Sport for Business is working in Partnership with the Irish Sponsorship Awards, entries for which close next week on Friday, October 3rd. We hope that many of our members will enter one or more of the categories listed below and show what talent and innovation exists within the sponsorship market here in Ireland.
Entry to the Awards is free and Sport for Business members who are shortlisted will be featured here and will also enjoy a discount on attendance at the Awards ceremony at the Doubletree Hilton Hotel on Thursday, November 13th. Simply notify us when you have made your entry and we will be in touch with details.
The judging of the 18 category awards will take place during October by a panel consisting of respected leaders in the area of sponsorship and marketing here in Ireland and abroad. Daragh Byrne who heads up UTV Ireland’s Commercial team, UCD Lecturer James Matthews, Charlie McKewan from the British and Irish Lions, Maeve Buckley of Line UP SME, Rob Hartnett from Sport for Business, Brian Spollen of MCD Promotions and Hamish Adams of Rowing Ireland will be joined for an international perspective by Mark Osikoya, Head of Marketing Partnerships with the NBA and previously responsible as Head of Sponsorship with Coca Cola for award winning sponsorship deals with Jessica Ennis, Wayne Rooney and the English FA.
Last year’s main award went to Allianz and Paralympics Ireland. They were joined in the winners circle by fellow Sport for Business members Liberty Insurance, the GAA, the FAI, Fleishman Hillard, Edelman, Ulster Bank, Eircom, Huggity, RTÉ and Heineken.
SPONSORSHIP OF THE YEAR AWARD
The overall sponsorship engagement award is the top award of the evening and recognises excellence in the discipline of sponsorship in Ireland.
You cannot enter this award directly and the top prize will be awarded to one outstanding winner chosen by the judges from amongst the winners of the Best Sponsorship categories.
This award will set the benchmark for excellence in sponsorship in Ireland.
The shortlist for this supreme award will be drawn from the winners of the following categories:
- BEST SPORT SPONSORSHIP
- BEST ARTS SPONSORSHIP
- BEST ENTERTAINMENT EVENT SPONSORSHIP
- BEST CAUSE (CHARITY AND COMMUNITY) SPONSORSHIP
- BEST BUSINESS TO BUSINESS SPONSORSHIP
- BEST GRASS ROOTS SPONSORSHIP
- BEST MEDIA SPONSORSHIP
The individual categories with a little bit about them are:
This award will go to the best sport sponsorship programme executed in Ireland within the last 18 months.
Sponsorship has been critical to securing investment in Irish Sport, driving engagement between rights holders, brands and fans and supporting sport at the grass roots level as well.
This increased emphasis by brands and rights holders on sport sponsorship has been matched by higher levels of sophistication and innovation in executing sponsorship programmes themselves.
In this new era it is clear that fans expect much more from sponsors than just a name on a shirt while, at the same time, brands/rights owners expect more engagement and greater impact for their efforts and investment.
The judges are looking for examples of a partnership which has been built on mutual objectives which demonstrates innovative thinking and execution which effectively take sports sponsorship to the next level.
This award will go to the best entertainment sponsorship in Ireland.
Music, Film and Entertainment Events provide a rich cultural heritage spreading back over centuries. It is not surprising therefore that sponsorship in this sector has grown significantly with sponsors providing vital investment for the management and production of film and music festivals, concerts and other entertainment events. As the sponsorship of different entertainment formats and events has progressed, so to have levels of sophistication, innovation and engagement sought by rights owners and sponsors.
Fans expect more from sponsors and brands expect more value from their sponsorship investment.
The judges are looking for a solid partnership, built on mutual objectives demonstrating innovation in terms of engagement and clear results that show the partnership has delivered on the outcomes sought.
BEST ARTS SPONSORSHIP
‘From local arts centres, through national cultural institutions, to stages, screens and bookshops in cities worldwide, Irish art and artists bring beauty, truth and meaning to people everywhere. They provide significant direct and indirect employment, they underpin a large and significant sector in the creative and cultural industries, and they are critical to cultural tourism. They also bring renown to Ireland as a country where innovation and creativity are strongly supported’ – Irish Arts Council
This award will go to the best arts sponsorship in Ireland.
The judges are looking for a solid partnership, built on mutual objectives and innovation in terms of strategy, activation and engagement with demonstrable, clear results from the partnership on the delivery of core objectives.
This award will go to the best cause sponsorship in Ireland.
Sponsorship investment is critical to many charities and organisations.
Cause Marketing through sponsorship has become a legitimate and effective method for brands to connect with an increasingly conscientious and socially aware audience and demonstrate the positive role the brand can and is playing in creating a more caring society. As sponsorship in this category has progressed, so to have levels of sophistication, innovation and engagement.
Consumers expect more transparency and commitment from brands and brands expect more value from their sponsorship investment.
The judges are looking for a solid partnership, built on mutual objectives and innovation in terms of engagement with the community it addresses and clear results that the partnership has been successful in achieving its objectives.
This award will go to the best business to business sponsorship in Ireland.
Business to business sponsorship in Ireland provides a valuable platform to reach key customers and to demonstrate the products and services provided by the sponsor. Business to business sponsorship is defined for the purpose of this category as any sponsorship where the primary objective(s) of the agreement are to attract, retain or engage with a business audience. As business to business sponsorship has grown, so to have levels of sophistication, innovation and engagement sought by brands. Brands investing limited resources in this area are increasingly seeking new ways to deliver innovative programmes and ensure an adequate return on their sponsorship investment.
