UK Sponsorship Awards - Class of 2023: Six takeaways that signpost the industry’s direction of travel

Now that the dust has settled on the 2023 edition and preparations are underway for 2024, UKSA’s 30^th Anniversary, we decided it would be a good time to identify a few of the headline trends that were evident in this year’s selection of winners and finalists. So here are six thought-provoking takeaways from this year’s cohort:

Female-focused campaigns capture the headlines: The UKSA Sponsorship of the Year went to Heineken’s ‘cheers to all fans’, entered by M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment. This was one of several winners and finalists focused on female empowerment through sport. O2’s Wear the Rose and McDonald’s Fun Football centred on efforts to close the gender gap, increase female participation and create a sustainable infrastructure for female talent. Other impressive female-focused campaigns were entered by Nationwide and Visa. Female sport is securing much more coverage these days, and there is growing excitement for this summer’s FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia & New Zealand – so this story will run and run.

Elite clubs diversify partnerships: UKSA 2023 was graced by the presence of several leading soccer clubs: namely Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Everton, Brighton & Hove Albion, Southampton and Reading. Interestingly, none came to the awards with betting sponsorships. Instead, there are clear signs that clubs are looking at a) expanding their range of brand partnerships and b) drilling down deeper into community-related initiatives. Partners like Xylem, Quorn, Kodansha, Three, Amex, Christopher Ward, Select Car Leasing and Starling Bank are indicative of the wide range of opportunities that exist for brands via the club sponsorship channel.

Sponsorship goes hi-tech: Sponsorship has always been a people-centric business, but post-Covid there’s also a strong tech flavour to campaigns and activations. At UKSA 2023, several winners leaned into intriguing tech solutions to elevate the performance of their partnerships. Winners that featured tech solutions included Vodafone which used 5G-enabled haptics suits to make live entertainment accessible to the deaf and hard-of-hearing. The same company also used augmented reality in Elton John – The AR Experience. Among other finalists, Deloitte helped the LTA with its digital transformation project while Audi’s Power Meter was used to enhance live coverage of cricket’s The Hundred. It was also interesting to note how tech brands had a part to play in terms of providing tools for sponsorship campaigns. Examples included Sky, Adobe & We Are Futures:  The Edit and D&AD Shift with Google – both of which set out to support young talent.

Health brands are an emerging force: Like most years, UKSA 2023 saw numerous entries from banks, drinks, automotive and telecoms. But it was interesting to note that health and wellness is also a growing category. Pharma is subject to tight regulations regarding marketing, but this year’s entries showed that sponsorship can play a key part in the health sector’s strategic communications. Finalists included: Benenden Health (Time for a Check in), Voltarol (More than Movement), Clarin’s (It’s High Time) and ViiV Healthcare (Tackle HIV). Worth noting is that brands from this sector also tend to come with a powerful diversity & inclusion message.

Brands embrace authentic digital-first talent: The term influencer has fallen out of fashion in the last couple of years, with Gen Z increasingly resistant to social media celebrities trying to flog them products and services. But this doesn’t mean there is no role for digital-first talent in marketing. The key message for brands is that they need to partner with ‘authentic’ talent. There are two parameters here. Firstly, the talent in question has to have built up a community that engages with them for their own attributes – not the products they plug. Secondly, there has to be a genuine fit between the brand, the talent and the message they are promoting. Munya Chawawa’s Deep Issue Massage with shaving brand Harry’s was an example among this year’s finalists – as was Joe Wicks’ partnership with Mini.

The power of niche: One of the most satisfying aspects of the UKSA awards programme is that it caters for brands of every size and budget. This year, it was exciting to see so many small brands punch above their weight. Winners included The Newt In Somerset for its partnership with the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, and Habito, which partnered with Skateboard UK in the Grass Roots category. Among finalists, this year saw entries from Select Car Leasing (with Reading Football Club) and sustainable clothing brand Nobody’s Child, which partnered with Happy Place. As in previous years, the awards also showed how sponsorship can work for brands in almost any sector – with finalists including Valspar (paint), Severn Trent (utilities), Hurtigruten (cruising), Wickes (DIY), Colgate (toothpaste) and Meccano (games). 

Final thought: ‘E’ for Emerging TrendsExperience and engagement are well-established buzzwords in the sponsorship business. But this year also saw ‘environment’ and ‘electrification’ play a prominent role, with brands such as Ovo and Hyundai prominent exponents in these areas. ‘Esports’, and the wide gaming sector, also emerged as a compelling opportunity for clients. DHL’s partnership with ESL and Circle K’s association with Pokemon Go are two examples from the class of 2023 that showcase this fast-growing opportunity.

Full details of 2023’s winners and nominees can be found at the Awards website: http://www.sponsorship-awards.co.uk/. Looking ahead, keep an eye out for news about UKSA 2024, the 30^th anniversary of the industry’s leading awards event which will be open for entry from September 1 2023.