Are you willing to sponsor?
Are you ready to explore the transformative power of athlete sponsorship for your brand? Click here to learn more about how sponsorship can help brands grow and thrive in the exciting world of motorsports.
By Riccardo Tafà| Posted October 16, 2024 | In Formula 1, MotoGP
In the sports marketing, alignment between a brand and a team or athlete is essential. Partnering with a team that represents the company’s values and mission can create a powerful synergy, amplifying market presence. A technology company, for example, should choose a team that represents innovation, while a sustainability-oriented brand might prefer a team committed to green initiatives or easily accessible sports.
Changing the sponsored sports property allows the brand to realign itself strategically, more accurately reflecting its current identity and aspirations.
Choosing a new team or athlete can provide the brand with unprecedented visibility. Sponsoring a team with a large fan base or one that participates in international competitions can extend the brand’s reach to a wider and more diverse audience. Every event, game, or public appearance becomes a showcase for the brand. In addition, entering new geographic or demographic markets can open up unexpected business opportunities, increasing brand awareness and potentially sales as well.
Associating with innovation is a competitive advantage. Choosing to sponsor a sport that embraces the latest technologies can position the brand as a leader in its field. In addition to benefiting from the team’s innovative image, these partnerships can lead to collaborations on projects that add value to both parties, increasing the brand’s credibility and relevance.
A prime example of how a change in sponsorship can have a major impact is Marlboro ‘s decision to focus its partnership exclusively on Scuderia Ferrari, abandoning the other Formula 1 teams.
In the 1970s and 1980s, Marlboro was a major sponsor in Formula 1, associated with high-profile teams such as McLaren, BRM and Alfa Romeo. However, in the mid-1990s, Philip Morris International, owner of Marlboro, decided to focus its presence in F1 exclusively on Scuderia Ferrari.
This strategic choice was driven by the desire to create a stronger and more recognizable link with an iconic team, maximizing the brand’s impact in the racing world. The partnership between Marlboro and Ferrari became one of the longest and most recognizable in the history of Formula 1.
Despite increasing restrictions on tobacco advertising, the partnership continued in various forms. Marlboro found innovative ways to maintain its presence, such as using barcodes and subliminal symbols on cars, managing to remain associated with Ferrari without violating regulations.
Marlboro’s decision to tie itself exclusively to Ferrari allowed the brand to solidify its identity within the Formula 1 ecosystem. This strategy created an emotional bond with Ferrari fans, many of whom automatically associated red cars with Marlboro’s packaging.
This example demonstrates how a change in sponsorship can strengthen a brand’s position, adapting to industry restrictions without losing visibility. The partnership with Ferrari has allowed Marlboro to maintain high visibility by leveraging the team’s prestige and global appeal.
A new sports partner presents an ideal opportunity to explore innovative marketing strategies. It is the perfect opportunity to tell the brand story in a new way, taking advantage of the unique characteristics of the new team. Targeted campaigns can be designed that emotionally engage fans, creating a stronger bond between the brand and the audience. In addition, exclusive collaborations, special events, and customized content can distinguish the brand from competitors, increasing customer loyalty and engagement.
The world of sports is constantly evolving, influenced by social, cultural and technological trends. Changing teams allows a brand to remain agile and responsive, adapting quickly to new market dynamics. If a sport or athlete is gaining popularity, associating with them can be a strategic move to capitalize on this trend. At the same time, it can be an opportunity to end partnerships that no longer reflect the brand’s values or goals, ensuring consistency in communication and corporate image.
In a saturated market, differentiation is key. Changing sponsorship can give the brand the competitive edge it needs to stand out. Associating with a winning team or prominent athlete can strengthen the brand’s perception as a leader in its industry, increasing consumer trust. In addition, exclusive partnerships with teams and athletes can create unique experiential marketing opportunities, providing customers with memorable experiences that reinforce brand loyalty.
