Sponsorship Confidence: Winning Back Trust For Brands

Note: This article was published before our rebrand. You may notice our former logo or design elements.

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Why are brands losing confidence in sponsorships, and how can we address this trend to foster a better sponsorship ecosystem? Shikenso finds out.

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The Sponsorship Sentiment Tracker by the European Sponsorship Association (ESA) for Wave 18 of 2024 highlights a growing divide in the confidence levels within the sponsorship ecosystem. While agencies and rights holders have hit record levels of optimism, brand sentiment is on a downward slide.

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A Snapshot of the Numbers

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• Agency confidence: 7.6 (up from 7.4 in Wave 17)
• Rights holders' confidence: 7.3 (up from 6.9 in Wave 17)
• Brand confidence: 7.1 (down from 7.4 in Wave 17)

While the overall industry trends upward, the decline in brand sentiment from 7.4 to 7.1 signals a potential shift that can't be ignored.

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Why This Matters

Brands are the financial backbone of the sponsorship ecosystem. They fuel the campaigns and investments that keep rights holders and agencies thriving. But when brand confidence wanes, the ripple effects can jeopardize the entire sponsorship value chain.

The sentiment dip is more than just a number, it reflects growing concerns from brands about their return on investment. In 2025, brands will be asking tougher questions:

• Is their sponsorship investment delivering measurable outcomes?

• Are they receiving timely, transparent, and actionable insights?

• Are they getting the full picture beyond just visibility metrics?

Unfortunately, many brands are still navigating blind spots in their sponsorship strategies due to outdated or fragmented reporting practices.

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The Reporting Gap That Fuels Brand Uncertainty

Let's consider why brands might be losing confidence. As Benedikt Becker, Marketing Director at Shikenso Analytics, highlighted in his recent LinkedIn post, brands face key challenges in understanding their sponsorship ROI due to delayed and fragmented reporting. In his words:

Brands often face:

❌ Delayed insights: Reports that arrive too late to influence active campaigns.

❌ Lack of transparency: Missing the granular data needed to evaluate individual sponsorship/brand placements.

❌ Narrow analysis: A focus on visual impressions but limited integration of sentiment, text, and audio metrics.

❌ Data silos: Multiple tools that don't speak to each other, forcing managers to piece insights together manually.

This disjointed approach creates uncertainty, leaving brands unable to confidently assess their sponsorship performance or trust in its value.

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Shikenso Analytics: The Solution for Rebuilding Brand Confidence

At Shikenso Analytics, we understand the challenges brands face, and we're committed to providing solutions that empower confident decision-making. Here's how we help:

• Real-time reporting

Forget waiting months for reports. Our platform delivers insights in days, so you can optimize campaigns on the fly.

• Comprehensive data integration

We go beyond visibility metrics to analyze audio, text, and sentiment offering a 360-degree view of sponsorship impact.

• Granular Insights

Our reports break down individual placements, showing exactly where and how your sponsorships are performing.

• Unified Platform

Eliminate data silos with a single platform that consolidates impressions, media value, and sentiment in one place.

• AI-Driven Analytics

Harness the power of AI to uncover patterns, predict trends, and unlock deeper insights.

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Turning Sentiment Around

As the ESA report shows, the sponsorship ecosystem is only as strong as its brands. For the industry to thrive, we must prioritize transparency, speed, and actionable data.

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“Can you walk confidently when you don't see (or see too late) where you're stepping? No way", said Benedikt Becker, VP Marketing at Shikenso Analytics.

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Building trust in sponsorships starts with clear insights and accountability. By addressing blind spots and embracing a more transparent approach, brands can not only shift the narrative but also lead the way in setting new benchmarks for sponsorship confidence in 2025 and beyond.

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