ONSIDE founder John Trainor passes away

It is with massive, heartbreaking sadness that we post the news that ONSIDE’s founder and Chief Executive, John Trainor, has passed away.

After battling illness with characteristic resilience and strength over a considerable period of time – and turning up in enthusiastic good spirits, positivity and health to our WWSS event in late November in the Aviva Stadium - he was unexpectedly taken sick in January and passed away on the evening of Monday 5 February 2024.

We are all in shock. Our thoughts and condolences are with John’s wife Eithne and his three boys at this tragic time.

As a mark of respect, the ONSIDE offices will be closed for the remainder of this week.

For further information, please contact Jon Long (jon.long@onside.ie) or Kim Kirwan (kim.kirwan@onside.ie)

ONSIDE Industry Report 2024

IRISH SPONSORSHIP INDUSTRY SET TO SURPASS €220M IN 2024

The Irish sponsorship industry grew by 8% to reach €212m in 2023 and the 18th annual ONSIDE Irish Sponsorship Industry Survey estimates there will be further growth of 7% in 2024 to €227m, surpassing the previous pre-pandemic peak of €224m in 2019.

2023 was the third consecutive year of market growth and 46% of sponsors intend to increase their sponsorship investment levels further in 2024, compared to 18% who expect their spending to decrease. When it comes to the wider market, 6 in 10 sponsors expect overall industry spending to increase with only 1 in 10 predicting a decrease.

According to John Trainor, Founder and CEO of ONSIDE: “Sponsorship held up well in 2023 in the face of a challenging economic environment, driven in particular by prominent brands investing in premium properties such as rugby and music. This positive trajectory will continue through 2024 but there will be losers as well as winners in the market as a series of major events, facility upgrades and societal trends bring new sponsorship opportunities into play.

“Demand for premium properties will continue to outstrip supply with 6 in 10 sponsors considering new assets in 2024 – the same as in 2023 – and only a third seeking to drop out of current sponsorships, down from 47% in 2023 and the lowest predicted churn rate for a decade.”

After a three-year period in which cause-related sponsorships surpassed sport and entertainment as the strongest growth opportunities, the picture looks like it will become more nuanced in 2024 with festivals and rugby neck-and-neck with sustainability and narrowly ahead of GAA, community, diversity & inclusion and the Olympics.

The Olympic and Paralympic Games will be the highlight of the sponsorship calendar with 86% of industry experts expecting the Olympic Games to impact on the sponsorship landscape in 2024, significantly higher than predictions for the 2023 Rugby World Cup 12 months ago which proved to be the pinnacle event of 2023.

The impact of the Rugby World Cup helped the IRFU retain its status as the most effective rights holder and three of its sponsors – Vodafone, Aldi and Guinness – were picked out amongst the best sponsorships of the year.

Outside of sport, Live Nation was second on the list of rights holders, ahead of the Football Association of Ireland and GAA. Three’s portfolio of music sponsorships also featured on the list of top sponsorships alongside Allianz’s partnership with Women’s Aid and PTSB’s broadcast deal with The Late Late Show.

The blend of rugby success and Olympic enthusiasm flowed into the industry view of the most marketable personalities for 2024. Retired Ireland rugby captain Johnny Sexton and emerging sprint sensation Rhasidat Adeleke finished joint top of a list that had an even split between female and male stars and was dominated by sport.

Katie Taylor, despite her compelling victory over Chantelle Cameron, dropped from first to third place, and now sits narrowly ahead of Ireland and Arsenal’s Katie McCabe, one of the biggest climbers from 2023.

“Ireland didn’t win the men’s Rugby World Cup in 2023 but the event strengthened the marketing appeal of the team and its highest profile players. We know from almost two decades of research tracking the likes of Brian O’Driscoll and Paul O’Connell that the value of top talent as ambassadors can endure into retirement,” explains Trainor.

“Several brands have already done deals with athletes who will be representing Ireland at the Olympic and Paralympic Games and the likes of Rhasidat Adeleke and Rhys McClenaghan will be household names in the summer.

“In many ways, 2024 will be the foundation year of a five-year cycle in which global factors will impact positively on the local sponsorship landscape here in Ireland. Events such as the Ryder Cup in 2027 and the men’s Euros in 2028 will accelerate the size and quality of the industry in Ireland. They also have the potential to contribute to up to €35m of sponsorship leakage over this timeframe.”

