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, people are being furloughed, the news agenda is dominated by infection and death rates and market chaos at a global level. But the harsh reality is that the show must go on – the more we all row back now, the longer the recovery will take, and the more share we’ll lose in the meantime. Here’s some evidence:
- A Kantar study found that if a brand cut all its advertising spend during the crisis, this would have a 13% impact on sales in the long run and make market share hard to recover. However, a 50% drop in ad spend would result in just a 1% drop in sales.
- A WARC report said that “Evidence from previous recessions shows longer periods off air will weaken brand health and damage market share due to a reduction in share of voice.” The report goes onto show that due to the level of advertising spend reduction in the last recession it took the ad industry eight years to properly recover.
- Mark Ritson in Marketing Week refers to a Great Depression study which tracked 250 companies and their marketing performance during that period. Quite simply, those that increased advertising budgets during the recession grew sales faster both during and for the three years subsequent, and they all grew their market share. Ritson suggests that if you need to cut, you should cut short term activities at the bottom of the funnel – if nobody is buying anything, cut PPC, but don’t stop investing in long term brand building.
As a forward-thinking client said: “The present is a nightmare, but I am still required to look at the future.” This situation will end, and ‘normality’ will return, although there is some debate about what the new normal will look like.
Whatever it looks like, when we hit it there will be an almighty explosion of noise and activity from brands so standing out will be nigh on impossible. Brands that have been talking consistently throughout the lull – those attempting to keep the economic motors turning – will have a head start. What is clear is that just as brands need to continue to market their products and services; rights holders need commercial partners now more than ever; and fans need someone to help fill the live sports void with content.
So, “Covid-19 resilient brands” from our caytootarget™ service will explore those sectors and brands which are showing resilience to the current chaos or are even benefitting from the new stay-at-home / work-from-home culture and, thus, may be more open to an approach – at least to start a conversation.
This report and all ongoing updates – more brands will be added each week – is available to rights holders entirely free. To receive it simply select “target™ report” and “Covid-19 resilient brands” in our free offer form.
caytootarget™ is designed specifically to help rights holders save time and resource when it comes to overcoming their key pain point – identifying viable target brands and hitting the right decision-makers with relevant and compelling proposals. We’ve covered sectors including:
- Supermarkets
- Health insurers
- Online investment platforms
- Electric cars
- Challenger banks
- New brands launching in the UK
- Quick Service Restaurants & Food Delivery
For more information visit caytootarget™. If you’re interested in any of the reports, again visit our free offer.
Jeremy Thompson is CEO and Co-Founder of data-driven sports marketing business Caytoo.