• by Jon Last , Columnist, September 10, 2024

For as long as sports and event marketing have existed, both properties and sponsors have sought to measure return on investment both during the initial consideration/sell in stage and throughout the activation period.  This often-elusive goal has yielded its share of creative and often flawed methodologies. It’s not uncommon to see the process influenced by whether an agency or rights holder is trying to justify the investment or take a more adversarial approach.

I’ve seen the good, the bad and the ugly when it comes to sponsorship valuation and measurement, and have spent significant time deliberating what constitutes the proper approach.  My overarching mantra is that relying primarily on reach or CPM equivalents ignores the reality that consumer engagement and movement within the appropriate contextual frame should carry greater evaluative weight.  So, what then, are measurement elements that should be carefully considered beyond simple brand exposure?

Target Alignment

Perhaps the most obvious evaluative element, beyond straight reach, is the appropriateness of the impacted audience.  This isn’t as simple as looking at fan or viewer demographics, but should also factor in pre-existing baselines that should be measured prior to the start of activation.

Brand Essence Impact

There’s great debate in research circles about whether one can truly measure the ability of a sponsorship to drive actual purchase.  It’s table stakes to look at exposed audience recall.  But what about impact on sales? 

There are lots of black boxes out there, but I remain highly skeptical that one can objectively isolate and attribute a single purchase action to a specific ad or activation.  What is possible, through experimental design, is the means to look at shifting awareness, perceptions and consideration of a sponsor brand, particularly in context with its competitive set.

You also need to factor in pre-existing baselines and category norms.  We’ve found it particularly insightful to view norms not only against a competitive set overall, but filtered, where possible, by the nature of activation (ex: naming rights versus on site sampling, versus digital asset media weight and day part).

Consider whether a sponsor already has significant equity with the target audience.  Understanding the level of that equity and which brand essence elements it accrues to is important.  But it should also be looked upon within the context of reasonable goals for the sponsorship.  Are those goals more about solidifying certain pre-existing points of differentiation, building upon them, or pivoting to a new positioning?

Emotional Connection

I’ve always been a big proponent and user of qualitative research methodologies, which I find effective in measuring sponsor connection, as well.  Anyone who has tried to quantify activation impact should know that there are many horribly leading survey question formats that call into question the veracity of any research results.  A qualitative element not only can unlock the level of consumer connection and the reasons for that connection, but can add the powerful and literal voice of the fan to any sponsorship valuation.