The Benefits of Sports Sponsorships  

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Traditional forms of advertising no longer generate the same return they once did. In such a saturated market, brands need to find new and innovative ways to capture the hearts and enthusiasm of their target audiences. What better way to do this than through sports?  

Sports provide a medium that allows people to get lost in the passion of the game. The devotion and admiration one has for ‘their’ team is unlike anything else in the world - and this shared passion draws groups of people together in a way that no other entity can. Sports have been around for centuries, and yet it remains one of the most popular and lucrative industries time and time again. In fact, according to CNBC, U.S. consumers spent over $56 billion to attend sporting events in 2018, demonstrating that there is no shortage of interest here. As this industry continues to grow, so does the opportunity to market within. Sports sponsorships have established themselves as an effective marketing mechanism that can take your brand to the next level through unique and meaningful connections with fans. Sports offer marketers a platform to connect and relate to people unlike ever before, while successfully increasing brand affinity, awareness, and overall traffic.  

Of course, sports sponsorships are not a channel unto themselves, but serve as a tried-and-true amplifier and enhancer of existing channels. Without a doubt, they can help you develop strong relationships with target customers and develop a strategy that aligns with other elements of your marketing mix. The question is – how can a sponsorship be beneficial to your brand? 

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Types of Sponsorships: 

Sports have a very interesting effect on the masses, as they gather groups of people who are united by their passion but are in competition with each other. The atmosphere is electric, creating lasting memories and impressions on all who watch and attend. 

Regardless of what team you are rooting for, though, every sporting event has one thing in common: they are a highly successful method of targeting a specific niche. The more prominent and popular a sports team is, the more attention and coverage the game will receive from members of that target audience. While professional sports receive billions of streams and watchers worldwide, even amateur sports have an enormous appeal within local business communities. This shows that brands of all sizes and with different budgets can reap the benefits of sports sponsorships. The cost begins to vary depending on the type of sports sponsorship you are looking to pursue. Below are just a few examples: 

Event Sponsorship: 

In an event sponsorship campaign, a brand typically endorses an event from start to finish. Often, the sponsor will have exclusive rights to have their company name appear prominently before the title of their desired event. This means that your brand’s name will be included in the title whenever the tournament or event is mentioned. Famous examples include Pepsi’s long-standing namesake association with the Super Bowl Halftime Show, and Sentry Insurance’s sponsorship of the Tournament of Champions on the PGA TOUR. Event sponsorship offers marketers opportunities for increased brand awareness through the event itself, as well as via extensive media coverage and event advertising. 

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Team Sponsorship: 

Sponsorship campaigns can extend past just the event itself; some teams also offer brand sponsorship opportunities, meaning that your brand can hold a significant stake in a team’s external look. The power of this partnership varies between teams, but these sponsors often can influence several game elements, such as the team’s colors and jerseys. For example, Monster Energy holds a team sponsorship with Yamaha’s Grand Prix motorcycle racing team. Their team’s name, for the duration of this sponsorship, is Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP. All event patrons will be exposed repeatedly to Monster Energy’s name and branding, driving sales and brand association among diehard fans of Grand Prix motorbiking. The driver’s jerseys match those of the Monster Energy branding and bear the logo. 

Naming Rights: 

Naming rights can extend to stadiums or event sites themselves. This kind of sponsorship allows a brand to replace or change the original name of a property with a corporate-sponsored one. For example, the Miami Dolphins play in the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, FL, as Hard Rock Hotel and Casino currently have the naming right to this event space. Naming rights offer marketers a larger opportunity to get fans and consumers to engage with their company by tapping into the fan experience and brand association. These rights often last longer than a single tournament would, exposing your brand to consumers of all kinds across multiple events held within the space. 

There are several other sports sponsorship opportunities available, such as: 

  • Brand Ambassador(s) 

  • Placing advertisements within the stadium or arena itself 

  • Logo placement on tickets, jerseys, grass/turf, etc. 

  • Pouring rights/rights to food and beverage 

  • Booths, games, giveaways, and interactive experiences at the event 

  • Photo walls/branded photo experiences for fans 

  • Fantasy football betting 

If you have further questions about any of these methods of sports sponsorships and how they can elevate your brand, reach out to the media experts at Alpha Tango Media today. 

 

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Benefits:  

Brands spend billions of dollars annually to have their name associated with a team or event. It is estimated that the global sponsorship spending for 2016 surpassed $60 billion, and in North America, 70% of that sponsorship money was spent on sports alone. But are sports sponsorships really worth it?  

The answer is yes, but it all comes down to developing the right messaging to speak to the fans. There’s no doubt that a sports sponsorship is an effective marketing strategy for small and large companies alike but choosing an opportunity that aligns with your brand’s story, audience, and product capabilities is critical here. However, when done properly with the help of marketing experts, here are a few things that you can expect to see for your brand: 

 

  • Brand Exposure: Getting your name out there and increasing your target market is a priority for just about any organization. The vast audience and extensive media coverage offered through sports sponsorships can help brands with this; however, you must speak to your audience properly or risk coming across as ingenuine and gimmicky. This is where in-depth knowledge of the target audience is crucial in creating a strong bond with the fans. This relationship allows for an interest in your products/services to develop, successfully converting them into actual customers. 

 

  • Brand Affiliation: We’ve already established that sports and sporting events are well-loved across the globe. Having your brand associated with a player, team, or event will help draw connections between your products/services and the game. Sports fans are some of the most devoted in the game and are much more likely to invest their funds into something they feel a personal connection to.  

 

  • Brand Loyalty: In sports, brand loyalty is everything, even superseding price or performance. Someone loyal to a particular brand, team, player, or event will pay any price to support the organization. Keeping loyal customers is much more cost-effective than convincing new consumers to try out your brand. Of course, brand loyalty is not built overnight, but in sports, performance and image are everything.  

 

This is only the tip of the iceberg regarding the benefits of sports sponsorships. If you have further questions about what kind of partnership is right for your brand, contact Alpha Tango Media. We can review sponsorship pricing for a certain team, event, or ambassador, and help you reach the heart of fans today. 

Thomas Bethel