New research from the Women\u2019s Sport Trust (WST) has shown that female sport is now a key part of the sport sponsorship mix, with 60 per cent of the UK public believing partnering brands should invest in both the men\u2019s and women\u2019s side of a chosen sport.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The WST study<\/a>, developed with sponsorship consultancy Onside, revealed 24.5 million adults are now aware of any women\u2019s sport sponsorship in the UK, with women\u2019s-only deals proving popular due to their ability to attract new audiences and drive brand affinity.<\/p>\n

The report also found that 63 per cent of women agree that brands sponsoring a sport should give the same level of coverage in advertising to men\u2019s and women\u2019s teams. In addition, 29 per cent think more favourably of companies or brands that support women\u2019s sport through their sponsorship, compared to 17 per cent that support men\u2019s sport.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, 16 per cent of the UK population are more likely to buy from a brand that sponsors women\u2019s sport, compared to 13 per cent that sponsor a men\u2019s sport.\u00a0<\/p>\n

According to the WST, high-profile sponsorships of women\u2019s sport are achieving significant awareness. It stated that 14.6 million people are aware of O2\u2019s sponsorship of the England\u2019s women\u2019s rugby union team the Red Roses and 14.4 million are aware of Coca-Cola\u2019s sponsorship of the Fifa Women\u2019s World Cup.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Typically, it is men and avid women\u2019s sports fans who are most likely to be aware of a women\u2019s sports sponsorship, but the research also highlights how newcomers to women\u2019s sponsorship are driving brand affinity from women specifically.<\/p>\n

The research also highlight the positive impact brand newcomers attracted by women\u2019s-only deals are receiving to their partnerships. Indeed, 53 per cent of those aware of make-up brand Il Makiage\u2019s partnership with Women\u2019s Super League (WSL) club Arsenal and 52 per cent aware of Gucci\u2019s partnership with England soccer star Leah Williamson said they felt more positive about the brands as a result \u2013 the best performing of all brands tracked.<\/p>\n

The study noted that Il Makiage\u2019s Arsenal partnership was most successful in driving brand consideration, with 31 per cent of those aware of the sponsorship more likely to consider buying from the brand as a result, compared to an average of 20 per cent across women\u2019s sport sponsorship.<\/p>\n

A commitment to equal support of men\u2019s and women\u2019s sport and focusing on addressing the inequality of opportunities provided to women and girls in grassroots sports was also considered the most impactful in driving a positive sentiment towards the sponsoring brand.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Forty-seven per cent said that activations focused on community and grassroots sport would have a more positive impact on brand perception. Additionally, 45 per cent said that activations promoting sustainability and environmental initiatives would have a positive impact, challenging rights holders to create packages that provide a platform for brands to activate sponsorship in this space.<\/p>\n

Fans were also keen for brands to play a role in celebrating the brilliance of on-field athletes, with 38 per cent believing brands should produce content that promotes the sport as being exciting.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The report concluded that in both men\u2019s and women\u2019s sport, sponsorships focusing on community and grassroots level activities are most likely to drive recommendation and consideration of the sponsoring brand, with women\u2019s sport found to be slightly more effective than men\u2019s sport. Two in five would like to see more brands engage in sponsorship of women\u2019s sports at a community or grassroots level, rising to three in five amongst avid women\u2019s sports fans and avid women\u2019s soccer fans.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThis new research clearly demonstrates the positive impact that can be gained for brands if they invest in women\u2019s sport sponsorship,\u201d said Tammy Parlour, chief executive and co-founder of the WST.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn order to make women\u2019s sport more sustainable in the long-term, we hope right-holders can learn from these results and produce creative partnership opportunities. This data should provide confidence to the industry that brands can have tangible outcomes across a variety of metrics, without the activation restraints that often occur in men\u2019s sport.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jon Long, UK and Middle East managing director of Onside, added: \u201cThis research affirms the marketing value of women\u2019s sport sponsorship and, most importantly, moves the conversation on from investment to activation.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe British public, particularly young adults and avid sports fans, want brands to be bolder and broader in their activation of women\u2019s sport sponsorships.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

[ad_2]
\n
Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[ad_1] 60% agree that sponsors should invest in both men\u2019s and women\u2019s side of a sport they support 63% of women agree that brands sponsoring a sport should give equal coverage 29% think more favourably of brands that support women\u2019s sport through sponsorship, compared to 17% that support men\u2019s sport New research from the Women\u2019s<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":6365,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[1134,1133,1132,1135,160,165,151],"ppma_author":[1162],"class_list":{"0":"post-6364","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-example-3","8":"tag-brands","9":"tag-buy","10":"tag-population","11":"tag-sponsoring","12":"tag-sport","13":"tag-study","14":"tag-womens"},"yoast_head":"\n