The digital age is rewriting the rules of business. Financial institutions face unprecedented competition, with fintechs and neobanks challenging traditional players and forcing them to fight for relevance.
At the same time, streaming and digital platforms are putting sports in front of more fans worldwide, turning niche tournaments into global spectacles and driving viewership to new heights.
While these trends might seem unrelated, they create a unique opportunity: financial services can leverage sports sponsorship to reach wider audiences and stand out in a crowded market.
But simply joining the trend isn’t enough. With many institutions already investing in sponsorships, brands need a fresh approach to truly make an impact.
To uncover what makes a sports sponsorship truly effective, Rhotic Media teamed up with sports marketing agency Synonymous Sport for a roundtable at the Capital Pioneer Digital Asset Summit.
Connecting through community
To stand out in a competitive environment, many companies are going beyond simply sponsoring a team and putting their brand logo on a shirt. Instead, they are using their partnerships to give back to the local communities these clubs represent, strengthening their connection with fans in a meaningful way.
Darrell Fox, founder of Synonymous Sport, noted that the shift away from traditional branding at matches allows companies to focus more on enhancing customer experiences and relationship building.
“Building trust and giving back to the community is important for the brands we are representing,” he said. A common way to do this is through charitable actions and support for local initiatives.
Matthew Collins, managing director of Ascend Broking Group, echoed this approach. As part of Ascend’s partnership with local sports clubs, a portion of the sponsorship revenue is allocated back into the local community. “We reinvest a certain percentage back into the community,” he said. “We want to connect people for the right reasons.”
Talbots Law takes a similar approach. For example, the firm gave a child diagnosed with cancer the opportunity to serve as a mascot for a local football team, Kidderminster Harriers, according to Laura Bruzulier, sales and event manager at Talbots Law.
She added that these sorts of activations help Talbots become more of a trusted brand in the local community along with getting positive brand exposure.
“It’s about using the opportunities that we have to give back to the local community,” she said.
Timothy Schwarz, head of brand and financial marketing at Vanquis, also emphasised embedding brands within local communities, particularly among younger audiences.
Vanquis partners with local schools to link darts with maths, tying educational engagement to its partnership with the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC).
“We have partnered with the PDC to go around local schools and use darts as a way to help with maths,” he said.
Not only does this imbed Vanquis into the local community, but it also promotes its partnership with the PDC, he added.
Fan-first partnerships
Engaging with the local community not only helps companies embed themselves in the area, but also strengthens relationships with the sports club’s fanbase, many of whom live locally. The roundtable highlighted that such authentic fan engagement is key to make a real impact and help brands stand out.
It’s wise for companies to lean on the already existing fanbase of sports clubs for engagement, said Pavan Kaur, partner at Gunnercooke, because these fans are already loyal to the club, making it a cost-effective way to connect.
“Clubs don’t need to pay for loyalty, but they do want to explore how they can maximise fan engagement,” she said.
Kaur also emphasised the importance of considering fans’ perspectives, noting that partnership strategies should enhance the experience without altering the traditions fans have come to value.
“We can look at digital ticketing and other elements, but we need to manage fan expectations in the process. Use technology to support business goals; and don’t over engineer the fix,” she said.
This focus on fan sentiment is especially clear from the club perspective. Kaur noted that many clubs are moving away from partnerships with betting companies due to increasing concerns around social responsibility and brand reputation.
While financial institutions can step in to fill this gap, they must ensure their involvement adds genuine value to both the fanbase and the local community. Failing to do so risks not only weak engagement but also the potential loss of the sponsorship altogether.
Small teams, big impact
With an increased focus on using engagement to make sponsorships stand out, investing in niche sports can be particularly valuable, as it allows brands to reach their target audience more effectively, said Schwarz.
“We are doing the darts partnership because it is a strong fit for our customer demographic,” he explained.
Roundtable participants agreed that smaller teams often provide the best opportunities for meaningful engagement. With fewer layers of communication and more personal connections, these partnerships allow brands to interact directly with fans in ways that larger organisations cannot.
