Your Complete Guide To Sponsorship Marketing

A whopping $0.9 billion is projected to be spent on sponsorship globally by the end of 2023 (according to Statista). And by 2027, the market volume is estimated to reach an even huger $1.2 billion!

But despite this sizable market, we’d argue that sponsorship is a partner marketing strategy that’s still underestimated and underutilised. In fact, whether you’re a not-for-profit, a huge global corporation, or a small family-run business, there’s sure to be a sponsorship opportunity that’s perfect for your brand.

Here, we’ll explore the different types of sponsorship marketing, why sponsorship can be so powerful, and how to create a foolproof sponsorship marketing strategy.

What Is Sponsorship Marketing?

Sponsorship involves one brand (the sponsor) aligning itself with an aspect of another brand (the sponsee). This is often an event such as a sports game or conference, but can also include TV programs, charities, and even celebrities.

However, contrary to popular belief, sponsorship marketing doesn’t always involve money changing hands. Although the sponsor will often offer support in the form of finance, they can also offer support in the form of other resources – whether that’s donating products, promoting the sponsee’s activity, or even broadcasting it on television. In return, the sponsee helps to boost the sponsor’s brand awareness and reputation.

How Do Sponsorships Work?

As we’ve already touched upon, sponsorships can come in many different forms. Here are the main ones that you’re likely to come across.

Monetary Sponsorship

Also known as cash sponsorship, the sponsor gives the sponsee financial support. Big brands such as McDonald’s, Pepsi, and Coca-Cola invest billions of pounds in sponsorship every year.

In-Kind Sponsorship

Rather than giving the sponsee cash, the sponsor donates products or services. This could be anything from catering to printing.

Media Sponsorship

This is a form of in-kind sponsorship. Media sponsors promote the sponsee’s activity, perhaps by posting about it on social media, by publishing blog posts, or even by broadcasting it on television in the case of large events and sports fixtures.

Promotional Partners

Similar to media sponsors, promotional partners are generally individuals who can help to promote the sponsee’s activity, such as bloggers or influencers. They often agree to sponsor events in return for speaking slots.

What Kind Of Brands Can Take Part In Sponsorship Marketing?

Sponsorship opportunities can be in very high demand, particularly for high-profile events and sports. But any kind of business can become a sponsor, whether they’re a small, one-person band or a household name.

For example, a small, family-run business could get its logo printed on the uniform of a local amateur sports club. A larger nationwide brand could get a short feature ahead of its chosen TV program. Or a giant like Coca-Cola could run campaigns in conjunction with the Olympic Games, such as the brand’s famous #thatsgold campaign during Rio 2016.

What Are The Benefits Of Sponsorship?

Just like with any kind of partnership, sponsorship marketing brings some key benefits to each of the partner brands (when it’s done well!).

For The Sponsor

• Brand awareness: Sponsorship offers brands the chance to get in front of new (and often, large!) audiences
• Reputation: By aligning themselves with something that their audience really cares about, such as a sports team or TV programme, brands can improve their reputation
• Brand positioning: Brands can use sponsorship to reach specific demographics – just look at how Red Bull was able to get the attention of a sporting audience by sponsoring sports events and athletes.

For The Sponsee

• Financing: Sponsorship helps to offset the cost of carrying out the sponsee’s activity, whether that’s in the form of financial contributions or in-kind support.
• Expertise: In the case of in-kind or media sponsors, the sponsee gets exclusive access to a brand’s network and expertise.
• Authority: Getting a household name as a sponsor can help to lend a sponsee’s activity legitimacy.

How To Form A Sponsorship Marketing Strategy?

If you’re keen to join the world of sponsorship marketing to give your brand’s name a boost, you’re probably wondering where to start. We’d always recommend creating a sponsorship marketing strategy, so that you can clarify the approach you intend to take and start off your sponsorship journey as successfully as possible! Here’s how to nail it.

1. Clarify your goals

2. Consider the types of sponsorships that could help you reach them

3. Create a list of potential partners

4. Put together a partnership proposal

5. Conduct outreach & Measure

Marketing Sponsorship Key Takeaways

At the end of the day, there’s no denying that sponsorship marketing is a lot harder to measure than other partnership types, and isn’t the best-suited to getting across targeted sales messages. But if you’re in it for the right reasons, it’s a powerful tool for getting in front of new audiences, increasing brand awareness, and providing a boost to brand reputation.

If you’re looking for sponsorship opportunities or any other kind of partnership, remember to book a demo with Breezy to see how our partner search engine can make your life so much easier. All you have to do is give us some info to guide our search – like your competitors and keywords – and then we’ll do the hard work of finding you partner prospects, so you don’t have to!

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