The most popular activation channels for sponsorship in 2024 will be social media and video sharing platforms such as TikTok with more than 7 in 10 sponsors expecting to use these channels more than in 2023. While the integration of AI is called out as a global trend in sponsorship, only a small portion of the industry in Ireland is currently using the technology across its sponsorship activities. The most common use-case is to analyse sponsorship-related data, currently deployed by 3 in 10 of industry practitioners.

And finally, interest in exploiting venue naming rights has also increased significantly after a 10-year low in 2023 and, after eye-catching deals and debates at the start of 2024, 3 in 10 right holders say they are actively exploring their options in this area.

REQUEST FINDINGS FROM THE ONSIDE IRISH SPONSORSHIP INDUSTRY REPORT 2024

Rugby Legend Brian O’Driscoll joins the line out at the ONSIDE and Marketing Institute Ireland “Who Won Sponsorship Series 2023” event

Left to right: RTÉ - Declan Bennett, Head of Sport​, MII - Shane Mc Gonigle, CEO, ONSIDE – Kim Kirwan, Director of Intelligence & Insights, RTÉ – Gerry Mc Guinness, Sponsorship Manager

 Brian O'Driscoll will discuss The Dynamic Role of Brand Ambassadors in Modern Sponsorship at the ONSIDE and Marketing Institute Ireland event "Who Won Sponsorship Series 2023" on Wednesday, 22nd November, from 8:30 am - 11:00 am, at the Aviva Stadium.

"2023 is once again proving to be a very strong year for sponsorship investment with an estimated €212 million being spent by brands looking for that competitive edge", commented John Trainor, Founder & CEO, ONSIDE.

Shane McGonigle, CEO, MII said "We are looking forward to an exciting event where there will be a wealth of expertise and insights shared with renowned speakers and panellists from industry, Irish and international-based sponsors and rightsholders, and marketing professionals as well as an in-depth review of sports, entertainment, ambassador, broadcast, and cause-related events."

The theme of this year's Who Won Sponsorship event is Trailblazers Shaping the Future of Sponsorship. It will feature segments including Rugby Revolutionaries, Redefining Consumer Experience through Sponsorship, Breaking Barriers & Forging Alliances Women in Sport, as well as the fireside chat with Brian O'Driscoll.

Taking part in the Rugy Revolutionaries segment will be Gerry Nixon, Head of Sponsorship & Insights at Vodafone and Padraig Power, Chief Commercial Officer IRFU, together with Kalle Kauppila, Group Director of Revenue & Fan Growth, World Rugby. They will bring unique insights into the world of commercial and sponsorship involvement in the sport of Rugby and are likely to discuss the impact of the recent Rugby World Cup tournament.

Other sponsorship trailblazers speakers taking part in the event who are influencing the future of sponsorship in Ireland include Tom Boyle, VP Global Partnerships Marketing and Operations at City Football Group / Manchester City Football Club, Rory Sheridan, Head of Partnerships at Diageo Ireland, Louise Cassidy, Director of Marketing & Communication at the FAI as well as Eileen Leahy, Marketing Activation Lead at Cadburys. 

RTÉ will share a broadcaster's perspective on how sponsorships scored in 2023. "RTÉ is delighted to be involved with this event again. Sponsorship enables brands to forge a meaningful, authentic connection with sports fans. It also ensures that key sporting events remain accessible and free for everyone to enjoy, regardless of age, demographic or background, which is integral to RTÉ's public service remit. I look forward to hearing the speakers' insights on the panel, who are at the forefront of this thriving industry and continually driving it forward', commented Declan Bennett, Head of RTÉ Sport.

The “Who Won Sponsorship Series 2023” event is open to members and non-members of the Marketing Institute of Ireland and the attendees can register on mii.ie.

For further information please contact:

Orla Ryan@Wilson Hartnell 0872342416/orla.ryan@ogilvy.com

SEXTON AND TUBRIDY TOP ONSIDE’S MOST ADMIRED STARS LIST

Johnny Sexton has overtaken Katie Taylor to top Ireland’s most admired Irish sports stars list, a position the Bray boxer has held since 2016, while Ryan Tubridy retains his number 1 standing as Ireland’s most admired TV / Radio personality, according to sponsorship advisors ONSIDE.

