Each year, major companies and big brands spend hundreds of millions of dollars on event and athlete sponsorship to get their brand or product recognized. Whether it’s EA SPORTS (client) sponsoring the Maui Invitational basketball tournament or Wilson Golf (another client) sponsoring Padraig Harrington and Ricky Barnes on the PGA TOUR, companies look for different ways to get the word out. Years ago, when companies were flush with cash and perhaps a little less strategic about things, corporate marketers were happy to see their ads on TV or have their athletes make one or two appearances. These were often referred to as “trophy sponsorships” — the kind of investments that sit on a shelf collecting dust.
Today, as companies operate lean marketing and public relations departments and scrutinize major expenditures more closely, all parties involved – sponsors, agencies, brand managers and the athletes themselves – must ensure there is a measurable ROI for the sponsorship. Public relations programs often provide brands with an exciting avenue for sponsorship activation and extend brand and athlete names into earned media and social media arenas.
Public relations programs allow clients to bring a sponsorship to life through strategic events, such as clinics, contests or exhibitions, built to attract media coverage. These activities can be developed to strategically align with the brand or athlete. For example, if a brand is closely associated with children and families, developing a PR event that gives children an opportunity to see or participate in an activity they might otherwise never get the chance to do could be perceived as providing an outstanding educational opportunity. Or, athletes who have worked hard to fight adverse conditions to make it to the top often like to give back to children in their communities to help motivate and encourage others who are striving to achieve greatness. Make no mistake; the best PR sponsorship activation is first rooted in authenticity. The brand must have a true association with the activity or the athlete must have a real passion for the children and community for it to be successful.
As marketing, advertising, sponsorship, public relations and social media become even more integrated than they have been in the past, it is important that marketers and communicators work together to achieve the goals of the brand and/or athlete they represent. More and more today, this means incorporating a solid traditional and social media relations program into the mix.
Next time you’re thinking about how to get the most out of an event or athlete sports sponsorship, consider how PR can extend the sponsorship into other mediums and boost the overall ROI.
Tags: Public Relations, Sports Marketing
