Inside Sponsorship

Recently, there have been a fair few people who have gotten in touch to let us know that they’ve enjoyed an episode from the past. So, we thought it would be a good idea to round the year out by re-running three of our most popular episodes.

One thing we have been thinking about, for some time, is creating a curated list of the host's personal favourite insights or pieces of advice from our guests.

We have always envisaged it to be a bit of an anchor or touchpoint for those of you with lots of sponsorship industry experience, in the sense that you can always revisit it and be validated or inspired again. Or, for those new to the industry, a condensed show of lots of great advice from lots of smart guests to help you on your journey.

As such, in this episode, our host has hand-picked 14 of his favourite pieces of sponsorship advice and insights from 109 episodes.

The best of the best!

Enjoy

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Recently, there have been a fair few people who have gotten in touch to let us know that they’ve enjoyed an episode from the past. So, we thought it would be a good idea to round the year out by re-running three of our most popular episodes.

We’ve all seen some great examples of sponsorships adjusting, doing something different, and really creative activations this year because of COVID-19. A lot of those have been driven by necessity.

Probably the most talked about activation of 2020, however, has been Burger King’s sponsorship of Stevenage FC, who, at the time of the sponsorship, in 2019, were last in the fourth division of English football. It left many people scratching their heads.

It is, of course, the sponsorship that ultimately gave us the hugely successful Stevenage Challenge.

This amazing partnerhsip wasn’t driven by COVID-19 or necessity. It was driven through vision and creativity, and, as our guest phrases it later on in the show, “a leap of faith”, to pull off a truly brilliant activation. One of the reasons it was so brilliant was because the opportunity was right under so many people’s noses, yet so many didn’t see it.

The activation is both amazing in its boldness yet so jarringly simple.

Tap into the already huge, but growing, eSports market, specifically FIFA. Tap into the underdog status and fairytale storyline of them winning. Tap into the desire for people to share their gaming highlights online. Tap into the fact that everyone loves an easily accessible giveaway, especially fast food.

The results have been absolutely amazing and driven directly from the 1.2 billion impressions that Burger King’s shirt sponsorship, of Stevenage FC, has produced through the Stevenage Challenge on FIFA. Furthermore, those commercial outcomes and further opportunities are both online and offline.

Alex Tunbridge is the Chief Executive at Stevenage FC and he joins us in this episode to take us inside Burger King’s sponsorship of his club.

We also hear from Daniel Collier-Hill, KORE’s Commercial Director – APAC, who joins us to discuss the blog which outlines 3 Things That Will Provide Both Short and Long-term Benefits to Sponsorship Managers.

Enjoy.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Recently, there have been a fair few people who have gotten in touch to let me know that they’ve enjoyed an episode from the past. So, we thought it would be a good idea to round the year out by re-running three of our most popular episodes.

In a world where traditional reach and attention are diminishing, brands are looking for cut-through and engagement to drive relevance and ultimately accelerate their growth.

Through sponsorship, rights holders help brands access an audience they would otherwise find it hard to access or would not be able to access as cost-effectively.

However, we all know that being a sponsor and simply logo slapping is no longer enough; it hasn’t been for a while.

That is why creative in sponsorship is one area where brands can really activate their sponsorships to achieve cut-through & engagement to drive relevance & growth.

What is, however, the process of creative in sponsorship? What part can it play in activation? How can brands and rights holders bring it to life? What are the pitfalls along the way?

Joining the show, to help answer those questions is Misha Sher, Global Head of Sport, Entertainment & Culture at MediaCom, based in London.

Also joining the show is Jordan Rutner, Research Marketing Manager at KORE Software, to talk about one of KORE’s latest blogs, Building a Sustainable Sponsorship Department.

Enjoy.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While the history & tradition of combat sport & mixing martial arts can be traced back almost 3,000 years The UFC started in 1993 with a goal to answer the question, “Which martial art is truly the most effective in combat?

In 2001, along came Dana White and his business partners who bought the struggling company for USD $2m.

Headquartered in Las Vegas, and with a network of employees around the world, UFC produces more than 40 live events annually, featuring a massive global roster of talent from almost 80 countries, consistently selling out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe.

UFC programming is broadcast in over 165 countries and territories, via more than 60 global broadcast partners, to more than 1.1 billion TV households worldwide in over 40 different languages. UFC has the highest concentration of millennials (ages 18-34) in its fan base with 54% (compared to other top sports properties).

To take us inside sponsorship at UFC is Nick Smith, Vice President Global Partnerships.

You can connect with Nick on LinkedIn and find out more about UBS at https://www.ufc.com/

Enjoy

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The global sponsorship portfolio at UBS is rooted in culture and sport including contemporary Art, with Art Basel as the flagship property, and Motorsports, currently Team Partner of Mercedes AMG-Petronas Formula One team, in addition to regional platforms.  

Anneliese Mesilati oversees the UBS Arena naming rights agreement and the partnership with UBS Arena’s anchor tenant—the NHL’s New York Islanders. 

