Interview

This month, the second ESA Sponsorship Summit, organised by the European Sponsorship Association, took place in London to debate the main challenges facing the sponsorship industry today and consider the future for sponsorship over the next decade.

Payment systems company MasterCard is using its sports sponsorships as part of a consumer-based marketing strategy despite a lack of direct consumer operations, Ann Cairns, president, international markets for MasterCard, told Sports Sponsorship Insider.

The Lycamobile Group has this month expanded its sports sponsorship portfolio, announcing a new partnership with Powerboat P1 that will see it become the Official Mobile Partner to the race series in 2014 through its flagship brand, Lycamobile – the prepaid mobile SIM card provider for international calls.

The Sony PlayStation gaming console brand has a limited sponsorship budget in Europe because of its Uefa Champions League commitment, but is open to additional regional or national sponsorship deals – even outside of its core areas of football and motorsports.

Since the New Year, the Australian Stock Exchange-listed ANZ Banking Group has bolstered its portfolio of sponsorships in Australasia and Asia by extending sponsorship’s of the Australian Open tennis championship and ANZ Championship netball competition.

Japanese badminton, golf and tennis brand, Yonex, has renewed its title sponsorship of the All England Badminton Championships for seven years from 2015 to 2021 – a sponsorship that underscores Yonex’s positioning as the number one brand in badminton.

Aviva, the UK’s largest insurer with over 14 million customers and one of Europe’s leading providers of life and general insurance, will continue to take a portfolio approach to its sponsorship activity, using key assets in rugby union and football.

Boston-based global insurance company Liberty Mutual Group has a diversified and varied portfolio of sponsorship assets and partnerships in 26 different markets around the world. Its Irish division is using an innovative sponsorship around Gaelic sports to show its commitment in a new market.

Mark Cameron, global brand experience director at Extreme Sailing Series (ESS) main series partner Land Rover, breaks down the company's sponsorship strategy to Matt Cutler at this year's event launch.

Hans Erik Tuijt, global manager, Heineken Activation, has told Sports Sponsorship Insider of his hope that European clubs and rugby unions will come to a consensus on the future of the Heineken Cup that will prevent an Anglo-French breakaway competition.

Korean electronics giant Samsung has changed its head of global sports marketing since London 2012

BSkyB-owned online gambling brand Sky Bet was announced as the new title sponsor of the Football League last month in a five-year deal, 2013-14 to 2017-18

Luke Southern, programme director, Glasgow 2014 at Virgin Media is responsible of for the telecom and cable TV brand’s activation of its tier one sponsorship of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014.

Chris Hornbuckle, Vauxhall’s head of sponsorship, discusses the business decisions behind the company’s sponsorship strategy.

SportBusiness sister publication Sport Sponsorship Insider, asked Bruce Cook, Head of RBS Group Sponsorship about the renewal of the RBS 6 Nations title sponsorship and the bank’s sports marketing plans for the future.

Phil Clement, Aon’s global chief marketing and communications officer, discusses the brand’s sponsorship decision-making process.