Blogs

In recent weeks, the frequency of my European Sponsorship Association blogs has decreased, but when I do sit down and put fingers to keyboard, the subjects I write about are as important as ever. Recently I’ve been chatting to Martin Stark, founder of the World Gay Boxing Championship (WGBC), and I realised once again, I’d stumbled upon a story that needed to be shared.Martin and I are both advocates for the LGBTQ community and determined to drive greater inclusivity and appreciation of diverse ... read more

What’s your name and position within the organisation?My name is Caroline Topps and I am the Brand & Sponsorship Manager at AIG Life. I’ve worked in marketing roles across a variety of industries including; insurance, healthcare, heritage and publishing. I currently lead on all things brand and sponsorship for AIG Life including activation of our rugby, golf and charity partnerships.Give us a brief overview of AIG as a company in general and your approach to sponsorship and partnerships ... read more

Selling rights was never easy, but in the age of COVID it just got a whole lot harder. How do you sell rights to events which may never happen? How do you convince a brand to spend money on sponsorship when they are making staff redundant? That is tough, even for the very best business development teams.This article was originally published by ESA member CaytooSelling rights was never easy, but in the age of COVID it just got a whole lot harder. How do you sell rights to events which may never ... read more

What’s your name and position within the organisation?My name is Anthony Schaub and I am the Founder of The Consultancy Group. I have been working for large corporations active in private banking, luxury goods and Sports.Give us a brief overview of The Consultancy Group as a company in general and your approach to sponsorship and partnerships specifically?The Consultancy Group is a boutique agency with unparalleled international experience and a strong professional network. We offer a bespoke ... read more

What’s your name and position within the organisation?Kevin Moore, Managing Director of Legacy, a sponsorship and communications agency.Give us a brief overview of Legacy as a company in general and your approach to sponsorship and partnerships specifically?One of Ireland’s biggest sports stars, Bernard Brogan, founded Legacy in 2012 with his cousin James. Having both represented Dublin in Gaelic Football, the company began life as a sports agency, initially representing players. In 2013, AIG, ... read more

What’s your name and position within the organisation?My name is John Denham and I am the owner and Managing Director of Dataflow Events.Give us a brief overview of Dataflow Events as a company in general and your approach to sponsorship and partnerships specifically?Dataflow has been delivering delegate registration sites for over 15 years and more recently Sponsor Asset Management platforms.  We are based in Wimbledon and have a ‘Small & Mighty’ team of 4 full-time web developers and ... read more

Account Director Dan Sproul and Partner James English of ESA member Fuse take a look at how brands activated across the Final 8 tournaments for the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League. How did Covid-19 affect the plans of Fuse clients, and how did brands pivot from traditional rights in this incredibly unique situation?As some of the world’s largest sporting events, such as UEFA EURO 2020 and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, were being cancelled throughout March and ... read more

From the Reese Witherspoon Challenge to literally any conversation you stumble upon on TV, radio, online, WhatsApp, or in your living room, there’s one common theme – 2020 hasn’t been the year we expected. Dissection, prediction and an emotion that oscillates between disgruntlement and malaise rank highly as burning topics - and that’s amongst those of us who count ourselves lucky. Needless to say, most people I listen to, read about or speak to aren’t relishing this sliding doors version of ... read more

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve written a blog. If I went into all the reasons for that, it would fill a blog in itself. However, when I recently spoke to survivor, athlete, cultural advisor and advocate for underrepresented groups Amazin LeThi, it became clear that her story needed to be shared.I’m going to hand the floor over to her words, because what strikes me most acutely is how little I can relate to the raging discrimination she’s suffered throughout her life; first in the form of ... read more

This post first appeared on LinkedInHow do you reach the right people, at the right time with the right product?This is the very core of why sponsorships are a vital part of the marketing mix, elevating your brand, by taking it outside of your day-to-day consumer relationship and aligning with another sector, brand or experience that shares the same values and broadens your reach and engagement. It’s also how AEG Global Partnerships set about finding the right brands to partner with our ... read more

