Create Partnerships, not Sponsorships

The Westin Bear Mountain and Cycling Canada; a true partnership. MORE INFO: https://bearmountain.ca/recreation/bike/training-centre/

Sports are inherently emotional.  Each of us posses a memory of a match winning goal or an agonizing touch down that cost the game. We never stop remembering these moments and after a while they become a part of our identity.

This emotional charge gives marketers who harness the power of sport properties an advantage in building relationships with consumers who through their affinity of the sport, may have a greater interest in the given product. Genuinely activating a partnership capitalizes on the passion of sport and it can uniquely create emotional connections with consumers.

Partnership building allows brands and properties to create those connections.  An agency’s work is to find stories, touch points and content that pack emotional punch. When executed correctly, they provide brands access to content that is social by nature, unique and sought after by fans.

Unfortunately, some sports properties remain content with traditional tactics or forget altogether about a correct marketing strategy. Looking out for quantifiable metrics, these organizations follow the dated and debunked formulas of old school tiered sponsorship programs (ie. Gold, Silver, Bronze), instead of focusing on programs and activations that benefit the brand and in turn themselves.
Creating these unique partnerships are usually an afterthought to the ever increasing pressure of raising revenues – and the easiest way for that to be accomplished is to create tiered programs that can be mass mailed to potential targets. However, there is a better way.

Every marketing agency offers strategic thinking, develops creative ideas and has digital capabilities. A sports marketing agency also has the ability to help brands and properties curate the dialogue between organization and fans in order to influence target markets.

One great way to influence the discussion is the preference of Partnerships vs. Sponsorships. Let’s create partnerships.