Building a brand sponsorship strategy? Remember these 3 things

Television advertising and total TV continue to grow in importance, and brand sponsorship should not be overlooked as a powerful marketing strategy. While there are various ways to go about sponsorship, deciding on the right program and collaboration form is key.

Brand sponsorship is a highly effective method of emotional marketing and can yield powerful results, when planned well. When you’ve decided to try brand sponsorship, there are numerous options to choose from, depending on whether you want to highlight, for example, reach or target.

Getting started with sponsorship for your brand? Remember these three things.

You don’t need to stick to one channel

A multichannel approach is often most effective, and this also applies to sponsorship. Combining television with digital media, audio and even events can help reach audiences across different touchpoints and purchase stages. Being present in different media can be utilised for creating digital audiences and other valuable data that can be used later in tactical advertising. 

Television is particularly effective for building long-term awareness, and reaching masses quickly. You can start from, say, television, and build from there.

Selecting the right program is key for sponsorship success

If you do opt for television, remember this: linking the brand name to a program should be a carefully thought-out process, guided not only by the contents of the program but also its audiences and overall suitability. Making the wrong or ill-informed decisions about programs can, at worst, result in drawback from the audience and the brand’s existing consumers.

Whether it’s business or humourous content, older or younger audiences the brand seeks, there is a range of program alternatives to choose from. Finnish risk management and insurance service provider Fennia opted for sponsoring Diili, the local version of The Apprentice. Fennia’s aim was to strengthen its own entrepreneurial image and thus build the bond with its customers.

You can ride the wave of popular international formats

Global brands need to opt for local approaches in order to maintain competitiveness. Long-term association with a global phenomenon can be an effective way to gain local momentum. Sponsorship in programs such as Voice of Finland and Amazing Race, which follow successful international formats but are tailored to Finnish tastes, are excellent advertising opportunities. 

“At Sanoma, we gather a lot of data on which programs produce results and help brands get exposure in just the right places locally,” says Sanoma’s Key Account Manager Olavi Kajantie.

“Frequent presence of the sponsor’s brand on television throughout entire seasons can leave a strong impression on consumers.”

Delivering results with turnkey production

With a dedicated partner, sponsorship is easy to buy and carry out. You can rely on the partner as much as you wish, all the way from project management, coordination and producing ideas. That way you can decide whether to leave the nitty gritty to others or be involved in the different stages. Partners like Sanoma also do long-term follow-up work on results and can measure success at the end of each season. 

Kajantie highlights the importance of collaboration and well-crafted sponsorship strategies. “We work together with our clients and help them build lasting bonds with their audiences,” he notes. 

Wondering where to get started? Get in touch, and we will help you choose the sponsorship package and the right program for you.

Want to find out more about sponsorship results? See the Rahalaitos success story.

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