Gaming is quickly becoming a meaningful home for the future of philanthropy as gamers have significantly given back to charitable organizations over the past decade with no signs of slowing down. The community alone around Amazon’s streaming platform Twitch has collectively raised $145 million since 2011, including $42 million in 2019 (Source). Three converging factors within gaming help create an optimal landscape for charitable giving: (1) the Gaming Generation mindset, (2) streamers as ... read more

Introducing alumni in focus, a new series where we speak to former ESA Diploma students to find out how their careers have progressed since graduating Dip ESA. Daniel McEwan, who participated in the Diploma in 2016 and leads the partnerships department at F1 team McLaren Racing, is next up.What role were you in when you started the ESA Diploma?Account Manager at brandRapport (This is now part of CAA)What role are you in now, and how has your career advanced since graduating?Head of Partnerships, ... read more

What’s your name and position within the organisation?My name is Paul Dermody and I am the CEO of HRI Racecourse Division, which is a subsidiary of Horse Racing Ireland. The racecourse division is comprised of four racecourses – Leopardstown, Fairyhouse, Navan & Tipperary.I am also Commercial & Marketing Director for Horse Racing Ireland, the parent company to the racecourse division. From a sponsorship perspective this dual responsibility has definite advantages as we have the ... read more

Age is a key area of diversity in the workplace. How often do we hear about those approaching retirement being ‘written off’ from new opportunities? The Centre for Ageing Better’s 2019 report warned about risks of substantial workplace inequalities for those in their 50s and 60s, appealing to employers to adopt ‘age-friendly practices’ including flexible working, progression for workers of all ages and ending age-biased recruitment.The young suffer many of the same injustices as mature ... read more

What’s your name and position within the organisation?Daniel Lovat – Sports Marketing DirectorAs a fresh faced graduate, having finished my Masters in Business Management, I started life in the professional world at Deloitte, working in the Corporate Tax group. With my ACA accountancy qualification in hand, I moved across to OPRO, which is my family business and have held different roles across the organisation.With over 85 partnerships across the sporting world, I stepped into the Sports ... read more

By Anthony Scammell, a Director in H+K’s Sport + Partnership Marketing team, who are consulting, activating and evaluating for brands and sports rights holders both domestically in the UK and around the world. | This piece was first published on the website of ESA member Hill+Knowlton StrategiesSignificant moments offer great opportunity to develop new habits.Research from The Office for National Statistics (ONS) this week showed that more than a quarter of people are considering ... read more

2020 is the age of personalisation. Micro-targeted advertising, AI-driven virtual personal assistants, on demand viewing prioritised by preferences… the list is endless. But personalisation extends beyond the automated to how we approach the opportunities we choose to pursue. Gone are the days of milkround-based graduate careers generating ‘lifers’. Instead, the 2019 Millennial Manager Workplace Survey revealed that 75% of millennials believe that constantly changing jobs advanced their career. ... read more

Introducing alumni in focus, a new series where we speak to former ESA Diploma students to find out how their careers have progressed since graduating Dip ESA. Natasha Cabral, who participated in the Diploma in 2016, is next up.What role were you in when you started the ESA Diploma?Insight & Strategy Executive at Havas Sports & Entertainment.What role are you in now, and how has your career advanced since graduating?After graduating from the ESA Diploma I remained at Havas and focused ... read more

Brands must remain authentic when investing in women’s sport – any box-ticking manoeuvres will be detrimentalThis is part two of a three-part series exploring the state of women's sport during the Covid-19 pandemic. Part one, on the role of the media, can be read HERE.With no live action, women’s sport is under substantial threat – how will they generate income? As budgets are cut and purse strings are tightened, brands must remember why they invested in the women’s game in the first place. They ... read more

