Sponsorship as an experience

This is an article written by Justin Sampson of Exp South Africa, which was published in the March 2007 edition of Marketing Mix:


In today’s cluttered media environment – with the slow death of the 30-second advert as we know it – sponsorship as a marketing discipline is gaining increasing popularity with brand marketers in engaging consumers and breaking though the clutter. Sponsorship has become much more disciplined and strategic in its approach and as a result it is connecting brands to their markets through sports and entertainment. In the past sponsorship was an after thought but it is now at the forefront of developing any marketing strategy.



Whilst it might be an exaggeration to say that the 30-second advert is dead, there is no denying that brands need to go well beyond traditional advertising to reach and truly engage with their target markets (as opposed to interrupting them). While South Africans appear not to have heard this message and are still using sponsorship for hospitality and brand exposure (signage), the rest of the world has already moved on and the sponsorship market is maturing. Sponsorship today is about enhancing the property you are sponsoring and creating a unique experience that only your brand can deliver. The era of experiential marketing is upon us – it is the next phase of leveraging a sponsorship in order to optimise its potential.



Using sponsorship as an integrated marketing platform is something that has been around for years. A few select brands like Absa, MTN, Coca- Cola and Vodacom have always ‘gotten it,’ while others still see it as a branding opportunity only. However there is another vastly underutilised role that sponsorship can play in the marketing mix – it can be used as a medium for integrating the brand into the overall brand experience. This can be an extremely relevant contact point for a target market that isn’t reached or engaged by traditional advertising.



For example, during the Absa Cup 2006 – also known as the Absa Cup of Dreams – Absa was able to tap into the emotions of millions of fans and to create a unique experience. Not only did they sponsor and enhance the tournament, they also facilitated the realisation of the dreams of a number of entities. This experience included the top teams (who could win the tournament) as well as the bottom teams (an amateur team could end up playing against one of the big teams like Kaizer Chiefs in the final or the knock-out stages).



Through the various promotions that were held during the tournament, consumers could also realise their dreams. Prizes which ranged from cash, to winning a car, to winning a trip to the 2006 FIFA World Cup, were given away through print, radio, TV and at the actual stadium venues. The ‘never in your wildest dreams competition’ allowed one lucky consumer an experience of a lifetime by providing a grand prize that consisted of a Ford Focus, R50 000 and two tickets to the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.



As result, the sponsorship was able to communicate much more than would have been achieved in a 30 second ad. Significantly, this was done in an environment free of clutter. Absa owned the market on their own terms for the duration of this tournament because they chose to be part of the Absa Cup experience.



What is the moral of the story? Whenever possible, integrate, activate and create a unique experience in order to get the maximum ROI (or Return on Objectives) out of your sponsorship Rands. Using sponsorship as a platform can deliver a lot more than the traditional 30-second ad and by creating a unique experience it can ‘burn a memory path’ that will never be forgotten. Previously sponsorship agencies were left on the outside of the boardrooms but now we are right in there, shoulder to shoulder with the marketing director and the senior management, developing strategy and creating a unique experience.




Article contributed by Marketing Mix.