Sexton’s newly crowned status as Ireland’s Most Admired Sports Personality sees the Ireland and Leinster rugby superstar selected by 22% of Irish adults as their favourite, a level of prominence last achieved by his former teammate Brian O’Driscoll on his retirement from international rugby in 2014. Rugby overtakes soccer with the most personalities named in this year’s ONSIDE list of stars. Sexton was joined by Paul O’Connell, Brian O’Driscoll and Ronan O’Gara in the Top 10, closely followed by Bundee Aki and Peter O’Mahoney also showing strong movement in the Top 20 sports personalities.

According to John Trainor, Founder and CEO of ONSIDE: “as Johnny Sexton closed out his on-field rugby career at the Rugby World Cup, the Leinster and Ireland icon had built an avid fan base of almost 850,000 Irish adults that rate him as their number 1 Irish sports star this year. Katie Taylor heads into her rematch with Chantelle Cameron at the 3Arena later this month 7% behind Sexton in second place, a significant 10% dip in her result since 2021. Meanwhile, having captained the Irish Women’s Football Team to their first ever World Cup this summer, Katie McCabe moved up 22 places and into the Top 10. Other female sports stars scoring strongly in the star tracker included Rachel Blackmore, Kellie Harrington, Sonia O’Sullivan and Leona Maguire.”

Other notable results also included Ryder Cup heroes Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry both standing among the Top 10 sports stars, while Kerry footballer David Clifford moved up 20 places to 13th

Vodafone commanded a strong lead as the Irish public’s most admired sports sponsors in general in the third quarter of 2023, while Aldi, with their ambassadors Paul O’Connell and James Ryan, were favourites in terms of best practice by businesses aligning with specific Irish sports personalities. Other brands associated with rugby in general, or specifically with Irish rugby players, that also ranked highly in the latest ONSIDE research included Guinness, Bank of Ireland, Lucozade Sport and Aviva.

Outside of sport, the ONSIDE STAR TRACK 2023 also found that Ryan Tubridy retained his number 1 status as the most admired television or radio personality in Ireland, with Tommy Tiernan, Claire Byrne, Graham Norton and Joe Brolly making up the chasing pack. Patrick Kielty entered the Top 10 alongside established broadcast personalities including Today FM’s Ian Dempsey and Newstalk’s Pat Kenny.

U2 lead singer Bono has again topped the chart in the research category regarding most admired Irish music and live entertainment stars, with Sinéad O’Connor, Daniel O’Donnell, Hozier and Dermot Kennedy making up the Top 5.

Trainor concludes: “Businesses inking new deals with Irish stars in 2024 have an exciting array of next generation rising stars to select from including Olympic and Paralympic games hopefuls such as Rashidat Adeleke, to a next generation of Irish football stars such as Evan Ferguson and Caoimhin Kelleher. The key to success will be how well the brands activate their connection with the Irish stars in a fully invested way”.

REQUEST THE 2023 ONSIDE STAR TRACK REPORT HERE

Event update: Who Won Sponsorship Series 2023

Date – Wednesday 22 November 2023.

Time – 8.30 am start to 11 am (followed by networking opportunity).

Location – Havelock Suite, Aviva Stadium, Dublin.

Early Bird closing on the 18th of October.

Following another strong year for sponsorship investment, estimated to reach €212 million in 2023, Marketing Institute Ireland and ONSIDE are once again joining forces to host the “Who Won Sponsorship Series 2023” event on Wednesday, 22nd November at the Aviva Stadium.

Marketing Institute Ireland and ONSIDE event combines a review of sports, entertainment, ambassador, broadcast, arts and cause-related events that attracted significant sponsorship in 2023 and will include insights from industry experts, Irish and international-based sponsors and rightsholders, and marketing professionals. Sponsorship trailblazers influencing the future of sponsorship speaking at the event include:

RUGBY REVOLUTIONARIES :

• Vodafone​ - Head of Sponsorship & Business Brand 

• IRFU​ - Padraig Power​ - Chief Commercial Officer ​ 

• World Rugby​ -Kalle Kauppila​ - Revenue & Fan Growth Director​ 

REDEFINING THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCE THROUGH SPONSORSHIP 

• City Group​ - Tom Boyle​ – VP of Global Partnerships Marketing Operations

• Aldi​  

• Diageo​ - Rory Sheridan​ - Head of Partnerships​ 

BREAKING BARRIERS & FORGING ALLIANCES – WOMEN IN SPORT 

• Cadbury - Eileen Leahy ​  - Marketing Activation Lead 

• RTÉ​ - Declan McBennett​ - Head of Sport​ 

• FAI​ - Louise Cassidy​ - Director of Marketing and Communication 

More guests are to be announced.