Laura Bruzulier reinforced this from her own experience, noting that smaller partnerships often deliver above expectations. “Local football clubs are commercially minded; they are usually run by local business owners,” she said.
For new or smaller businesses, sponsoring local sports organisations can be a particularly beneficial strategy to establish a presence in the community, according to Collins.
“Small sports organisations such as a local football club are a great way to get your brand out there within the local community, especially as a start-up business,” he said.
Fox agreed that niche sports partnerships offer significant opportunities, particularly for smaller companies. He added that these partnerships often overdeliver compared with larger, flagship sponsorships.
“With the right research, there is a huge opportunity for niche sports partnerships,” he said.
Across the discussion, one theme was clear: engagement thrives where connections are personal, flexible and community-focused, making niche sports sponsorships a uniquely effective strategy for brands looking to stand out.
Patience pays off
To ensure partnerships deliver the desired results, particularly in terms of engagement, panellists highlighted the importance of patience. Sponsorship is a long-term process and will not generate immediate revenue, explained Schwarz.
“It’s a long process. Ascend’s strategy has always been doing the right thing first. Building a successful sports’ partnership requires nurturing, like the roots of a tree… it’s not just a one-off,” Collins added.
Meanwhile, Fox stressed that conducting sufficient diligence is essential for achieving meaningful impact and mitigating the risks involved in sports sponsorship, noting that this also takes time.
“A successful sports sponsorship partnership is not an overnight process,” he said.
Schwarz also underlined the importance of legal diligence at the beginning of a partnership to reduce risk, emphasising the role of legal teams in reviewing contracts and ensuring all necessary information is on file. Beyond legal checks, making sure everyone internally is aware of what is happening regarding the sponsorship is key to success, he added.
“We want to make sure everyone on the team is on the same page. We have dartboards around the office, so darts is permeating around the business,” he said.
He also stressed that ensuring the whole company buys into the business objectives of the sponsorship helps embed company culture within the partnership.
Bruzulier largely agreed with this approach, noting that at Talbots she has set up quarterly meetings with staff across all areas of the business to keep them informed about sponsorship activity.
“We want them to know who we are sponsoring, who we have let go and why… They deserve to know what is going on,” she said.
Fox tied the discussion together by highlighting the positive outcomes that result when clients maintain strong internal communication with their teams and ensure the sponsorship is understood and supported throughout the company.
Demonstrating sponsorship value
While patience is essential in building a successful sponsorship, partnerships inevitably need to demonstrate their value over time. Because each sponsorship is rooted in a specific objective for the company, marketers often take different approaches to show how the partnership contributes to broader business goals.
For example, Schwarz noted that Vanquis Bank’s primary objective in its partnership with the PDC was to establish brand awareness. “Do our consumers know we exist? That is the primary goal,” he said.
To demonstrate this value, Vanquis relies on data analysis and research, presenting findings to key rightsholders in the business. Schwarz explained that this ensures the sponsorship is closely connected to the target audience and aligns with the company’s commercial goals.
Beyond that, it helps all employees understand the purpose of the sponsorship and how it contributes to the organisation’s wider objectives, he added.
Other companies, however, may require more quantifiable metrics to measure success. Fox highlighted that, depending on the objectives, KPIs could take many forms.
“In terms of measuring KPI, it could be many things,” he said. “For example, revenue generated off the back of the partnership, tracking codes, website traffic and even relationships formed from a B2B perspective.”
Ultimately, the key theme is that sponsorships must be actively managed and clearly linked to business objectives, whether through brand awareness, engagement, or measurable commercial outcomes. By tailoring the approach to the company’s specific goals, marketers can both justify the investment and ensure the partnership delivers meaningful results.
Making an impact
Effective sports sponsorship is no longer just about visibility. Instead, it is about engagement, impact and meaningful connections. Across the roundtable, a clear theme emerged that the most successful partnerships are those that embed brands within local communities, leverage existing fanbases and build long-term relationships.
Companies that invest in smaller or niche sports teams often find greater flexibility, personal connections and above-expected returns, allowing them to engage directly with audiences that align with their target markets.