Sponsorship is sometimes money out the window. And sometimes that's not a big problem for the donor. Sponsors want to associate themselves with an event, a organisation or a good cause, and in some contexts the company becomes relatively invisible in the sponsorship context.

If it is a question of a sponsorship that is only carried out because it is a cause you have great interest and sympathy for, it is perhaps not too bad that you do not get that much back. If, on the other hand, you are a sponsor just to achieve something yourself, you should think carefully about what you do where, how and why. Isn't that exactly the dream scenario in sponsorship? That both the donor and the recipient are left with more than they would have done without this agreement? All companies should have one or more stories to tell, and the sponsorship agreements you implement can successfully be one of the areas where you can tell who you are.

Who or what are you sponsoring? And why?

There are many who want to be associated with something outside of themselves through sponsorship. Sports stars or grassroots sports? Giant cultural events or small, narrow and smart cultural experiences? Familiar and dear so-called good causes or niche charity that suits the company? The safe and responsible or the innovative and forward-thinking? Some active sponsors even say: Yes, thank you, both. Or: Yes thank you, everything!

We are very concerned about the overall impression that your brand oozes, and sponsorship is one of the areas from which you can be judged.

It might be tempting to make the following statement: Tell me who you are sponsoring, and I'll tell you who you are. But that would be completely wrong to say. Because there is probably a lot of ill-considered sponsorship going on. It would be more accurate to say: Tell me who you are, and I'll tell you who you should sponsor.

At Mission, we're very concerned about the overall impression your brand makes, and sponsorship is one of the areas you can be judged on. That's why we need to think through what your sponsorship can add - or detract - from the story you want to tell. The recipient of your sponsorship funds may be an amazing organisation, but it's not 100% certain that it's the one you should be supporting - for your company's own sake. If the people you sponsor are sending out the wrong signals, you can support them anonymously.

"Tell me who you are and I'll tell you who you should sponsor."

Sponsorship is not a trifle

When sponsorship was included in IRM's Norwegian Media Statistics for the first time in 2010, it turned out that more money had been invested in sponsorship than in TV advertising in Norway in 2009. Only the daily press was larger. Of the 3.3 sponsor billions, 2.4 billion went to sports, 647 million to cultural sponsorship and 289 million to so-called socio-sponsorship, which can perhaps be described as sponsorship that takes social responsibility.

As for the distribution between the various advertising media, it is known that there has been a lot of money in the digital river since 2009, but that is a completely different story. The sponsorship market is very large anyway, and here it is of course important to try to separate the chaff from the wheat.

Red Bull, an energetic sponsor

The energy drink producer Red Bull wants to tell the world what an energetic, groundbreaking and tough lifestyle company they are. In Norway, their sponsorship has probably been most visible via Petter Northug, who is so controversial that he fits like a glove for Red Bull. In Norway, the company arranges, among other things, RedBull Sparkstøtting SuperCross and the exhausting Red Bull Ragnarok. The latter event attracts long-distance kiters in a very demanding competition on the Hardangervidda. Other extreme sporting events typical of Red Bull take place on surfboards, skateboards or snowboards. Red Bull think untraditionally and wholeheartedly when they sponsor, and apparently take more or less over the events they are involved in. When they were to bet on football in Germany, they acquired a team in the fifth division, SSV Markranstädt, invested money, changed the name of the team, and helped this team so far up the lists that it is now considered by many to be Germany's second best football team. The club is called RB Leipzig, actually an abbreviation for Red Bull Leipzig, but in public contexts referred to as RasenBallsport Leipzig. However, the matches are played at Red Bull Arena Leipzig.

