_{published July 2024}

With brands and rights holders each striving to maximize their benefits, navigating the sponsorship process can have some challenges. Having a strong sponsorship strategy presents brands with an opportunity to connect with audiences in meaningful ways, but the path is rarely straightforward. From securing the right partnerships to measuring sponsorship impact (and the effectiveness of specific sponsorship activations), the road can be lined with potential pain points. Understanding the following frustrations is crucial for brands to navigate this complex terrain effectively and maximize the value of their sponsorship investments.

• Difficulty in measuring ROI: Brands often struggle to accurately quantify the return on investment from sponsorship activities, making it challenging to justify expenditure and evaluate effectiveness.
• Lack of control over brand perception: Brands may find it frustrating when they cannot fully control how their association with a rights holder is perceived by the audience, potentially leading to brand image inconsistencies or misinterpretations.
• Limited access to audience insights: Without sufficient access to sponsorship data about the audience attending or engaging with the sponsored event or content, brands may struggle to tailor their marketing efforts effectively.
• Challenges in negotiating terms: Negotiating sponsorship deals can be complex, with brands encountering difficulties in reaching mutually beneficial agreements with rights holders regarding terms, benefits, and exclusivity.
• Uncertainty in evaluating the partnership: Brands may feel uncertain about the effectiveness of a sponsorship partnership, leading to hesitancy in committing resources without clear metrics for success.
• Confusion over sponsorship effectiveness: Brands may experience confusion or doubt about the impact of their sponsorship efforts, especially if the outcomes are not easily measurable, sponsorship intelligence is difficult to come by, or if there are conflicting indicators of success.
• Difficulty in securing exclusivity: Brands may struggle to secure exclusive sponsorship rights, which could limit their ability to stand out from competitors and fully leverage the partnership for maximum impact.
• Brand message dilution: The risk of diluting or compromising the brand message within the context of sponsorship activations can be a source of frustration for brands seeking to maintain a clear and consistent brand identity.
• Competitive clutter: Brands may find it challenging to cut through the clutter of others across the sponsorship marketplace and promotional messages associated with the rights holder, which could reduce the effectiveness of the brand’s sponsorship efforts.
• Lack of post-sponsorship evaluation: The absence of thorough post-sponsorship evaluations makes it difficult for brands to assess the overall success of their sponsorship investments and identify areas for improvement.

Final Thoughts

Addressing these frustrations is not just about smoothing out the sponsorship process—it's about unlocking the full potential of your brand's investment in partnerships. By acknowledging and tackling these common challenges, brands can pave the way for more strategic and impactful sponsorships. This list of frustrations serves as a guide to understanding the hurdles and turning them into opportunities for growth and improvement. Dive deeper into our insights on brand desires and brand fears to further enhance your sponsorship strategy and ensure your brand stands out in a crowded marketplace. You can also visit our insights page to read about corporate sponsorship trends and other news.

Sign up for a quick demo to learn more about our media and sponsorship database. Clients might refer to our sponsorship platform as a sponsorship marketing platform or even a sponsorship analytics platform since we track over 360,000 brands, 1.8 million deals, and 16.9 million data points across sports, entertainment, media, and talent.

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