In a major push into sports marketing, Target Corp. plans to position the company as one of the country’s largest supporters of soccer in the United States.
As part of the program, Target will partner with vendors including Belkin, Crest, Degree, Dove, Energizer, GE, Gillette, GSK, Hershey’s, Kimberly-Clark, Philips, Scotch-Brite, Smuckers, Tide and Venus on the soccer initiative.
Under the program, Target will become an official partner of Major League Soccer in a multi-year deal that includes airtime during MLS broadcasts on Univision, Fox Sports and ESPN, as well as opportunities for in-stadium experiences, player appearances and ownership of certain major MLS platforms.
In addition to the national MLS deal, Target will become an official partner of Minnesota United FC and the team’s official jersey sponsor. The jersey, with the Bullseye logo included, will debut in late February.
“There are so many things that drew us to soccer: It’s multicultural, watched and played by families, and is growing immensely in popularity,” said Rick Gomez, svp/marketing, Target. “We’ve partnered with several incredible organizations and vendors to invite soccer fans everywhere to engage with the Target brand in new ways.”
