Driving Differentiation through Sponsorship

Here’s one… Over the months of Thursday Thoughts I’ve written to date, I’ve raised concepts around the merits of sponsorship, the value, the measurement and the overall potential it’s capable of as a business strategy (Read: it’s more than a marketing play…). Today’s thought draws our attention towards its ability to provide differentiation that’s hard(er) to copy. 

Let’s start by thinking about brand and business USPs. 20 or 30 years ago, it was far easier to build a moat around your business; either through NPD or a brand positioning that was difficult to replicate. Today, the pace of life and ability to pivot and change means that the opportunity to mimic what is working for other businesses or categories is far easier to integrate into your approach.  

As more entrants come into play, at a more rapid rate of knots, the need to constantly evolve is paramount. Take ‘Food Delivery’ as a category. In the early phase we had one main player in Uber Eats who were quickly joined by the likes of Deliveroo, Menulog, Foodora, DoorDash, Milk Run et al… What all of these businesses were able to do, is observe. They could watch from afar and plan an entry strategy to create as big a splash as possible until the next entrant came in. 

What I find interesting about these newer business categories is how quickly they all turned to sponsorship as a way to differentiate. I was across the Deliveroo x St Kilda deal, I enjoyed the Door Dash approach with the State of Origin, we all loved the Uber Eats activity with Channel 9 around the Australian Open… Same thing for FinTech. The volume of deals being done locally and globally from these relative ‘start-ups’ is immense. 

What they have all correctly recognised, is that audience passions are the most persuasive way to connect and land a message. We are hardwired to seek out our passions. We think about them more often, have deep emotional connections and an availability bias that is almost impossible to replicate through ‘spots and dots’. 

It doesn’t stop with newer product categories. Some of the world's biggest consumer brands have recently turned to sponsorship in their plight to stay relevant. Google’s recent deal with McLaren F1 Team or Spotify’s deal with Barcelona spring to mind - examples you’d never expect to see under the view of ‘why would they need sponsorship…’’.

So here’s the thought. If you’re facing a competitive threat, have a think about how you can use your sponsorship/s to say something unique about your business that is hard to replicate. Be original, get creative and open the doors for sponsorship to be more than a logo somewhere, to an integrated part of your overall go-to-market approach. Here’s some thoughts to spur you along…

1. Sponsorship, by its very nature, provides category exclusivity. While your competitors can buy advertising around yours, they can’t buy the same sponsorship. 

2. Unlock what makes the audience tick about the sponsorship. Consider this, and how - as a business - you could play a genuine role in amplifying it. (Hint. People care more about their passions than they ever will about your brand). 

3. Think about how the assets you’ve secured can work across the broader business than just marketing. For example, how could they be used to strengthen the supply chain, improve front-line staff performance, enhance thinking around NPD etc.

4. Ask the right questions. Why have we got sponsorship? What is it for? How are we using and measuring it? Get under the hood and develop a crystal clear understanding in order to be able to defend its use when the pressure increases and the urge to ‘buy more display’ creeps in...

In the fast-paced, ever-changing world we operate in, it’s likely your access to people's passions through sponsorship that can provide the strongest, clearest point of difference for your brand or business… 

Power of Three

Here’s one… A trend I’m predicting to gather momentum this year is the inclusion of a third party to partnership marketing. As the creative standards grow within the sponsorship sector, the demands for uniqueness and originality grow with it. 

I’m not suggesting that a conventional Brand x Rights Holder engagement is insufficient - far from it. What I’m seeing is a greater opportunity to connect and inspire by folding a third ingredient into the mix. 

Like many trends, this is one I’ve seen bubbling up under the surface within various subcultures. One of particular note is the masterful work of the Shoe Surgeon. This artist has forged an incredible niche by dismantling our favourite sneaker brands and re-building them with a bespoke twist. Be that another fashion brand, or even a confectionary brand, the results are captivating and unique. 

So what can this third element look like? In my opinion, it doesn’t always need to be another brand - it could be - but another element that brings additional equity to the outcome. It could be a person, a media channel, another property or indeed another brand. 

Arguably, we’ve seen examples of this third pillar for a while, but I’d also argue this was more default than design. The role of ambassadors sitting across multiple sponsorships is a good example. Where I see the potential value is by building these outcomes from the ground up and thereby adding specific elements together with a clear idea in mind. 

I’ve been working with a business in the US recently and have made this third element a core part of their partnership marketing strategy. It’s a simple addition to a strategy that acts as a turbocharger, not a straightjacket. We’re currently working on some exciting campaigns that bring these two other elements into play, and I’ll share outcomes when it’s suitable to do so. 

In the meantime, have a think about what brand, person, channel or technology you can add into your campaigns to bring a new and unique element to the execution. I’m fairly certain it’ll pay dividends.

Time to put a rocket up our collective proverbials...

