A brand's online presence should never be its sole purpose. Indeed, faced with increasingly fierce competition across various sectors, it's crucial to stand out with well-promoted products. This is where digital sponsorship becomes truly meaningful. This advertising technique is somewhat similar to traditional sponsorship. Here, the ad will be available on the chosen platform for a specific duration . It won't appear in real time , but rather based on data collected from users.
Developing a digital sponsorship strategy
Understanding a sponsor's objectives
It's impossible to increase your visibility if you don't know a sponsor's objectives . Are they trying to increase sales ? Improve their image through CSR? Launch a new product? Increase their social media ? Improve their SEO ? Objectives define the details of a digital campaign and ensure that the tactics and channels used work synergistically.
Propose the right target audience to the sponsor
It's impossible to use digital sponsorship without clearly understanding your audience . A brand, by its very nature, sells to an audience. Therefore, it's essential to define what you're offering. The audience a sponsor can reach must be specific and segmented. In concrete terms, you'll need to reach the right individuals based on the variables most relevant to the sponsor. The more information you have about your target audience, the more valuable they will be to the sponsor.
Set a sponsorship budget
Sponsors must commit to a potentially costly project. By adding value to the various digital activations offered, they will be able to stay within their budget , knowing that the brand understands their financial concerns. Aligning their objectives with a brand's offering makes it easier to achieve the best return on investment .
Channels to target for digital sponsorship
Having a presence on social media
Over 51% of the world's population connects to social , representing more than 4 billion active users . Digital channels allow brands to reach a vast audience . This is made possible by a wide range of content, including sports, music, films, and much more. This presents a promising opportunity for digital sponsorship.
Unlike 20 years ago, having a computer connected to the internet at home is now commonplace. Furthermore, at the beginning of 2020, there were 5 billion mobile users worldwide. This represents 67% of the global population with a smartphone in their pocket 24/7. The personalization of our individual needs is key. Advertisements can be placed on multiple networks. The target audience must be considered . If the target audience is general and fairly broad, Facebook may suffice. However, if young people are the primary target, Snapchat and TikTok are better alternatives.
In practice, each page will highlight a brand through advertising banners and/or mentions on posts .
Using influencers
The concept of influencers seems recent to us, whereas in 1940, Paul Lazarsfeld (an American sociologist) had already put it forward in his work "The People's Choice." According to him, all it takes is for a popular figure to be seen with a candidate in an election, and the masses will follow suit. Today, these online stars are paid by numerous companies.
Their advantage lies precisely in their notoriety. These individuals wield significant influence within their community . Their promotion acts as gospel truth to their fans. They can easily persuade them of the merits of a product or service.
These individuals typically promote a brand or product on their page (through videos, photos, or posts) in exchange for payment . This payment can be monetary or in kind . For example, brands may give away their products as gifts .
Benefit from competitions
Digital contests can brand awareness , encourage product trials, collect email addresses, and boost social media engagement. Sponsors can choose their participation method, from simply displaying their logo to offering valuable prizes .
Contests encourage sharing, which can increase a brand's reach. For example, if you're simply looking to expand your email list, you can just ask participants to provide their email address. However, if the goal is to increase the number of subscribers and boost engagement, you can ask for shares.
Benefit from charitable works
By moving beyond the realm of appearances and fleeting trends, digital sponsorship can also drastically improve a brand's image. The goal here is to add a human dimension to a company's activities. Furthermore, promoting on a digital platform increases the sponsorship's reach .
For example, it's possible to dress a group of underprivileged children who will sing on social media. By displaying a brand's logo using this promotional technique, it becomes much easier to challenge the legitimacy of the brand's actions. This can be likened to philanthropy. But in reality, the brand name is highlighted without a signed contract.
Ultimately, digital sponsorship is essential for surviving in online . Being present on the right channels ensures optimal reach for your target audience. Yes, indeed! It's not just about being present on every platform on the internet . Only those that help you achieve your objectives are truly useful. Therefore, you must clearly define those objectives .