Despite the potential benefits, changing sponsorship also carries risks. One of the main ones is the possibility of confusing consumers about brand identity. If the brand has long been associated with a particular team or athlete, the change could destabilize public perception. It is crucial to ensure that the new partnership is aligned with the brand’s values and personality and that the transition is managed with clear and strategic communication to maintain message consistency.
Fans are the heart of sports, and their opinions can significantly influence the success of a sponsorship. A change might be met with skepticism or even hostility, especially if it involves historical rivalries or deep feelings. Take, for example, the immediate reaction of part of the Italian public to the announcement of Marquez ‘s move to Ducati in 2025. The brand needs to be sensitive to these dynamics, involving fans in the transition and demonstrating how the new partnership can bring value to the community. Targeted engagement strategies and transparent communication can help mitigate negative reactions.
Changing sponsorship in the sports world is not a decision to be taken lightly, but it can be a tremendous opportunity to transform a brand’s marketing strategy. By aligning with a new team or athlete, the brand can refresh its image, reach new audiences and stand out from competitors. However, it is essential to approach the change with a well-planned strategy, aware of the challenges and ready to handle them effectively.
In marketing, innovation and adaptability are key to emerging and thriving, and sports marketing is no exception.
Are you ready to explore the transformative power of athlete sponsorship for your brand? Click here to learn more about how sponsorship can help brands grow and thrive in the exciting world of motorsports.
Managing Director for RTR Sports, Riccardo graduated in law at the University of Bologna. He began his career in London in PR, then started working in two and four-wheelers. A brief move to Monaco followed before returning to Italy. There he founded RTR, first a consulting firm and then a sports marketing company which, eventually, he moved back to London.
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By doing so, we are convinced that we are shortening the value chain, saving time and money. However, these DYI methods are anything but risk-free and what initially appears to be a competitive advantage soon turns into a problem that is difficult to resolve. That’s why there are agencies. And this is why you should rely on us for your sponsorships.
When first approaching a motorsport sponsorship project, it is difficult to know immediately which stakeholders are correct, what the decision flow is, and what the right timelines are for each process. Motorsport is a very specialized field of action, and fitting effectively into its paths can take a lot of time and therefore money. We, on the other hand, know referents and spheres of action and know who to talk to, when and how. So you are also more effective.
Motorsport is an immense passion, and for our heart colors we would be willing to do anything. But business is a different business, and it is important to make the best possible strategic decisions based on independent research, statistics and reliable data. A motorsport sponsorship agency like RTR has an objective, 360-degree picture of the scenario and can tell you what is really best for you: which racing series, which athlete, which team. This is because we possess a great deal of data and information on ratings, segmentation and attitudes. Because the numbers don’t lie. Never.
Activations are the real heart of motorsport sponsorship. Without them, there remains only a blank sticker on a motorcycle, car or uniform and no contact with the public, no emotional connection, no impact on the bottom line. Then how do you do it? It certainly won’t be the teams or the athletes who will help you leverage sponsorship and enjoy the many marketing rights you have paid for. To bring out the best in a motorsport marketing project, you need an agency that knows how to use sponsorship to engage the fanbase online, to reach out to Shopping Centers, to organize hospitality, to develop B2B and B2C opportunities, and to get “your” athletes in front of millions of potential consumers.
Would you ever go to the dealer who sold you the car and ask if the competitor’s car is better? No, of course. So, how do you expect to get firm measurements of the effectiveness of your sponsorship if you do not rely on someone super partes? At RTR, we have always worked with independent third-party agencies that allow us to know the return on any exposure of your brand on TV and in the media. In addition, we believe in calculating ROI as the ultimate measure of your success-so we can tell you for every penny you spend how much you are making.
We have been involved in motorsport sponsorship and sports marketing for more than 15 years. We are consultants in the sense that our goal is to maximize your investment, but we are also an agency that manages the project from start to finish. We have been doing this since 1995 with passion and professionalism, following three principles that have become cornerstones of our business: independence, verticality and transparency.
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