CoNext’s second Sponsorship Forum, held on 21 February at The Cube WorkSpace in Fourways, explored next-generation marketing and sponsorship best practices.
The panel speakers included Steve Elworthy, Tournament Director of the Cricket World Cup 2019 and member of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), Clive Eksteen, the Commercial Director of Cricket SA and Ros Goldin, independent analyst and former Marketing Director for Cricket South Africa.
The CoNext Sponsorship Forum is a platform where local sponsorship, media, marketing and advertising industries and their agencies can gain key learnings from successful sponsorship partnerships in order to grow the quality of work in the African sponsorships arena.
‘Our first, sold out installment of #CoNext focused on the need for brands to partner with rights holders to genuinely unlock value in sponsorships, and was based on a case study between Shield Deodorant (Unilever) and Chelsea FC,’ said CoNext Founder and Managing Director Andrew Ross.
February’s episode two, entitled Adapt or Die, expanded on this narrative, while exploring the need for continued evolution, relevance in the modern sponsorship arena and the evolution of sport for the modern fan.
The modern consumer has evolved faster than expected, and like other entertainment offerings, sport has faced challenges in re-establishing its value proposition to a new and evolving audience. Stadium attendances are dwindling, and rights holders are facing increased competition to attract and retain commercial partners.
Cricket was one of the first mainstream sports to evolve its product to address a new emerging audience, and whatever anyone’s opinion on the Twenty Over (T20) format of the game, it has proved a formidable tool in marketing the sport to new audiences. T20 was developed to satisfy both existing fans who had shorter attention spans, while also expanding an appeal for the game.
