Looking to steal a march on the competition? TV sponsorship is one of the most effective ways of making sure consumers notice you. TV sponsorship isn’t just about awareness, it’s about buying good vibes. Aligning your company with a channel or programme is a back door to all the positive feelings someone gets from watching their favourite show. Sponsorship is the smart way to work your brand into the hearts and minds of your future customers.
Whereas some advertising is seen as intrusive, annoying even, TV sponsorship gets a positive reception. Channel 4’s 2024 Sponsorship Rocks study found that, on average, more than half of viewers recall a sponsorship ident and almost a quarter want to find out more about a brand after exposure to a sponsorship. If you’re looking for cut-through, you’ve found it.
Read on to discover how TV sponsorship works and why it could be right for you.
TV sponsorship builds brands and drives sales – whatever your budget
Sponsorship isn’t exclusively for the big spenders. In fact, it can be surprisingly cost effective. It’s also particularly good for new TV advertisers. The high frequency of the messaging and more memorable communications mean sponsors build a relationship with the consumer quicker than brands who use linear TV alone.
A classic TV sponsorship package consists of 5 or 10 second commercial shorts which run repeatedly, before and after ad breaks. This repetition means the consumer is exposed to the advertising over and over again, reinforcing the brand messaging, raising awareness and keeping the advertiser front of mind.
TV is famous for offering massive reach but if done right can also offer strong targeting capabilities. A massive plus for sponsorship is the ability to reach a defined audience. Selecting the right programme, genre, daypart or channel sends you directly into your target’s living room. Choosing wisely means brands can be sure of reaching a relevant viewer, as well as firmly aligning themselves with the programming values and attributes.
The best performing sponsorship campaigns are those with a high contextual relevance. Without a doubt, brands that have a high crossover between their attributes and the sponsored material see the best results. Creating a strong synergy between a brand and a favourite programme means a consumer naturally transfers positive feelings associated with the TV content to the advertiser. If the consumer knows and likes your brand, you’re already off to a flying start!
Trusted, Credible and Future Proof
As with all forms of TV advertising, businesses who run sponsorship campaigns are viewed as credible, high quality and trustworthy. Compared with non-viewers of sponsorship, a Channel 4 study found an average percentage-point uplifts of 8 points in awareness, 8 points in consideration, 7 points in brand perceptions, 5 points in relevance and 6 points in trust.
Unlike other media, sponsorship can also deliver stronger results over time. Research has found that sponsorships running for more than two years produced a 20% higher boost in consideration than those running for one to two years. If you want to “future proof” your communications strategy and look to the long-term, it’s worth thinking about putting sponsorship in the mix.
Find your perfect partnership – but don’t forget to look in unexpected places…
With so many channels available, there is a perfect sponsorship vehicle for just about every product or service. Aligning with a good match is easy but sometimes it’s a more unusual coupling that just works. Like all good creative ideas, exploring the unexpected can lead to a more memorable campaign and stronger results. Think about “imperfect pairings” where the fit might not be obvious on paper but in practice it hits that sweet spot.
When it comes to TV sponsorship there is a lot to think about. TV sponsorship could help boost your brand, sales and results but without the right advice it can feel daunting. Our TV advertising team have in-depth market knowledge and decades of experience. When it comes to getting your business on air, you couldn’t be in better hands.
Get in touch to find out how we can position your brand next to your target customer’s favourite TV show.
Find out more about TV advertising at AJ.
*Channel 4, Sponsorship Rocks: fifteen-year study reveals effectiveness of broadcast sponsorship, March 2024.