Reaching high-net-worth and even ultra-high-net-worth audiences is not particularly hard, but engaging them is where it gets tricky. Hundreds of brands spend millions of dollars in sponsorship fees each year seeking to generate brand awareness amongst this valuable audience, but what is awareness without engagement?

These discerning consumers, with their keen intellect and deep concern for societal issues, demand an approach that transcends traditional sponsorship and resonates on a profound level.

In this article, we delve into innovative strategies for engaging high-net-worth audiences through sponsorship, exploring how brands can authentically align with their values and create unforgettable experiences that leave a lasting impact.

Demonstrating Shared Values

The first step in engaging high-net-worth audiences through sponsorship is by demonstrating an authentic commitment to shared values and passions. As Michel Driessen, Head of EY’s art sponsorship programme, aptly puts it:

"Art holds immense importance for both our society and our organisation, and it's equally valued by our clients. For us, it's not about displaying our logo at the biggest exhibitions. Instead, it's about reflecting and demonstrating our core values through the art we support. This unique approach enables us to establish meaningful connections with many of our clients in a context outside of work and the office. When asked what clients associate with EY beyond our audit and consulting services, our dedication to the arts always comes back top of mind."

Brands that support causes aligned with their audience's values foster stronger connections and long-term loyalty. This alignment demonstrates authenticity, builds trust, and taps into emotional resonance, leading to deeper bonds with clients differentiating themselves and driving sustained loyalty.

Exclusive Experiences

Another effective way to engage high-net-worth individuals through sponsorship is by providing them with unique experiences that money can't buy. Dr. Thomas Girst, Global Head of Cultural Engagement at BMW Group, highlights the success of BMW's Opera For All events, stating:

“BMW’s Opera For All events brings thousands of people together in major squares around the world to listen to extraordinary achievements that human beings are capable of. As part of this, we go for dinner with 50 of our Seven Series Excellence Club members together with the Chief Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra and some of its musicians. This is a unique experience available only to our members and it helps build long-term loyalty with these highly valued clients.”

While anyone can buy a ticket with enough money, sponsorship allows brands to create truly unique, money-can't-buy experiences for valued clients. By leveraging their position as sponsors, brands curate experiences that resonate deeply, leaving lasting impressions and often lifelong memories. This is especially important for high-net-worth individuals who are accustomed to purchasing the most expensive tickets but value something more—unique experiences that money alone cannot procure. These exclusive opportunities foster strong bonds with clients, enhancing loyalty and affinity in ways that traditional transactions cannot achieve.

Audience Filtering

While value-based partnerships are essential for connecting with high-net-worth audiences, brands wishing to target this group at scale must find ways to filter the audience to target the right individuals. Sport sponsorship remains a popular choice for engaging this audience in large volume, but it remains a mass market event. Sponsors must therefore be willing to accept that a large proportion of the reached audience will never be customers and be able to pay a premium for exclusivity. Most crucially however, brands engaging in this form of sponsorship must work hard to activate their partnerships in a way that filters the general fanbase and specifically targets the desired audience.

Qatar Airways' sponsorship of Formula 1, for example, targets high earners through an exclusive partnership centred around the Paddock Club hospitality area, ensuring that their sponsorship efforts are geared specifically towards high-net-worth audiences. Luke Drake, VP of Commercial Partnerships at Qatar Airways, explains:

“Qatar Airways Formula 1 partnership includes being the presenting partner of the Paddock Club. It’s essential for us that everyone who comes into the Paddock Club has a great experience. We want to share the great experiences our business flyers have onboard with fans in the Paddock Club, giving them the best quality access, views of the track, and food and beverage. Our aim is to use our know-how and experience in service to keep moving the product quality up in Formula 1.”

Authenticity Is Key

Finally, authenticity is paramount when engaging high-net-worth audiences through sponsorship. This audience in particular is savvy and protective, and any attempts to plaster brands all over an event are likely to induce a negative reaction. When targeting HNWs brands must approach sponsorships with authenticity and genuineness, focusing on supporting and growing specific sports, art forms, or cultural events that resonate with their audience.

In conclusion, engaging high-net-worth audiences through sponsorship requires a delicate balance of aligning on values, providing unique experiences, and being authentic in actions. By filtering the right audience, aligning with shared values, and adopting a gentle approach, brands can create meaningful connections that drive long-term loyalty and success.

For those considering new sponsorships targeting high-net-worth-audiences The Sponsor has taken a look at 5 of the best events to consider here. You can also join The Sponsor and a small group of marketing leaders as we discuss best practice in the engagement of high-net-worth audiences at our upcoming roundtable debate on 25th June at the Sofitel St James, London, Register your interest here.

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An estimated $105 billion was spent on sponsorship globally in 2023. The allocation of these significant budgets and the entities they support is entirely at the discretion of the purchasing brand. To quote the common proverb, ‘With great power comes great responsibility’.