The judges are looking for a solid partnership, built on mutual objectives and innovation in terms of engagement with business customers which can show clear results that the partnership has delivered on the original objectives.
This award will go to the best grass roots sponsorship in Ireland.
Programmes which provide sponsorship at Grass Roots level are vital to secure the ongoing success of many different sport and entertainment genres. Without this support, many organisations/artists/teams and associations would struggle to promote and drive participation across the country. Grass roots sponsorship has increased as brands realise the importance of supporting all levels and aspects of a particular sector in order to present a genuine and committed programme. Levels of sophistication, innovation and engagement have also increased and grass roots participants are expecting more from sponsors than just a simple brand visibility exercise. The judges are looking for a solid partnership, built on mutual objectives and innovation in terms of engagement and genuine evidence of the support the brand has played in development at a grass roots level.
This award will go to the best media sponsorship in Ireland.
Brands are increasingly attracted to media sponsorship formats as effective ways to reach mass audiences around key passion points. This sector has experienced significant growth in recent years and has become an essential part of funding new programming for media owners. Media sponsorship includes programmes and formats across TV, Radio, Print and Digital where the brand specifically takes a role as title presenter of content for consumer consumption.
The judges are looking for a solid partnership, built on mutual objectives, innovation in terms of engagement with the target audience and clear results that the partnership has delivered the objectives it was designed to achieve.
This award is presented to the team that can demonstrate a distinct new method or unique approach to a sponsorship activation, partnership or initiative.
This award will recognise excellence in the area of sponsorship activation through TV advertising.
Campaign amplification, activation and engagement are central to the success of any sponsorship. In order to maximise value from any partnership, brands must take activation beyond the placement of logos and into innovative use of various media channels to engage the target audience.
The judges are looking for creative and innovative sponsorship activation campaigns that cut through and reach out to the target group they seek to engage.
This award will recognise excellence in the area of sponsorship activation through radio advertising.
Campaign amplification, activation and engagement are central to the success of any sponsorship. In order to maximise value from any partnership, brands must take activation beyond the placement of logos and into innovative, use of various media channels to engage fans and customers.
The judges are looking for creative and innovative sponsorship activation campaigns that cut through and reach out to the target group they seek to engage with.
Campaign amplification, activation and engagement are central to the success of any sponsorship. In order to maximise value from any partnership, brands must take activation beyond the placement of logos and into innovative, use of various media channels to engage fans and customers.
This award will recognise excellence in the area of sponsorship activation through digital (which includes web, mobile, app’s etc but excludes social media).
The judges are looking for creative and innovative sponsorship activation campaigns that cut through and reach out to the target group they seek to engage with.
This award will recognise excellence in the area of sponsorship activation through Social Media.
Campaign amplification, activation and engagement are central to the success of any sponsorship. In order to maximise value from any partnership, brands must take activation beyond the placement of logos and into innovative, use of various media channels to engage fans and customers.
The judges are looking for creative and innovative sponsorship activation campaigns that cut through and reach out to the target group they seek to engage with.
Innovation and genuine social media engagement are critical for this category.
This award will recognise excellence in the area of sponsorship activation through Print and/or Outdoor advertising.
Campaign amplification, activation and engagement are central to the success of any sponsorship. In order to maximise value from any partnership, brands must take activation beyond the placement of logos and into innovative, use of various media channels to engage fans and customers.
The judges are looking for creative and innovative sponsorship activation campaigns that cut through and reach out to the target group they seek to engage with.
This award will recognise excellence in the area of sponsorship activation through PR.
Campaign amplification, activation and engagement are central to the success of any sponsorship. In order to maximise value from any partnership, brands must take activation beyond the placement of logos and into innovative, use of various channels to engage fans and customers.
The judges are looking for creative and innovative sponsorship activation campaigns that cut through and reach out to the target group they seek to engage with.
In particular, the judges are interested in how the PR approach integrated with the overall campaign.
This award will recognise excellence in the area of sponsorship activation through Experiential Marketing.
Campaign amplification, activation and engagement are central to the success of any sponsorship. In order to maximise value from any partnership, brands must take activation beyond the placement of logos and into innovative, use of various channels to engage fans and customers.
The judges are looking for creative and innovative sponsorship activation campaigns using Experiential Marketing that cut through and reach out to the target group they seek to engage with.
Sponsorship strategy, campaign amplification, activation and engagement are all important parts of a successful sponsorship. Agencies and consultants provide critical services in the strategic approach and exploitation of sponsorship properties. This category recognises excellence in an agency or consultant in Ireland that has supported a sponsor or rights holder through some or all of these elements.
The judges are looking for innovation in the sector with evidence of how the agency or consultant has brought a new approach to strategy and/or activation and the subsequent results. Entries are not restricted to the sponsorship agencies as long as the agency plays a key role in the success of the sponsorship.
BEST SPONSORSHIP TEAM
This category recognises the team that has worked best to achieve cut through, innovation and differentiation in sponsorship. The team will have demonstrated initiative, creativity and leadership in the creation and delivery of sponsorship strategies and/or campaigns. The team can be client side, agency side or combination of both.
Your guide to entry can be found here. It is definitely worth setting aside time to make the submission as we want to reward the best of what Ireland has and can achieve.
Throughout next week we will highlight the winners from 2013 as the clock ticks down to decide who will follow them on November 13th.
