‘Consumers can absolutely see through the logo slapping’: Why brand authenticity matters when sponsoring sport
Too often, brands will slap their logos on big cultural moments – such as the Olympics every four years – and call it a day. But it is the ones who support from the grassroots movement up, and show purpose in their sponsorships, that truly reap the rewards.
They ride the wave of hero moments, and it undoubtedly helps them get in front of consumers and raise brand awareness. But frequently it is unauthentic, and consumers feel brands get in the way, according to M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment’s managing director, Nicole Thurston.
And while many have positive intent, its the execution that is flawed.
“Everyday consumers, who live outside our marketing world, can sense it and they will question when brands partner with moments like the Olympics if they have no real connection,” she said.
“Consumers can absolutely see through logo slapping, and brands should know that they have to show up in the right way and be legitimately demonstrating acts of support at an everyday level.”
Nicole Thurston
So, it all comes down to authenticity, she stressed.
Brands need to show they are committed, and spend more time supporting from the ground up, rather than just jumping on board for, say, a two-and-a-half week global sporting event.
“If brands are really going to succeed and reap the benefits, they have to show that they have commitment, and that’s including the good and the bad,” Thurston continued.
“They need to think about what their brand stands for, and how they are going to show up in a way that really matters.
“What’s the reason they’re doing the partnership, and how are they authentically demonstrating that?”
Some of M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment’s clients – including Commonwealth Bank and Woolworths – have learnt this, committing to various sporting codes and handing support at all levels.
Via Woolies’ NetSetGO initiative, a starter program for kinds aged five through ten, the supermarket provides $100,000 in netball grants to clubs, with tailored programs to support the different age groups and skill levels. It also supports the program via its Pick Fresh Play Fresh hub, that allows kids to play games, learn healthy eating habits and win prizes.
Woolworths supports cricket and surfing too, with other initiatives boosting the grassroots movements and local clubs.
“Woolworths are all about providing health and wellbeing to Aussie families, and a way they do that is through these grassroots sport partnerships. It make total sense, it’s so authentic to them,” said Thurston.
“They pay registration fees to keep kids in netball, they fund development coaches, they fund programs to ensure the success and longevity of sporting codes.”
Meanwhile, CommBank has been a long history with soccer and women’s sports. The brand’s creative campaigns often champion the local movement, and it has previously been described as one of the largest brand investors in Australian women’s sport.
In 2021, the bank became the official naming rights partner of the Matildas, Junior Matildas and Young Matildas, in a deal made with Football Australia.
“CommBank absolutely reaped the benefits when they rode the wave of the Matildas with the FIFA Women’s World Cup last year, but that would not have been possible if they had not legitimately been there supporting women’s sport for so long,” she explained.
So what are the benefits? Stronger brand advocacy, better connections with consumers, and more legitimate opportunities for the bigger, global events, according to Thurston.
“Through our brand tracking, we can see that through the support at the community level, the brand advocacy is really, really strong. For example, parents see Woolies helping them keep their kids in sport, and that’s really important to them.
“And when the partnerships are long-term, that absolutely increases.”
Subscribe to the daily newsletter
Got a tip?
Lauren McNamara is the associate editor at Mumbrella, covering the creative and PR beat. She joined in November 2022 as editorial assistant, after completing a Bachelor of Communications (Journalism) at UTS.
Linkedin
Have your say