If you can’t be a sponsor, be a surrounder. Unlocking new ways of connecting your brand with key cultural properties.
Spending on sports sponsorships averages $27 billion annually in the US alone. US music sponsorships near $1 billion annually. The opportunity for visibility and engagement is vast and as our desire for more IRL experiences continues to grow, activating around these passion points only becomes more attractive. The power of presence around them is underscored by the ability of these passion points to still unify most Americans - across ages, genders, socio-economic brackets, and professions - even in the most divisive times.?
But sponsorships also require investment that’s often significant and multi-year. It’s a hard pill for many brands to swallow, so they simply shy away. But what if you could feel more like a sponsor without the sponsorship??
Surroundership offers a shortcut.??
First and foremost, this isn’t about trying to undercut teams or leagues guerrilla style; rather, surroundership is a way for brands to participate in and around the culture of a sport, team, or artist that exudes similar benefits to sponsorship.? While the most basic form of ‘surroundership’ may come from buying media in and around the broadcast of an event, it holds deeper opportunity.? Yet brands must be okay with leaning into general color schemes, broader references to the event or team, and relying on their own or other channels outside the team to make the connection.? In short, while it may rely on less investment, surroundership does require more creativity and flexibility.??
So how does surroundership work?
Brands can find many allies for surroundership.??
Surrounderships can involve athletes/performers without a team. Or neither.?
Alaska Airlines partnered with Russell Wilson in his Seattle Seahawks heyday, despite Delta being the team’s official airline. They rewarded passengers in Wilson gear, gave miles for his performance, and leveraged his personality in ads. Many folks assumed Alaska was a Seahawks partner, but they were not.??
NIL deals present new opportunities for brands to tap into the culture of college sports without a direct team affiliation. Consider college athletes who represent your brand values or are organic fans of your brand (please don’t just pick a top player without a strategic reason).?
Partners such as Music Audience Exchange offer brands deep access to emerging musicians that connect with your target audience. Entertainment companies like AEG Presents now offer media and show integrations. Teaming up with people of profile creates moments that aren’t sponsorships but may feel like it to other fans.?
Think of them as social influencers or creators in their own right. Those budgets might also be where you unlock investment for surroundership.
Media partners also offer ripe opportunities for surroundership – beyond a spot.
Direct-to-publisher relationships carry great value when it comes to surroundership. And it may be one area where local broadcast and publishers still have a unique carrot: offering unique integration opportunities in and around those events.?
Local Sports News offers opportunities to surround team content. Consider weekly segment sponsorships around plays of the week or saves of the week (discount retailers and banks…we’re looking at you). Perhaps a ‘speed’ angle aligns with your brand’s story. Create a moment that works for your brand story AND taps into the fandom of your team(s).
Leaning into the Seattle Kraken’s first year in town, hometown-bred Windermere Real Estate created a weekly segment - On Home Ice - that not only offered player and team snapshots but also celebrated hockey’s history in the city, all without a multi-year, multi-million dollar commitment.? The brand has leveraged a similar approach to surround Sounders FC and the Winter Olympics, wrapping local athlete vignettes on the NBC affiliates and celebrating how they all go ‘All In’ just like the real estate agents that fuel their brand.?
Pizza Guys created a ‘Delivery of the Game’ segment with the Sacramento Kings that gave them a presence in every game broadcast, making their team association much stronger than just running a spot. Speedee Oil Change & Tune-Up does the same every time the San Francisco Giants change pitchers. Outlets such as NBC Sports Regional Networks are great at bringing non-sponsor brands into an affiliated team stadium and experience.?
Outside of sports, joining forces with adjacent event teams can yield meaningful opportunities for surroundership of music and cultural moments. Teams like BYG Music are focused on connecting brands and artists. They bring the unique ability to integrate brands into Grammy or CMA parties, music videos, and more without the costs of official event sponsorship. To the attendees or viewers, it all feels the same.
Show up around an event.
This could be anything from street teams and street minders that create a connection between you and fans. Consider branded ride-swarms or scooter wraps that help people get to or from an event, all wrapped in your brand’s message. Not only are you ‘connected’ to the event experience, but you’re also delivering additional value for an attendee that will be remembered.?
This also could mean teaming up with a local bar or a vacant building to create watch parties or post-event events.? As Aflac saw the rise of women’s sports, they not only deepened their relationship with icons like Dawn Staley, they partnered with TOGETHXR to raise the visibility of women’s sports, hosting watch parties at female sports bars like The Sports Bra. The brand fully surrounded the culture of women’s sports in meaningful ways that put them at the center of the conversation without sponsoring each league or team across the country.?
For surrounderships to work, strategy and creativity matter. The success or failure of surrounderships relies on understanding why your brand wants to be there, meaningfully connecting your brand to fan needs/wants, and creating partnerships to make them big.
For more, check out our full whitepaper on how to drive maximum value from your sponsorships.