Brand Building: How eBay's Activation Had Them Off to the Races ๐
eBay found a corner of culture where they already had something useful to offer, then they built something physical to prove it...
On todayโs episode, Iโm joined by Misha Sher, Global Head of Sport, Entertainment and Culture at WPP, and one of the most respected voices in the intersection of sport, creativity, and brand strategy.
In this conversation, recorded at the Johan Cryuff ArenA in Amsterdam during Soccerex Europe, we explore what great sponsorship really looks like in 2025, why it's no longer about exposure, but experience, and how WPP works with both talent and brands.
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BIG IDEA
Brand Building: How eBay's Activation Had Them Off to the Races ๐
The Goodwood Festival of Speed takes place next week.
Itโs one of the most famous car events in the world and is a magnet for brands trying to be noticed. Most of them wonโt be. eBay, however, has managed to stand out.
Their campaign, which debuted in 2023 and returned last year as eBayโฏGarageโฏ2.0, was the (fairly recent) winner of the Sports Industry Group's Hospitality & Experience Award.
And for good reason.
Rather than sponsor something passive, eBay built a gathering place for enthusiasts.
This included the return of their curated museum of car parts spanning 75 years, a speed challenge to rebuild an engine, live expert talks on sourcing and fitting parts, and hands-on DIY demonstrations from creators like Matt Armstrong, Becky Evans, Edd China, George Clarke, and Ben Shephard.
Further to this, there was also a dedicated family play zone, giveaways, and programming hosted by OrtisโฏDeley to add to the atmosphere. They even displayed a Flux Capacitor.
The results (as well as the awards) show that this worked.
According to agency Collaborate Global, in 2024 the stand attracted 80,500 total users with 21,000 actively engaged and had an average dwell time of 9 minutes, which is about twice the norm for Goodwood.
Behind that success was a simple idea to celebrate DIY spirit. That mindset informed every element of a summer-long programme across multiple motorsports events, culminating at Goodwood.
โThis particular campaign was all around experiential,โ said Misha Sher, Global Head of Sport & Entertainment at WPP, speaking on the Sports Pundit Podcast during his attendance at Soccerex.
The insight for this was that eBay already had strong commercial performance in the car parts and accessories category but performance marketing can only take them so far. At some point, they needed to give people a reason to want their brand to win.
โOftentimes when you think about brands showing up now, itโs like: whatโs the story? Whatโs the relevance? Why there? Why is this interesting for the audience?โ
The eBay Garage was an answer to that series of questions.
Itโs tempting to think campaigns like this are expensive one-offs. But the real cost is in the thinking. You need to know who youโre talking to, what they believe, and how you can show up in a way that makes sense. Most brands skip those steps and go straight to promotion. This often leads to campaigns that reach a lot of people but change very little.
What eBay did was different. They found a corner of culture where they already had something useful to offer, then they built something physical to prove it. The garage made people feel like eBay belonged in the conversation. And once you're in the conversation, the sale becomes much easier.
โPeople who enjoy working on cars already know what parts they need,โ Sher explained. โThey donโt always know where to find them, or who to trust.โ
โWeโre obviously showing up in places where you have car enthusiasts,โ he continued. โAnd thatโs very on brand and itโs interesting and engaging and drives traffic to your business... itโs a win-win all around.โ
This thinking can apply anywhere.
Start with the people you want to serve, understand what they enjoy, and then build something that makes them feel understood.
Thatโs what eBay did at Goodwood (and across the summer) and itโs why it worked so well.
SP PODCAST
#59 Misha Sher: Lessons from 20 Years in Sports and Athlete Marketing from WPP's Global Head of Sport & Entertainment
On todayโs episode, Iโm joined by Misha Sher, Global Head of Sport, Entertainment and Culture at WPP, and one of the most respected voices in the intersection of sport, creativity, and brand strategy.
Misha has spent the last decade helping some of the worldโs biggest brands, from Toyota to eBay, connect with culture through sport. Heโs also worked directly with global icons like Pele and Mesut รzil, helping turn talent into brands that last far beyond the pitch.
In this conversation, recorded at the Johan Cryuff ArenA in Amsterdam during Soccerex Europe, we explore what great sponsorship really looks like in 2025, why it's no longer about exposure, but experience, and how WPP works with both talent and brands.
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