Jul 15, 20203 min
Additionally, there’s far more and indeed much richer data about fans and their purchasing
behaviour – with new and evolved companies offering it to brands and the sector.
Further, new brands are investing in sponsorship. Evidence Cazoo’s recent sponsorship
purchases at two Premier League clubs.
Done well, sponsorship is proven to drive long term brand equity growth and provide short
term sales opportunities. Done poorly, sponsorship is simply a waste of money.
Yet, and despite these positives and sponsorships proven capabilities, it’s also remarkable
how little the sponsorship sector has changed.
Some of the issues prevalent 20 years ago remain today. Two of these issues significantly
undermine the credibility of the sector.
For starters; why is it that the sponsorship sector has such an ambivalent attitude towards measurement and evaluation (M&E)?
- Why do so few (19%) in the sector have confidence about M&E (source: Frontier
survey)?
- Why do brands invest so little in M&E (78% spend 1% or less of their sponsorship
budget on M&E. source: IEG)?
Believe me, sponsorship outcomes for brands and business are measurable. So perhaps too
many within the sector are comfortable with the status-quo! Why rock the boat?
Well, by maintaining the status quo the sponsorship sector has opened the door to the
related and potentially bigger issue of self-interest. Remember:
* It’s in the interest of the property owner to sell their rights
* It’s in the interests of the agency representing those rights to sell them – because
they are rewarded by the property owner
* It’s in the interests of the other ‘independent’ agencies that brands buy their
sponsorship ideas.
Indeed, everyone listed above, and entirely understandably, has an interest in ensuring that
sponsorship is seen to work. Have these vested interests contributed to the sectors current
attitude towards M&E?
If M&E is undertaken, it’s usually geared towards proving success and justifying the
investment – rather than objectively assessing performance.
Self-interest has discouraged independent scrutiny and rigorous analysis. It has therefore
limited learning and insight development. Self-interest has meant that long held beliefs go unchallenged. As a result, too many strategies and recommendations are based on assumption or wishful thinking.
All this probably sounds harsh or negative. If I’m wrong, why do any of these myths survive?
Why is it assumed that more branding is the better, that it’s noticed and drives brand
outcomes?
Why do media values still blight the sector when they do not correlate to brand
outcomes and mislead more than inform?
Why do so many get hung up on output measures such as social media likes or video
views, rather than focusing on brand and business outcomes?
Why should fans have a natural affinity for sponsors when people generally don’t care
about brands?
Why do so many brands and their agencies talk about shared values as a basis of
connection, when fans don’t think this way?
Perhaps now is the time for the sponsorship sector to take a step back, put self-interest aside and embrace M&E.
To learn, to understand and to improve so that sponsorship can do what it does more effectively and efficiently. Adopting this approach will not only improve investment decisions and outcomes for brands – it will significantly boost confidence and credibility in the sector.
Surely this is an outcome that’s got to be in everybody’s best interest.
Ian Thompson is an Independent Sponsorship Strategist