WST survey finds that 85 per cent of existing partners are keen to continue their investment.
A new survey conducted by the Women’s Sport Trust (WST) has found that 80 per cent of brands are likely to invest in sponsoring women’s sports over the next three years.
Confirmed:
- 85 per cent of existing women’s sport sponsors say they are likely to continue their investment
- Three in five brands are interested in club-level sponsorships in the next one to three years
- 55 per cent are interested in sponsoring women’s soccer, while 51 per cent are interested in partnering with individual female athletes
Context:
Working with consultancy firm Onside, the UK-based WST surveyed 49 brand decision makers about their plans for women’s sport between 20th August and 26th September. Of those surveyed, 69 per cent represented brands which currently sponsor women’s sport.
According to the WST, 77 per cent of respondents said showcasing community and social responsibility drove their organisation’s interest in women’s sport sponsorship. Meanwhile, 68 per cent said their investment was about reinforcing brand image, 56 per cent cited increasing brand awareness, 53 per cent said promoting a corporate image, and 50 per cent said increasing brand loyalty.
The survey also found that 86 per cent of brands said their sponsorship of women’s sport had either met or exceeded their return on investment (ROI) expectations, with a third reporting that women’s sport activations recorded better than expected on key performance indicators (KPI).
That said, the research also suggests that the impact of women’s sport sponsorships is currently under-reported, with 44 per cent of respondents saying they track the impact of their partnerships on brand awareness, and almost one in ten saying they do not track any performance metrics.
Comment:
“There is undoubtably an incredibly positive story to tell around women’s sport properties,” said Tammy Parlour, chief executive of the WST. “The fact that existing sponsors are seeing the value of their women’s sports sponsorships and want to continue their investment is a real win for the industry.
“It’s perhaps unsurprising that domestic teams across the major sports are seen as the most attractive potential property to invest in, given the lower entry point for some club sponsorships and the higher volume of deals available.
“We’d also expect women’s football to continue to be an attractive investment opportunity given its prolific rise over the past few years as well as the opportunities around the upcoming Uefa Women’s Euros in 2025.”
Coming next:
Parlour said that the biggest barriers to women’s sport sponsorship are visibility-related, meaning rights holders need to build an understanding of their audience, support brands to drive activations, and work together to “proactively raise the visibility of women’s sport” moving forward.
Credit: https://www.sportspro.com/news/womens-sports-sponsorship-brands-survey-trends-wst-december-2024/