6 points marketing teams should consider before sports sponsorship

Sports sponsorship has become a significant part of the marketing mix and is a great source of sponsorship for sports entities. Besides, sports sponsorships aid image building, relationship marketing and ultimately sales, not forgetting that the effects are long term. 

The energy that comes from athletes competing, the passion of fans and their supportive activities, the banter, the conversations all make sport like nothing else. The unprecedented performances of human speed, strength and spectacle. You may not find a better way to passion and performance to your brand’s identity than to interact with sports. 

Sports sponsorship can be an incredibly effective marketing tool – strategically in building brands and launching innovations, and building deeper relationships with target audiences – and also in driving sales promotional activity, in more topical and relevant ways. It is for this that we listed these hardpoints to consider when planning to connect with sports: 

  1. The target audience and what matters most to them
  2. Brand relevance, and values for the audience
  3. Intending type of association
  4. The role of the audience
  5. Long term sustenance 
  6. The plan should drive sales

What matters most to the intending target audience? 

You need to understand the target audience. For established companies, there is already an established target audience. This time, you need to understand the target audience you want to engage in sports and what matters most to them. Sports marketing has its unique features, and engagement happens on a different pedestal in this case. 

See also: 5 web series to consider in marketing campaigns

Brand relevance, and values for the audience

How is the plan relevant to the brand? Is there a connection between your product and sports or it is going to be forced? Besides that, what value does the connection have that resonates with what the intending audience cares about? 

Intending type of association

You need to understand the kind of associations you seek to make between your brand and the sports entity. Also, understand which benefits your brand between a short term relationship and a long term relationship. 

The role of the audience

The audience has a role to play to help amplify the impact of your campaign and that includes peer to peer communication of your brand’s message. This may mean bringing brand ambassadors on board and having foot soldiers strategically stationed at core points. 

Long term sustenance 

If you intend to sustain the relationship for a long time, the strategy needs to be upgraded to fit that plan. This means the storytelling, the definition of the relationship and the strategy must reflect that kind of plan. 

The plan should drive sales

What is the aim other than to drive incremental sales? The sponsorship has to be profitable for the brand either on a short or long term basis. Sponsorship may act as community service, yet, the brand can only continue operations if revenue exceeds expenditure. 

Sports sponsorship is one of the main opportunities to touch people in the deepest part of their being. Do not sleep on this one. 

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

cool good eh love2 cute confused notgood numb disgusting fail