Additional programs include the Founding Sponsorship of PlayersTV, the first ever athlete-owned media network dedicated to showcasing sports lifestyle and entertainment content, and Global Lead partnership of Art Basel - regionally Art Basel Miami Beach. 

Alongside ideation, activation and management of regional sponsorship activities, Anneliese is focused on aligning initiatives with UBS’s leadership in sustainable investing and commitment to “Reimagine the power of investing and connect people for a better world.”  

Prior to UBS, Anneliese has acted as a brand, marketing and communications lead for several financial services firms including Citi and RBC, among others.

You can connect with Anneliese on LinkedIn and find out more about UBS at www.ubs.com

Enjoy

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Supercars Championship is a touring car racing category in Australia, running as an International Series under FIA regulations. The Supercars Championship holds races right across Australia and has often held one in New Zealand as well.

The vehicles used in the series are loosely based on road-going cars, obviously with modifications though.

Dick Johnson Racing is Australia's oldest motor racing team and is one of the competing teams in the Supercars Championship, competing as the Shell V-Power Racing Team. Founded by Dick Johnson, the team's drivers have won ten Australian Touring Car Championship titles and the team has taken four victories in Australia's premier race, the Bathurst 1000.

Nigel Calder is the team’s Head of Commercial and joins us to take us inside the Shell V-Power Racing Team.

You can connect with Nigel on LinkedIn and follow the Shell V-Power Racing Team at djr.com.au

As a client of KORE, we have also produced a case study looking at how the Shell V-Power Racing Team Achieve Real-Time Asset Tracking & Data Transparency Across Their Organisation with KORE Software. You can download it here.

Enjoy

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We welcome Jessica Geymayr, Senior Manager, Corporate Partnership Marketing at Miami HEAT. 

Jessica's resume includes time and success at  Roc Nation, where she worked as a coordinator, Sports Brand Activation, the Denver Broncos, as a coordinator, Partnership Activation, at University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, as Manager, Marketing Brand Activation, and now the Miami HEAT where she is Senior Manager, Corporate Partnership Marketing.

While we’ll go inside the Miami HEAT this episode, what will become clear to you, is just how infectious and inspiring our guest is, Jessica Geymayr.

Whether it is driving overnight to take an intern opportunity, to rocking up and introducing herself to powerful people in the industry at conferences, to pushing herself to take on study during COVID, Jessica is certainly someone who lives and breathes the HEAT Culture.

You can connect with Jessica on LinkedIn and follow Miami HEAT at nba.com/heat

Enjoy

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 49ers entered professional football in 1946 as a member of the All-America Football Conference. They were founded by lumber magnate Tony Morabito, who was one of the first to realize that with the advent of air travel, truly national professional sports leagues were possible. 

Indeed, the 49ers were the very first team in the four major North American sports to originate on the West Coast.

Today, the 49ers brand is instantly recognised.

The conviction, passion, and character birthed, laid the sturdy foundation that has enabled the 49ers to become one of the NFL's premier football powers.

To take us inside sponsorship at the 49ers is Senior Manager, Partnership Sales at San Francisco 49ers, Cameron O’Toole.

Cameron’s first role in sports was as a ball boy for his beloved Phoenix Suns but, post College, he found himself in a business ops role for the Seattle Reign FC in the Women’s National Soccer League. At the time, the Reign was an expansion club just as women’s sport was really starting to step into the spotlight.

From there, Cameron moved to the 49ers, holding multiple roles over the past 7 years, and now, as Senior Manager, Partnership Sales, he takes us inside sponsorship at San Francisco 49ers.

You can connect with Cameron on LinkedIn and learn more about the 49ers at 49ers.com

Enjoy.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Boasting an average attendance of over 20,000 per game, MLS has the third-highest average attendance of any sports league in the U.S., after the NFL and MLB, and is the seventh-highest attended professional soccer league worldwide. MLS currently has 28 teams which makes it the largest first-division professional soccer league in the world.

There is no doubt MLS is a powerful and attractive league. That’s why it wasn’t all that surprising that, in 2006, it was announced that Austrian energy drink conglomerate Red Bull had purchased the club. Of course, as part of the sponsorship that came with ownership, the team was completely re-branded, changing the name to New York Red Bulls which included new colours and a new logo.

An energy drink company is not the conventional owner of a sports franchise, however, slowly but surely Red Bull has made inroads into an array of sports. In fact, Red Bull's rise in sport has been astronomical and they now have an invested interest in over 15 sports teams across 11 sports with a major focus on football/soccer and motorsports but also Ice Hockey, Sailing, Skateboarding, and Surfing.

To take us into one of those teams, New York Red Bulls, is Jordan Iannuzzi, Senior Manager, Corporate Partnerships. Jordan is able to offer not just a great property in New York, but also access to a truly powerful global network, to brands.

You can connect with Jordan on LinkedIn and follow New York Red Bulls here.

Enjoy

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.