7 Drivers to Increase Sponsorship Value with Consumers

American companies investing in sponsorships can take a page from this new Canadian study designed to measure the ability of a sponsorship property to create an emotional connection between Canadians and the property’s sponsors. The research highlights seven key drivers that make a property valuable to Canadians.

The seven drivers, in descending order of importance, are:

1.  Personal Involvement Connecting to the property on a personal level.  It may have touched them in some way, improved their lives or led them to change behavior.
2.  Creating the Moment Adding enjoyment and passion to their lives, helping Canadians create lasting memories and connect with others.
3.  Impact on the Cause Trusting the property to use their contributions of money, time and energy to have a real impact on making their community, or the world, a better place.
4.  Sponsor Fit Seeing a clear and logical fit between a property and sponsors who are true champions for the property, who ensure that it happens and that Canadians have access.
5.  Responsible Management A property has the appropriate governance and is not overly commercial.
6.  Heritage The property has a solid history and promising future. It helps define what it is to be Canadian.
7.  Uniqueness It is the only organization/event that does what it does.

“There are hard measures available—attendance, viewership, awareness,” said Jordan Levitin, senior vice president, Ipsos Reid, which along with TrojanOne released the study. “But the industry has been asking for a measure of the emotional connection that sponsors need to understand if they are truly connecting with their target audience through the sponsorship—if they are sharing some of the love consumers feel for the property”.

Methodology: The Most Valuable Property study evaluated 100 properties through a survey of 1,016 Canadian consumers. The study created a ‘value index’ designed to pick up impact on sales, shared goodwill equity and enhanced image. The Canadian Cancer Society and its signature fundraising event, Relay For Life, were identified as Canada’s “MVP” achieving strong scores across six of the seven key drivers of value.