Book now: Ticket Selection - Who Won Sponsorship Series 2023

Supported by:

SPONSORSHIP TRAILBLAZERS TO BE SHOWCASED AT THE “WHO WON SPONSORSHIP SERIES” 2023 EVENT

Following another strong year for sponsorship investment, estimated to reach €212 million in 2023, ONSIDE and the Marketing Institute Ireland are once again joining forces to host the “Who Won Sponsorship Series 2023” event on Wednesday, 22nd November at the Aviva Stadium.

The ONSIDE and Marketing Institute Ireland event combines a review of sports, entertainment, ambassador, broadcast, arts and cause-related events that attracted significant sponsorship in 2023 and will include insights from industry experts, Irish and international-based sponsors and rightsholders, and marketing professionals.

With over half of the adult population set to tune in to watch the Ireland Rugby team compete in France in the coming weeks, at the Rugby World Cup, one of 2023’s marquee global sports events will form one aspect of the content for the day. IRFU Chief Commercial Officer, Padraig Power and Vodafone’s Head of Sponsorship & Insights, Gerry Nixon, will join a panel to discuss commercial and sponsorship activity around the tournament.

Tom Boyle, VP Global Partnerships Marketing and Operations at City Football Group / Manchester City Football Club will bring 18 years of experience in the sports industry to the ONSIDE / MII event, with a proven track record across a multitude of major properties.  Boyle has worked with world-leading brands such as Unilever, Asahi, Nissan, BNP Paribas, Rolex, Midea, Cisco, Intel, PUMA, Tesco, Citibank and HP, amongst others.

Other sponsorship trailblazers influencing the future of sponsorship in Ireland that will join the speaker line-up includes Rory Sheridan, Head of Partnerships at Diageo Ireland. Sheridan orchestrated a summer of Music Experiences for Diageo brands including Guinness Live & Rising, embedding GUINNESS, Rockshore and Smirnoff at the heart of All Together Now, while also bringing a portfolio of Diageo brand experiences to Forbidden Fruit. RTÉ, will share a broadcaster’s perspective on how sponsorships scored in 2023, and will be joined by the FAI and FAI Women’s Team and RTÉ Broadcast sponsors Cadbury.

ONSIDE and the Marketing Institute Ireland will be announcing further speakers joining the event line-up in the coming weeks, including a star-studded panel of some of Ireland’s leading sports and entertainment stars. The event will also announce the results of a survey by ONSIDE of the 3,000 strong MII database of Ireland’s marketing professionals to determine which brands and rights holders won with sponsorship in 2023.

Speaking at the launch of the event, John Trainor, Founder and CEO of ONSIDE said: “2023 has been an action-packed year for sports and live entertainment in Ireland on and off the big stage. Our speakers this year will share insights with our attendees that will offer them an edge to sharpen their performance for 2024, and we are looking forward to bringing together many of the industry leaders in marketing and sponsorship at our biennial sell-out showcase.”

The “Who Won Sponsorship Series 2023” event takes place on Wednesday, November 22nd, in the Aviva Stadium. 

Ticket Prices:

MII Members €125

Non MII Members €410 (Price includes MII Membership + Event Ticket)

To purchase your ticket or for more ticket information, please visit: 

Ticket Selection - Who Won Sponsorship Series 2023

IRISH SPORTS SECTOR NEEDS TO DO MORE TO ENGAGE TEENAGERS

INDUSTRY LIKELY TO TAKE STOCK ON WOMEN’S SPORT SPONSORSHIP AFTER FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP

A new survey undertaken by sponsorship consultancy ONSIDE and Sport for Business highlights the Irish sports sector's challenges in engaging younger audiences.

8 in 10 industry experts think sport needs to do more to engage teenagers, with 7 in 10 recognising the fragmentation of media rights is making it difficult to reach younger audiences.

The 15-17 age cohort is seen to be particularly poorly served where 69% of experts are of the view that sports broadcasting is average or poor in connecting with this age group and 54% rating the live experience as average or poor for these teenagers.  

GAA is seen to be the sport that is most effectively engaging under 18s, ahead of soccer and rugby.

