What are the typical measurements of success for a sponsorship campaign? An increase in sponsorship awareness? Positive brand perception uplift? Number of social engagements?
These are nice, but what about a campaign that is so successful it influences actual law changes to drive positive social change in the world of sport?
In 2019, Barclays made the biggest-ever-investment in UK women’s sport by a brand, becoming the title sponsor of the Barclays Women’s Super League (BWSL). As part of this, together with our partner The FA, we set the ambition of ensuring girls in England have equal access to football in schools by the end of 2024 through the Barclays Girls’ Football School Partnerships (BGFSP).
Supported by an ATL campaign ‘It all starts with a chance’, which leveraged the hype of the UEFA Women’s EURO and our range of football sponsorships to further drive our message of equal access in schools.
BGFSP’s grew from 3,000 schools in 2019 to 18,396 schools in 2023. A seismic shift of 14% of schools in England to 75% in just 4 years.
But it was about more than football. 86% of teachers agreed that the BGFSP has improved girls’ perception of football and increased their participation in their school.
The initiative was so impactful that the UK government joined our movement, making a commitment to equal access to all sports in PE for boys and girls.
