Head of Sports Services,
Brand Finance
What IS the objective of sponsorship?
The underlying objective of sponsorship is to create positive perceptions and behaviours among stakeholders in a more effective and efficient way than would be possible with normal marketing tools. Generally this is achieved by accessing a targeted audience and aligning with the existing attributes of the rights-holder. Exactly how this functions varies considerably depending on the brand, industry, sport/category, rights-holder, and activations. Ultimately any partnership should deliver a return on investment, which is usually considered in terms of short-term sales boost and long-term brand building benefits.
The effect of partnership activations
When measuring partnerships, it's important to remember that the focus leans more towards brand building and delivering long-term benefits. Standard Chartered’s partnership with Liverpool Football Club stands as one of the longest-running collaborations in the English Premier League. The partnership commenced in 2010, and in the years since Liverpool FC have won trophies in all of the competitions they have competed in. The collaboration between Standard Chartered and Liverpool FC extended beyond mere branding on jerseys to encompass various collaborative initiatives, including community programmes, charity events, and digital campaigns.
The first objective of the partnership will be to use the massive exposure of the football club to boost awareness and familiarity in key markets. According to Brand Finance’s 2024 Global Brand Equity Monitor study, followers of football are considerably more familiar with and more likely to consider the Standard Chartered brand compared to non-followers. (Figure 1).
This market research does not exclusively target respondents who have reported being exposed to or engaged with specific partnerships. Instead, it assumes exposure among followers of the sport in general. While this approach provides a conservative view of the impact, it is evident that the partnerships are delivering benefits to the brand.
The Brand Finance research covers 42 markets, over 100,000 respondents and 5,000 brands, and so is unique in its breadth of coverage, allowing a unique view into brand strength, and by extension sponsorships, around the world.
As well as benefiting the sponsor’s brand funnel, the partnership between Standard Chartered and Liverpool FC has significantly enhanced their overall reputation. Among football fans, 16% rated the partnership a 10 for reputation, compared to only 12% among non-fans. Additionally, a smaller proportion of fans (28%) rated it a 5 or below, in contrast to 37% among non-fans. (Figure 2).
Both emotional and functional brand attributes metrics see improvements among the football followers. Even attributes that are not directly communicated through the partnership can see strong benefits in the perceptions of those likely to have been exposed to the partnership, such as ‘data security’, ‘excellent website & apps’, and ‘offers fair rates & fees’. (Figure 3).
Combining this with analysis of the channels which sports fans have used to engage with the sport can also allow tactical recommendations into how to optimise effectiveness. For example, Brand Finance’s research shows that Chinese sports fans are significantly more likely than UK fans to engage with teams and players on social media, and buy brands associated with the sport. (Figure 4).
