Sports sponsorship has become an effective mechanism to promote positive brand affinity, generate brand awareness, drive overall traffic, launch new products and service lines, and reach consumers in a unique and meaningful way. According to a Nielsen Sport survey, 81% of respondents trust companies that sponsor sports events.
Some of the world’s biggest companies, from almost every industry, rely on the power of sport sponsorships to bring their brand to new heights. Sponsorship creates an association of the brand with a sports team or tournament: Mikasa – volleyball championships, Škoda – hockey World Championship, Qatar Air – PSG, Tinkoff – Daniil Medvedev, etc. Sponsorship of large federal and international projects helps companies reach a large audience and increase overall visibility, build a positive association with a spot club or athlete and promote their brands and products in order to increase the loyalty of the target audience.
Reaching the minds of new or existing customers not only increases brand awareness, but can also directly drive sales. Thus, an analysis of 100 sponsorship projects in seven international markets in 20 industries showed an average 10% increase in sales.
Have you noticed, that Chinese brands were among top sponsors during European Football Championship 2024? Many of these companies already have the edge in their home market, so they are seeking an opportunity to expand into new overseas markets or strengthen their presence in existing ones.
Sport sponsoring can also differentiate your company from the competitors, transfer your values and give your brand the opportunity to stand out as a leader in your sector.
Any of the sports sponsorship formats make it possible to promote the brand through advertising on the site, place the logo on the athletes’ uniforms, integrate directly into the event (tickets to employees, partners), or use athletes in the brand communication. Sports sponsorship also provides an opportunity to create and promote unique content for digital platforms and social media – images, videos, the best moments of events, interviews with sports stars, etc.
Sport sponsoring also helps to increase brand loyalty. In fact, according to our experience, a team’s fans are more willing to buy from the sponsor than from its competitors. This translates into brand loyalty, and customers are less sensitive to paying premium prices.
Every sponsorship matters. It is not only about expensive contacts with TV reach, it is also about sponsorship that matters. Every business can integrate sponsorship as a tool into the marketing mix, starting with a support of a local club or a local team. Such cooperation helps to build awareness in the city or area where the club is located, increase audience loyalty, help the club in professional development (attract qualified coaches, give the opportunity to participate in regional tournaments, raise and develop young talented athletes, etc.). One of an important advantage of such cooperation is that local clubs and teams are always more flexible, and bureaucracy in partnerships is minimized here.
Sponsorships between brands and teams/ athletes is a partnership where both brand and team benefit. It’s a win-win scenario, where teams/athletes benefit from a direct financial input, as well as from the endorsement provided through the sponsoring brand. In return, the brand receives exposure, loyalty and revenue.
More than 15 years, we have been developing and implementing successful sponsorship integrations. Contact us if you need professional advice on choosing a sponsorship project or a solution on how to get the most out of the chosen sponsorship format at e-mail: info@marketentry.agency.