The media landscape continues to evolve, arguably at a faster rate than ever. Leading media and measurement experts presented research-based insights on how viewers use different forms of TV/video on various platforms. Attendees joined us at the Warner Bros. Discovery Studios in California and via livestream to understand the latest data and discussions of the data’s implications.
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Do sports sponsorship announcements help or hurt the stock-market returns of sponsor companies and their rivals? A study comparing these effects in the U.S. and Japan provides insight into competitive advantages (or lack thereof) between sponsors and their rivals, depending on market reactions in each country, whether the sporting event is held in a home country and the market impact between rival firms.
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Fans who travel far to sporting events may be more valuable to sponsoring brands than previously thought. A research model tested against a cycling field study shows that “faraway” fans are more knowledgeable about the sport than locals, identify more strongly as a fan of the sport and have greater event attachment, potentially increasing their desire to support sponsoring brands.
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Adding to research that scrutinizes sponsorship spending, this study asked: Are sponsoring brands wasting money? The focus: Major League Baseball sponsorship and four dimensions of brand equity. Researchers used the expansive BrandAsset Valuator database to reach their conclusions. A major finding: Brand personality matters. Strong personalities tend to overspend, while ‘boring’ ones can hit the ball out of the park.
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Until 2020, sponsorship expenditures by brand marketers were soaring, but COVID-19 changed the equation. Nevertheless, a new study conducted prior to the pandemic— analyzing multiple years of prices paid for sponsorships of Formula One racing teams—fills a gap in the body of research that otherwise focused on sponsorship returns but neglected the related investment.
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Get the play-by-play on sports marketing trends, best practices and success metrics. Insights from companies including Bleacher Report, Levi's, NBA, Nielsen Sports, Samba TV, SPARK Neuro, Turner Sports, Twitter and more are available in this summary of the ARF's 2019 SPORTSMARKETINGxSCIENCE event. Learn More.
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How can you protect your brand from an “ambush”? Evolving ambush marketing tactics spurred researchers in Canada and the U.K. to undertake the task of redefining the different forms and offering practical guidance and strategies to both sides of the practice.
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The September 2015 issue of the Journal of Advertising Research addressed the issue of corporate sponsorships and the impact of the content of activation messages on sponsorship effectiveness. Francois A. Carrillat, University of Technology, Sydney, Business School; Alain d’Astous, HEC, Montreal; and Marie-Pier Charette Couture, Nikon Optical, Canada, investigated these factors through an experimental design using real video stimuli with 720 adult consumer participants.
Sponsorship activations can differ either according to their focus (on the brand versus on the event), or their scope (promoting a product versus a corporate image). Statistical analyses supported the authors’ hypothesis that sponsorship activations that are consistent with respect to their focus and their scope are easier for targeted audiences to process. In turn, this enhanced “processability” leads consumers to develop a positive response toward the sponsor.
The authors concluded that:
-Sponsorship managers must realize that activation messages vary with respect to their focus and scope and that this represents a key determinant of sponsorship success.
-Choosing between a brand focus and an event focus in the context of sponsorship activation is a strategic decision—and a common challenge facing sponsors. The decision to adopt a product or a corporate-image communication approach can also be challenging.
-Sponsorship evaluation is optimized when the focus and the scope of the activation message both aim at fostering the commercial interest of the sponsor, or when they both put the commercial interest of the sponsor in the background.
-Sponsorship activations should emphasize the brand as a sponsor of the event to promote products but the event as being sponsored by the brand to enhance corporate image.
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Writing for iMedia Connection, David Mennie provides tips for creating a successful sponsored content strategy:
-Choose your channel wisely: there should be a good fit between the media channel and the brand. Select a publication that is authentic to your brand’s message. Also, consider the audience the brand is trying to reach.
The author stresses the importance of labeling the sponsored content appropriately to avoid losing the trust of the readers.
-Use social media to gain more readers and increase credibility. It is important to understand the brand’s audience for each social platform to encourage retweets and likes.
-Strike the right balance: a thoughtful approach should stress the brand’s authenticity and provide a consistent brand voice.
The author concludes with the following advice, “Should you choose to dive into the world of sponsored content, do so carefully and with a strong sense of who your brand is, who your readers are, and how to publish stories that are true to both of those audiences.”
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For more on this topic, check out the Media Tab in Morning Coffee.