White paper

Firms engage in sport sponsorship or cultural patronage when traditional means of communication to their audiences (advertising, public relations, promotion, ...) have reached their maximum profitability. This form of communication is chosen when the firms already have some recognition. Companies use it to upgrade their image, to renew social cohesion within the company, or redefine their relationship with a wider environment. In this way, they are seeking a higher visibility or notoriety, including through the media. Sponsorship is also seen as an investment that will provide a more or less long-term return.

Addressed to a large audience, sponsorship is often associated with sport events, events that are more like a celebration that attracts crowds. Sport events get high media attention and give the sponsor a dynamic and popular image. Also, they are the most sought-after by companies and institutions that wish to identify themselves with this image. Their products, related to sport practice, convey values, standards, beliefs and sport representations. The latter reflects the image of a democratic or elitist audience already segmented and targeted with specific interests.

Sponsorship is also a high-risk form of communication as it is based on a dialogue that is rooted not in a fiction (such as advertising) but in the drama of the event. The athlete, knowing that he has an audience, will do his utmost for a successful performance to conquer this audience, to win a competition or to beat a record. The champion is then seen as a model. The values embodied by the athlete are internalized by his admirers. He attracts the public based on his performances and his potential popularity.

Nevertheless, the failure of an athlete or defeat of a team can also turn into a loss of visibility for the sponsor. The sponsor will realize that the investment doesn’t correlate with the estimated return. It is likely the same with the millions of people who will never see certain press pictures that have been written off. These are the rules in sport. It applies to the athletes and to their sponsors. However, the energy and investments that have been set up to implement the communication strategy require an evaluation of the impact of these actions. This evaluation is made possible with Mediascore.