Summer of 'social' sport puts sponsor performance under the microscope:
Precise report

Jessica Ennis and Mo Farah may be basking in championship glory but there is still everything to play for in the sponsors' race to win gold.

According to business information company Precise, Worldwide Partners Samsung and Coca-Cola are currently winning the latest race, based on a combination of share of voice and favourability.

Official Partner Adidas is close to clinching a medal place on account of its visibility across social media and seeing off the remaining Worldwide Partners, despite only being able to promote its association in the host nation.

The social media analysis from Precise reveals:

  •   Top sponsors by share of voice have net sentiment scores ranging from +89 to -7, revealing that the sponsors are faring very differently to one-another when they are measured on favourability and not just buzz.

Insight: the public are not readily recognising the contribution some sponsors are making to the successful delivery of the events currently taking place.

  •   12 per cent of conversations about Coca-Cola and five per cent about Samsung directly mention the Torch Relay.

Insight: the Torch Relay has delivered a significant lift in comments about several of the sponsoring brands, demonstrating genuine engagement with the Relay.

  •   Samsung Galaxy devices were mentioned in more than a third of all comments about Samsung in relation to its sponsorship, following the role they played in the opening ceremony.

Insight: clever product placement is powerful, even when the logo and brand name are not in view. Sponsors would benefit from initiating upfront conversations with event organisers to secure a meaningful role for their products at the events ceremonies they are sponsoring.

James Withey, head of Brand Insight, Precise commented: "This summer of sport stands out as being the most social ever. Social media has seen explosive growth over the last few years. This provides the sponsors with new battleground for brand visibility, and a new way to measure the success of their investment.

"However, to be successful they need to respond to the public mood and consider the pre-existing perceptions of their brand. Investing in sponsorship does not automatically curry good favour. The winning brands will be those that are seen to play a meaningful role and bring real benefits to people".

Precise analysed all English-language social media conversations about sponsors over a two week period up until 31st July (covering the later stages of the Torch Relay, the opening ceremony and the first few days of competition).

 
Samsung

Based on favourability, Samsung is close to taking first prize with a net sentiment score of +89. In the volume stakes, it is currently in third place by generating sponsorship-related news that has been widely shared across social media. This follows its deft use of the Samsung ambassadors, David Beckham and Zara Philips; its Facebook prize competition; the free Samsung Hope Relay app and its support of athlete Jenna Randall. Its involvement in the Torch Relay also led to a bounce in brand mentions. And despite the 'clean venue' policy, the Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note devices featured in the opening ceremony, providing the single most significant boost to the brand within social media. As a result of this coup, the Precise analysis reveals, Galaxy devices were mentioned in more than a third of all comments about the brand in relation to its sponsorship.

 
Coca-Cola

Conversations about Coca-Cola’s sponsorship were also buoyed by the prominent role it played in the Torch Relay. It managed to tap into popular culture and inspire excitement around the games by hosting Move to the Beat music events, which were mentioned several hundred times over the two weeks researched. Popular celebrities such as Mark Ronson added to the appeal and were frequently mentioned in association with the events. Partially as a result of these events, Coca-Cola has gained a net sentiment score of +26, with positive conversations outweighing discussions as to its perceived suitability as a sponsor.

 
McDonald's

McDonald's generated the most brand mentions out of all the sponsors. However, the majority of these mentions are negative, with some people questioning the company's fit with the events it is sponsoring. McDonald’s also bore the brunt of more generally negative comments about the sponsors, and was the focus for criticisms around the restrictions placed on what could be sold at the venues. As a result, McDonald's has a net sentiment score of -7.

 
Adidas

Adidas, as a sports brand, has the most obvious natural fit with the sporting tournament and gained a net sentiment score of +35. However, its sponsorship does not seem to equal its success as a sponsor of other sporting events such as UEFA Euro 2012. Adidas is frequently cited alongside other high profile sponsors in critical comments about sponsorship in general, with some people taking to social media to complain about perceived commercialisation of sporting events.

Withey continued: "With sports fever at its peak and more major events just around the corner, the sponsors will ask themselves was the investment worth it and what lessons have been learnt?

"Social media provides an opportunity to listen to the crowd and understand whether their association has captured the public's imagination and raised awareness of their brand in a positive way.

"Based on our research, sponsors should no longer assume - if they have done so in the past - that the public will instinctively appreciate their substantial investment in the events they are sponsoring. To win hearts and minds they need to earn the right to association by demonstrating the meaningful benefits the public receives from their sponsorship".