Employer Branding Through the Power of Sports Marketing

If you are interested in a career at SPORTFIVE and help brands to grow through sport sponsorship and marketing, simply check out the careers page. The SPORTFIVE team will be happy to discuss opportunities that match your experience and vision.

Learn more about a career at SPORTFIVE

SPORTFIVE works for a diverse range of brands, from global consumer brands to niche players looking to enter the sports market. The clients come from a variety of industries, including automotive, consumer goods, tech, and more. No matter your size or industry, SPORTFIVE can tailor a sponsorship solution to meet your specific needs.

See an overview of brands that SPORTFIVE works for

SPORTFIVE implements a creative and results-oriented approach to sponsorship activation, focusing on delivering meaningful experiences that connect brands with their audience. By leveraging digital platforms, live events, and fan engagement tactics, the agency ensures that sponsorships go beyond visibility to deliver true value and engagement.

Learn more about the activation capabilities here

1. Image objectives

Brands that are active in sports sponsorship are more likeable, more relevant and better trusted among fans. We call this the “emotional uplift”. Not only were we able to demonstrate this effect in a qualitative market research study, but we have also quantified it.

2. Awareness objectives

Whether among top target groups or the population at large, boosting brand awareness is a traditional strength of sponsorship. In an age of fragmented media consumption, it is becoming an increasingly frequent unique selling point in sport.

3. B2C customer retention

Sports sponsorship shortens distances and turns customers into lasting brand fans through promotions like money-can’t-buy experiences, loyalty incentives, exclusive benefits, prize draws, bonus programmes or sensation marketing.

4. Maintaining B2B contact

Professional infrastructure, special occasions and memorable experiences: the fervour surrounding sport makes for the perfect hosting platform for forging new business relationships and strengthening existing ones.

5. Tapping new target groups

Sponsorship can overcome dialogue obstacles and enables organisations to reach their target groups before and even after purchases are made, provided the platform has maximum target group overlap.

6.     Sales and revenue objectives

Sponsorship affects revenue, be it via direct sales, branding at the point of sale, the expansion of sales networks, or one of the many new activation formats for sales promotion in sport. 

7. Corporate social responsibility

Nutrition, health, youth empowerment and sustainability (to name a few): professional sport provides companies with a platform that impacts a range of economic sectors and can lead to authentic ways of implementing CSR measures. 

8. Employer branding

Sponsorship is becoming an increasingly important tool in the so-called war for talent. It is used for recruiting new employees or retaining existing employees who have been with the company for a long time.

9. Enhanced Fan Experience: Improve the overall fan experience by offering exclusive content, access, or promotions through the partnership.

10. Innovation and Technology: Showcase technological advancements or innovations through sports partnerships, positioning the brand as forward-thinking and cutting-edge.

Sponsorship is the financial support for a sporting event, organisation or athlete by an outside body, for the mutual benefit of both parties. At the professional level this tends to be by companies, to raise the profile of their brand by associating it with the athlete.

The company aims to generate brand awareness and customer recognition, whilst the event, organisation or athlete receives a boost in funding.

A popular example is a brand logo printed on a team shirt. Visibility is guaranteed, even more so in the modern world with social media and online highlights.

In the land of media and marketing rights today, there is no cookie-cut solution for brands, and a simple logo placement will not provide the sufficient return on investment (ROI) for sponsorship, nor does it give their target audience the “why?” - the reason to spend their money and engage with the product.

Companies investing in sports sponsorship need to look at the bigger picture to engage with fans and not rely on just one piece of inventory.

Comprehensive marketing is a strategy which covers all aspects of the marketing sphere, from the steps before initial concept ideation, right through to delivery and assessment.

A comprehensive marketing plan is a roadmap that helps you to determine your target audience, understand their needs, and create a strategy to fulfil those needs.

The first step in creating a comprehensive marketing plan is to define your business objectives. What are you trying to achieve? This could be to increase sales, improve brand awareness, or to launch a new product.

The next step is to identify your target audience. Who are your customers? What are their needs? What motivates them to engage or make a purchase? Understanding your target audience is crucial to developing a marketing strategy that will resonate with them.

To stand out in a crowded marketplace, you need to differentiate yourself from your competitors. Identify and analyse your potential competitors to understand their strengths and weaknesses. Try and understand their marketing strategies, pricing, and product offerings.

Find your USP. Your Unique Selling Proposition/Point (USP) is what sets your business apart from your competitors. It's the reason why customers should choose you over the competition. Develop a clear and compelling USP that speaks to your target audience.

Now you can develop your marketing strategy. Your marketing strategy should include your product positioning, pricing strategy, distribution channels, and promotional tactics.

To execute your marketing plan effectively, you need to set a budget. Determine how much you can afford to spend on marketing and allocate your budget to the most effective tactics.

To measure the success of your marketing plan, you need to set your metrics. What are you trying to achieve? Is it to increase sales, generate leads, or improve brand awareness? Set specific goals and track your progress against them.

Your marketing plan is not set in stone. It's essential to review and refine your plan regularly. Monitor your metrics, evaluate your results, and make adjustments as necessary.