Unlocking the True Value of Sponsorships: How to Measure What Really Matters
Sponsorship Marketing Association
Your trusted source for all things sponsorship. We’re on a mission to strengthen and unify the sponsorship industry.
Traditional exposure metrics are out. Gone are the days when it was acceptable to measure the effectiveness of sponsorships based solely on media impressions, logo placements, or how visible a brand was during an event. These quantitative measures, while once considered the gold standard, no longer fully capture the true value a partnership can bring to a brand.
Why? Because today’s sponsors are looking for more than just visibility: They need the right data to tell a compelling story about how partnerships contribute to broader business objectives. Instead of simply counting how many people saw their logo, brands are focusing on how sponsorships drive measurable outcomes like customer acquisition, brand sentiment, loyalty, and long-term business growth. Sponsorships must align with strategic goals, whether that's expanding into new demographics, increasing customer retention, or reinforcing a brand's commitment to social responsibility.
For example, a brand might sponsor a community event not just for exposure, but to position itself as a leader in sustainability, thereby strengthening its relationship with environmentally conscious consumers. It’s no longer about the number of eyeballs – it’s about how those partnerships create lasting, meaningful connections. This shift in thinking is underscored by the SMA’s 2025 Sponsor Research Report in partnership with Performance Research, which shows that 62% of sponsors are prioritizing metrics and analytics. Additionally, 50% of sponsors are particularly focused on sentiment analysis, as they seek to understand how their target audiences feel about their brand and activations. Another 47% of sponsors report needing assistance in measuring ROI, highlighting the growing complexity of tracking sponsorship effectiveness in a way that goes beyond surface-level data.
To help you navigate this shift, the SMA’s March Webinar: Measuring Success – Key Metrics for Evaluating Sponsorship Effectiveness will equip sponsors, agency partners, and brand marketers with the tools and knowledge needed to turn raw sponsorship data into meaningful, actionable insights.
Join us on Wednesday, March 5, 2025, at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET for a comprehensive, expert-led session with MVP’s Brandon Nutting, VP of Data Science and Innovation, and Jake Lenz, Director of Marketing & Sales Strategy. In this webinar, Nutting and Lenz will explore why sponsorship continues to be a powerful marketing strategy and how brands can measure its full impact.
Recommended by LinkedIn
The session will delve into the process of building measurement frameworks that align with both business goals and partnership objectives. Attendees will learn how to identify and track the most valuable metrics for different sponsor types, such as customer acquisition, brand sentiment, social impact, and community engagement. Additionally, the webinar will focus on how to capture qualitative outcomes, such as audience feelings about a brand or the community benefits of a partnership, critical elements often overlooked in traditional sponsorship evaluation.
Nutting and Lenz will also share real-world case studies illustrating how leading brands have successfully measured sponsorship ROI and used insights from these measurements to optimize their future partnerships. By the end of the session, attendees will be equipped with practical strategies for setting performance benchmarks, tracking both quantitative and qualitative outcomes, and transforming data into compelling stories that demonstrate the true value of sponsorships.
Whether you are a sponsor, agency partner, or brand marketer, this webinar will provide you with the expertise needed to build smarter measurement practices and prove the impact of your sponsorship investments. Don’t miss this opportunity to elevate your approach and make your sponsorships more meaningful and measurable.
Register today to secure your spot and learn how to measure what truly matters.