Sponsorship: a brand

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Sponsorship a brands best friend
Thinkbox 2008
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Respondents view of spot advertising
View of sponsorship Viewing culture Benefactor
status Positive to brevity Positive to repetition
- familiarity
think of it as part of the programme
brings you the programme
indicates that programme will start
Spot ads have to grab your attention
View of spot Staying front of mind, offering
information, more direct sell
Inforcing or re-inforcing a product
A more obvious sell
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New thinking about the mind could be the key
The Explicit/ Conscious/ Rational Mind
Conscious mind - Conscious analysis? BUT.. Most
of the time we go with how we feel
The Implicit/ Emotional Mind
Constantly informs via gut feelings
intuitions Guides behaviour without conscious
analysis
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New thinking about the mind could be the key
The Explicit/ Conscious/ Rational Mind
Ad messages constantly engage rationally
consider
The Implicit/ Emotional Mind
Automatic associations over time Decision via how
we intuitively feel
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Our Approach
Online quantitative study Associative
effects Attitudes of fans, viewers non-viewers
Reviews from fans, viewers non-viewers
Qualitative lab style testing on
sponsors Innovative techniques (IAT) beyond
explicit reporting
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The quantitative study

• 10 active TV sponsorships
• Programme range
• comedy, soap, drama, TV strands, chat show
• Brand range
• FMCG, financial, automotive, service
• Range of length
• few weeks to 10 years
• Range of creative work

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No difference in ad exposure between viewers
non-viewers

Bumper
Brand
Controlled for ad exposure brand relationship
between fans, viewers non-viewers
Programme
Viewer
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Sponsorship does make brands more of a favourite

Is the brand a favourite? Overall rating


Is a favourite brand of mine? - Yes for fans
viewers - Across all brands
Significant
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Sponsorship can make brands famous

Is brand well known? Overall rating
Both fans and viewers think that brands that
sponsor are better known Driven by -Toyota Aygo
T4, -Comparethemarket C4 Drama, -Dominos
The Simpsons -Bombardier Al Murrays Happy Hour


Significant
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The brand aligned to my programme is more for me
Is brand for me? Overall rating

For viewers, brands were more for me than non
viewers Fans more for me than viewers More I
like my programme, more you are my kind of brand


Significant
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Fans report they are more likely to buy
Am I likely to buy or use? Overall rating

Significant
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Bumpers are not strong brand fact communicators

Bumper
Brand
Did bumpers tell respondents anything? NO! Only
10 of people said they - Had informed them -
Were thought provoking
Programme
Viewer
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Lab test what do bumpers communicate?
difference pre to post exposure
In the correct context, creative bumper compare
favourably to ads Incorrect context does not
perform well Association with programme is key
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Lab test - conclusion
Lab test conclusion
Spon bumpers can work as standalone brand
communicators Better used as creative tools to
align brands with programmes

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The stronger the relationship with the programme
the stronger the effects

overall rating of brands fans vs viewers
In general the more a person liked the programme,
the stronger the brand effects (for me, fame,
favourite intention to buy)
Fans
Viewers
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Linking the bumper programme has a positive
effect

difference, fans v. non-viewers
Where viewers see a strong link between the
bumper programme sponsorship performs well
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Link between brand programme
difference, fans v. non-viewers

Again where viewers saw more of a link between
brand programme, sponsorship performed well
Natural or acquired link to programme, advantage
for fan over non-viewer
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We also asked respondents about the relationship
Fans average relatedness (brand/programme/bump
er)

J
E
G
A
Negative relationship no advantage
D
C
B
H
I

F
Bumper
Brand
Fan advantage (well knownfavouritefor me)

Link
Link
Link
Programme
Viewer
A
B
E
C
D
H
I
J
F
G
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Making the brand part of the programme/viewer
relationship

Brand
Best results when bumper introduces the brand
into the viewer/programme relationship
Programme

• Benefits
• More of a favourite
• Becomes famous
• More for me
• More intention to buy

Viewer
Programme/ viewer relationship
Bumper
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Length of sponsorship
Age of sponsorship advantage of fan over non
viewer

Sponsorship can work in the short term (under 6
months) but long term relationships reap greater
rewards
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Strand vs programme
Strand v. programme advantage for fan over
non-viewer
Both strands seemed to influence brand fame more
than any other measure
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The Implicit Attitude Test
Measuring the implicit / emotional
mind Competitively pairing of concepts Looks at
comparisons between brands, eg.
V
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Back to the mind What else is going on?
The Explicit/ Conscious/ Rational mind
The Implicit/ Emotional Mind
Fans versus non-fans
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The implicit mind is associative
The Explicit/ Conscious/ Rational Mind

• IAT shows that sponsorship influences the
  implicit mind
• Conventional research can
• Miss out by degree
• Miss out by direction

The Implicit/ Emotional Mind
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Brands programmes do adopt each others
personalities?
More likely to describe as Funny Light-hearted En
joyable friendly
Fans describe as Funny Light-hearted Enjoyable fr
iendly
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Brands can carve their personalities from
programmes
advantage for fans over non-viewers
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Viewers v fans why the relationship is key
for me, purchase intent

Brand
Programme
Emotional relationship with brand (developed
through programme) is important Emotional
persuasion is most effective
Bumper
Viewer
prog/viewer relationship
Better long-term works on emotional mind
Fame, favourite
28
Getting the most out of sponsorship making the
relationship work

Brand
Programme
prog/viewer relationship
Bumper
Viewer
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Seven points to take away

• Sponsorship works by the brand becoming part of
  the relationship the viewer has with their
  programme
• Bumpers work most efficiently when they
  facilitate the brand entering this relationship
• Sponsorship works on the emotional mind
• It works better long term
• Brands can also adopt the personality of
  programmes
• This leads to brands becoming more famous, more
  for me, more of a favourite and more likely to be
  bought
• 7) Sponsorship should be measured appreciated
  in these terms