Winning strategies: Helping clients maximize their Bills partnerships
Corporate sponsorships across professional sports are no longer relegated to a simple a billboard aside a scoreboard or an ad quietly situated on an outfield wall. It’s a multifaceted, multimedia partnership executed in many ways—and can bring in big dollars for teams and sponsors alike.
In 2024, businesses spent nearly $8 billion on partnerships with North American pro sports teams, earning them everything from digital advertising and social media copy to on-field logos and patches on jerseys—along with more traditional means of marketing—to promote their investment in association. Brands want their name and mission to interlock with popular squads and sports, ones that win games, and many times, act as the engine of community camaraderie.
With this known, it should be of no surprise that the sport and league to bring in the biggest chunk of annual sponsorship dollars is also the most popular: the National Football League.
Last year, the NFL’s 32 franchises generated an estimated $2.5 billion in sponsorship revenue, by far the most in U.S sports. The league itself generated more than $23 billion in revenue that same year, so to be associated with such a popular and profitable operation should be a priority for businesses that share a region with a member franchise—and in Buffalo, New York, it is.
The Buffalo Bills are a cornerstone of the Western New York community, both in its play and as a business. The team’s revenues approached $600 million in 2024, but these numbers only tell a part of the story of how essential the club is to community members across the region. The team and players provide an identity for its New York State fandom—especially when they’re winning—and this identity is a desirable commodity for area businesses intent on connecting with customers. That makes sponsorship deals with the team incredibly beneficial to businesses in the Buffalo area.
And thankfully, we at The Martin Group have worked with a few of these companies and have helped each activate their Bills sponsorship opportunities in interesting and beneficial ways.
Whether with public relations, social media, inventive events, or with a variety of multifaceted tactics, our team has been able to help clients get the most out of their association with Buffalo’s football team and its players—and turn fans into loyal customers.
Here are just a few examples of how we’ve made it happen.
Gameday tradition meets trusted healthcare
As the largest and most comprehensive healthcare system in Western New York, Kaleida Health stands alone as the standard-bearer of vital capability and compassionate care for the region’s patients.
But along with the medical expertise, they’ve also been known as the Official Healthcare Provider of the Buffalo Bills since 2017. Over the years, Kaleida has teamed with The Martin Group for a series of award-winning and heartwarming campaigns. Before the 2025 season, they approached our team to activate its affiliation with the pro football franchise, all while emphasizing that Kaleida Health’s aim is forever on advancing the health of its entire community—and with Bills fans caring for Bills fans every step of the way.
The result: “Every day is game day.” With messaging that links the commitment, skill, and relentlessness of medical professionals to the game-ready athletes in our backyard, the campaign connects the healthcare provider with the hometown team, its fans, and our communities. Its doctors, nurses, and caregivers are asked to perform at their highest level every day. This brings their importance into focus, all while campaign imagery shows them gearing up for their own gameday situations.
Devised by our creative team and distributed by our media team to reach various broadcast, digital, and traditional ad platforms, the campaign is now live and resonating across the community—all while deepening the affiliation between two of Buffalo’s most cherished community entities.
Pregame recipes, one post at a time
In a region like Western New York—where residents have very strong feelings about their gameday pizzas and pizza toppings—being a favored cheese brand can be a tremendous boon for business. Being associated with the local pro football team could certainly boost this favoritism, so in 2022, local manufacturer and distributor Lactalis partnered with the team to make its Galbani brand the Official Cheese of the Buffalo Bills.
To get the word out, Lactalis connected with The Martin Group to create a voice, image, and vibe for Galbani social media and help its many tailgate recipes come to life online. For the past four seasons, our team worked diligently to deliver descriptions of items made with a litany of Galbani cheeses—including its top-selling Whole Milk Mozzarella and Ricotta varieties—to the hungry masses of Bills Mafia.
From its Stuffed Hot Pepper Dip to its Italian Nachos and Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese, we allocated monthly schedules of social media copy and creative to connect with followers across Facebook, Instagram, and other busy platforms; dramatically increase their impressions and engagements on each; and deepen the association between fans’ love of cheese and their allegiance to the Buffalo Bills.
Recognizing four decades of teamwork
For the last 40 years, M&T Bank has worked closely with the Buffalo Bills to make a difference in their shared communities. Over time, their relationship took M&T from a community business partner to its current designation as the Official Bank of the Buffalo Bills and is now one of the longest-running active sponsorships in professional football.
To celebrate this year’s 40th anniversary of their partnership, both M&T and the Bills envisioned a meaningful activation that could become a cherished memory for those in attendance, lead to compelling media coverage, and remind the entirety of Bills fandom which bank is most closely aligned with their favorite team. Enter The Martin Group public relations team, who worked with M&T to announce a new multi-year, long-term partnership extension between the bank and ballclub; develop press materials, remarks, and Q&A panel scripts; support media outreach; and assure several local and high-profile media mentions for the May 2025 announcement of the partnership.
The result: An incredibly successful event that highlighted the bank’s connection to the Bills and the Western New York community, and secured more than 60 media mentions, including local and national online, broadcast, and print clips.
On-site snacks from a rising star
While the history and tradition of the Buffalo Bills forms its foundation in the community, its modern-day players are the element that drive fans’ interest year after year. This season, running back James Cook—who just signed a four-year contract extension in the offseason—is one player many Bills Mafia members hope will lead the team to a title.
But off the field, Cook and his management recently teamed with Buffalo-headquartered Rich Products to treat fans in a different way. With the creation of The James Cookie, the player and food company have partnered for a fun dessert to last throughout the season and beyond. To launch this sweet addition to the local snack routine, Rich’s coordinated with The Martin Group for a gameday launch of their newest product partnership.
Spanning out across the parking lots of Highmark Stadium before the Bills hosted the New Orleans Saints on September 28, our team distributed more than 700 cookies over a two-hour span; collected great photo and video content for the client; and spread the word about Buffalo’s newest player-corporate partnership for Rich Products, all under the slogan of “Let James Bake.”
Call it a tasty addition to the Bills tailgating experience. Call it a sweet score for two big-time Buffalo players. Or better yet, count it as another inventive way to activate affiliation between our clients, their customers, and our beloved football team.
No matter what, score it a win for creative collaboration—and go Bills.
To learn more about The Martin Group’s activation work within all verticals, click here.