Millward Brown Investigate Broadcast Sponsorship

Last year, the ITV Sponsorship Committee commissioned the research company, Millward Brown, to examine the impact of television sponsorship. The most important question facing companies, when considering Broadcast Sponsorship, is whether it will benefit their brand.

BrandDynamics, a system used by Millward Brown to measure and explain consumer equity, found that sponsorship worked virtually overnight for Britannia Music. The Brit Awards increased awareness for Britannia Music from 68% to 74%.

Brands also benefited from an enhanced image by focusing on an area of relevance or on perceptions of product performance. Statements such as, “a product I would consider buying” or “provides an efficient service, ” increased awareness.

Commercial Union used sponsorship of London’s Burning parallel with television advertising. When it was first broadcast, awareness of the brand grew rapidly. When television advertising was stopped in November awareness decreased. It only increased when it began again in December. The only increase in television awareness during this period came from sponsorship, which increased until February.

In the case of Diet Coke (movie premiere sponsors), television advertising awareness ran in excess of 70% but even then sponsorship was able to create additional awareness on top of that.

Together with similar findings, these results are used by the ITV Sponsorship Committee to make sponsors aware that Broadcast Sponsorship is able to stand on its own two feet as a marketing tool.

Lowe Bell Good Relations: 0171 631 3434