Here’s one… How many articles, polls or posts have you seen since the closing ceremony about the sponsorship deals our athletes may now attract having ‘proven’ themselves at Tokyo2020?

https://www.bandt.com.au/expert-tips-the-aussie-olympians-most-likely-to-win-gold-with-marketers-dollars/?utm_source=Adestra&utm_medium=email&utm_term=&utm_content=Expert%20Tips%20The%20Aussie%20Olympians%20Most%20Likely%20To%20Win%20Gold%20With%20Marketers’%20Dollars&utm_campaign=B%26T%20today%3A%2010th%20August%202021

I have nothing against these articles. In fact, they will gradually help us get to a better place by further shining a light on these remarkable individuals, but here’s my point. 

The men, women and (in this example of the Olympics), kids who represented their nations around the world are all extraordinary examples of the human race. Dedication, commitment, tenacity, belief and the walking embodiment of what we’re all capable of to one degree or another. They were always a marketeers dream but they just didn’t have that exposure that made us feel they were worthy of our marketing dollars… 

Why? No reach, no audience, no eyeballs = no value. C’mon people. Really? There isn’t a brand or organisation in Australia or the world for that matter that doesn’t have a reputation or perception problem that doesn’t need a solution (bear in mind a good NPS is 28!). Finding ways to tell their brand story with authenticity does not come from a 30” TVC formed of a wonderfully fabricated narrative and beautifully conveyed by actors, but from proof and evidence. 

There was a kid in my school back in the UK called Anders. His mum was an astronaut. Anders had very few mates and was often found awkwardly standing at the edge of the playground at break. He wasn’t the cool kid and nobody knew at the time his mum was an astronaut. One break, while all eyes were on the cool kids with the Reeboks and slick haircuts, someone shouted out from across the playground “this kids mum is an astronaut”... Anders became a highlight of our year. His mum came in and did a talk. He was still a wallflower, but everyone knew Anders and how his mum might be in space one day. 

Let me break this down:

Anders = unique story and perspective (think Athlete)

Kid who shouted = provided the reach (think media plan)

If you work in marketing, either client or agency side, it is your opportunity to find and shout about an ‘Anders’. Your opportunity to promote the incredible abilities and characters who exist in our society; athletes, dancers, artists et al. Stop looking for the bright lights and flick the switch yourself - it’s waaaay more valuable to help someone on their way up than cling to someone who is. 

A point really well made in Andrew Hornery’s article in the SMH where he describes the slim pickings as far as formal budget allocation to athletes is concerned. Athletics Australia has a budget of $1.7m to support athletes. Compared that to the $123.3m Australian businesses ‘wasted’ on digital spend in the 2nd Qtr this year, and it helps one realise the need for more non-Federation funding changes. 

https://www.smh.com.au/culture/celebrity/why-the-formula-for-funding-athletes-like-peter-bol-must-change-20210803-p58fi7.html

To conclude… Reach is a vital part of what we do but you are missing the trick if you start with it. You can buy reach for toffees these days, but you can’t fabricate authenticity… I hope our athletes get the backing and rewards they some rightly deserve. I hope businesses across the country and world sign them up, but I really hope we all take a moment to realise that they were always worthy of our support, we just didn’t give the time to discover that. 

Don’t stare at bricks

Here’s one. Australia’s second favourite weekend pastime after sport is the property market. It’s an insight that led to Real Estate Australia’s ‘Other Saturday Game’ campaign for their AFL sponsorship. 

With that in mind, allow me to use a property analogy to spark a thought... 

Picture that dream home down the road you wished you owned. Yes it uses your favourite materials, has a unique design and the perfect aspect, but what you’re actually in awe of is a finished product that stands proudly and prominently in the street rather than the process undertaken to create it. The same can be said for the many sponsorship campaigns we see.  

The reason is this... Knowing what to do with the pile of bricks that led to the house requires deep knowledge of architecture, design sensibility and construction and fit-out knowhow not to mention the all important project plan and budget.

Well, imagine the assets you receive as part of your sponsorship contract are those very bricks. For many brands out there, there is quick and easy access to the expertise to build your dream campaign on your behalf. But what about those of you that don’t have that access?

Architects, designers and builders don’t come cheaply, but what if I told you that you could write the plans, mix the cement and lay the bricks yourself? 

I’ll leave the naff analogy there, but what I’m saying is this: regardless of your business, its challenge, the strategy or budget, ‘making’ something with your assets is vital to the success of your sponsorship and we’re here to help.

We started Super-Sub to enable more brands access to the expert knowledge needed to make a success of sponsorship in a way that gets you to stronger outcomes faster therefore saving budget for leverage. How? By subbing us in, you’re bringing on an expert to power your existing teams with the knowledge and skills needed to create a meaningful impact through your sponsorship and change the game for your business. 

If you’re staring at a stack of bricks and not a powerful solution, let us help you. It’s easier than you think.