Sponsorship Analytics: Why Sentiment Analysis Matters

Global brands invest millions to sponsor a major sports event or a team. It translates to massive exposure for the brand but how do the fans feel about the partnership? To answer that, we need to resort to sentiment analysis. Today, Shikenso breaks down why sentiment analysis is a game changer and why brands should include it to get the best out of their sponsorship analytics. 

What is Sentiment Analysis? 

Sentiment analysis is the method of identifying the emotional tone of a text or audio by utilizing machine learning, natural language processing, and artificial intelligence (AI). It helps companies and brands to figure out whether public sentiment toward a particular subject or event is favorable, unfavorable, or neutral. Sentiment analysis is a powerful approach when used in sponsorships, assisting companies in determining whether their investment will result in genuinely positive engagement or if they should reconsider their approach. 

Word Cloud 

A term you might come across these days while digging deep into sentiment analysis is 'Word Cloud'. A word cloud in sentiment analysis is a visual representation of text data where the size of each word indicates its frequency within the text. This allows viewers to quickly identify the most frequently appearing keywords in a dataset thus giving an insight into whether the audience sentiment towards a partnership was positive or negative.

Why Does It Matter In Sponsorships? 

In sponsorship analytics, sentiment analysis can be crucial for a number of reasons: 

1. Understand Audience Perception 

Sentiment analysis assists brands in understanding audience perception by analyzing real-time public reactions to their sponsorships and partnerships. By determining whether sentiment is neutral, negative, or favorable, it enables brands to modify their messaging appropriately. Brands can gain a deeper understanding of consumer sentiment on their sponsorships by using sentiment analysis to go beyond surface-level metrics. 

2. Crisis Management 

Sentiment analysis helps brands detect negative sentiment spikes early, allowing them to take preventative measures in the event of a crisis. In the event that a sponsored athlete, team, or event is the subject of controversy, sentiment tracking detects changes in public opinion on news and social media channels. Before the reaction worsens, brands can then evaluate the situation, adjust their messaging, or take a step back. This real-time insight enables quick damage control, protecting brand reputation and minimizing financial or public relations fallout. 

3. Competitive Benchmarking 

Sentiment analysis allows brands to compare audience perception of their sponsorships against competitors in the same industry. By analyzing social media, news, and online discussions, brands can identify whether their sponsorships generate more positive, neutral, or negative sentiments than their rivals. This insight helps brands refine their approach to stay competitive and maximize their sponsorship impact. 

ELEMIS Case Study 

With ELEMIS announcing its partnership with the Aston Martin Aramco F1 team last month, Shikenso used its Sentiment Analysis tool to find out what the audience thinks about the partnership.  
 
Here are the results: 
 

Fans of both the brands poured in their positive comments:

 
To find out more about the partnership, check out our blog post on ELEMIS x Aston Martin.  
 

Benefits of Sentiment Analysis 

Let's quickly recap the benefits that brands and right holders can enjoy thanks to sentiment analysis: 

• Audience Insights : Brands and right holders can truly understand how the audience feels about a sponsorship. 

• Crisis Management : Detects negative sentiment early on which might help a brand quickly respond to controversies. 

• Optimize Marketing Strategies : Identifies trends that can allow a brand to tailor content that maximizes engagement. 

• Sponsorship ROI Measurement : Goes beyond traditional metrics providing deeper insights, helping brands and right holders assess the true value of investments. 

Sponsorship success can be greatly influenced by an understanding of audience sentiment, as seen by the ELEMIS x Aston Martin Aramco F1 alliance. Brands can make sure that their investments not only increase visibility but also create deep connections with their target audience by utilizing tools such as Shikenso's Sentiment Analysis .