How Sponsors can stand out from the crowd.
Being remembered is never easy. Being remembered for the right thing is even harder.
It is difficult for consumers to see the gaps between global tournaments and sport event coverage because it is a central area for revenue with broadcasters.
Sponsors can look to establish both a message, proposition and market their sponsorship to defined target markets effectively. Much more effectively than large investment global advertising spend. Multi media opportunities create interesting rights packages and can connect quickly to new targets.
During the last few weeks the cross over of many different sports events, and the lead into the Olympics has seen the early signs of sponsors getting lost in the fray. Building sponsorship awareness and sports reputation will take time with customers and fans. Sponsors must demonstrate they understand the sport, its recreational users, fans and elite athletes. This understanding must be portrayed through the right media coverage and content.
Creative is always important, but connecting to your target market needs to be driven from sponsors sharing goals and aims with its audience. Sponsorship marketing and communication must aim to pull people into your offer. Build your sport credibility.
Sponsors can begin to use sponsorship marketing to create dialogue that is both meaningful and interesting to consumers. Communications as always need a strategy, and rules to manage your message and build interest in a way that is not harmful to the brand.
A good example of how a sponsor is using insight and capturing consumer attention through sponsorship while building bridges to customers in a local market is British Gas. Currently working with sporting governing bodies, credible partners and an event program has enabled British Gas to step in to consumer attention at a key time. The opportunity is relevant and well-timed. By creating a call to action for consumers to get involved through advertising gives a reason to believe. And do. Doing is important, it creates a unique experience delivered by the sponsor and done well this alone will create a groundswell of word of mouth sponsorship amplification.
Sponsorship is not about being big in sport at every event, it is about finding a set of rights that you can use to take your brand to a new target. At the right time. Creating new communities, building commercial opportunities and becoming central to sport consumers every day dialogue and thoughts.