How to Attract and Retain Sponsors Using Data

This content is based on a presentation given by Francis Dumais, Elevent’s Managing Partner, as part of the 2025 Running USA conference in Louisville, bringing together the running industry for three days of educational content.

In today’s competitive landscape, attracting and retaining sponsors is more challenging than ever. Sponsorship budgets are under threat, and sponsors are becoming increasingly demanding. However, by leveraging data, rights holders (properties) can build a compelling business case for sponsorship and demonstrate the value they bring to their partners.

Understanding the Sponsorship Landscape

The sponsorship landscape is evolving, with sponsors seeking more measurable returns on their investments. It’s crucial to understand the challenges faced by sponsors, such as limited resources, turnover in brand teams, and the need to show return on investment (ROI). By addressing these challenges, properties can position themselves as valuable partners.

The Power of Data in Sponsorship

Data plays a pivotal role in attracting and retaining sponsors. By analyzing audience data, properties can gain insights into how participants spend their money, their purchase intent, and their behavior. This information is invaluable for developing tailored sponsorship programs that resonate with brands and their target audiences.

Acquisition (New Revenues)

To attract new sponsors and generate new revenues, organizations should focus on the following strategies:

1. Audience Data: Understanding how participants spend their money, what they do in their free time, and their purchase intent across different categories is crucial. This data helps in creating targeted sponsorship programs that appeal to potential sponsors.
2. Valuation Data: By analyzing assets and impressions, rights holders can provide a clear picture of the value they offer to sponsors. This includes not only the participants but also the spectators and in-market media.
3. Optimizing the Sponsorship Framework: Developing tailored programs that brands can claim as their own, reducing the number of partnerships, enhancing visibility and audience reach, and including activation and content creation are key to increasing value.
4. Ownable Properties: Creating unique and non-replicable sponsorship properties, such as the “Philadelphia Runs On Dunkin” program, can help connect with the community and create higher engagement from sponsors.
5. Naming Rights: Offering naming rights as part of the sponsorship package can be highly attractive for local organizations. It allows them to express their leadership, enhance their employer brand, and demonstrate community involvement.

Retention

To retain existing sponsors and ensure long-term partnerships, organizations should focus on the following strategies:

1. Relationships: Building and maintaining strong relationships with sponsors is the number one priority. This involves regular communication, understanding their needs, and providing exceptional service.
2. Performance Data: beyond relationships, it is important to use data as an “insurance policy” to show sponsors the impact and effectiveness of their sponsorship. This includes post-event reporting to show results on objectives, improving activations year over year, and helping sponsorship managers with their reporting.
3. Deep Connections: Building deep connections with sponsors through cause marketing and corporate social responsibility initiatives. Engaging with multiple layers of the sponsor’s organization and being used in their marketing or communications efforts can make the partnership indispensable.

Case Studies

Philadelphia Runs On Dunkin

The “Philadelphia Runs On Dunkin’” sponsorship program was a prime example of creating ownable properties that are not replicable. By involving local stores and connecting with the community, Dunkin’ was able to create higher engagement and retention. This program allowed Dunkin’ to perceive ownership, which increased retention and created multiple touchpoints that improved performance. The program was more memorable to participants as it solved issues and provided services.

Montreal Marathon

The Montreal Marathon case highlights the importance of performance data in sponsorship. The total sponsor awareness for the Montreal Marathon main sponsor was an impressive 97%. Post-event reporting was crucial in showing results on objectives, improving activations year over year, and helping sponsorship managers with their reporting. This data-driven approach flagged any issues and worked towards solutions, making the sponsorship more effective.

CIBC Run for the Cure

The CIBC Run for the Cure partnership with the Canadian Cancer Society started in 1997. This sponsorship included an employee volunteer program and in-branch visibility across the country leading up to the event. CIBC Bank employees have donated or fundraised more than $62 million since committing to the title partnership. The partnership involved naming rights of a series of 54 events, raising $15 million per year. Building deep connections with the sponsor through volunteering programs, cause marketing, and corporate social responsibility made the partnership indispensable. Engaging with multiple layers of the organization and being used in their marketing or communications efforts further strengthened the relationship.

Key Takeaways

• Sponsors are more sophisticated, from their selection process, to the way they attribute a value to a partnership, to measuring return. Running events have to be ready to speak the same language.
• Sponsorship valuation puts a value on what is being offered to sponsors by comparing it to media buy and sponsorship performance measures if the brand’s objectives were met (conducted through market research and post-event surveys).
• A running event can look to increase the value of sponsorship by 1) optimizing its sponsorship structure, 2) building partnerships to increase share of voice and audience (not just participants), and 3) offering additional services such as turnkey activations.
• Most sponsors will ask for in-depth audience data, ideally beyond the traditional demographics, to look at lifestyle profiles and purchase behavior.
• To increase sponsor retention, rights holders are increasingly measuring return on objectives (ROO) through post-event surveys to measure the impact of sponsorship on key indicators (visibility, awareness, brand image and brand affinity as well as purchase intent).
• Takeaway to increase the event’s value:
  • Grow the audience.
  • Build “ownable” properties for partners.
  • Increase services offered as a turnkey sponsorship.
  • Show return to sponsors through survey data.

By leveraging data and creating tailored sponsorship programs, organizations can enhance their value proposition and secure long-term partnerships with sponsors.

To learn more about Elevent’s sponsorship valuation and services, visit How we Help Clients.