Sponsorships are a great way of piquing interest amongst internal stakeholders and employees, and amongst current customers, potential customers and partners. But sponsorships are not just relevant for engaging with these target audiences, they also have the power to develop and enhance business-to-business (B2B) relationships, in ways that don’t exist through any other means.

Not only can a sponsorship provide the possibilities of inviting guests along to unique hospitality opportunities that can allow for networking in an informal setting, but they can act as channel by which to do business with co-sponsors. Whether via joint workshops or co-activations, sponsorships generate a level of access, visibility, alignment and sales opportunities that few other marketing channels are able to achieve.

Where else can consumers and businesses see your technology in action in an environment that is relatable to them?

Sponsorships go beyond traditional marketing routes in that they become product showcases. They are living, breathing demonstrations of a sponsor’s product technology used in a manner that is beneficial to the rightsholder and the fans’ experience of the sport/team/athlete they are supporting.

One sector that exemplifies this better than any, is esports. It is no coincidence that major global brands like SAP, Intel, Microsoft and Samsung are all involved. Esports in particular allows those brands to showcase their products in an experiential environment.

Sponsorships have the power to take products that can be difficult to understand or relate to; they provide a story and clear connection between the sponsor and the rightsholder. It generates interesting case studies and places products in front of brand-new eyes in an easy to understand manner.