A recent study by the World Federation of Advertisers has found that major marketers are still seeking more effective ways to measure the return on their investment in sponsorship.
The WFA's survey was conducted in November 2009 among members of its Sponsorship TaskForce, a peer-to-peer group for multinational sponsors.
While only 12 companies were represented in the results, the WFA claims these organizations are responsible for a sizable share of global sponsorship expenditure.
Overall, a quarter of respondents said their sponsorship budgets will decrease this year, while 59% expect them to remain stable or increase.
In terms of the specific sectors that are attracting advertisers, all of the participants had forged some form of partnership related to the sports category.
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In the spirit of New Year's resolutions, allow me this analogy:
If you are trying to get in shape, measuring the circumference of your elbow isn't really the best barometer. That is essentially what the participants' top metrics strive to do.
First off, getting in shape has several connotations, with different objectives and, subsequently, different metrics.
Want to lose weight? The numbers on the scale are the best metric.
Want to get stronger? Chart your max lift
Want to run a marathon this year? Track your mileage
Want to get better results from your sponsorship efforts? Stop "aiming" at a mass market and start targeting specific audiences with a specific outcome in mind.