A couple of weeks ago I did a Father’s Day blog on dads. While I was writing, I had a nagging feeling that the picture I was painting was missing something vital. It was; my mum. The role my mum’s played in my life is best summed up like this: I’m pretty sure that without her guidance I’d still remember to walk, talk, think and breathe, but I can’t stake my life on it.Whether single or one half of a couple, being a parent is a full-time job which superheroes juggle alongside life’s other ... read more

The pandemic has sent shockwaves through women’s sport, but there is also potential for this to be a huge step forward – now is a time for bravery and greater commitment, not shrinking back into old habits. The media talk a good game, but in reality, they are still unsupportiveWomen’s sport was riding high – high on participation, high on viewers, high on results. And then came coronavirus. And now, reports state that all that progress might have been stalled by up to four years. All that ... read more

In an age where money has been the gravitational force that makes the sporting world go round, the impact of COVID 19 has forced the Sport & Entertainment industry to take stock. With a recent history of living hand to mouth, broadcast deal to broadcast deal, event to event, relying on the long-standing myth of AVE and media exposure, the cessation of live sporting action has led us all to question “so what”?For those expecting a crystal ball article and reassurance of what’s to come over ... read more

What’s your name and position within the organisation?David Ives, Founder & CEO of TVEyes.Tell us about TVEyesTVEyes is headquartered in Fairfield CT America, with a major operations centre in Manchester UK. The Company was founded in 1999 and is privately owned. A team of 35 professionals, many having been with the Company for over 10 years, have developed and implemented proprietary technology to automate the capture and supply of broadcast media content.Exploiting the technology as a ... read more

Like many other industries, the Covid-19 pandemic has seen sport grind to a halt over recent months. As sport emerges from the shutdown, Jack Bradford of ESA member MediaCom Sport & Entertainment analyses how sports marketers and rights-holders have had to adapt and what the crisis means for the future of the industry.With the pandemic cutting the global sports calendar in half and revenue in the industry predicted to be down by $61bn (nearly half of its planned revenue), there has been an ... read more

I’ve been learning a lot about learning recently. A friend of mine recently pointed out the stark reality of how different people gain knowledge and understanding. Most poignantly, some of us choose to learn about tolerance and inclusivity, while others have those lessons thrust upon them through unavoidable life experiences; life experiences which often reveal the worst, most prejudiced sides of human nature.The question front of my mind this week is what Pride really means. We hear it, we talk ... read more

Athletes are playing a bigger-than-ever role in shaping public opinion and inspiring communities, as shown by the recent exploits of Marcus Rashford. Kate Hamer, co-founder and chief operating officer of ESA member AxisStars, explores what the evolution of the athlete means for marketersThe last few days, with the incredible achievements of Man Utd and England footballer Marcus Rashford, have really highlighted what can be done by a Star when they use their platform to drive awareness of ... read more

I love the opening line of F Scott Fitzgerald’s Great Gatsby: “In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since. Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, he told me, just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had.”Breathe easy, the English graduate in me isn’t about to embark on an analysis of this brilliant piece of 20th century literature. Instead, with Father’s Day coming up ... read more

What’s your name and position within the organisation?Ant Garstang, founder and MD of Flash.Give us a brief overview of Flash as a company in general and your approach to sponsorship and partnerships specifically?Flash was founded in 2014. We’re a specialist sports marketing consultancy that focuses in the commercial rights space, based in Johannesburg, South Africa.  We represent a hand full of established, well-respected rights holders and our purpose is to seek out and match them with ... read more

The fifth edition of Frontier, MKTG’s sport, entertainment and sponsorship monitor, is due out in July, and this year is definitely not a normal year. Whilst there is good news in the number of global responses, this must be played out against a backdrop of uncertainty and unparalleled disruption in the sport and entertainment industry.Ahead of publishing the report, some interesting statistical nuances have cropped up. Now, these are by no means ground-breaking and will no doubt support what ... read more

