Hatch Communications
Hatch Communications
Hatch Communications

Thought Leadership

How Food and Drink Brands Can Capitalise on 2025’s Biggest Events

by Sofia Crabtree

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In today’s highly competitive food and drink market, standing out requires more than just a great product; it’s about making strategic moves that resonate with consumers. One impactful way to boost your brand’s visibility is by tapping into major events that attract significant consumer attention, putting your brand in front of key audiences.

Many food and drink brands already do this, and it has proven very successful, as the level of brand exposure can be enormous. A prime example of this is Red Bull. The leading energy drink and its iconic slogan “Red Bull Gives You Wings” is one of the most memorable and widely recognised advertising slogans in the UK. Through its slogan and brand positioning, Red Bull has associated itself with extreme performance and sports, tapping into many well-known sporting events such as Formula One, Motorcycling and Esports.

Whether it’s sporting events or lifestyle and cultural moments, 2025 provides numerous opportunities for food and drink brands to engage with a broad audience and capitalise on. Here’s some of this year’s biggest events that many food and drink brands can tap into to drive engagement and expand their reach:

🍓 Wimbledon 🎾

Aerial view of wimbledon

Credit: Marian Florinel Condrux – Pexels

Marking the beginning of English summer, Wimbledon is the oldest and most prestigious tennis tournament in the world.  Every year, the event takes place in London and attracts many viewers, both in person and through broadcasting channels, making it the perfect opportunity for food and drink brands to showcase their products and get in front of a global audience.

Last year, Stella Artois launched its ‘Perfect Serve’ campaign in line with the tennis tournament, encouraging consumers to rate the quality of their Stella Artois served in over 2,000 venues across Britain. They were then rewarded with cash back on the full price of their pint, driving footfall to on-trade venues stocking it on tap.

Overall, the campaign was a success, raising brand awareness and engaging consumers and giving them an experience.  It proved that Wimbledon is a great way for food and drink brands to enhance their visibility, and connect with an affluent and diverse audience.

⚽ UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 ⚽

Footballer in a field

Over the last few years, the popularity of women’s football has seen a huge increase, making it the perfect event for food and drinks brands to get involved with. As viewership continues to grow, brands aligning themselves with women’s football can be seen as progressive and forward-thinking, demonstrating support for gender equality in sports – an association that can significantly enhance a brand’s image and impact.

Sporting events, especially football, have always been a great opportunity for alcohol brands. Not only among those that attend the matches, but it’s also those who choose to tune in at home or at hospitality venues. So, it goes without saying that this type of event is a no brainer for drinks brands to get stuck in with.

However, aside from alcohol, the Women’s Euros attracts many families, making it a good opportunity for food and drink brands that cater to family-friendly products. It’s also a great opportunity for brands looking to promote health and wellbeing products as this is an increasing trend with more and more people becoming health conscious in 2025.

Aligning perfectly with the occasion, this year, Lidl has been named as the official sponsor of the Women’s Euros tournament, building on its sponsorship of the 2024 men’s Euros. This move has solidified Lidl’s role as a ‘holistic partner’ of football while also showing its dedication to promoting women in sport. Lidl has said it hopes its latest sports sponsorship would inspire fans to embrace a healthy lifestyle and regular exercise.

🎪 Glastonbury & Other Festivals 🤩

Festival crowd

Credit: Thibault Trillet – Pexels

Festivals like Glastonbury attract hundreds of thousands of people each year. Whether consumers attend in person or decide to tune in at home, its another great way to get food and drink brands in front of a large audience by either sponsorship, on the ground experiences or targeting the audience that will be looking to get involved virtually.

For those brands that are looking to get involved on a larger scale, festivals such as Glastonbury are the perfect place for live sampling, and a great way to engage with customers directly while creating a memorable experience.

The brands that are unable to have a presence at the event can still gain large visibility by targeting the virtual audience to extend their reach. One way brands could capitalise is by releasing limited edition products that are exclusive to the festival. This could be done by launching a special flavour or a unique packaging design that ties into the festival’s theme. These limited-edition products create a sense of urgency and exclusivity, driving consumer interest and encouraging consumers to buy a product they may not have considered otherwise.

Glastonbury is also a great opportunity for brands who align with sustainability as this is one of the festival’s core values. The festival makes significant efforts to minimise its environmental impact, from reducing plastic to promoting recycling and using renewable energy sources. For brands that champion sustainability, aligning with Glastonbury is a perfect fit.

💼 Trade Shows 🤝🏽

Trade show audience

Credit: Julian V – Pexels

When looking to capitalise on events and increase brand awareness, its crucial for brands to also consider attending events that are more B2B focused, such as trade shows. These events offer a wide range of opportunities for industry professionals and brands to build relationships, gain exposure, and stay ahead of industry trends.

One of the most prominent trade shows returning in 2025 is the IFE (International Food & Drink Event). As one of the largest and most influential food and drink trade shows globally, it draws exhibitors and buyers from around the world. It offers an exceptional opportunity for brands in the food and drink sector to showcase their products, innovations, and services to a broad audience, including retailers, distributors, and industry professionals.

These events also offer valuable insights for professionals in the field, featuring seminars and workshops led by thought leaders and industry experts. These sessions explore emerging trends and provide in-depth understanding of consumer behavior and market demands. By bringing together a diverse range of industry professionals, these events create opportunities for food and drink brands to form strategic partnerships and collaborate with other businesses. Face-to-face interactions foster trust, paving the way for long-term relationships and collaborations.

Interested in discovering the events you could leverage this year to elevate your brand? Reach out to us at hello@hatch.group to learn more.

