BDS Sponsorship Ltd

Sponsorship News

Unlocking the Power of Japanese Sports Sponsorship: A Gateway to the Asian Market

A place where business and sport intersect in uniquely interesting ways, Japan provides an interesting market for sponsorship opportunities. Indeed, with a sports engagement rate of 68%, a brand loyalty rate of 84%, and a sports sponsorship market growing year on year, Japan is in many respects the most valuable place for brands looking to break into Asia.

A series of additional stats will no doubt demonstrate this perspective with greater clarity. Consider how:

  • Japan is home to 22.1 million baseball fans (NPB), meaning that one in five people follow professional baseball
  • There are 10 million J.League football fans in Japan, demonstrating the growing appeal of the sport
  • Basketball is on the rise in Japan, with the B.League seeing record attendance and sponsorship growth

Already worth close to $2 billion, and with an 8.5% growth rate projected in the coming years, Japan will undoubtedly play a significant role for international brands looking for high-impact sports sponsorship opportunities. What’s more, Japan’s expanding sports fan base provides a lucrative entry point into the domestic and broader Asian markets.

A different sponsorship model

It’s important to note, too, that unlike many Western markets, where broadcasting and ticket sales drive most club revenues, Japanese sports teams rely heavily on sponsorship income. Indeed, around 50% of all J.League club revenues and over 60% of B.League (basketball) revenues come from sponsorship, and there are over 26,000 active sponsorship contracts in Japanese professional sports annually.

What this means, of course, is that brands in Japan have the opportunity to be more than just sponsors. Instead, they are able to become strategic partners for both teams and leagues, going the extra mile to ensure that their investment receives real value and works to build lasting relationships which yield high-quality activation and deep fan engagement.

Additionally, sponsorship deals in Japan often bypass major advertising agencies, leading to more direct negotiations and cost-effective opportunities compared to the markets available to brands in both Europe and North America.

Stadium naming rights opportunities

Another unique feature of the Japanese sponsorship landscape is the absence of stadium naming rights deals. While this remains an untapped opportunity, BDS is currently working with two stadiums on potential naming rights agreements. Should this be of interest to your brand, now is the opportune moment to explore such sponsorship opportunities. Of course, navigating the Japanese sponsorship landscape is much more straightforward with a partner providing expertise, an existing network, and a deep understanding of cultural nuances. That is where BDS and our partners at DeScratch come in.

With experience across multiple industries, DeScratch has worked with brands across a variety of markets such as FMCG, Real Estate, Healthcare, Automotive, Financial Services and even Think Tanks, helping them enter and expand in the Japanese market through strategic sponsorships.

More specifically, this is how DeScratch and BDS work together to help brands succeed in Japan:

  • We provide access to the biggest teams and leagues. Through DeScratch, we provide direct connections to NPB, J.League, and B.League teams.
  • We share deep cultural and business insights, ensuring brands understand the unique sponsorship model in Japan and how to maximise their ROI.
  • We perform strategic sponsorship valuation using a data-driven approach which enables our teams to identify high-impact, cost-effective opportunities for your brand.
  • We enable seamless negotiation and activation. From contract negotiations to activation planning, we handle the entire process.

Looking at brands which have successfully leveraged sponsorship opportunities in Japan, a worthwhile example is Rakuten, which went from a domestic e-commerce company to a global player through its sports sponsorship strategy. Specifically, Rakuten’s sponsorship of FC Barcelona put the brand on the world stage and its deep investment in Japanese sports also helped solidify its domestic dominance. The company also owns Vissel Kobe (J.League), using the club as a key marketing asset.

Altogether, for brands looking to gain a foothold in Japan, the right sponsorship deal can drive significant brand awareness and business impact whilst at the same time opening the door to more opportunities across Asia more broadly.

Do you want to explore sponsorship opportunities in Japan? Get in touch with BDS today, and let’s make it happen.

BDS is working with Crowd Network to reposition podcasts from being a media buy into a sponsorship proposition

Crowd Sports, part of Crowd Network, partners with world-class athletes to create world-class podcasts, such as For the Love of Rugby (with Ben Youngs and Dan Cole), FC Bullard, Geraint Thomas Cycling Club and, in Comedy, Joe Marler’s Things People Do.

Collaborating closely with this independent network, the aim is to transform podcasting from its radio-based roots into a multi-dimensional sponsorship proposition based around the podcasters and their brand. Our comprehensive roadmap includes several deliverables such as extending the sponsorship benefits not just through the podcast but also throughout the allied social media and multimedia exposure, pop-up podcast studios, personal appearances of the podcast, and more.

Through effective solutions based on extensive research of the market and its opportunities, the strategy encompasses new ways to analyse the podcast audience, accurately target prospective sponsors, justify the sponsorship proposition, and expand the podcast’s audience to new levels.