ONSIDE Founder and Chief Executive, John Trainor explains: “Sports rights holders need to invest in better-understanding teenagers so they can update their broadcast and matchday offering to be more aligned to their priorities and consumption habits. Those that do this effectively will be well-set for the future.”

This is the sixth wave of the ONSIDE Sports Impact Monitor that was first launched during the pandemic in 2020. A constant theme in previous waves has been the growth of interest in women’s sport, including sponsorship.

60% of industry experts still agree that women’s sport sponsorships are the most attractive opportunities in the market this year. But for the first time, the proportion that strongly agree with this statement has dropped.

Trainor adds: “Having seen record levels of deals in women’s sport in the past 12 months, particularly in the build-up to the FIFA Women’s World Cup, the market is maturing and – while it will continue to grow – some brands will take time to evaluate the impact of their sponsorships before making new commitments.”

With the Olympics Games in Paris only a year away, one sport that seems to be heading in the right direction is athletics. 42% of industry experts say their perception of athletics has changed for the better in the past 6 months, likely driven by the emergence of new stars such as Rhasidat Adeleke and Israel Olatunde.

Rugby continues to be seen as the most attractive sport for sponsors with GAA in second place and soccer joint-third with the Olympics.

“Rugby’s popularity as a platform is clear with broadcast sponsorship of the upcoming RWC2023 being the most attractive property to sponsor among the 12 specific opportunities tested. A small uplift in enthusiasm for soccer since our last wave of research is also having a positive impact across the sport with over 60% of respondents now rating sponsorship of the FAI men’s national team as an attractive opportunity,” adds Trainor.

The industry experts were all members of the Sport for Business community with the survey undertaken in June 2023.

Rob Hartnett, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sport for Business adds: “The ONSIDE Sports Impact Monitor helped guide the industry during the pandemic and is now providing the intelligence we need to address the next wave of challenges. Reaching and engaging young people is critical to the long-term prosperity of the sector and both broadcast innovation and the spectator experience are important parts of this.”

Request the ONSIDE Sports Industry Monitor - Wave 6 - Infographic now!

GEARING UP FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF IRISH BRAND AMBASSADORSHIPS

The role of Brand Ambassadors can be dated back to as early as the 1800’s, and with the changing landscape of traditional and new media in recent years, comes a paradigm shift in the role that Brand Ambassadors are playing in Ireland today.

The newly completed Talent Reframed 2023 report, from Sponsorship Consultancy agency ONSIDE and leading Sport Marketing agency Line Up Sports, uncovers a fresh read on the changing landscape for those engaging in the area of Brand Ambassadorships in Ireland.  Findings from the report shows that sport ambassadors continue to be a source of trust in influencing consumer purchasing decisions, with the equivalent of almost one million Irish consumers found to trust a product / service more if a sports personality they admire endorses it. With the increase of phishing and online scams, sports ambassadors can offer brands a safe haven with their social authentication tick, where they can control the brand message through a trusted source.

Bringing ambassador campaigns to life needs to be done so in an authentic way, with more and more ambassadors choosing the content they will / not post on their channels. They know the content they publish can mean the difference between growing or decreasing their followers. The new Talent Reframed study shows that a quarter of consumers will follow sports personalities if they look to have genuine connections with the brand and values they represent. 

John Trainor, CEO of ONSIDE, commented: “While we are seeing positive insights in many areas of the study, one space that brands and agencies need to make sure they get right is using their ambassadors in an authentic way to ensure brands connect properly with their target audience, to more effectively increase brand loyalty and ultimately drive commercial success in an increasingly competitive marketplace.” 

The new research by ONSIDE also shows that consumers continue to value Sports Personality endorsements, with 4 out of 10 of respondents agreeing that using a sports personality as a brand ambassador is a better way for companies to promote themselves than straight advertising. The study also uncovered 543,000 Irish adults that felt more positive about the recent National Dairy Council ad because Paul O'Donovan featured in it, with a significant volume of respondents also found to be more likely to consider using products promoted by the National Dairy Council as a result of the Olympic rower’s involvement in the activation. 

Social media platforms and digital channels have become vital in amplifying the impact of Brand Ambassadors, providing brands with unprecedented opportunities for visibility and consumer interaction. Sports Personalities have the potential to significantly expand brand reach and enhance engagement with target audiences. Conor Murray, as an example has a following of 248,000 Instagram followers.  The study also shows a growing trend in nearly 1 in 4 Irish Adults now following behind the scenes online content on their favourite sports and sports stars on social media.

