The state of the economy has often required sponsors to adjust resources committed to sponsorship programming. This is a time when properties need to invest in increasing the value offering. Unfortunately, many properties have instead looked to broaden the reach by creating new messaging and assets, but are offering this up to new sponsors in new categories rather than support existing partners.

The industry needs to strengthen the partnerships, not dilute them. As an example, as more television rights are developed and come up for renewal, we need to consider that this is a strong base for the partnership between sponsor and property. The concept of selling advertising to an official partner’s competitor is destroys the very premise of the partnership. Our industry has accepted this practice purely because of financial opportunity. I doubt the industry will change, but those properties that protect their partners in the television and other broadcast delivery mediums will actually increase the bond with and value for their partners.

For those properties that do sell advertising to the competitors of the official partners, The ISC has created the SPAAM Initiative (Sponsor Protection Against Ambush Marketing) to promote the practice of halting the use of the inherent sport within the advertising creative by competitors of official partners and for them to refrain from using ambushing terms including “sponsor, partner, sponsorship, etc.”.

A major area that the industry can improve on is online. We need to improve co-branded content with sponsors. There are too many Web sites that are void of any positioning of sponsors and we all know the sponsor buttons do not create near enough value for sponsors and lack real fan engagement.

This entry was posted on Monday, September 28th, 2009 at 2:41 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.