Brand Leverage Through Sponsorship : Leverage and the Dark Art

A sponsorship is primarily an experience; at its best it's about gaining a share of heart. At its worst the biggest mistake a sponsor can commit is being irrelevant," says Terry Daly of sponsorship company BrandAdvantage.

"Who in their right mind would move into the grassroots rugby space after the fantastic job Toyota has done?"

The key to success is the way companies leverage sponsorship, says Kim Skildrum-Reid, Australian sponsorship guru and author of The Sponsor's Toolkit. Too many companies still believe visibility is all, she says.

But using what she calls the catalyst approach, and adding value to that sponsorship, can add relevance, resonance and real emotional weight to any or all of your marketing activities.

"Leverage is what provides the results," says Mark Pickering of experiential marketing & sponsorship outfit ambientX (www.ambientx.co.nz). "An investment in sponsorship is an investment in an opportunity. When it's integrated into the overall marketing strategy, sponsorship and leverage will act as a catalyst to make other media work harder and be more effective."