Research from Eurosport, ZenithOptimedia & Synovate indicates that investment in the grass roots of sport is of critical importance to sponsorship effectiveness during a time of recession.
A general rule of thumb used by people sponsoring large scale events (whether in sport or anything else) is that you have to spend 3 times as much on leveraging the sponsorship as on the sponsorship itself. In sport this means sport sponsors should spend a lot of time, effort and money on grassroots sports to make the most of their sponsorship investment. This grassroots work is also called Corporate Social Responsibility.
Some sponsors aren’t aware of this however, and so its always a useful tool in your arsenal to be able to remind them of the importance of grassroots sport.
This report, taken out in October 2008, interviewed 1,600 upmarket consumers and 10 leading sports marketers whose responses created a sports marketing code of conduct for companies during the difficult economic climate.
The survey also revealed grass roots investment was considered an imperative and necessary component of a successful sports marketing campaign. Although expensive, it is valued by consumers who appreciate organisations which make a real contribution to sports development.
It found that 81 per cent of consumers believe “what companies do over what they say” and that 74 per cent believed CSR sports investment both helps sport to develop, and was essential as part of the marketing strategy for large brands.
I found out about this report from http://brooksportandleisure.wordpress.com/2009/05/22/grass-roots-sport-critical-to-effective-sports-sponsorship/
Original article was from http://www.sportbusiness.com/britsport/169464/companies-see-value-sport-social-change