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Fishers-based tech startup Spokenote, which signed a first-of-its-kind sponsorship deal with the Indiana Pacers several months ago, says that deal has opened up opportunities for additional partnerships with other sports teams.
The latest deal is with the Indy Eleven soccer team, which is using Spokenote’s technology to connect with fans via promotional coasters.
Spokenote, launched in 2022 by serial entrepreneur John Wechsler, offers users the ability to record and share personalized video messages using QR codes.
In January, the Pacers became the first major sports franchise to put a QR code on their jerseys, as part of a patch sponsorship deal between the Pacers and Spokenote. Pacers fans can scan the QR code to gain access to a changing series of videos from the Pacers.
During All-Star Weekend in February, Spokenote distributed promotional Pacers coasters to local bars and restaurants. The coasters were printed with Spokenote QR codes that led users to video content.
Those Pacers coasters caught the eye of Indy Eleven, which decided to proceed with a coaster program of its own, Wechsler said. “Once we define a product tied to Spokenote in a particular application, we definitely see the ability to replicate that over and over again, and that’s the business model we’re deploying.”
In another example of this dynamic, Spokenote worked with the Pacers on fan giveaways at several home games last month. Fans who attended the Indiana Fever’s May 16 home opener against the New York Liberty received commemorative tickets printed with QR codes allowing fans to upload a digital photo and create a custom keepsake of the game. Similar giveaways were offered at three Pacers postseason games.
Those giveaways, Wechsler said, led to interest from multiple collegiate sports teams. “We immediately got calls from the biggest universities in the country, reaching out saying, ‘We’re doing a special event and we want to do a commemorative,’” Wechsler said.
None of those university discussions has led to a signed deal yet, Wechsler said, but “it’s in the works. We’re close.”
For its part, the Indy Eleven sees its Spokenote coaster program, which launched late last month, as a new way to build connections with fans. Here’s how the program works:
Spokenote arranges for the Indy Eleven promotional coasters to be printed. The Indy Eleven then purchases the coasters from Spokenote and distributes them as it sees fit. To date, the Indy Eleven and Spokenote have distributed about 5,000 coasters, giving them away to local bars and restaurants.
Brad Hauter, Indy Eleven’s vice president for marketing and growth, said he envisions the coasters as a physical token that can help fans connect with the team. Using the QR code, fans would be able to access a changing array of videos—right now, the videos are promoting the team’s “Dino Night” promotion at its June 15 game.
“Through these videos, I think we can personalize who we are and tell our story better,” Hauter said. “It strengthens the emotional connection to our brand.”
Interviewed earlier this week, Hauter said he didn’t yet have any metrics to show how many people have clicked on the coasters’ QR codes to watch the Dino Night video.
He said it might take a while for the QR codes to catch on—but he also acknowledges that predicting the success of a marketing campaign can be tricky.
The Indy Eleven’s first project with Spokenote was an April Fool’s Day prank in 2023. The team announced that it was replacing the numbers on its jerseys with Spokenote QR codes. Fans who scanned the QR code were taken to an April Fool’s message from Indy Eleven midfielder Cam Lindley.
Hauter said the team figured it would be a fun local joke, but it ended up going viral and attracting attention from soccer fans around the world. This experience, he said, made the team realize that there could be some serious uses for the technology.
“The April Fool’s joke made us think, ‘Well, let’s look at how we can utilize this [QR code technology] in a unique way that can really splash our name in the marketplace,” Hauter said.
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