Advantages of Title Sponsorship

In the previous article, we have already understood the meaning of title sponsorship. We also know why it is one of the most coveted forms of sponsorships.

We are aware of some of the prominent disadvantages associated with title sponsorship.

However, it needs to be understood that there are more advantages to title sponsorship as compared to the disadvantages. This is the reason that there are many high-profile sports leagues across the world that use title sponsorship to raise money and also there are many high-profile corporations across the globe that sponsor such events.

In this article, we will have a look at the advantages related to title sponsorship.

1. Awareness Objective: Title sponsorship is highly beneficial for corporations or brands whose objective is to increase awareness about their company or product. This is because of the fact that sports leagues generally last for 45 to 60 days. Also, the marketing activity starts at least 30 days before the event. As a result, the title sponsor can expect a significant amount of exposure for their brand during these days.

   Also, since the name of the sponsor is associated with the title itself, it is mentioned almost every time someone talks about the league. As a result, the name of the brand gets repeated over and over again within a relatively short span of time. This leads to higher brand recognition. Title sponsorship has been successfully used by companies who have been trying to access a large market.

2. Image Building: As mentioned earlier, title sponsorships are generally very expensive. Hence, when a company purchases such title sponsorship rights, the resultant deal becomes heavily publicized in the media.

   The end result is that the sponsoring company gets a lot of media attention. This ends up building a positive image since viewers start viewing the company as being cash-rich.

3. Discounted Advertising: The title sponsor not only receives the right to associate their name with the event. They also receive the right to do a lot of advertising at highly discounted rates. This is because of the fact that the management committee of the sports league plans to advertise their own league.

   In the process, they also negotiate priority rates with their media partners for their title sponsors. However, this also means that the title sponsor needs to agree to minimum media spending while signing the contract. The media spend amount is generally separate from the paid sponsorship amount and can be quite significant.

4. Product Placement: Title sponsorship also allows corporations to place their products at prominent places in the events associated with the sports league. This could mean that the sponsor will obtain the right to place their product right in the middle of the sporting venue where the event is going to take place.

   For instance, it is common for automobile companies to place their new and upcoming models at such events. As a result, the product also gets covered by electronic as well as print media and is viewed by the public at large.

   Many times, the commentators of the event will also be instructed to mention the product in their commentary so that it registers more clearly in the minds of prospective viewers.

5. Logo Display: The title sponsor may also be given the right to prominently display their logo at all events related to the sports league.

   In some sporting leagues, all participating leagues are required to carry the logo of the title sponsor on their uniform and kits. The size of this logo is prescribed by the league management. However, it is generally smaller than the logo of the sponsor of that particular team.

   Along with uniforms, the title sponsor may also be entitled to project their logo and signage in the stadium as well as on electronic media. For example, they can project the logo at the boundaries of a cricket field or at the signboards behind the goal post in case of a soccer game.

6. Celebrity Endorsements: Sports leagues tend to be star-studded events. As a result, the title sponsor can gain access to a lot of celebrities at a lower price.

   The sporting league may require the celebrity to appear in some advertisements or endorse certain products for the title sponsor. These endorsements allow the brand to leverage the contracts that the league already has in place.

   Since these celebrities have a huge fan following, the brand ends up getting both monetary as well as non-monetary benefits.

7. Events and Trade Shows: Last but not least, sports leagues are known for having a lot of parties and shows. There are kick-off parties and then other events that take place before the final match and so on.

   The title sponsor gets the right to place their signage and brand logo at such events. This can be quite valuable since such events receive a lot of viewership as well as press coverage. As a result, the awareness objective of the title sponsor can be met fairly easily.

The bottom line is that there are several advantages to title sponsorship. Sporting leagues across the world try to give the best deal to their title sponsors. This is because they invest the most amount of money and do so at the earliest stage possible.

The various types of media exposure that title sponsors get can be quite useful if a brand is cash-rich since it reinforces the brand. This is because each exposure that the public receives about the brand reinforces its image in the long run.

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