Spend on TV sponsorship has been steadily growing – especially amongst traditional direct response (DR) advertisers – at an average increase of over 8% per year. This can be put down to the relaxation of the sponsorship rules concerning signposting (ie website calls to action), but the reality is that the proliferation of opportunities around strands, dayparts and programming have offered a real opening for first time and established advertisers to either dip their toes in TV or test dayparts and programmes that may not make commercial sense as straightforward spot buys.
We have seen remarkable results with sponsorship, adding significantly to awareness and bottom line. But rules need to be followed to maximise ROI on sponsorship opportunities for DR advertisers:
Maximising ROI on Sponsorship
- Buy late and buy cheap: It is not as effective as spot buys and costs per thousand (CPT) needs to reflect this.
- Frequency and width is key: Look for opportunities that offer multiple opportunities across strands/dayparts rather than single programmes across a series.
- Longevity: Look for 6 or 12 month properties. This will aid with frequency and widen the reach.Give yourself a break clause: Fix this at 3 months and analyse results from there. However, do consider both specific sales and general uplift.
Follow these simple rules and you will have a very happy first time advertiser looking to break into regular spot buying or an established advertiser with a new revenue stream from a trusted media source.