OUR THOUGHTS ON
#SPOTY – A SHOP WINDOW FOR BRANDS
BBC’s Sport’s Personality of the Year is
undoubtedly a shop window for marketeers; a
showcase of potential partnership opportunities
for brands looking to enhance their positioning or
raise their awareness. Who better to represent a
brand than one of the top 12 athletes in Britain?
The 2015 SPOTY contenders vary from highflying British icons to lesser known and thus
there is a plethora of sponsorships on show.
Alongside your typical big-hitter sport sponsors
such as Adidas and Nike, this year’s shortlist also
contains a couple of more unusual partnerships,
as well as clear gaps for brands to fill.
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Mo Farah’s tie-up with Quorn, and Greg
Rutherford’s partnership with Sun-Pat are some of
the quirkier on show this year. Interestingly, some
of the members of this year’s shortlist don’t have
any major individual endorsement deals, and their
sponsorship comes in the form of team
sponsorship. Take Max Whitlock, who is
‘sponsored’ by Nissan, as part of the car
manufacturer deal with British Gymnastics. For
athletes, being part of a team such as this makes it
more difficult to secure more lucrative individual
deals, especially if you aren’t a household name.
In fact, this represents a dilemma for brands;
should a brand back an individual or a team?
Backing an individual can have huge benefits if
Team sponsorships obviously reduce the danger
their personality and performance both shine.
of a brand being tarnished by an individual’s
However, the risks are also present and there
antics, however the team’s performance is of
may be fewer brands aligning themselves with
course a risk and was exemplified by O2’s
characters such as Tyson Fury who outwardly
experience during the Rugby World Cup, after
discusses his controversial opinions.
England’s disastrous early knockout cut their
tailored #Weartherose campaign very short.
Personality plays a big role in the calibre of
endorsements you can secure as an athlete, as
Whilst this ongoing debate continues, one of this
demonstrated by the differing experiences of
years 12 contenders will be crowned Sport’s
Farah and Rutherford. Farah’s extensive range
Personality of the Year this weekend. Who knows
of impressive individual sponsorships comes
what partnerships will come their way off the
partly thanks to his performance, but also
back of this, but there’s no denying that SPOTY
thanks to his charismatic, cheeky
is a perfect self-advertisement for an athlete, and
personality. On the other hand, Rutherford,
brands will be clamouring to secure endorsements
who is more outspoken, has struggled to gain
and leave a few agents licking their lips. Click
any sponsorship deals of note over the years.
here for an extended version of this article.