Sponsorship activation
Why it matters
Research from Nielsen Sports Gen Z report shows that sports fans are increasingly more likely to engage with a brand if they align with the values of the teams and athletes they follow, along with their own personal interests. This is especially the case with younger audiences, who want to see their teams and athletes sponsored by brands who promote the causes they believe in – for example sustainability, diversity, equality etc. Sport sponsorship can open up a door to new audiences and provide a platform to showcase products and services in a thrilling arena (both physical and digital) to an engaged, passionate fanbase.
How to make it work
The number one rule of sport sponsorship is to be authentic. Consumers are evermore savvy when it comes to brand involvement in sport so it’s crucial that any sponsorship of a team, athlete or event share mutual values which their fans can relate to. A sponsorship activation strategy should follow suit. It’s important that the messages you communicate and the content you produce – both owned and earned – is consistent with the aims, values and target audience of the sponsorship. Consider what kind of branding will strike a chord, which channels a piece of content will resonate with and where the people you’re hoping to reach are consuming their news.
Where we've done it
We’ve worked with brands as diverse as HUGO BOSS, Red Bull, Therabody, Simplyhealth, KYMIRA and ORPO Mouthguards to activate their sponsorship of sports teams, athletes and events. Whether it’s creating award-winning stunts; staging new launches or consumer experiences; reaching captive audiences through a sponsored event or series; or demonstrating how a product or solution has been at the very heart of an athlete’s success, we always ensure that the brand is at the centre of the campaigns we create, the messages we communicate and the coverage we deliver.
Through our work with Therabody, we announced exciting partnerships with Manchester City, Belgium footballer Kevin de Bruyne and Liverpool and England footballer Trent Alexander- Arnold. The collaboration with both athletes centred on how they were utilising Theragun’s percussive therapy before and after training in a bid to accelerate recovery throughout the season.