In today’s highly competitive food and drink market, standing out requires more than just a great product; it’s about making strategic moves that resonate with consumers. One impactful way to boost your brand’s visibility is by tapping into major events that attract significant consumer attention, putting your brand in front of key audiences.

Many food and drink brands already do this, and it has proven very successful, as the level of brand exposure can be enormous. A prime example of this is Red Bull. The leading energy drink and its iconic slogan “Red Bull Gives You Wings” is one of the most memorable and widely recognised advertising slogans in the UK. Through its slogan and brand positioning, Red Bull has associated itself with extreme performance and sports, tapping into many well-known sporting events such as Formula One, Motorcycling and Esports.

Whether it’s sporting events or lifestyle and cultural moments, 2025 provides numerous opportunities for food and drink brands to engage with a broad audience and capitalise on. Here’s some of this year’s biggest events that many food and drink brands can tap into to drive engagement and expand their reach:

🍓 Wimbledon 🎾

Aerial view of wimbledon

Credit: Marian Florinel Condrux – Pexels

Marking the beginning of English summer, Wimbledon is the oldest and most prestigious tennis tournament in the world.  Every year, the event takes place in London and attracts many viewers, both in person and through broadcasting channels, making it the perfect opportunity for food and drink brands to showcase their products and get in front of a global audience.

Last year, Stella Artois launched its ‘Perfect Serve’ campaign in line with the tennis tournament, encouraging consumers to rate the quality of their Stella Artois served in over 2,000 venues across Britain. They were then rewarded with cash back on the full price of their pint, driving footfall to on-trade venues stocking it on tap.

Overall, the campaign was a success, raising brand awareness and engaging consumers and giving them an experience.  It proved that Wimbledon is a great way for food and drink brands to enhance their visibility, and connect with an affluent and diverse audience.

⚽ UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 ⚽

Footballer in a field

Over the last few years, the popularity of women’s football has seen a huge increase, making it the perfect event for food and drinks brands to get involved with. As viewership continues to grow, brands aligning themselves with women’s football can be seen as progressive and forward-thinking, demonstrating support for gender equality in sports – an association that can significantly enhance a brand’s image and impact.

Sporting events, especially football, have always been a great opportunity for alcohol brands. Not only among those that attend the matches, but it’s also those who choose to tune in at home or at hospitality venues. So, it goes without saying that this type of event is a no brainer for drinks brands to get stuck in with.

However, aside from alcohol, the Women’s Euros attracts many families, making it a good opportunity for food and drink brands that cater to family-friendly products. It’s also a great opportunity for brands looking to promote health and wellbeing products as this is an increasing trend with more and more people becoming health conscious in 2025.

Aligning perfectly with the occasion, this year, Lidl has been named as the official sponsor of the Women’s Euros tournament, building on its sponsorship of the 2024 men’s Euros. This move has solidified Lidl’s role as a ‘holistic partner’ of football while also showing its dedication to promoting women in sport. Lidl has said it hopes its latest sports sponsorship would inspire fans to embrace a healthy lifestyle and regular exercise.

🎪 Glastonbury & Other Festivals 🤩

Festival crowd

Credit: Thibault Trillet – Pexels

Festivals like Glastonbury attract hundreds of thousands of people each year. Whether consumers attend in person or decide to tune in at home, its another great way to get food and drink brands in front of a large audience by either sponsorship, on the ground experiences or targeting the audience that will be looking to get involved virtually.

For those brands that are looking to get involved on a larger scale, festivals such as Glastonbury are the perfect place for live sampling, and a great way to engage with customers directly while creating a memorable experience.

The brands that are unable to have a presence at the event can still gain large visibility by targeting the virtual audience to extend their reach. One way brands could capitalise is by releasing limited edition products that are exclusive to the festival. This could be done by launching a special flavour or a unique packaging design that ties into the festival’s theme. These limited-edition products create a sense of urgency and exclusivity, driving consumer interest and encouraging consumers to buy a product they may not have considered otherwise.

Glastonbury is also a great opportunity for brands who align with sustainability as this is one of the festival’s core values. The festival makes significant efforts to minimise its environmental impact, from reducing plastic to promoting recycling and using renewable energy sources. For brands that champion sustainability, aligning with Glastonbury is a perfect fit.

💼 Trade Shows 🤝🏽

Trade show audience

Credit: Julian V – Pexels

When looking to capitalise on events and increase brand awareness, its crucial for brands to also consider attending events that are more B2B focused, such as trade shows. These events offer a wide range of opportunities for industry professionals and brands to build relationships, gain exposure, and stay ahead of industry trends.

One of the most prominent trade shows returning in 2025 is the IFE (International Food & Drink Event). As one of the largest and most influential food and drink trade shows globally, it draws exhibitors and buyers from around the world. It offers an exceptional opportunity for brands in the food and drink sector to showcase their products, innovations, and services to a broad audience, including retailers, distributors, and industry professionals.

These events also offer valuable insights for professionals in the field, featuring seminars and workshops led by thought leaders and industry experts. These sessions explore emerging trends and provide in-depth understanding of consumer behavior and market demands. By bringing together a diverse range of industry professionals, these events create opportunities for food and drink brands to form strategic partnerships and collaborate with other businesses. Face-to-face interactions foster trust, paving the way for long-term relationships and collaborations.

Interested in discovering the events you could leverage this year to elevate your brand? Reach out to us at hello@hatch.group to learn more.

Share

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Send us your email address and we’ll keep you updated with all things good from us at Hatch

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