By Brons Sports · Updated
SPONSORSHIP STRATEGY FOR BRANDS HOW TO DO IT
A sponsorship strategy describes why a company sponsors, what goals the sponsorship should achieve, which target audiences and rights are prioritised, how the sponsorships should be activated and how the effect is measured. The strategy ensures sponsorship becomes a managed part of marketing rather than a series of separate decisions.
What should a sponsorship strategy contain?
Bring together business goals, prioritised target audiences, criteria for rights, budget, activation plan and measurement in a single decision document. It should be usable both for new enquiries and to evaluate existing partnerships.
Describe what need each channel fills and who is responsible for delivery. Brons Sports develops the sponsorship together with your existing media agency, advertising agency and internal marketing team – you do not need to change agencies.
Sponsorship analysis & strategy
Who it is for
Companies that want to start sponsoring, or already sponsor but are unsure what it delivers.
The problem we solve
Sponsorships are often chosen on gut feeling or personal interest, without any link to business goals and target audience.
How we work
- – An analysis of your brand, target audience and existing agreements
- – Business goals and metrics are set before any rights are chosen
- – A recommended sport, athlete or rights holder, and how to allocate the budget
What you can expect
A clear sponsorship strategy with priorities, goals and a plan for the next step.
How to develop a sponsorship strategy
Current situation
Map what has been done before, target-audience analyses, media placements, competitors and goal achievement.
Goals
Develop goals based on expectations and budget, and break them down so they become concrete and measurable.
Rights criteria
Decide which sports, levels, geographies and values fit the brand.
Strategy and media choices
Choose channels based on the target audience's media consumption and what is required to reach the goals.
Planning and implementation
Create a timeline for activities and responsibilities so everyone knows what is coming up.
Follow-up
Follow up and evaluate campaigns and activities, and use the lessons in continued work.
Common mistakes.
- Letting incoming enquiries drive the approach rather than having your own strategy.
- Goals that cannot be measured, such as simply "more visibility".
- Spreading the budget across too many small sponsorships without activation.
- Failing to anchor the strategy internally with sales, HR and management.
Checklist.
- Purpose and business goals for the sponsorship
- Prioritised target audiences
- Criteria for which rights fit
- Channel choices and activation principles
- Budget split between rights and activation
- Measurement plan and follow-up routine
How we work
We always start with the current situation. A strategy based on the target audience's media consumption, competitors and clear goals makes it easy to say yes to the right enquiries – and no to the wrong ones.
How the method is used in practice
FAQ.
01Do smaller companies need a sponsorship strategy?
Yes, even a short strategy helps. It makes it easier to choose the right enquiries and to get more out of a smaller budget by focusing on fewer, well-activated partnerships.
02How often should the strategy be updated?
Review it as part of the follow-up, normally annually, and whenever the company's goals or market change.
03What is included in Brons Sports' strategy work?
Current-state analysis, goal-setting, strategy and media choices, planning and implementation, and follow-up – plus, if needed, help finding, negotiating and activating the right sponsorship rights.