Sponsorship is a hot topic in marketing and PR, and lately has been causing some debate in the Eulogy! offices. With the Olympics round the corner and the Rugby World Cup arriving in 2015, there are a huge number of opportunities for brands to get their hands on the coveted ‘official sponsor’ slot.
To kick off with, it’s important that companies choose the right event. Besides the business ramifications of picking the most relevant audience, consumers need to instantly see the point of the tie-up between the brand and event or product it’s getting behind.
Some things do go naturally hand in hand – beer and football, cocktails and fashion – but these days it’s not enough simply to choose the closest fit. A successful sponsorship deal is one that relies on a real affinity between brand and event that stays in the hearts and minds of audiences because it was funny, touching or just simply spot-on in terms of relevance. Anything that makes us sit up and say ‘that’s a good match’ has ultimately done the job. Anything that leaves consumers with a confused expression on their faces has not delivered anything for the client or the sponsorship property.
This year has seen a number of Eulogy! clients embark on intriguing sponsorship deals. The Intellectual Property Office, the government department that processes trademark and patent applications, might not be a high-street name but has proved the perfect partner for the Science Museum’s Wallace & Gromit exhibition. Similarly, French black raspberry liqueur Chambord has cleverly carved itself a niche as ‘the spirit of fashion’ through its long-running London Fashion Weekend sponsorship. It’s now pulled off a major sponsorship coup as the first-ever presenting sponsor of a West End show – Breakfast at Tiffany’s at London’s Theatre Royal Haymarket. Clearly, it pays to be relevant but creativity is key.
