Women in Sponsorship Networking Group Explores Diversity & Inclusion

Diversity and inclusion was the theme for the second Women in Sponsorship gathering, a networking group facilitated by the UK Sponsorship Awards and Think!Sponsorship, held Thursday July 6th, and kindly hosted by the South Bank Centre.  

Our panel, chaired by Sally Hancock, managing partner of Y Sport and non-executive chair of Women in Sport, and joined by Liz Watts, research and consultancy director at EdComs, Tanya Rabin, partnership lead at Lloyds Bank and Tove Okunniwa, sports and entertainment consultant and deputy chair of England Boxing, the NGB for amateur boxing in England, focussed on why companies are taking greater care with their relationships with audiences, looking carefully at what their purpose is within communities, what issues are most important to their stakeholders and how they portray themselves via their partnerships.  

A discerning public, armed with and access to far more information than in the past, is becoming increasingly interested in how the companies they may engage with behave. Companies which have reputationally run into difficulties can be aided into recovery by strategically repositioning with appropriate partnerships that matter to their target groups.  Rights holders and sponsors alike must have a clear understanding just what is important to their fans and stakeholders.

But there can be no hiding places. Authenticity is all and  - in all but a few cases - relationships should be long term commitments, offering genuine consistency and longevity.  And commitment must be top down, with every level of employee engaged and involved in the partnership.  

So the conclusion could be that marketing with a purpose partnerships will change perceptions and behaviours when credible connections are made and embedded within the cultures of both sides of the partnerships. 

To join our Women in Sponsorship networking group and be informed of forthcoming gatherings, please email info@sponsorship-awards.co.uk