Introducing alumni in focus, a new series where we speak to former ESA Diploma students to find out how their careers have progressed since graduating Dip ESA. First up, we speak to Luke Wilson, who participated in the Diploma in 2013 What role were you in when you started the ESA Diploma?Senior Partner Services Executive, Arsenal FCWhat role are you in now, and how has your career advanced since graduating?I am now Head of Partnerships at Pitch Marketing Group. After graduating the ESA Diploma, ... read more

The focus, sacrifice and (lack of) work-life balance needed to make it to the top in sport leaves me in awe. I like to think of myself as driven, dedicated, going above and beyond for my team, but having spent most of my career working alongside elite athletes, I can promise you, my work ethic is nothing on theirs. The relentless demands of both mental and physical preparation it takes to become world class in their discipline leave them no option but to forgo many of the everyday luxuries we ... read more

I will state from the off that I am an eternal optimist. However, I think we can all agree that the last few months of lockdown have been very trying for us all in various ways. A long-time fan of Madonna, I took umbrage at her now infamous comment whilst bathing in rose petals, dubbing Coronavirus “the great equaliser”. We are not all in the same boat, or indeed the same bathtub. We are all in different boats, of varying sizes, sturdiness, and luxury, but united in the fact that we are all ... read more

Each week I try to take an original approach on a subject being widely talked about in the world of sponsorship. Inspired by the recent ESA webinar on ‘how brands and rights holders are using digital to connect with their most valuable asset – their audience,’ this week, I’m going to delve under the skin of influencer marketing in the age of COVID-19.As always, to do that with any confidence, I needed to enlist the help of some friends. I call them ‘friends’ not only because I follow them on ... read more

As top-tier sport around Europe starts to resume, this blog post from staff at ESA member SQN explores how brands should explore the opportunities offered by empty stadiums Innovative technology looks set to open closed doors for brands looking to activate or ignite sports sponsorship opportunities in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.The use of augmented reality technology to revolutionise pitch side sports advertising is nothing new. Digital overlay companies have been in existence for the ... read more

Thursday last week, ESA’s latest webinar was on the theme of Sustainability in Sponsorship. My colleague at Formula E Julia Pallé is a sustainability specialist who joined the panel to share her expert view:“Sustainability in sponsorship is like getting married, you want to make sure you choose the best partner that shares the same values and the same lifestyle! Brands today are creating partnerships based on the common mission they have which is to use their expertise to improve the triple ... read more

As The Ocean Race Summits continue next week in a new, innovative and engaging online format, Mike Vandrau, Managing Director - Rights at CSM Sport & Entertainment explains how The Ocean Race is turning the tide on partnerships with purpose.“The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.”Robert Swan OBEAs Covid-19 continues to sweep across the world at a rapid rate, it can be difficult to remember what life before the crisis was like. The destruction wrought ... read more

Insights and Observations from Octagon Chief Strategy Officer Simon Wardle on The Bundesliga’s Return to Live CompetitionFootball is finally back. The world is watching and sports fans are holding their breath that everything goes smoothly.Ironically the first major soccer game to be played since global live sports went on hiatus was “the mother of all derbies”, played by Borussia Dortmund and their local rivals FC Schalke 04. The irony is that Dortmund has the highest average audience (over ... read more

What’s your name and position within the organisation?Tim Davy, Head of Sponsorship & Commercial PartnershipsGive us a brief overview of E10 and what makes your company unique?E10 is an independent sponsorship agency that focuses on brand consultancy and working with rights holders to develop their commercial growth. We operate with minimal overheads which allows us to charge competitive rates for award-winning talent and are structured to deliver both short-term contracts based heavily on ... read more

You don’t know what you don’t know. The first time I heard that phrase, my immediate thought was, “well of course you don’t…” but as it reverberated in my head, I realised the real point being made was the difference between being conscious of unknown unknowns versus being oblivious to them; the latter being far more dangerous.Where’s this going? Keep reading, I promise it’s heading towards an unusual insight into untapped sponsorship terrain. Terrain, which is easily overlooked, for no reason I ... read more