At The Sponsor, we champion sponsorship as a force for good. We believe the best partnerships are those that not only provide a return to the sponsoring brand but also seek to make a positive contribution to the communities they impact.

Authenticity and engagement are the keys to a successful partnership. When brands go beyond advertising-based sponsorship and actively make a positive contribution, they are viewed more favourably by audiences, increasing audience propensity to sample, purchase intent, loyalty and advocacy. In simple terms, people buy things from people they like; this is as true of sales as it is for brands and sponsorship.

So how can brands use sponsorship as a force for good to authentically engage audiences and positively shift stakeholder perception?

Enhancing audience Experience

The first step for almost all brands moving beyond simple logo placement is to use their position as a sponsor to enhance the audience's enjoyment or experience of an event. This can be straightforward, like tech brands giving fans greater insights with real-time sports data analysis. There are simple examples outside the tech realm, such as behind-the-scenes content giving fans , free event transportation, or exclusive meet-and-greet experiences. Such activity ensures that exposed audiences are not only aware of the sponsoring brand but have developed an enhanced perception. Partnerships lacking this most basic form of activation are, in reality, nothing more than very expensive advertising.

Gender Equity

Women’s sports have seen tremendous growth in recent years, driven partly by the fantastic work of early adopters such as Barclays. The bank has not only been a long-term supporter of women’s professional game but has also contributed immense support for youth with gender equity through its Girls’ Football School Partnerships. The campaign has grown significantly in recent years and is now active in over 10,000 schools, with 85% of teachers agreeing that the campaign has positively impacted young girls' perception of football.

Earlier in the year, The Sponsor sat down with Rosie Guest, Chief Marketing Officer of Apex Group, and sponsors of Sail GP. The company had a pre-existing aim to improve gender equity across financial services, and this transfers through to its sponsorships. At present Sail GP has no female captains but Apex, working together with Sail GP, is seeking to use it’s position as a sponsor to change this.

“I firmly believe that when we empower women and provide them with the necessary tools, resources, and support, they can excel in any field, including the traditionally male-dominated sport of sailing. By breaking down gender barriers and fostering a culture of inclusivity, we can unleash the full potential of talented female sailors and create a more balanced and dynamic competitive landscape.”

You can read the full article here.

Actions speak louder than words, and such public action transcends written statements of inclusivity and diversity, demonstrating a genuine commitment that is not lost on stakeholders.

Supporting Youth Development

Brands can build positive associations by using their sponsorship budget to support youth development in a particular field. For example, Under Armour compliments its high-profile sponsorships with significant support and development of young talent, improving access to sports equipment for millions of teenagers. What impact does such an activation have on those young people, their friends and families when shopping in the local sports shop?

Similarly, many large financial brands are seeking to enhance perception through their support of young musicians and artists. American Express, for example, hosts the Amex Gold Unsigned, giving young, relatively unknown artists a powerful platform to showcase their talents, play at festivals and build a following. In the art world, American Express’ reputation is enhanced by such activity, not because they put their logo on it but because they make a meaningful and authentic contribution.

Sustainability

Perhaps the one topic that transcends all sports, cultural events and industries is sustainability. Sponsors can provide invaluable know-how to make events more sustainable; they can provide access to expensive tools and technology and use their immense purchasing power to only partner with events demonstrating a genuine commitment to sustainability.

For example, Formula 1 as a sport has come under increasing pressure from sponsors to cut emissions. This pressure has resulted in significant changes to the sport, including the introduction of sustainable fuels, resulting in up to 96% carbon emission reductions as part of its ambitious 2030 net zero pledge.

Sticking with Formula 1, The Sponsor spoke with Arjan Sissing, Global Head of Brand at DHL, to learn how the company is using its position as a sponsor to provide efficient, environmentally friendly logistics for Formula 1’s travelling circus of nearly 35,000 tonnes of racing freight each year.

DHL used Formula 1’s huge platform to build its own brand and raise awareness about sustainability amongst F1 fans.

“At the Brazilian Grand Prix, for example, we used our partnership to raise awareness of marine plastic pollution. We partnered with NGOs and 90 volunteers to collect over 500 kilos of waste. With the help of a local artist, we used this waste product to create a beautiful Formula 1 car sculpture at the track.”

These sustainable activations do not disappear into thin air, they resonate and resurface at key points in the consumer decision-making cycle.

Charity

The most philanthropic sponsorship activity brands can employ when seeking to use sponsorship as a force for good to enhance perception positively is to support charitable events such as Standard Life’s support for Cancer Research Race for Life.

Perhaps the most charitable sponsorship of all was BNY Mellon and Newton Investment Management’s sponsorship of the Oxford Cambridge Boat Race. Having secured the rights to the world’s most famous rowing race, the firm gifted the sponsorship and all its associated brand awareness to the event charity partner, Cancer Research UK. Such an act may indeed reduce BNY Mellon’s brand exposure, but to its existing clients and stakeholders, it undoubtedly increased loyalty and advocacy.

