| Does Sports Sponsorship
Really Pay Off for B2B Brands?
By Libby Christie, Head of Operations,
Unmissable
As the rugby World Cup heralds in the end of the
major sporting sponsorship opportunities for 2007,
brands are already planning for the biggest sporting
show on earth - the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
But in today's cut-throat world of sports sponsorship,
do brands - particularly B2B brands - really get a
return on the huge fees demanded by these events?
There's no doubt that for the right brands there
is an enormous opportunity to ride on an event that
is not only grabbing the nation's attention, but also
able to offer some of the most impressive advertising
slots of the year.
The ‘right brands' are often the big name
consumer ones, many of which have become synonymous
with these events. Although B2B brands have little
chance of matching the noise created around the likes
of Orange, Visa or Heineken there are still huge opportunities
with a pragmatically planned and highly targeted approach.
Beyond the branded shirts, ad boards and TV slots
there are a wealth of B2B marketing opportunities
if you have secured 'official sponsor' status, from
leveraging tickets and corporate packages to signed
merchandise.
Even for brands that have no ‘official sponsor'
status there can be opportunities linking prizes to
the sport, but not the event. For example, trips to
previous tournament host countries, kit and coaching
courses through to meeting the sporting legends themselves.
In some cases there may even be opportunities to work
with the event itself if there is no clash with official
sponsors and activity is carefully negotiated with
the organisers in advance.
In essence, if B2B brands put investment behind
the major sporting events of the year there are benefits
and gains to be had, but they require major planning
to maximise all available opportunities if you're
to see a return on your investment.
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