Speaking on the insights generated by ONSIDE, Line Up Sports Commercial Director, Elma Beirne comments: “Today, authenticity is an important factor for brands when partnering with an Ambassador, ensuring the Ambassador is the right fit for the business and brand. And that also goes equally for the ambassador. This study shows that the sports industry provides credible and engaging brand ambassadors for brands to help communicate their messages to and in turn builds trust.”

Trainor concludes: “As brands navigate this next generation of brand ambassadorships, ensuring that they find ways to align with the right brand ambassadors will be instrumental in developing effective marketing strategies. The latest wave of the Talent Reframed series of studies sees fans and consumers that identify strongly with Irish Sports personalities they admire, resulting in increased trust and emotional connections with endorsed brands. The findings underline the need for brands to invest in authentic, data-led partnerships with Sports personalities and with a bumper few years ahead of us for Irish Sport, including FIFA Women’s World Cup, the Rugby World Cup and the Olympics in Paris in 2024, there’s plenty of stars to choose from.”

NEW ENERGY AT ONSIDE AS IRISH PUBLIC CALL ON BRANDS TO BOOST INVESTMENT IN SPONSORSHIP

LEADING CONSULTANCY BOOSTS ADVISORY AND RESEARCH TEAMS WITH SENIOR APPOINTMENTS OF PLUNKETT AND O’GRADY AND PROMOTION OF KIRWAN

With the Irish sponsorship industry expected to see growth of 8% in 2023 to €212m, new research from specialist consultancy ONSIDE uncovers a significant 20% increase in the portion of Irish consumers who would like to see companies in Ireland increase or maintain their investment in sports sponsorship since the start of the pandemic.

In spite of the cost-of-living crisis and its impact on the Irish economy and society, 7 in 10 adults think sponsors should increase or maintain their spend in sports in general, sports events and teams, with increases of 18% to 20% since 2020. This enthusiasm for sports is matched by support for increasing or maintaining levels of sponsorship of arts and cultural events, up 17% since 2020.

“These are really positive signals for the sponsorship sector. People increasingly want businesses to support the organisations and institutions they care about in such uncertain times” says ONSIDE Founder and Chief Executive, John Trainor.

“Maintaining investment in sponsorship can feel like walking a tightrope when the economy is struggling but these findings have inspired us to invest new energy in strengthening our team and services.”

This new energy includes expanding the ONSIDE Advisory Team with the appointment of Áine Plunkett as Head of Advisory. Áine joins ONSIDE from SSE Airtricity where she was Head of Brand, Advertising and Sponsorship across Great Britain and Ireland.

Áine Plunkett, Head of Advisory, ONSIDE

Trainor says: “Áine is an award-winning marketer who has been responsible for some of the most innovative and impactful sponsorships in Europe. She will bring a fresh perspective to our work in Ireland as well as supporting our international growth.”

“ONSIDE has a unique reputation for providing the intelligence that fuels many of the most successful and enduring sponsorships in Europe and I’m really looking forward to becoming part of the team,” adds Plunkett.

Áine will be complemented on the advisory team by Senior Consultant, Ciara O’Grady, who joins ONSIDE from the Gleneagle Group where she was Director of Arts, Innovation and Corporate Services, giving ONSIDE a presence in Munster to complement its Head Office in Dublin and base in London.

“From our Annual Industry Report, Quarterly Sponsorship Review and daily intelligence-gathering to bespoke studies for clients, we know that exceptional research is a key enabler of positive outcomes. Kim Kirwan is an outstanding leader of our growing intelligence team and has been promoted to Director of Intelligence and Insights in recognition of her contribution to date and the opportunities we see to provide further support to the industry,” adds Trainor.

REQUEST FINDINGS FROM THE ONSIDE IRISH SPONSORSHIP INDUSTRY REPORT 2023

ONSIDE Industry Report 2023

SPONSORSHIP SET TO RETURN TO €200M+ MARK IN 2023: ONSIDE

The Irish sponsorship industry grew by 9% to reach €196m in 2022 and the 17th annual ONSIDE Irish Sponsorship Industry Survey estimates there will be further growth of 8% in 2023 to €212m, surpassing the €200m threshold first reached in 2018. 

53% of sponsors intend to increase their sponsorship investment levels in 2023, broadly in line with 2022 expectations, and 7 in 10 expect sponsorship spending across the wider industry to increase, compared to only 1 in 5 back in 2021.  