"We're not fussed about the actual coverage of our name this year – we're handing that over. This goes to the heart of businesses being responsible to society and connecting with communities. I feel very strongly that this is what it takes to be a modern and responsible business, we hope that others would then follow suit and we would see more companies thinking actually how could we use our sponsorships in different ways?"  Helena Morrisey, Former Chief Executive, Newton Asset Management.

Conclusions

When sponsorships are strategically harnessed for the greater good, they yield tangible benefits for the community and exert a transformative influence on brand reputation, leading to enduring financial returns that persist long after the partnership has drawn to a close.

By aligning corporate support with meaningful social initiatives, sponsors contribute to the community's welfare and forge a lasting connection with consumers who appreciate and remember the positive impact. This synergy between altruism and brand promotion creates a ripple effect, amplifying the resonance of the partnership and solidifying the brand's position as a socially responsible and ethical entity. Consequently, the dividends reaped extend far beyond the initial collaboration, establishing a legacy of goodwill that continues to shape the perception of the brand in the marketplace. continuing to deliver benefits long after the partnership concludes.

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The Jockey Club, Britain's largest horseracing operator, has appointed CSM Sport & Entertainment as its principal sales agency for commercial rights.

Despite a drop in racecourse attendance, which fell below five million for the first time since 1995, the horseracing industry remains resilient. Challenges such as the cost-of-living crisis and post-Covid blues have impacted attendance figures, but major events like The Cheltenham Festival and The Randox Grand National continue to thrive.

While mid-tier meetings experienced declines, initiatives to enhance customer experience, like reduced capacity at Royal Ascot, have been introduced. Although attendance figures have fluctuated, the focus remains on creating value for racegoers and providing an exceptional experience.

The agreement between The Jockey Club and CSM forms part of a new approach to partnerships for Britain's largest horseracing operator, whose three feature assets – The Cheltenham Festival, The Randox Grand National and The Derby Festival – all sit in the top ten most attended sporting events in the country.

Work is already underway between CSM and The Jockey Club’s in-house commercial team to build an impactful go-to-market strategy. This aligns closely with the organisation’s new partnerships approach, which is led by its three major events and supported by opportunities across all of its 15 racecourse and 332 racedays annually.

“The Jockey Club sits at the heart of British horseracing and everything we do aims to deliver on our mission to act for the long term good of the sport.  To deliver a sustainable future for racing, its people and its horses we have to ensure our rights are delivering on their commercial potential so we can continue to reinvest. We’re delighted to be working with CSM given their track record in the industry and we look forward to seeing which brands from home and abroad look to seize this unique opportunity.”

Carey Weeks, Director of Partnerships at The Jockey Club

Using their industry insight and expertise CSM will leverage its relationships to discover new partnership opportunities from around the globe for The Jockey Club, which is the only organisation to reinvest all of its profits back into horseracing, an industry that contributes £4.1 billion and around 85,000 jobs to the UK economy every year.

“Horseracing is amongst the most followed sports in the UK, and we are thrilled to be partnering with The Jockey Club who own the rights to some of our most historic and high-profile events. Their offering is totally unique within the sport and entertainment industry, boasting genuine gender equality, more free-to-air broadcast than any other sport and an audience demographic that is broader than any other sport we currently work in.”

Mike Vandrau, CSM’s Managing Director – Rights, said

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Sponsorship can be a game-changer for brands seeking to elevate their presence and connect with their target audience in a meaningful way. However, diving into the world of sponsorship requires careful consideration and strategic planning. To ensure your sponsorship venture is fruitful, finding the right partner is essential. Here are six crucial components of successful sponsorship planning that brands should prioritise when considering sponsorship for the first time.

1. Brand Alignment – Shared Attributes

The first and foremost element to consider in sponsorship planning is brand alignment. It’s not just about the visibility; it’s about shared values and synergy between partners. A successful partnership reflects the desirable values that audiences associate with a team or event, quickly applied to your brand. By aligning your brand with an event or team that shares your values, you can authentically demonstrate your brand's ethos, articulating it swiftly and effectively to your audience.

2. Brand Awareness – Making Your Mark

Sponsorship offers a unique opportunity to boost brand awareness significantly. Your partnership should enhance recognition and recall among your target audience. Consider Carabao, whose sponsorship of the Carabao Cup in England led to millions of people becoming aware of their energy drink. Sponsorship provides immediate growth in awareness that would otherwise be challenging to achieve, making it a powerful tool for emerging brands.

3. Positive Contribution – Shaping Perceptions Through Actions

While traditional advertising can increase brand awareness, sponsorship goes a step further by shaping audience perceptions and behaviours. A successful sponsorship partner doesn’t just promote their brand; they positively contribute to the event or community. By enhancing fans' enjoyment, supporting young talent, or benefitting the local community, sponsors can create a positive association with their brand. It's not just about being known; it's about being liked, as people tend to buy from brands they have a positive perception of.

