Sponsorship and Public Relations

Sponsorship is less about what a driver wins and more about what a driver represents. When pitching partnerships for talent, it’s tempting to focus on their accomplishments: - podiums - trophies - follower counts. But here’s the truth: brands don’t sponsor drivers because of their stats. They sponsor them because of the stories they can tell and the problems they can solve. Here’s the approach I would use to land partnerships for drivers and talent if I were Head of Partnerships, specifically on LinkedIn in 2025: 1. Profile Optimization → A clean, professional presence is non-negotiable. → Headline: Keep it simple. No fluff or hyphenated titles. → Banner: Highlight the driver’s personality but keep it polished. →About Section: Make it fun, authentic, and engaging. Sponsors connect with personalities, not resumes. 2. Niche Down with the Rule of One Focus on: → 1 specific audience → 1 specific problem → 1 specific solution For example, a driver’s narrative about overcoming adversity could resonate with brands looking to inspire resilience. 3. A Strategic Funnel Approach → Top of Funnel (TOFU): Share key moments. Team announcements, major collaborations, or updates in motorsport that spark interest. → Middle of Funnel (MOFU): Dive deeper. Showcase how the driver or talent aligns with the brand’s mission. For example, what separates them from the pack? What’s their unique edge? → Bottom of Funnel (BOFU): Highlight case studies and show sponsors a before-and-after transformation. Did the partnership increase engagement, reach new demographics, or drive ROI? The numbers tell the story here. Drivers aren’t just a list of achievements. They’re storytellers and problem solvers. Sponsors don’t just want visibility; they want alignment. So, before your next pitch, remember this: - Don’t sell the driver’s stats. Sell their story. - Don’t push the driver as a product. Position them as a solution. You move beyond sponsorships by aligning your talent’s narrative with a brand’s mission. You build partnerships. Stunning photos by Antoine Truchet & Race Service

Ever seen a rightsholder publicly show what their sponsorship achieved? Neither had I until I landed on Fnatic’s website. A week ago, while building my esports post, I came across their site and instead of the usual sponsor logos or partner links, they show case studies. Take BMW’s “United in Rivalry” campaign, for example: a 39% lift in awareness, 84% boost in brand perception, and it even became the No.1 reason fans chose BMW as their preferred car. 🚙 Now that’s refreshing transparency. It struck me because you don’t usually see football clubs, golf tournaments, or racing teams doing this, yet an esports team has been doing it for years. Those ROI numbers usually live deep inside sales decks or post-campaign PDFs that never see the light of day. 🧑🏻💻 That thought came back to me last week while I was sitting at Sid Lee Sport’s office, listening to the Unofficial Partner Podcast recording with GSIQ – as Charlie Dundas, Rory Natkiel, and Rebecca Martin discussed the need for an effectiveness revolution in sponsorship. The panel didn’t mince words: sponsorship has an evidence problem. 📌 Compared to advertising, there’s still a lack of rigorous proof, shared benchmarks, or consistent ROI models. But that’s starting to change. They spoke about Barclays’ model on how they don’t just look at “brand love,” but also measure commercial uplift, customer profitability, and community impact. 🏦 They discussed econometric modeling – a fancy term, yes, but one that’s helping brands finally quantify sponsorship’s role alongside TV, digital, and retail media. Hearing that conversation in person felt like a full-circle moment because what Fnatic is doing – showing tangible, public-facing results – is exactly where the industry should be headed. 🎮 This new era of sponsorship will be defined by transparency, where rightsholders don’t just sell space, they sell proof. At Luscid, that’s something we strongly believe in too, as every day we're helping brands see what potential reach and engagement could look like before they invest, giving them the data to make informed, confident decisions. Because the more trust brands have in the numbers, the more they’ll invest and the more they invest, the smarter and more sustainable this industry becomes. #sportsmarketing #sportssponsorship #sportsbiz