The charity sector has been hit hard during the Covid-19 pandemic with the National Council for Voluntary Organisations estimating that a minimum of £4.3bn of income has been lost as a result of the outbreak. Much of this can be put down to social distancing, which has put a stop to crucial face-to-face fundraising events and activities. However, the demand for the services that charities provide is now greater than ever as vulnerable people need more help and support. This has ... read more

After listening to this week’s ESA webinar on leadership in lockdown, I started thinking about how our new normal provides an opportunity for everyone to be a leader and specifically a thought leader. In the entertainment industry we’ve pressed pause for good reason on in-real-life live activity, but which button are we going to hit next? Play or fast forward? Albeit against our will, we’ve found ourselves in a moment where all bets are off and rebuilding should be an adventure not a chore.One ... read more

Now, I’m not saying I’m a control freak. After all, the process of labelling people is reductive, limiting fascinating, complex people with stereotypes. That said, if I were, even on the odd occasion, to show any tendencies that might be associated with a stereotypical control freak, then I might be in a good position to sympathise with anyone who’s confounded by a COVID-19 world where daily choices we used to take for granted are no longer ours to make. Reverse psychology is a killer. Have you ... read more

While COVID-19 has caused the day-to-day operations of sport and entertainment organisations to change drastically, it has also revealed the true strength of Europe’s sponsorship industry.Faced with a global crisis, many ESA members have responded to adversity with inspiring, diverse and creative approaches - from individuals such as ESA Board Director Matthew Leopold, who is volunteering as duty tactical commander at the new NHS Nightingale Hospital, to multiple organisations pivoting ... read more

It's a strange time trying to prospect but the harsh reality for businesses is that the show must go on – at least in trying to start or keep conversations going for when 'normality' returns. It’s important to keep the wheels turning…As I stated up front in my column last week that introduced our new Covid-19 resilient brands report (available to rights holders completely free), prospecting for sponsorship feels a little bit odd right now; inappropriate even.Brands are hunkering down, ... read more

Last week’s #ESAwebinar was on Partnerships with Purpose and it got me thinking: how is purpose - personal, professional and corporate – changing in the age of COVID-19? I decided that I don’t think it is. How we bring our purpose to life to resonate with the world around us might be changing, but why we act shouldn’t be changing, not if we had a true and timeless purpose to begin with. I quote Simon Sinek with regular monotony (even in this blog), but much as I believe his Start with Why is ... read more

Misha Sher, Global Vice-President at MediaCom Sport & Entertainment, discusses how brands can handle the turbulence upending the 2020 sports calendarIt’s safe to say that the sports marketing industry is living through unprecedented times. Never before has sport come to a complete halt across the world (with a few minor exceptions like Belarus), depriving billions of people of a much-loved emotional outlet and daily passion point.Brands, which were predicted to spend £37.5 billion on sports ... read more

What’s your name and position within the organisation?Olivia Collier, I am head of the GB office at creative agency, Verve.Give us a brief overview of Verve as a company and your approach to sponsorship and partnerships specifically?Verve houses a multi-disciplinary team of creatives, storytellers, techies and thinkers – as well as the producers, makers and doers who bring the ideas to life. With offices in London, Dublin and Amsterdam, Verve has been partnering with clients for almost 30 years ... read more

My favourite creativity ‘model’ is Walt Disney’s Three Chairs. I say it’s my favourite because it’s directive enough to be useful but leaves plenty of room for flexibility, because it sits well in my head, and lastly because if you’ve ever worked with me you’ll know I can find a way to work it into pretty much any conversation. Simply put, it takes the process of creative innovation, or ‘imagineering’ as Disney would call it, and proposes that mastery comes when three different, ... read more