If you are willing to invest in a sports sponsorship only because you want to win and gain visibility for your brand, you are making a big mistake. Visibility is just one of the many benefits a company or brand can gain from working with a sports organisation, and it is by no means the only one. When we talk about partnership opportunities with clients or new contacts, we always try to focus not only on the visibility that can be obtained or on race results, but also and above all on the values and marketing benefits that can be leveraged by investing in these programmes.

Values rather than results

Investing in Formula 1, Formula E or MotoGP does not simply mean choosing the team or driver that goes fastest or wins the most. That is not how it works. We are talking about values. Here, for example, is a short list of some of the values associated with Formula 1:

• technology at the highest level
• research and development
• internationality
• competitiveness
• speed
• excellence
• high performance
• team spirit
• heritage and history
• glamour

If you are thinking about sponsoring Formula E, there are other values to add, for example:

• sustainability
• progress
• efficiency
• pioneering spirit
• advanced technology
• new challenges
• a forward-looking vision

By incorporating even just a few of these elements into its corporate communication, any brand can build a content-rich communication plan that stays relevant, interesting and up to date for at least five years. By the way, can you find the word «winning» in the list? No. Winning is not a value: it is what you might call a plus, the icing on the cake.

The post in which McLaren announced the record. Source: McLaren Racing.

Communicating teamwork

I would love to be one of McLaren‘s sponsors and have the opportunity to send every employee in the company an email about the record the Formula 1 team set at the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix: a 1.80-second pit stop on Lando Norris’s car, still the fastest in Formula 1 history. A record achieved through outstanding teamwork made of constant practice, drills, attention to detail, focus and resilience.

Look at this picture: you can barely see the driver; you see the car and some twenty people around it for the pit stop. Some twenty people working towards the same goal: giving the two drivers the best possible chance of success. We often focus only on the driver and the car on track or on the podium, but the work of the team and of every single member is extraordinary. And it is a story a sponsor can always tell, whatever the result on Sunday.

Why winning is not the main value

Beyond victories, sports partnerships offer visibility, media exposure, behind-the-scenes content, fan experiences and alignment with the values brands are looking for. This is why winning is not the only, nor even the most important, value of a sports sponsorship:

• Victories are fleeting and unpredictable. Teams and athletes go through cycles of highs and lows. Brands need a consistency of values and benefits that victories cannot guarantee. Long-term partnerships outlast wins and losses.
• The journey matters as much as the destination. Fans connect with the stories of commitment, teamwork, resilience and preparation that sport offers, regardless of the final result. Sport allows brands to align with deeper values, such as excellence, dedication, community and teamwork, that outlast any title.
• Partner visibility lasts over time. The brand on race suits, cars, equipment and facilities stays there whoever wins. The exposure continues for better or worse.
• Behind-the-scenes content builds affinity. Video and social content that shows the people and the human side of sport strengthens the bond, beyond wins and losses. How to turn it into a plan is explained in our article on content marketing in sport.
• History and tradition matter. The history and traditions of a long-established team are unique and valuable brand associations that last for generations.
• Direct fan experiences leave a mark. Hospitality, events and garage tours generate engagement: fans love experiences, whether their team wins or loses that day.
• Technology partnerships bear fruit. Equipment, technology and data analysis draw value from the collaboration itself, not from the result on track.
• Philanthropy and community impact. The social work of teams, championships and athletes makes a difference all year round and gives a meaning that goes beyond competitive results.

The point is that, although winning is an advantage, in many cases it is not the most important factor. Sports partnerships should focus above all on shared values, experiences and visibility, the areas that deliver benefits regardless of who finishes first. The concrete reasons why sport helps a company grow are collected in our guide to the benefits of sports sponsorship.

Of course, when the team or athlete wins, an extra emotional bond is created. For a sponsor, being able to share that moment and celebrate the result is the icing on the cake. But it cannot be the main expectation.

Sponsor smart, not hard

Smart sponsors build partnerships not on wins and losses, but on what the sponsorship can offer the brand: access, engagement, awareness and values to communicate. These are the elements that guarantee a solid return, whether the team finishes first or last.

In the end, winning is not something a brand can count on. By focusing on the other benefits of sports sponsorship, however, you can build productive partnerships even without the thrill of first place. The victories will come, and they will be the icing on the cake. But they are not the cake that feeds a long-term partnership.