First of a regular series of issues on London 2012
Nike have done this brilliantly with their sponsorship of leading world class footballers, challenging consumers to take ownership of the ideas, run with them and make them bigger than the sum of their parts
"Sports sponsorship is just a door pass to get you in with the fans"
5 Golden Rules for 'Olympic' Sponsorship http://www.bcl.co.uk/5-golden-rules-for-Olympic-sp... by Ben Barton, Strategic Planner, Billington Cartmell
Our thanks to Ben Barton, Strategic Planner at Billington Cartmell for this sponsorship article.
Sports sponsorship efforts broadly fit into one of two camps. On one side we have the 'Fred Goodwin School of Sports Sponsorship' - a corporate jolly designed to schmooze key clients, affording the cheque signer the opportunity to hob-nob with their sporting heroes, while simultaneously getting top class seats to their favourite sporting events.
On the other side however, sports sponsorship can provide a platform for brand communications that can deliver powerful associations, inspire increased brand and company loyalty, and build serious brand awareness. Only one of these routes makes any difference to your consumer's perception of your brand.
Whatever the motivation for sport sponsorship, when it comes to consumer's relationship with your brand and its propensity to turn a profit, success lies firmly in your agency's ability to understand some key rules of sports sponsorship activation and exploit a new model (and tools) of consumer communication.
With the Olympics in 2012 fast approaching, what are the key principles that clients and agencies alike should be looking to implement to make sure that they get the very most from their sponsorship monies.
The Golden Rules of Sponsorship -
1) Produce a clear set of objectives as to what you want to achieve through association with your chosen sport and how you want consumers to see the partnership. Inmarsat, providers of mobile satellite to the aeronautical and maritime industries, cleverly used its sponsorship of the World Rally Championship to highlight products' capabilities.
It provided groundbreaking technology to revolutionise the sport itself, making WRC the most data rich and advanced sport in the world, while at the same time producing an exciting real world case study for potential clients.
2) There has to be relevance for the brand to make the sponsorship bigger than just a branding exercise. Take Panasonic - who have been sponsoring the Olympics since it introduced its Olympic partnership program for the Calgary games - they see a fit with the games and their products and their functional and emotional benefits.
From capturing golden moments with their broadcast cameras and delivering the excitement of the games to homes all around the world (best viewed/enjoyed in stunning HD on a Viera!!) to preserve their precious moments with Lumix cameras, or in HD on their own camcorders.
3) Understand that it's not just a one off hit. The reach of sponsorship opportunities, like the Olympics itself, far outlives the event. Brands must have an idea as to how they want to run a programme of activity and how you can keep it fresh.
The opportunity to advertise and generate awareness of the games starts as soon at the last event is over. Campaign momentum should build and there should be a mixture of tactical amplification in addition to the use of the local and worldwide Olympic organization collateral (logos)
4) Interaction and engagement - Sport is about movement and involvement and any campaign activity should encourage consumers to engage with the property and your brand wherever possible. Nike have done this brilliantly with their sponsorship of leading world class footballers, challenging consumers to take ownership of the ideas, run with them and make them bigger than the sum of their parts, check out their The chain campaign for just one example of their executional excellence - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sI5JfwHsrM8
5) Work closely with other sponsors and the local organisation - you will be able to maximize opportunities, leverage shared brand values and tap into a wider audience. Nationwide Building Society scored major points with their 'Fan Embassy' at the last World Cup in Germany. Helping fans with vital information on the ground, near the tournament, their activity was a physical manifestation of their brand promise - as official supporters of the England team
With every kind of sponsorship situation - don't expect the association on its own to deliver the benefits. There has to be a creative and executional purpose to the exercise.
Remember the sponsorship is just a door pass to get you in with the fans…once you're in, you have to continue to deliver on promise.
The cost of the London Olympicsis expected to rise significantly when the Government reveals how it will fund maintenance and security at new venues in the gap between their completion and the start of the Games.
