Sponsorships can be a game-changer for iGaming brands looking to boost visibility and build trust. However, choosing the right sponsorship format requires careful consideration of business goals, audience engagement, and market trends. Dmitry Belianin, a seasoned iGaming expert, shares his insights on the sponsorship opportunities that brands may be overlooking and how to measure their effectiveness.
Choosing the Right Sponsorship Format
According to Belianin, sponsorship formats fall into two main categories:
- Brand Awareness Sponsorships: These focus on maximising exposure through high-visibility placements such as LED displays and front-of-shirt sponsorships in major sports leagues.
- Brand Attribute Sponsorships: These are designed to strengthen specific brand traits such as trust or speed, often through strategic endorsements with athletes or local teams.
“If you’re entering a new market, you need to focus on building trust first. Sponsoring a local football team can create that connection,” Belianin explains. The key is to align sponsorship choices with business objectives, whether it’s establishing credibility or capturing market share.
Undervalued Sponsorship Opportunities
While front-of-shirt placements dominate the sponsorship landscape, Belianin highlights several underutilised options that can offer significant value:
- Sleeve Sponsorships: Often overlooked, sleeve branding gained traction after innovative campaigns, such as Watford FC’s Bitcoin sleeve deal.
- Upper Chest Placements: This position offers high visibility during close-up shots and interviews.
- Niche Sports Partnerships: Sports like Polish wrestling or MMA allow for unique sponsorships, such as body paint advertising on athletes.
- 3D Carpets: Positioned behind goalposts, these placements are always visible during critical game moments, making them highly effective for brand exposure.
Belianin advises brands to “think creatively and explore unconventional placements that competitors might not have considered.”
Measuring Sponsorship Value
Evaluating sponsorship success can be challenging, especially with innovative formats. To assess impact, Belianin suggests focusing on key metrics such as:
- Reach and Exposure: How many people saw the sponsorship? Tools like brand health tracking studies can provide insights.
- Historical Performance: Analysing previous sponsorship outcomes to predict potential results.
- Share of Voice: Comparing a brand’s visibility before and after a sponsorship.
“Being the first brand in a new sponsorship space offers a competitive edge, but it’s crucial to track performance over time to ensure continued value,” Belianin emphasises.
Staying Agile Amid Regulatory Changes
The iGaming industry faces constant regulatory changes that impact sponsorship opportunities. With restrictions tightening, brands must remain adaptable. Belianin suggests that companies should adopt creative strategies such as surrogate branding, a technique used by industries like alcohol and tobacco to maintain visibility despite advertising restrictions.
“The ability to pivot and find innovative ways to stay in front of your audience is critical to long-term success,” he notes.
Key Takeaways for iGaming Brands
To make the most of sponsorship opportunities, Belianin recommends the following steps:
- Align sponsorship choices with business goals (brand awareness vs. attribute-building).
- Explore undervalued placements such as sleeve sponsorships and niche sports.
- Use brand health tracking tools to measure sponsorship effectiveness.
- Stay agile and creative to navigate regulatory challenges.
By strategically selecting and measuring sponsorships, iGaming brands can unlock new levels of visibility and engagement in an increasingly crowded market.
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