Guidelines for effective brand-building events and experiences

-Nikunj G Katkoria-NIT Surat

Sponsoring events enables companies to obtain wider exposure for their brands and influence

consumers’ attitude towards brands.

Brands, by associating with the popular sport, like cricket in south Asia, gets

visibility amongst youngsters, and cricket loving people

Like Nike, Sahara

Sponsorship is important to obtain visibility and positive

word-of-mouth publicity

Many firms are creating on-site and off-site product and brand experiences that elicit positive feelings associated

with their brands

B R A N D

Marketers look at a number of reasons to sponsor events

1. To identify with a particular target market or lifestyle

Customers can be targeted

Geographically Behaviorally

DemographicallyPsychographically

2. To increase salience of company or product name

•Sponsorship often offers sustained

exposure to a brand

• For ex. Fly emirates sponsors soccer

3. To create or reinforce perceptions of key brand image

associations• Events

themselves have

associations that help to create brand associations• For ex. MRF

tyres participates in car rallies

4. To enhance corporate image

•Sponsorship can improve perceptions

that the company is likable and prestigious• For ex Visa sponsoring in Olympics

5. To create experiences and evoke feelings

•The feelings endangered

by an exciting or rewarding event mat indirectly link to the

brand•For ex. Audi in Iron Man 2

6. To express commitment to the community or on social

issues

• Cause related marketing sponsors non-profit organizations and charities

•Many companies in South Asia, given the economic and social situations prevailing in their respective countries, espouse one or more social causes, which become part

of their corporate social responsibility charters

7. To entertain key clients or reward key employees

•Many events include lavish

hospitality tents and other special

services or activities only for

sponsors and their guests.

8. To permit merchandising or promotional opportunities

•Many marketers tie contests or sweepstakes, in-store merchandising, direct response, or other marketing activities with an event.•Many popular television reality programs are sponsored by well-known brands.

Major Sponsorship Decisions

Choosing Events

The event must meet the marketing objectivesand communication strategy defined for the brand

The audience must match the target market

The event must have sufficient awareness, possess thedesired image, and be capable of creating desired effects

Consumers must make favorable attributions for thesponsor’s engagement

Designing Sponsorship Programs

Special Events

AnniversaryArt

Exhibits

Auctions

Book Sales

Cake Sales

ContestsDances

Dinners

Fairs

Fashion Shows

Tours

Measuring Sponsorship Activities

Supply Side

Demand Side

• Focuses on exposure by

consumer lines• Demand-side

method identifies the effect

sponsorship has on consumers’ brand

knowledge

• Focuses on potential exposure to the brand

by assessing the extent of media coverage

• Supply-side methods approximate the

amount of time or space devoted to media

coverage of event