Today’s media and advertising market is becoming increasingly fragmented. The impact of online advertising has been massive, yet at the same time the growth in traditional media shows no sign of abating. However, despite a constant stream of new launches the growth of on line advertising and digital marketing is having a massive effect on the finances of traditional media. This is as true of local markets as it is of global ones. Consider how many times in the last 12 months that you have had people call to try and sell advertising space in some obscure magazine or journal? The options open to you are almost too large. How do you decide which ones work and what should you pay? The questions are endless.
Sports sponsorship is one of the fastest growing marketing tools used by businesses. In 2006 (admittedly a big sporting year) sports sponsorship fees in the UK are expected to burst through the £1billion mark for the first time ever. The next port of call for this commercial tornado will be grassroots sport.
The sports clubs that we work with on your behalf have two simple but important points of distinction from other media. They are at the heart of the community which your business operates in and their members have strong purchasing power and are passionate about their club. They are more than just fans, they are members and as such they are loyal to, and supportive of, the sponsors who put money into their club. Their relationship with their club is a unique one. No other media vehicle can give you this. Sure, people read the local paper or listen to the local radio but they don’t identify with them emotionally like they do with their club. Ultimately a friend of the club is a friend of the club member.
That emotional bond is what you buy into when you sponsor one of the clubs we work with on your behalf. You become part of the club itself and if you follow our advice you can start to build some extremely profitable and long lasting relationships with an audience who appreciate loyalty.
Consider also the seemingly undeniable and worrying fact that our society is becoming broken and isolated. Grassroots sports clubs stand against this trend and are proud of the fact that they are communities. They provide structure, discipline and values for everyone in the club from the youngest player to the oldest supporter. From a business perspective they are brilliant properties to partner with. Whether your business is a global player or a local operator there are huge gains to be made by investing in grassroots sport.
