Are Brand Television Sponsorship Deals Worth The Investment?

One of the main collaborative efforts branding agencies will undertake will be to explore the most efficient ways to get the identity and values of a brand out there within a particular marketing budget that leads to more effective sales.

The larger the potential marketing spend, the greater options are available, but one of the most expensive but potentially most lucrative is in sponsorships and product placement, particularly those associated with television programmes.

Product placement as a concept pre-dates television, with a painting by Edouard Manet being one of the first uses of the concept in a visual medium.

The alleged first example of product placement is in the Jules Verne novel Around the World in Eighty Days, with shipping companies petitioning to be part of a book that was almost guaranteed to be successful and widely read.

Certain brands have relied heavily on sponsorship and product placement, of which one of the most overarching examples is Red Bull’s various music and sports sponsorships.

Whilst in some cases this has led to controversy, such as in the case of the Bundesliga team RB Leipzig, for the most part, it has allowed the energy drink firm to create multi-channel marketing opportunities and garner greater brand awareness through the unavoidable mentioning of the company’s name during events.

Whilst most associated with television sponsorships, it is also found through influencer marketing and integration, where popular figures in online content creation will provide endorsements for particular brands.

If done carefully and mindfully, these can be hugely effective ways to get a message across, but there needs to be a harmony between the values of the influencer and the brand, and when there is not, this can lead to significant issues.

The Strange Tale Of Hotel Babylon

In 1996, the television series Hotel Babylon attempted several unusual feats at the same time. It was one of the most ambitious shows designed specifically for a late-night television slot in the United Kingdom up to that point, and it was also a show with a very direct commercial association.

The controversy that ultimately ended the show halted both of these endeavours for years afterwards.

The concept of the show was it took place in a mock hotel with a lounge for musical acts to perform in and a bar for them to be interviewed in and drink alcohol.

The drink in question was invariably the beer brand Heineken, which had a close commercial association with Bob Geldof’s Planet 24 production company that made the show.

This caused considerable controversy when a memo was leaked from Heineken’s head of advertising that claimed that the audience did not have enough “normal” people and that more men in the audience should be drinking the beer.

The fax message led to a huge controversy and allegations of racism on the part of the show and the brand itself, which led to the show lasting a single season and considerable damage to the beer brand, the production company, ITV and the concept of late-night television.

Ultimately, a sponsorship connects the brand with the content sponsored, so it is important to do due diligence to ensure that anything you attach your name to matches your values. However, the rewards can be significant.