DNB, a versatile sponsor

DNB, like other banks, is a major player in sponsorship. When Vålerenga and Lillestrøm meet for one of their classic "hate settlements", DNB is, so to speak, the only thing they have in common. In addition, DNB sponsors Strømsgodset. The Norwegian Snowboard Association, Alpine Skiing, Freeski, the Biathlon Association and the Norway Cup are also supported, so here we are talking about sporting breadth. When it comes to culture, they have invested in everything from the Norwegian Opera and Ballet and the National Theater to music venues such as the Øya Festival, Miniøya, Over Oslo and Kongsberg Jazz Festival, as well as a number of other small and large actors. In addition, DNB's non-profit and philanthropic Sparebankstiftelsen, which has supported over 5,000 projects, comes from bridge construction in both concrete and transferred meaning to parsley gardens, tandem bicycles and urban insect hotels. Few sponsors can invest as much in as many horses as DNB does, and are probably also committed to. Here it is apparently shot with a shotgun, but it is still a very well thought out sponsorship package they present. In this multitude of different sponsorship projects, they are told a story: namely that they are the bank for everything - and everyone.

Eight questions you should ask before sponsoring anything

Is the sponsorship in line with their own purpose and values? Will your core customers like to see their names in this context? There are some sponsorship options out there that many will perceive as controversial, e.g. to support issues that have a political or religious agenda. If your company's purpose and values are very clear, it should be relatively easy to check this out in advance. And while you're at it, think about how your employees will judge your choice. Also, if your company is closely associated with, and often associated with, another company or public institution, it would be most polite to investigate what your close associates think about that matter. Maybe the sponsorship of the Human-Ethical Association is not so compatible with all the jobs you do for the main partner Den Norske Kirke? On the other hand, strange combinations and overlap need not be a problem. The problem is not thinking through the matter properly in advance.
What own goals can you achieve by participating, what story can you tell? What is the target group for the event or program you plan to sponsor? There are some situations where sponsorship is the only right thing to do. Being a food supplier that does not participate in an important food festival where all competitors participate actively, can be a misjudgment. Just like it would be not to think about how the sponsorship effort can make you appear. There are even sponsorships that are extremely targeted, such as when a CEO wants to show someone else that he or she also cares about that or that charity.
How much exposure do you get in relation to the money you invest? Sometimes you know exactly what you want in return for the effort, in other cases you can get more exposure than you had dreamed of in your wildest fantasies. And it can be incredibly good - or incredibly bad.
Do you get direct access to the audience at the arena, and / or indirectly via TV or online? Is there room for successful sponsorship package solutions, editorial reviews or favourable bonus attention on social media?
Is this a sensible place to show off, and can you to some extent control how you appear? Thinking about what can go wrong is not a bad idea. How bad is the worst case scenario? And how good is the best case? The smartest thing is to be mentally prepared for both of them. Then you are prepared if something that is good for the company should go viral, but you also have a backup plan if your favorite athlete suddenly delivers a questionable urine sample.
Are the competitors their sponsors in the same place, and if so, is that a problem? Very often you as a sponsor have a form of exclusivity, within your industry or your product range, and in some cases this is of great importance. In other contexts, it is expected that both you and your competitors show up and pay "indulgences", it can be expected of your boss, your employees, the society you are established in, the industry itself and possibly others who feel they should be listened to. Tread carefully.
What does this do to their own credibility, to their own customers and in relation to the recipient? If a sponsorship worth millions is launched at about the same time as it emerges that you did not want to give your employees an extra red ear in salary, you may be greeted with elusive glances from surprisingly many angles. There must be a certain balance in the way you act towards the outside world.
And last but not least: Why should you NOT carry out the sponsorship !? Well, count the money, examine the soul and study the answers 1-7 above. If what you do in sponsorship is on a small scale, and without anything extraordinary about it, it may feel as if this article is turning a mosquito into an elephant. And if your attitude is that "it's not important, it's just sponsorship", you may be better served by being an anonymous contributor. But when you invest a large proportion of the company's time and money in sponsorship, it is the case that every choice you make not only has consequences but that these choices are very important in relation to issues such as the company's purpose , brand and strategy . Good luck!