According to John Trainor, Founder and CEO of ONSIDE: “Despite strong concerns amongst 3 in 10 sponsorship industry practitioners that feel that the cost-of-living crisis will have a significant negative impact on the sports industry in Ireland, we know brands that maintain their investment in sponsorship during tough times reap the rewards in the long-run. While the instinct may be to cut back on sponsorship and activation, astute CMO’s and marketers will dive into the right data, adapt their approach, and ensure their CEO and CFO colleagues are well-informed of the real return-on-investment they are delivering”. 

Trainor adds: “There will still be significant competition for available sponsorship assets in 2023, with demand for premium properties continuing to outstrip supply, although this has softened slightly compared to last year. 6 in 10 sponsors will be looking for new properties in 2023, a drop of 7% on last year and 47% are looking to drop out of existing partnerships, up 12% year on year.” 

Strongest sponsorship growth opportunities in 2023 are expected to be in the broad areas of sustainability / environment, cause, community, and diversity & inclusion, while Banking and Airline brands are tipped by the survey respondents as sectors to watch for growth this year.   

With Rugby World Cup 2023 on the horizon, the survey perhaps unsurprisingly found rugby as the Top sport offering opportunities for sponsors to invest in this year, while soccer made a notable return to the Top 10 areas of opportunity. 7 in 10 sponsors say their businesses see the Rugby World Cup in France as an opportunity to engage with consumers, while 43% see opportunity for their businesses around the Republic of Ireland team’s presence at the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 in Australia and New Zealand.he Irish sponsorship industry grew by 9% to reach €196m in 2022 and the 17th annual ONSIDE Irish Sponsorship Industry Survey estimates there will be further growth of 8% in 2023 to €212m, surpassing the €200m threshold first reached in 2018.

ONSIDE Founder and Chief Executive John Trainor estimates Ireland's sponsorship industry will grow by 8% in 2023

Female stars in sports and entertainment continue to dominate the list of most marketable personalities for 2023, with the top 4 being females. 68% of industry professionals mentioned a female star, with Katie Taylor sharing the top spot with Ireland team captain Katie McCabe, as the soccer star jumped up the rankings from 13th place last year. The success of the Women’s National Football Team qualifying for the FIFA Women’s World Cup also saw coach Vera Pauw and players Amber Barrett and Niamh Fahey all making the most marketable list.

 Reflecting on the improving standard of activity produced by the collective Irish sponsorship industry last year, 1 in 3 of the industry think sponsorship campaigns in Ireland were more effective in 2022 than 2021, +5% year-on-year. According to the industry professionals surveyed, Sky Ireland’s partnership with the FAI’s Women’s Team was most worthy of recognition, as Lidl and AIG’s ties with gaelic games stood alongside Vodafone and Bank of Ireland’s rugby partnerships as perceived best-in-class of ‘22. KPMG’s new partnership with the Women’s Irish Open golf was also a notable new entry to this year’s list.

 Sport also dominates the survey list of the most effective rights holder partners in the eyes of sponsors, with the IRFU leading the line alongside the GAA, the FAI, and Aviva Stadium. They are joined on that list this year by Live Nation, who managed the full re-opening of a wide portfolio of venue and outdoor festival partnership properties in 2022.

 Video sharing platforms are expected to be the big risers among activation channels in 2023, comfortably sitting in top spot with 76% of sponsors expecting to use more of these platforms to leverage sponsorship programs in the coming year, an increase of 22% from last year.

 Meanwhile, recent public research produced by ONSIDE in parallel to the industry survey found that 2 in 3 of the Irish public believed that sponsors of the 2022 FIFA World Cup would be right to turn down or off their sponsorship of the tournament due to concerns over Qatar’s human rights record and stance on the LGBTQ+ community. Trainor concludes: “As controversy and resultant public opinion and backlash around sponsorships linked to Russian and Qatar-based events remained a consistent theme throughout 2022, it is no surprise that 8 in 10 rights holders in Ireland agreed that public opinion impacts the brands they will consider partnering with in 2023.  The importance of public approval for sponsorships has increased significantly in the last 12 months, highlighting the tightrope that sponsors and rights holders will walk when developing partnerships in the year ahead”.

 REQUEST FINDINGS FROM THE ONSIDE IRISH SPONSORSHIP INDUSTRY REPORT 2023