4. Exclusivity – Standing Out in the Crowd

In a competitive market, exclusivity matters. Being the sole industry provider associated with an event amplifies your impact. Successful sponsorship planning is about identifying opportunities aligned with your values where your competitors are less active, allowing you to own that specific sponsorship category. By doing so, your brand becomes top of mind for the audience, ensuring your marketing spend isn’t wasted by being drowned out by competitors with larger budgets.

5. Targeted Approach – Reaching the Right Audience

A targeted approach is crucial to the success of any sponsorship. Rather than sponsoring the biggest event your budget allows, focus on smaller events that align closely with your values. Leveraging these events through your own media channels ensures your message reaches your specific audience. Integrating sponsorship details into your website, social media, company documents, and even employee email signatures creates a cohesive and targeted approach, minimising wastage and maximising impact.

6. Longevity – Cultivating Long-Term Partnerships

Successful sponsorships are not short-term endeavours but partnerships that grow over time. Look for teams and events where your involvement can evolve from a standard partnership to a headline partnership. Planning for longevity is essential. Consider long-term objectives developed in collaboration with the event organisers. By foreseeing growth opportunities and investing in them, your sponsorship benefits increase over time, providing a stable foundation for your brand’s growth.

In conclusion, sponsorship isn't just about putting your brand out there; it's about finding a partner that aligns with your values, amplifies your message, and helps you create a positive impact. By focusing on brand alignment, awareness, positive contribution, exclusivity, a targeted approach, and longevity, brands can forge successful partnerships that leave a lasting impression on their audience and contribute significantly to their growth and recognition in the market.

At The Sponsor, our dedicated consulting service is designed to help sponsors discover their ideal partnership. With our expertise, we guide brands through the intricate world of sponsorship, ensuring they find the perfect match for their values and objectives. For more information on how we can elevate your brand through strategic partnerships, click here.

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In the world of sports sponsorships, the key to success lies in a profound understanding of your audience. Laithwaites Wine has perfected this art through its partnership with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). In a recent episode of the Sponsor Podcast, Matt Knight, Marketing Director of Laithwaites Wine, unveiled the insights that underpin this collaboration, highlighting the pivotal role research plays in its success.

At its core, this partnership thrives on aligning with the preferences of the target audience. By pinpointing what resonates with customers, Laithwaites seamlessly merged its brand with cricket's allure, forging authentic connections. This approach culminated in a partnership that effortlessly blended with the brand's identity and cricket enthusiasts' passions.

Yet, this partnership extends beyond traditional methods. Laithwaites adeptly harnessed social media's power to engage fans. They curated a series of "vintage moments," celebrating iconic instances in English cricket. This contemporary approach showcases the brand's agility and ability to reach audiences beyond the cricket grounds.

Their presence extended to the physical realm as well. The vivid red perimeter boards and dynamic tri-screen advertising became emblematic of Laithwaites Wine at cricket matches. A vintage van stationed at various test matches offered attendees the chance to savor their wines—a tactile experience that bridged the gap between the brand and potential customers, leaving an indelible mark.

Moreover, Laithwaites Wine embraced social responsibility by partnering with the ECB and championing causes like the Red for Ruth campaign. This commitment not only amplified their brand's positive impact but also resonated with socially conscious consumers.

A key lesson from the podcast was Matt Knight's emphasis on measuring success beyond immediate ROI. Instead, Laithwaites Wine focuses on the long game of brand building. This strategy underscores their nuanced understanding that meaningful partnerships transcend financial metrics, aiming to foster enduring impressions and relationships.

The insights shared by Matt during the podcast provide valuable food for thought for marketers seeking impactful collaborations. By aligning with audience interests, embracing modern platforms, and transcending logo-centric activations, brands can create experiences that resonate and stand the test of time.

In essence, the partnership between Laithwaites Wine and England Cricket shines a spotlight on the crucial role of research in shaping triumphant collaborations. This fusion, driven by a deep understanding of the audience, infuses vitality into a partnership that surpasses the ordinary. It promises an immersive, authentic experience for cricket enthusiasts and wine aficionados alike.

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Bord Gáis Energy has been proudly serving customers in Ireland since 1976. With a current base of over 460,000 unique customers, the company’s standing is significant. The sport of hurling is likewise important to the island. To help raise brand awareness in rural areas and support a sport with extensive history and traditions, Bord Gáis Energy partnered with GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association) in 2009. In this interview, we spoke with Head of Brand, Sponsorship and Consumer PR, at Bord Gáis Energy, Irene Gowing.

You entered a partnership with the GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association) - when did that come about and what does it entail?

