Our TriVision Buzz host who also happens to be the reigning Miss Virginia USA Shannon McAnally, was a proud contestant at the Miss USA Pageant 2013 held at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, Nevada.
When asked how she felt about the experience, McAnally said, “Being part of Miss USA was an amazing experience and has really opened my eyes to the significant role brand marketing and corporate sponsorship plays in making events like this possible.”
The dominant brands and corporate sponsors at the competition once again were from cosmetics, beauty, fashion, and destination industries, promoting to and capturing over 5 million viewers across the country on NBC.
Brand sponsorships at beauty pageants (as well as sporting events), are an essential part of the business. Since promotion is the best way for a brand to communicate with their target market, many companies use corporate sponsorships as a quick and effective marketing tool to reach mass amounts of people with a common interest.
For example, as a presenting sponsor at Miss USA 2013, Farouk Systems, the maker of Chi Ceramic hair styling products, sent a team of their creative stylists to style the 51 contestants for all the preliminary rounds, photo shoots, and live telecast of the competition. In turn, their brand and products gained exposure in a national and global scale.
It is probably safe to say that brand placement and sponsorship play a vital role in the success of pageants and competitions.