Four Sponsorship Tactics Chase Leveraged at the US Open to Increase Engagement

“We definitely root ourselves in data points, and in order to inform the objectives and the creative, use prior years’ research results across our brands’ metrics, paid media and customer sentiment and really try and start from a point of data and be able to set some benchmarks and goals that we want to meet or exceed and then build a plan against those.”

–Kate Schoff, Executive Director, JPMorgan Chase & Co.

JPMorgan Chase is no stranger to the US Open Tennis Championships, having served as a sponsor since 1982. Over the last four decades, the brand has perfected a successful formula for the event held annually in Queens, NY, with core elements that resonate with attendees, including the Chase Lounge, an indoor hospitality area for Chase customers with tournament tickets, and the outdoor Chase Terrace, introduced last year. Chase’s key objective for the 2023 US Open, which ran from Aug. 22 to Sept. 10, was to take those spaces and evolve the experiences to bring more value to attending customers.

“This is really our crown jewel in our portfolio in a sense, and it feels like it’s part of the DNA of JPMorgan Chase now at this point,” says Kate Schoff, executive director at JPMorgan Chase & Co. “We take so much pride in the partnership and the close working relationship that we have with the USTA in order to continue to push the envelope every year and to reimagine our experience on-site for the breadth of all the fans who are attending the US Open, but then specifically our Chase customers.”

Here, we explore the four key facets of the brand’s sponsorship program.

From the US Open Archives:

• How evian Cruised into the US Open with a Floating Tennis Court
• Sports Sponsorship Q&A: How American Express Keeps it Fresh at the US Open
• Fan Engagement: Five Brands That Aced the US Open

1. Giving Dedicated Fans ‘a Pass’

While Chase began planning its US Open sponsorship 10 months out, the first point of customer engagement started a week prior to the tournament when Chase opened its reservation system and Chase Pass registration. Dedicated fans came out in full force to snag a coveted spot.

Returning for 2023, the Chase Pass is a digital pass that consolidates all customer-exclusive benefits on-site under one umbrella. The pass unlocked access to the Chase Terrace and Lounge, as well as one complimentary drink at the IHG Lemon Bar at happy hour and a chance to win premium prizes.

At the Chase Lounge, all registered attendees received a Chase US Open co-branded hat upon arrival, and this year, the brand added an embroidery station for them to customize their hats. In addition to the lounge’s complimentary snacks and beverages, air conditioning, private restrooms and cash bar, Chase hosted complimentary happy hours for customers—as a surprise and delight, Van Leeuwen Ice Cream (with roots in the food truck scene in New York City) was served in the daytime, with alcoholic beverages and talent appearances offered at night.

2. Amenities Galore

Knowing that fans spend a lot of time at the US Open, Chase provided amenities such as cooling fans, hair elastics and mobile chargers, which were distributed to more than 40,000 fans. Chase also partnered with ESPN for a live daily broadcast from the lounge to draw buzz. The Chase Terrace offered tennis views, shade, seating, complimentary F&B, a private cash bar and a custom tennis-themed bracelet station, as part of a partnership with Little Words Project.

Out on the South Plaza, the central congregation point at the US Open, Chase stationed its famed, sought-after “Magic ATM” that dispenses prizes, ranging from sunscreen, sunglasses and hand sanitizer, to high-value items like future match tickets and signed merchandise. Sounds of the Open, the US Open’s signature concert presented by Chase on the South Plaza, featured Colombian singer Sebastián Yatra.

3. Off-site Experiences and Collabs

This year, Chase expanded its footprint beyond the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, building a tennis court on The Rooftop at Pier 17. Leveraging its Sapphire brand for the activation, Chase offered court time, a luxury in New York City, for cardmembers to book via its Ultimate Rewards platform, as well as special clinic moments with tennis pros Lindsay Davenport and James Blake.

Additionally, Chase collaborated with clothing brand New York or Nowhere, which launched an exclusive tennis-themed capsule collection during the US Open, on a launch party for influencers and media. New York or Nowhere provided the gift bags and special merch for Chase’s Pier 17 tennis experience.

“Yes, the US Open is about tennis, but what’s that cross-section with entertainment and fashion and culinary and all the different pieces that people like to have as an experience these days?” Schoff says. “We’re trying to find those moments and make sure that we’re bringing them together.”

4. Generating Buzz

Chase invested in paid media, social, digital and OOH within the New York City Metro Area, specifically focused on the 7 Train and the Long Island Rail Road since they are on the path that most attendees take to get to the US Open in Queens. The brand leveraged its retail footprints in the tri-state area to spread the word about its US Open activations and Chase customer benefits, lighting up its digital screens and ATMs within its networks with custom messaging. Capturing content on-site to push out on social media post-event was also an important strategy to engage consumers who weren’t there to experience it.

“We definitely root ourselves in data points, and in order to inform the objectives and the creative, use prior years’ research results across our brands’ metrics, paid media and customer sentiment and really try and start from a point of data and be able to set some benchmarks and goals that we want to meet or exceed and then build a plan against those,” says Schoff.

Chase saw about 150,000 to 175,000 unique engagements across its on-site activations—a year-over-year increase in the number of engagements, according to Schoff.

“As we continue to elevate these experiences and bring new components into things like the lounge, the terrace and our Chase Pass, how do we make sure that we are pushing ourselves to evolve those to make them even more appealing?” she says. “I think our off-site activations are also really interesting because that opens up a new audience for us and gives us a different avenue to engage with those that don’t necessarily have a ticket to the US Open, so that will continue to be a focus for us.”

Photo credit: Chase

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