We’ve been a partner of the GAA since 2009. We first entered a partnership with them as the title sponsor of the under 21 Hurling Championship. It was a fantastic competition, and we really got a lot of value out of that. We're also the sponsor of the Bord Gáis Energy Legends tours of Croke Park Stadium, which take place every year and we bring customers on that. More recently in 2017, we started the sponsorship of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship and we're one of three partners in that mix. We have a long-standing relationship with the GAA, and it's served us well.

What do you see as the intended goals of the partnership?

If you look at the goals of any and every sponsorship, it’s grounded in what the business ambition is. We have commercial goals that align to the growth of our business and growing our relationship with our customer base. When we started working with the GAA, we had very little rural brand awareness; as a gas company, our traditional customer base is around urban areas. We needed to raise awareness in rural Ireland and offer electricity to those customers. There were certain pockets that we needed to delve into a little bit more and they were often strongholds for hurling: Cork, Munster, Limerick. At this stage, we have a very strong brand awareness on a nationwide level and our partnership with GAA was the starting point.

We’re now on a journey towards reaching net zero by 2045 and helping our customers with that transition too. To do that, we need customers to start to bring in more sustainable energy solutions, including deep retrofitting their homes. While they're aware of Bord Gáis Energy as an energy supplier, they may not be aware of the suite of services that we supply. That’s the commercial reasoning behind this partnership. It's very important to us that nobody is left behind. We call that the just transition, which aligns with the government sustainability strategy.

How do you think Bord Gáis Energy has leveraged the sponsorship to mutual benefit?

We have over 460,000 unique customers and there are 2,200 hurling clubs in Ireland. A lot of our customer base are deeply steeped in those clubs so we're able to talk to them all the time.

A core pillar of our brand promise is the commitment to nurturing and developing an inclusive culture of equal opportunities and creating a culture where difference is valued, and all can thrive. We're promoting the game as a platform for everybody and anybody to get involved. We’re proud that we have been able to use our sponsorship property to start a conversation about team inclusivity and allyship. Last year, we created a campaign ‘State of Play’, that spotlighted diversity and inclusion ahead of the National Pride Festival and was an important step change for how we show up as a brand and use our sponsorship to champion a societal issue.

Our new campaign this year is called It’s Anybody's Game, and we truly believe in speaking to everyone from the hardcore hurling fan right through to the fair-weather fan and everyone in between. The sport is a great leveller. It's the type of sport where you can pick up a hurl and learn it. It doesn't matter where you're from. It doesn't matter what the colour of your skin is or what your sexual orientation is. Through a media partnership with Newstalk’s Off the Ball,, we are hearing people's stories every week about how hurling has become a doorway into their local community. We're very much about attaching our activation to what our customers want to see.

Have you been able to measure any response to the partnership?

When you're writing a business case around buying sponsorship rights, you want to have your homework done on what you can contribute to the commercial plan and what you can contribute to the brand metrics. As we are modernising our image, we’re reflecting a more modern Ireland. Sponsorship has a huge role to play.

Beyond growing that rural brand awareness, the next commercial problem was customer retention and customer loyalty. We have tickets to games that nobody else has and customers of ours can buy tickets to games that are sold out. That is a reason to stay with Bord Gáis Energy and one reason why our retention scores are strong.

Sponsorship is a long-term play. If you're looking for sponsorship to deliver a direct response in the same way as a radio or TV campaign, you're not going to get it. That's not going to give your brand long-term success. But if you're looking to build long-term reputation and long-term growth by investing in the future, then a good sponsorship and a considered activation plan is going to deliver that for your brand. My job is to start building and developing our brand for the future.

That leads on to my final question: do you have any advice for marketing teams that are looking at similar sponsorships?

You need to treat sponsorship as a significant business investment. Consider any sponsorship asset that you're about to obtain as a long-term purchase. Organise your business case in a way that can demonstrate how it will deliver strong commercial value in line with the organisation’s goals and objectives. Be able to demonstrate how it can deliver strong brand value because your brand needs to be set up to deliver on commercial promises.

For example, our brand needed to be much more modern facing to have an authoritative voice in moving our customers towards net zero. That's the role this sponsorship has for us. My advice would be that you need to be able to demonstrate brand growth through your sponsorship platform and or demonstrate strong commercial growth. Track your brand health and where you currently are, because if you can't track return on investment, then you're not going to be able to stand up when there's budget challenges and strategy challenges going forward.

To learn more about how sponsorship can support your brand's sustainability efforts, click here.

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Last week, England goalkeeper Mary Earps said that the decision by Nike not to make her goalkeeper kit available for fans to purchase was “hugely disappointing and hurtful.” While Nike have been extremely active in promoting women’s sports through sponsorship and kit supply, this misstep suggests the brand still has catching up to do. In this article, we look at what why this decision has caused frustration and why it always pays to provide.  

