables. Aside from the jersey design (covered in their own post), I worked closely with both the club owners and new sponsors to design and produce...
• Under-ice arena graphics
• Photo op media walls
• Stadium screen graphics
• Eyecatching branded rink boards
• Branded hockey pucks
• Sponsor branded match social media updates.
Sponsor Under-Ice Graphics
Sponsor Media Wall
Jersey Sponsors
Weekly Official Sharks Newsletter
I took on responsibility for the official weekly newsletter, writing and designing an update for the community each week of the season, using info provided by the club owners.
After developing a general design structure and flow on Mailchimp, the newsletter I produced expanded to include more than just details of the next game.
Over 500 subscribers received a match recap and next match info, along with special promotions, new product news, charity events. I integrated links to highlights and clips from the latest club podcast, so the dedicated fans wouldn't miss a thing.
Socials Posts & Assets
The Sharks had many talented volunteers who lent their services to the club. Managing the social media were Leanne and Stacey, who would go on to form the Cowboy Creative & Hitched (check out my other projects for more details).
The Cowboy Creative team had primary responsibility for socials content planning and creation. When more custom graphics or design elements (such as new product mockups) were required, they came to me for help.
