Jun 24, 2010 at 05:10 PM
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Study: Marketers Remain Unsatisfied By Sponsorship Measurement Tools

While client-side marketers say that measurement, evaluation and accountability are critical to measuring the success of sponsorship and event marketing programs, 65 percent are not taking the necessary steps to determine the results of those activities, a new survey by the ANA (Association of National Advertisers) in partnership with IEG concludes.


"Accountability reigns supreme in all aspects of marketing," said ANA President and CEO Bob Liodice. "This survey should serve as a wake-up call to marketers, urging them to define ROI / ROO metrics for success and hold themselves accountable, as upper management is sure to do."

Only 35 percent of respondents "always or almost always" measure their sponsorship and event marketing activities' returns, but nearly 8 in 10 respondents said the need for validated results for their sponsorship and event marketing initiatives has increased in the past two years as a result of having to justify expenditures to senior personnel.

Among marketers that do have a standardized measurement process, 14% percent are "completely / very satisfied" with their company's abilities to measure sponsorship ROI while 18% are completely / very satisfied with their company's abilities to measure those programs' ROO (return on objective).

"It is time for sponsors and event marketers to stop taking the easy way out when it comes to evaluating success and make the necessary investment of resources to determine whether their partnerships in sports, entertainment, causes, etc. are delivering the proper return," added IEG CEO Laren Ukman.

A release issued by IEG/ANA says no universal tool for measuring effectiveness of sponsorship initiatives was identified.

Metrics most widely used by respondents include:

  • Sales activity (61 percent)
  • TV logo exposure (55 percent)
  • Lower customer acquisition cost (49 percent)
  • Lead generation (48 percent)


    Metrics most widely valued by respondents include:

  • Sales activity (93 percent)
  • Attitudes toward brand (81 percent)
  • Lead generation (78 percent)
  • Response to sponsorship / event-related promotions / ads (76 percent)
  • Despite being the second-most utilized metric, TV logo exposure ranks among the lowest in terms of value (52 percent).


    Sixty-two percent of respondents believe it is extremely / very important for the property sponsor or event organizer to provide measurement information. The information respondents most often seek from partners include:

  • Audience demographics (85 percent)
  • Audience research on sponsor recognition / recall (72 percent) Audience research on attitudes toward sponsors (70 percent)
  • One-third of the firms surveyed (34 percent) report that they outsource the measurement of their sponsorship initiatives.


    The IEG/ANA study was conducted online in May, among a sample of 102 client-side marketers in companies which were involved in specific initiatives for sponsorship and / or event marketing, and which actively measured the return from these initiatives at least some of the time.