Nike has no current sponsorship of female goalkeepers, with reports suggesting goalkeeper kit — which differs from outfield players — is not part of the company’s commercial strategy. With significant pushes to equalise men’s and women’s sport, any exclusionary behaviour on the part of sponsors is inevitably underlined. More than that, it does not appear to make obvious commercial sense. Earps’ Manchester United kit sold out last season via the club’s outlets. She was named the Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper of 2022 and England’s Lionesses have seen a surge in popularity since winning the 2022 Euros. That Earps was told one-off manufacturing issues caused her kit to go unsold during the Euros only adds to the mismanaged sponsorship situation.  

It is worth noting that Nike have created 11 different adverts for their World Cup campaign. Its ‘What the Football’ advert draws culturally relevant inspiration from the film ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once,’ and mirrors the multiverse theme seen in the brand’s campaign with the Men’s World Cup last year. The brand has also released ‘The United Pack’ - a sustainable boot collection designed especially for the players. To sum up: Nike is certainly busy promoting women’s football.  

But that commitment at the sponsorship level, which extends to the USA and Australia women’s teams, makes the decision over keeper’s kits yet more baffling.  

Three takeaways 

• Expressing commitment to equality through sponsorship leaves no room for imbalance. Any lapse in that intent sticks out, so brands must be ready to listen to their audiences. 
• Sponsorship can be deployed to make up inequalities: are there any brands interested in sponsoring an England women’s goalkeeper kit in response? If not, why not? 
• With Adidas having secured sponsorship of the event since 2013 (Official Match Ball Supplier, Uniform Provider, Official Partner), Nike must consider where they can be useful. Adidas are not able to provide goalkeeper kits at the moment either. If Nike was to reverse their decision, the positive press could simultaneously provoke scrutiny of their main competitor.  

Conclusion 

Judgemental oversight on Nike’s part is currently undermining their efforts in equality. It’s a lesson in sponsorship: the worst thing brands can do is be seen to contradict expressed ambitions. The worst thing they can do from there is ignore concerns.  

 To read more about why now is the right time to invest in women's sports, click here.

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In a recent episode of The Sponsor Podcast, Rosie Guest, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer of Apex Group, discusses gender equity, sustainability, and the strategy behind the company's exciting new partnership with SailGP.  

On Gender Equity 

"Gender equity goes beyond achieving numerical representation; it is about creating a culture that values and supports the contributions of all individuals, regardless of their gender. I firmly believe that when we empower women and provide them with the necessary tools, resources, and support, they can excel in any field, including the traditionally male-dominated sport of sailing. By breaking down gender barriers and fostering a culture of inclusivity, we can unleash the full potential of talented female sailors and create a more balanced and dynamic competitive landscape." 

On Sustainability  

Both SailGP and Apex Group have a huge focus on the environment. ESG services are one of our largest offerings at the group and it involves helping our clients become more responsible as organizations and delivering the reporting and advisory to enable them to do that. Our founder, Peter Hughes, who is still the CEO today, is very passionate about the environment so it is something that is built into our DNA. SailGP is the most sustainable sport out there so those links around climate change and our product are all very well aligned. 

On Measuring Impact 

Our social media targets and KPIs go beyond impressions and visibility; they focus on meaningful engagement with our content. Sponsorships have proven to deliver the highest return in terms of visibility and alignment with our messaging. It's not just about showcasing our logo; it's about reinforcing our business identity and purpose, which revolves around driving positive change, such as gender equality and environmental stewardship. Our brand survey helps us track changes in people's recognition and understanding of our messaging each year. Additionally, we employ various metrics to measure employee engagement, retention, and brand pride. These areas are our primary focus when assessing our impact. 

You can listen to the full podcast episode on Spotify or click the link here. 

For more advice and insight from sponsors of global sports events, click here.

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Baillie Gifford is an Edinburgh-based global asset manager that has sponsored the Edinburgh International Book Festival since 2001. Alongside their notable Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction, the partnership endures as an active example of how best to support cultural events. In this interview, we spoke with Michelle McLeod, Sponsorship Manager at Baillie Gifford and Head of Development of the EIBF, Helen Chomczuk. The topic: why this partnership works and what others can learn.

How did Baillie Gifford’s partnership with the Edinburgh International Book Festival come about 22 years ago and what do you see as its intended goals?

Michelle: It started off as part of our corporate social responsibility approach. The Edinburgh International Book Festival (EIBF) was one of our local arts organisations supported as part of our philanthropic activity, we support a lot of the arts. The relationship has evolved over the years into something much bigger becoming part of marketing through sponsorship.

In terms of sponsorship, we're completely aligned with literature. For the last 15 years, we've been supporting festivals across the UK and have expanded to cover North America and Asia. We also have The Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction - the largest of its kind in Britain. It's always been a genre of the art that we believe in, allowing us to support thought leaders, academics, and big thinkers who write nonfiction. They’re people that we're interested in learning from. Moreover, the audience that attends book festivals are very closely aligned with the type of people who invest in our funds. We look at it from two angles: what we can gain from an investment research perspective, and also  engaging with an audience with a similar profile to our retail clients.

