At RTR sports marketing, we spend most of our time focusing on Motorsport sponsorship opportunities: why is that? Because we have a passion for all things racing, but more importantly because motorsport sponsorship has always proven to be one of the most effective choices in relation to returning on investment within the sports marketing arena.
Racing sponsorship: From the 60s with fury.
Motorsport is indeed one of the most developed sports sectors in terms of marketing and sponsorship opportunities. It was back in the sixties that MotoGP and F1 teams started to change their liveries from their respective national colours to the recognisable colour schemes of some pioneering international brands. These brands spot the opportunity to speak to their target audience by leveraging through their passion.
Motorsport sponsorship has always been one of the companies’ favourites and it is safe to say that motorsports are second to none for the quality of the services and the attitude towards sponsors. Sixty years of experience taught teams exactly what’s needed and how to capitalise all the marketing opportunities linked to the events in favour of their partners. The momentous, era-defining partnerships like Martini, Shell, Rothmans, Camel and Repsol stand as a testimony to this.
This is why we still remember some of the most iconic examples of racing sponsorship -the golden John Players Special Lotus, or Ayrton’s Marlboro themed McLaren– that still bring benefits to the companies. The partnerships were the perfect match and the execution was spot on.
The team’s Communication Department
If in the past the teams were perfectly organized to serve their backers and to help them in achieving their objectives this is even truer nowadays. The communication department of a Team resembles the structure of a communication agency with a team of people with the skills to help the client in different areas. From strategy to graphics, to merchandising sourcing, to field personnel. So rest assured that a good Sports Marketing Agency, paired with the team communication department, can cover all your needs. The right structure is instrumental in activating a cross-platform partnership.
Motorsport sponsorship packages bring worldwide benefits.
Only a few sporting events really bring the world together: the football World Cup, the Olympics, F1 and MotoGP. The real difference between those Events is in the frequency. The Olympics and the World Cup are held every four years while the top classes of racing touch base in 12/20 Nations and 5 continents every year.
This is a big aspect to consider because it allows multinational companies willing to engage clients from all over the world to do it with just one campaign. In few words motorsports sponsorship can offer a company a truly itinerant promotional platform to be used for its needs.
The frequency provides the chance to constantly engage the target audience in their territory and it simplifies the logistics. The regularity of these sports series and the show they provide, unify the communication on a yearly basis…moreover, it highly reduces the risks for the sponsors. If any challenge arises during the season, in the following one you will have the opportunity to tweak the partnership strategy and adapt it to your needs.
Sadly this is not the case in football, where missing the final part of the tournament means waiting 4 more years to have a new opportunity and implementing an emergency plan since you cannot count on the visibility and storytelling related to that event. Do you remember the recent elimination of the Italian football team from the Russian World Cup? I cannot imagine the damages the sponsors suffered for all the missing months of coverage.
Motorsport sponsorship packages have an effective value system and impressive audiences too
Motorsports truly embody some of the most important values for any company: performance, speed, reliability, high-tech, passion, internationality, and in recent years even sustainability with the introduction of two all-electric Championships (Formula E and MotoE) that are opening the way to the future of modern mobility.
The audience linked to these championships is huge; just think that MotoGP reached last year more than 400 Million people and, while F1 is doing very well, it is FormulaE that shows the strongest growth trend of them all, follow the link to read what Forbes says about it https://www.forbes.com/sites/setheverett/2018/07/30/formula-e-ratings-impressive-as-fourth-season-concludes/#3496f04c753f (Discover more about Formula E Sponsorship Agency)
Pound for pound racing sponsorship opportunities are among the most effective tools in marketing
Thanks to the international visibility they provide, their value system, the excitement they bring and the fascination of state-of-the-art machinery, motorsport sponsorship increases sales, conquer new clients and improve any brand’s positioning. You will be astonished to see what ROI a well devised and implemented sponsorship in Motorsport can achieve.
It is not by chance that some of the most prestigious companies in the world are involved in racing sponsorship projects. Companies are looking for efficiency and sponsorship is a marketing tool that can guarantee great results. It has the capability to convey a positive feeling towards the target, it doesn’t interrupt what they have chosen to watch and it is linked to their passion.
If you would like to inquire about motorsport sponsorship opportunities that may be suited to your needs, do not hesitate to contact us. It’s worth a chat, isn’t it?
