Marketing Communications

SPONSORSHIP: WHAT IT IS AND WHAT IT IS NOT 345

Introduction

Although in most companies the share of sponsorship in the communications budget is

still limited, worldwide it is an increasingly important instrument of the communications

mix. Not only are sponsorship budgets increasing, but also sponsored events and causes are

becoming more and more diverse. Although ‘spouse-driven projects’ still exist, the degree of

professionalism in the selection and follow-up of sponsorship projects is becoming increasingly

sophisticated, and the communications eff ectiveness of sponsored projects has become a major

concern. In contrast to advertising campaigns that are normally followed up by advertising or

brand managers, sponsorship projects are oft en directly monitored by corporate management,

illustrating the importance that is attached to this type of activity – or the lack of maturity of

this particular instrument. Sponsorship is diff erent from other communications mix instruments.

It is a fl exible instrument that can serve a multitude of objectives, but it is more suited for some

objectives than for others. As in advertising, a number of channels – types of sponsorship –

may be used, each having their own advantages and strengths and disadvantages and weaknesses.

Th e integration of this tool in the communications mix may be an even more important

condition for success than that of the other communications instruments. In any case, in an

increasing number of companies sponsorship has acquired the status of one of the corner-

stones of the communications and marketing strategy.

Sponsorship: what it is and what it is not

Sponsorship can be defi ned as an investment in cash or kind in an activity, in return for

access to the exploitable commercial potential associated with this activity.^1 Th e company

promotes its interests and brands by tying them to a specifi c and meaningfully related event

or cause.^2 It is a thematic communications instrument with which the sponsor assists the

sponsee in realising his or her project. In return the sponsee co-operates in realising the com-

munications objectives of the sponsoring company. If the latter is not the case, the investment

of the ‘sponsor’ is nothing more than altruism, charity, patronage or benefaction. As such,

‘sponsorship’ has existed for centuries. Th e Roman Gaius Maecenas was a great sponsor of the

arts, and gave his name to the concept of Maecenatism. Th e De Medici family of Florence

became famous as sponsors of artists such as Michelangelo. Th e diff erence between this and

contemporary professional sponsorship is that sponsorship is an integrated part of the com-

munications eff ort, with explicit communications and commercial objectives. Th e benefi ts of

charity, on the other hand, are mainly directed towards society and/or the benefi ciaries.

Generally speaking, sponsorship shares two of the fundamental objectives of advertising,

i.e. the generation of awareness about the product or company, and the promotion of positive

messages about the product or company.^3 However, there are a number of important diff erences

between the two, the most important one being that advertising allows greater control over

the content and the environment of the message. Advertising messages are explicit and direct,

and advertisers can decide when and where to place their ads. On the other hand, although

sponsorship results in a less cluttered promotion of their products, companies also have less

control over sponsorship, which makes their messages more indirect and implicit. As a result,

in order to make sponsorship eff ective, accompanying communications eff orts are called for.^4

Indeed, sponsorship can be described as a ‘mute non-verbal medium’, as opposed to advertising,

in which messages are created using visuals, vocals and context.^5

On the other hand, sponsorship is less cluttered and fi nancially more attractive. It can be

considered a cheap form of advertising. However, sponsorship may be less eff ective in gaining

attention as a result of the distraction factor: spectators are primarily involved with the sponsored

event (a soccer game or a work of art) and pay less attention to the environment of the event,

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