What do you think the benefits are to sponsorship of such an important cultural event?

Helen: I can't overstate the generous financial support enough. It has enabled us to expand and scale up our work at an extraordinary level. We really want to make sure that we're providing great experiences for young readers, so it's really important that we have Baillie Gifford’s backing to begin that process on our side. Many of the people who come to our public children's program are from fairly affluent families, so it’s important from our perspective that we are reaching out to children who might not come, who might not automatically be brought by their mums and dads or their family unit. I have to say thank you to Michelle because Baillie Gifford and the festival have been able to make it totally free. We’re now also able to offer a free book related to the event that the kids are coming to, to every person who attends an event in the school's program. It’s just been phenomenal.

Michelle: At the venue itself, our branding talks about who we are, our curiosity about the world, the thinking, and what our world looks like. It's all illustrated, so it fits in with the environment. As Helen mentioned, we support the schools and the children's program because these are our thinkers, our readers, our writers and our workforce of tomorrow. We create our own artwork, which brightens up the children’s area and while it doesn't necessarily carry any of our branding, it's a project that our internal designers get to work on. From a staff perspective, that adds something different to have fun with and use their creativity.

Have the internal benefits been there since inception, or have you learned to leverage them over time?

Michelle: We've always had staff engagement in terms of ticket allocation, but that has grown over the years. Last year, we had a much bigger engagement coming back from the pandemic, where we really wanted to encourage staff back to the festival. It's always a really popular event in our calendar each year. We also cover the more academic events going on that the investors go to. Then we have a lot of authors that come into the office for private events with our staff.

This is a question for both of you. How do you think this partnership has broadened or changed perceptions of your respective brands across 22 years?

Michelle: You'd have to ask the audience, but one thing that I’m certain has come across is that we're aligned with literature. It's one thing that we are known for in the UK, particularly. We want people to recognize us as an intelligent business, a business that is interested in the world and wants to know what's going on in the world. That happens predominantly through our own magazine, so we don't go out and promote Baillie Gifford as such and all our branding encourages engagement with our magazine Trust. It’s our way of introducing our investment philosophy and our culture and what we're all about and that lands really well. This partnership on top of that adds so much weight to our core values in terms of perception.

Helen: I would add from the festival’s perspective, Baillie Gifford is a very generous company who support a lot of local causes. You’re also quite understated - your sponsorship is never plastered all over things. Perception is built in a very consistent and quite gradual way. For us, it lends weight to the festival that Baillie Gifford has been a partner and supported us for such a long time. In terms of that long term investment approach, a perception of endurance and commitment is central to your business. In the last few years where the pandemic changed our approach, we had to do a lot of things quite differently. Frankly, from a sponsorship benefit point of view, we weren't able to do everything that we had said that we could do, but that hasn't affected the sponsorship.

Baillie Gifford stuck by us and helped. We really appreciate that loyalty. The audience is certainly people who are local to Edinburgh and who maybe have knowledge of the business community here. It's a partnership that from that brand association point of view that both we and the community constantly see the benefits of.

Michelle: I agree, because we are long term investors. That's our strategy and most of our sponsorships are over 10 years old. Like Helen says, it's not all about instant, massive impact that we're looking for through our relationships. We have the same values and are authentic in what we’re supporting. If you come into our offices, there's books everywhere. We've got our own library and books are very accessible to staff and we encourage staff to learn from books. Over the pandemic, we started up our own book festival internally which came from our literary partnerships, Beyond Words, which was focused on diversity and inclusion and that was a collaboration with our HR Department.

Have you been able to measure any response to the partnership itself in terms of public response?

Michelle: I always have a bit of a challenge with some of the metrics around sponsorship. I think you have to look at return on objectives before return on investment, because the latter is so hard to track. We do look at the metrics, but we think qualitatively about the relationship and the culture we’re fostering. We look at all the stats, but actually it's the stuff that we can bring to the festival that is far more powerful for us. The festival does have a survey, however.

Helen: Yeah, we do. So, we do a post festival survey that gets opinions on a range of things, including sponsor brand recognition. Baillie Gifford is consistently up there as one of the most recognised - 70% of people who come to the big events recognise Baillie Gifford as a sponsor. Over 5,000 people take the survey, so it's a sizeable and representative chunk of our audience.

Michelle: It's a strong response because we don't put our logo up very much. We’re conscious that too much branding from one sponsor can push out other sponsors as well.

Do you have any advice for other heads of marketing who are already looking at sponsoring community-focused cultural events?

Michelle: One thing with these events as a corporate sponsor is to remember the art. Leave the art form as it is. Don't get involved in the art form and remember that you’re not the centre stage, so find out how you can be useful. Understand what you're doing and what you're wanting to get out of it and go for something that is authentically aligned to you. If you're authentic about your sponsorship, when something happens like a pandemic, it doesn't matter as much whether your usual assets are getting delivered because you're in it for the long term. It’s all about what your values are at the end of the day. That’s why I’d focus on return on objectives, rather than investment.