Lessons for LA28: What the Best Olympic Sponsors Do After 30+ years in Olympic marketing, from leading Delta Air Lines’ Olympic sponsorship, to working inside the IOC, and to advising brands and bids around the world, I’ve seen (and lived through) what separates great Olympic sponsors from forgettable ones. As LA28 draws closer, here are five things the best sponsors consistently do: 1. They lead with meaning, not just media. The Olympics aren’t a media buy. They’re a belief platform. The best sponsors don’t ask “how many eyeballs?”, they ask, “what do we stand for, and how does our association with the Rings reinforce that differentiation?” 2. They activate from the inside out. The most successful programs start with employees. Training, pride, internal storytelling, turning 10,000 team members into torchbearers before the first ad runs. If your own people aren’t moved, the public won’t be either. 3. They play the long game. Momentum builds over years, not weeks. I think that sponsors who go quiet between Games rarely find relevance in the spotlight. LA28 winners will start showing up now, in community programs, youth sport, and conversations that matter. 4. They make it local and global. The Olympics are universal, but impact is personal. The best Partners translate Olympic values into neighborhood stories, in Los Angeles, across the U.S., and around the world (TOP Partners). 5. They respect the Movement. Partners know that aligning with the Olympic brand means living up to its ideals: inclusion, excellence, friendship. They break through not because they spend the most, but because they understand what the Olympic Games actually mean. The bottom line: The best sponsors don’t just show up at the Games. They show up for the Games: for the athletes, for the values, and for the next generation. International Olympic Committee – IOC LA28 Olympic & Paralympic Games #LA28 #Olympics #Sponsorship #BrandPurpose #SportsMarketing #TOPProgramme #OlympicValues #IOC #MarketingWithMeaning

If I had to rebuild a corporate sponsorship strategy today,
I wouldn’t start with a “gold, silver, bronze” package: 
I’d start with what brands really want
The stuff they’ll never put in an RFP. Here’s exactly how I’d design a partnership brands can’t walk away from: 1. Influence Over Eyeballs Stop pitching:
“We can put your logo on a banner.” Start pitching:
“We can put your people in the story.” Sponsors don’t crave impressions.
They crave authority. 
• Feature their employees as on-the-ground heroes
• Offer speaking slots or co-authored content
• Give them the microphone, not just a mention They want to shape the narrative, not just fund it. 2. Speed Over Red Tape Most nonprofits move like committees.
Brands move like campaigns. Instead of endless approvals, build a “48-hour kit”:
• Pre-approved media assets
• Plug-and-play contracts
• A point person who can greenlight fast If they sense you need three board meetings to post a tweet,
they’re gone. 3. Insight Over Impact Reports They already know you change lives.
What they secretly want is your intel. • Data that informs their product strategy
• Frontline trends their own analysts can’t see
• Quarterly briefings that feel like a CEO roundtable Your mission knowledge is their competitive edge.
Serve it up. 4. Cultural Fit Over PR Fit Logos can hide a lot.
Slack threads can’t. They’re watching how you:
• Treat your team
• Communicate under pressure
• Handle a late-night crisis If your internal culture feels brittle,
no amount of glossy photos will save the deal. Corporate sponsorship isn’t charity.
It’s a growth strategy with you as the secret weapon. Design for influence, speed, insight, and culture
and you won’t chase logos.
They’ll chase you. Connect with me and comment corporate and I’ll send a resource on how we are helping our clients secure partnerships that last. With purpose and impact, Mario

I'm working with a brand right now on how they are activating their partnership and how to tie it back to the community.... Sports sponsorships are more than branding, exposure, or selling their produce or service. They are powerful tools for community engagement and development. When done right, these partnerships have a ripple effect extending far beyond the game, impacting local economies, schools, and families. Here are a few ways sports sponsorships are making a difference in communities: - Mental Health: Local businesses that sponsor teams, like Bellin Health's partnership with the Green Bay Packers, benefit from increased brand exposure through their mental health film room. This strategy drives traffic to their services, showcasing all areas of health and wellness. - Youth Development: Sports sponsorships often fund youth programs that offer access to facilities, coaching, and competitions. For example, Comcast's investment in the Philadelphia 76ers' youth basketball camps has created more opportunities for young athletes to develop both on and off the court, giving them a path to scholarships and future careers. - Environmental Impact: The Minnesota Timberwolves, with their partner Xcel Energy, launched the "Carbon Offset Initiative" to reduce the carbon footprint of their games. This initiative helps educate fans on sustainability and funds community-driven environmental programs like tree planting and renewable energy projects, showing how sports can inspire eco-friendly change. - Fostering Local Art & Culture The Miami Heat, through their partnership with American Airlines, sponsor local art exhibits and cultural events. Together, they created the "Art of Basketball" initiative, which brings local artists together to create murals and installations, celebrating Miami's cultural diversity while giving emerging talent a platform to showcase their work. The impact of sports sponsorships goes beyond advertising; they create meaningful, lasting change in the communities they support. By aligning with teams, local businesses can drive progress, nurture talent, and strengthen connections that enrich lives and livelihoods. We're here to help. #SportsBiz #Sponsorship #HeretoHelp