For more on how we can help connect your business with sponsors, be sure to get in touch today.

Photo by Jonathan Farber on Unsplash

Farnborough International Airshow appoints BDS Sponsorship

BDS has worked very closely with the Farnborough International Airshow on building a comprehensive sponsorship strategy based around the FIA’s coveted position in the aerospace industry and ensuring optimal prospect revenue, retention and future expansion.

The Farnborough International Airshow is at the core of the aerospace, aviation and defence industries, bringing together the leading pioneers in those fields in the form of thousands of exhibitors and visitors from all over the world to showcase and view the latest groundbreaking innovations every two years. The FIA provides an unparalleled networking opportunity together with its must-see exhibit and thrilling show.

BDS has not only undertaken an audit of the sponsorship strategy, opportunities and programme, and brought in further market research and industry benchmarking, but has also made recommendations on how sponsors can enhance the visitor experience.

To further strengthen the FIA’s wide-reaching stature and help it reach its full sponsorship potential, BDS is also undertaking a consultancy role with the FIA to fine-tune performance, deliver enhanced value, and set the organisation apart. The consultancy role is primarily focused on non-endemic brands.

To find out more about how BDS can empower your business or event with sponsorship opportunities, get in touch with our team today.

Photo by Sean Alabaster on Unsplash

BDS Helps Launch Innovative Awards With Sponsorship Opportunity For Samsung

Along with the British Photography Awards, BDS has developed a powerful sponsorship strategy in the form of a year-round event. In partnership with Samsung, the Mobile Photography Awards invites phone users to submit their photographs for the chance to win Samsung handsets. Currently open to all UK residents, BDS and the BPA created the concept of the awards before approaching Samsung as a key strategic partner. Generating a significant amount of interest, the competition received 35,000 entries in just six weeks.

Reflecting on the experience of working alongside BDS, Samsung described how:

“BDS has been an amazing strategic partner from the start. They helped us understand the finer points of finding value within our own organisation and how to approach third parties to recognise that value! They are a professional team and seem to really enjoy getting under the skin of a project and finding out where it ‘belongs’ in the sponsorship landscape. They have a lot of experience in the sector and it really shows in their back catalogue of successes.”

With opportunities to grow the reach of the competition into other international territories, the competition is a fantastic example of how sponsorship strategies can enable organisations to reach and engage with existing and new customers.

To find out how BDS can help identify and implement sponsorship strategies for your organisation, be sure to get in touch with a member of our team today.

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

BDS Empowers S&P With Data-Driven Sponsorship Strategy

BDS has delivered a comprehensive sponsorship strategy for industry-leading experts S&P. Tasked with ensuring that the organisation becomes synonymous with energy transition, this ambitious sponsorship strategy is designed to raise awareness of S&P’s capabilities in this space. Utilising data, the strategy identifies a series of trends which can be leveraged by S&P in ways that will enable them to stand out in what is fast becoming a competitive space.

Highlighting a selection of valuable sports sponsorships, live events and digital opportunities, BDS has produced a strategy that will ensure that S&P is able to activate a range of channels to achieve their broader organisational goals.

To find out more about how BDS can help equip your organisation with a sponsorship strategy to accomplish your objectives, be sure to get in touch today.

Photo by Sean Pollock on Unsplash

BDS Creates Sponsorship Strategy for England Squash

Working with the national governing body of squash, BDS is proud to have developed a sponsorship strategy for England Squash. Specially designed to raise the profile of the organisation and improve the visibility of the partnership opportunities available to potential sponsors, the strategy included a branded deck clearly outlining the numerous benefits of such a sports sponsorship. Specifically, the deck reveals how sponsors of Squash England are able to leverage opportunities from the grassroots level through to Team England. As a growing sport freshly added to the Olympic programme, sponsors are also able to become early adopters of what is primed to become a far more popular sport.

Already attracting more than 260,000 members, the sports sponsorship opportunities available with England Squash provide businesses with a unique opportunity to raise their profile with a growing and diverse community. Indeed, Squash England has recently launched the Squash at the Mosque initiative which seeks to bring a greater inclusivity to the sport. This initiative is supported by similar projects like Squash Girls Can and Squash Stars, both of which strive to increase engagement with the sport across all areas of society.

Made possible by sponsoring individual players and establishing a presence at events as well as over broadcasts, the partnership is ideal for organisations seeking to increase their brand awareness. With an established presence at events like The Professional Squash League (PSL), British National Championships and other significant squash events, prospective sponsors are invited to engage with a wide-reaching audience.

Ultimately, the sports sponsorship strategy for England Squash enables businesses to participate in high-profile events, with exclusivity, taking advantage of significant opportunities brought together with a clear social purpose.

To find out more about how we can help connect your business with sponsors, be sure to get in touch today.