How Brands Can Win Big With Sport Sponsorship.

History has it that Coca-Cola has been a proud sponsor of major events around the world. It is a known fact that the brand has been a major sponsor  and corporate partner of the Olympics Games since 1928.
People are naturally endeared to sporting activities, and this is one thing Coca-Cola has identified, hence the reason for the association with different sporting events in various countries. Coca- Cola is not the only brand that has aligned with sport events, other brands are beginning to catch up with this trend as well.
It is important for brands to know the key qualities to look out for when choosing to sponsor a Sport event. These qualities includes:

The Right Fit 

It is imperative for brands to identify sport events that fits with their vision and positioning as a brand. There are various types of sporting activities, ranging from Tennis, Football, Volleyball, Car race, Running,e.t.c, with each of them having its own unique audience. Because Sport Events, are known to attract a large number of follower-ship (fans),it is important for brand owners to know their product first, then know the kind of sport crowd they will appeal to. For example, Coca-Cola has pitched a tent in the mainstream sports such as the Olympics, while Red Bull for instance sponsors sports with high intensity and adrenaline rush such as the Formula One Race.
Know Your Relevance

According to Ahmad Badr, reach without relevance is a bad investment.If you sponsor a Sport event just because other rival brands are doing the same, then your popularity will only be for a while. Some brands do not go together with sport, so finding the right idea between your brand and a particular sporting event is paramount. Brands must be able to create a link between their brand objectives, promise to the consumer and the event they are sponsoring.
Consistency and Continuity

I have lost count the number of times I have mentioned Consistency and Continuity on this blog. One thing we need to know is that naturally consumers tend to forget about brands easily,that is if the brands are not consistent with what they do. On the other side,True fans do not forget even if you have not been able to do anything worthy of news lately, true fans will want to know where you have been. And that is why in Sports, true fans stick to their Sport event from game to game, match to match, tournament to tournament. A brand's continuous support and sponsorship of a particular sport event, reminds the fans of the brand's presence and loyalty to the event, thereby increasing the brand's popularity and brand perception over time.

It is necessary for brands to know that gone are the days when exclusive sponsorship of sport events increased the sales of their products, nowadays, the brands must go the extra mile by finding new and interesting ways of keeping the customers and fans of these  events interested in their product because the competition that exist in the world of branding is constantly changing, and the only way to succeed is to keep up or exceed the speed of time.

Sport Sponsorship is not a cheap venture, Brands must realize that it is an investment which will yield returns with time.