Earnest's quick guide to sports sponsorship for B2B brands

© Earnest (London) Ltd 2013www.earnest-agency.com/entertainment

Earnest’s quick guide to sports sponsorship

for B2B brands

EARNEST INSIGHTS


The right sponsorship deal can bring huge benefits to your brand

When you find a partner who shares your values, the association can reward

you with a wealth of new business.

Sponsorship rights alone aren’t enough. Without a great activation strategy in place, the potential of your partnership will remain as

just that: potential…


So, what makes a sponsorship successful?


Sponsorship works best when…

• It is a central part of a well defined integrated sales and

marketing strategy.

• It generates meaningful data and relevant content, putting the

brand at the heart of the conversation and driving awareness.

• It works to increase return on investment with specific business

targets in place.



w

It’s easier if…

• A significant number of the property’s fans are heavily involved in the sponsor’s product category.

The higher the percentage of cross-interested consumers, the greater

the impact the sponsorship is likely to have.

• The connection between the sponsored property and the product offering is obvious.

If the link is too tenuous or takes too long to explain, it’s unlikely to

capture buyers’ imaginations.



But…

This can be difficult for B2B brands. More often than not their target

market will not be heavily involved in the property they sponsor, and relevance of the association may

not be clear.



Therefore…

It’s essential that B2B sponsorships are supported by a considerable

investment in activation and other related marketing activities.

If a company isn’t promoting the sponsorship to their target market,

they’ll get far less value from their initial spend.



What common mistakes are sponsors making?


Treating sponsorship as separate from other marketing efforts

Sponsorship needs to be part of an integrated marketing plan,

with sales teams leveraging maximum value from the partnership at

every opportunity.


Failing to track results

As well as having a clear strategy in place from the start, it’s important to

measure everything and continually test new ideas to evaluate the strengths and

weaknesses of the campaign.


Not directing the right people toward relevant content and data

Sponsorship is about more than one-event wonders and hospitality. Brands

need to speak to their audiences in ways that mean something.


Neglecting to make staff and current customers feel part of the journey

It’s not just about drumming up new business. Sponsorship can help you strengthen existing relationships,

motivate your team and improve loyalty.


Mimicking B2C tactics

Sponsorship activation in the B2B sphere is a different ball game. You

need to remain focused on your audience, where they are and what’s

meaningful to them.


Sponsorship is changing, so must the way we think about it.


Call to action

Earnest, who?

Earnest is a multi award-winning full service marketing agency, brimming with

passion for B2B and sports brands.

Finely-tuned strategy. Heavyweight ideas to pack a punch. Campaigns that turn heads. Earnest likes to call it ‘impact

through insight’.

[email protected]

www.earnest-agency.com/entertainment

www.earnest-agency.com/entertainment/ideas-and-insight/

earnest-blog

Twitter: @earnest_ents


http://www.earnest-agency.com/entertainment

http://www.earnest-agency.com/entertainment

http://www.earnest-agency.com/entertainment/ideas-and-insight/earnest-blog



http://twitter.com/earnest_ents

Business

Earnest's quick guide to sports sponsorship for B2B brands