Helen: My advice would be around making sure that there's a really wide understanding amongst the whole organisation and your own team around the partnership. Especially in terms of: what are the strategic objectives that we have as a festival, why are we being supported by Baillie Gifford etc. The relationship needs to be supported by everybody within an organisation and a partnership. It won't work if it is just one team who are championing.

Michelle: You get the most amazing projects and initiatives going when you have that relaxed, open, honest relationship. We've obviously had this relationship over a very long time, but it hasn't always been myself and Helen managing the partnership. I'm sure it’ll continue long after I have retired.

The post Michelle McLeod and Helen Chomczuk on Baillie Gifford’s sponsorship of the Edinburgh International Book Festival appeared first on The Sponsor.

This week, treble-winners Manchester City expanded their partnership with Asahi Super Dry, with the non-alcoholic beer brand becoming the club’s official training kit partner. It follows a wider trend of brands and events embracing non-alcoholic sponsorship. In this article we look at how this growing approach is helping speak to audiences in a culturally relevant way without shedding brands’ core principles.   

Why do non-alcoholic sponsorships make sense and which brands are leading the way?  

With the prominence of alcohol within sports and its historic association with the fan experience, there lies the potential for brands to grow within the same customer base. In pubs, sales of low and non-alcoholic beer have jumped by 23% during the past year compared with the previous 12 months, and have more than doubled since 2019, just prior to the pandemic. There is a clear need to publicly invest in those consumers. These sponsorships will prompt positive association for consumers of its regular product and keep the brands relevant for those making the switch to less or no alcohol. 

Asahi  

Taking the front of Manchester City’s training kit for the 23/24 season, Asahi Super Dry have upgraded their partnership which began in 2022. The renewed partnership was announced yesterday with an augmented reality video highlighting the importance of training to the players. The well-placed sponsorship will immediately associate the product with training and fitness, thereby emphasising a health-conscious wing to its brand. In keeping with cultural relevance, with Man City’s financial ties to the Middle East, an alcohol-alternative product may play well in expanding support in countries where it is less consumed.

To learn about what happens when brands do alienate audiences, read here.    

Guinness  

At the Guinness Six Nations in March, the title sponsor centred their entire campaign on their 0.0% product. The alcohol-free drink was launched in large part as a response to the pandemic, a period which saw a rise in alcohol abuse. Incidentally, the activation was in response to an increase in consumption of its regular product. At the event, pitch side billboards featured the phrase ‘not drinking?’ and over 50,000 free pints of 0.0% were handed out of the final day weekend. The product has opened the experience of watching Rugby at the pub or elsewhere to those excluded by the sport’s historic drinking culture. Moreover, it has shown Guinness as a brand capable of responding to cultural change.  

Their non-alcoholic sponsorship activations have been enormously successful in promoting the brand and garnering an appetite for the 0.0%. Two days ago, it was announced that Guinness will almost triple production of its zero-alcohol brand. Owners Diageo has invested 25million euro in a new facility at its St James's Gate brewery in Dublin to meet a surge in demand for alcohol-free stout in the domestic and global markets.    

Seedlip and Heineken  

When Formula E’s Mercedes EQ partnered with non-alcoholic brand, Seedlip, in 2021 they felt much the same: “We have both set ourselves the objective of driving positive change on our planet.” In May of this year, Heineken furthered their own expansive, non-alcoholic sponsorship within Formula One. The Dutch brewery began an endorsement deal with Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen through the ‘Player 0.0’ initiative, a gaming activation designed to create a new virtual racing experience for fans, all with the alcohol-free product in mind.    

Heineken has also been a UEFA partner in one way or another since 1994. Since 2020, it has put down 10m euros a year to associate its non-alcoholic Heineken 0.0 alternative with European football. According to ‘The Drum,’ its bets are now hedged on the growth of the 0% ABV sector. Hans Erik Tuijt, Heineken Global Sponsorship Director, said “We feel it’s crucial to give consumers a choice.” In understanding and not alienating their audience, Heineken, also sponsors of the Europa League, have a higher-quality commercial offering.   

Conclusion   

Asahi are the latest in a long line of brands investing through sponsorship in their own non-alcoholic products. For rights holders meanwhile, non-alcoholic products are an attractive proposal. At this year’s Wimbledon, Stella Artois Alcohol Free will be available for the first time as the brewery moves into its position as Official Beer Partner. It does so without taking centre stage (or court) in its branding - a position still held by its original lager. With an established beer culture already present at Wimbledon, would putting more into advertising its non-alcoholic products forge a new path without affecting that core customer base? We think so - particularly given Wimbledon’s growing focus on a younger audience. 

To learn about one way Wimbledon is looking to speak to younger audiences, click here. 

The post How alcohol-free beer sponsorships are boosting brand relevance    appeared first on The Sponsor.