Are we entering a fifth phase of sponsorship? MSQ’s Steve Martin thinks so
Sponsorship has never stood still. It has evolved in clear phases, each adding a new layer of sophistication to how brands engage audiences.
It began with branding and brand awareness. Digital and social engagement built on top of that. Social purpose added another dimension. More recently, data has enhanced how brands understand and measure audiences. According to Steve Martin, Co-Founder of MSQ Sport + Entertainment, the next phase is now emerging. And it is one that places creativity at the centre.
This will be the focus of Martin’s session, “Breaking Through with Creativity”, at The Sponsor’s upcoming Sponsorship Masters event in London on 11th June.
“The industry goes in cycles,” Martin explains. “The early phases were about branding and brand awareness. The next bit was digital and social engagement. Then social purpose. Then we’ve been in the phase of data and understanding the richness of that data. What we believe going forward is that creativity is the one that’s going to be the differentiator.”
From data to application
The shift Martin describes is not a move away from data, but a response to its widespread availability. Brands today have access to more information than ever before. They can track what fans watch, attend, purchase and share, often in real time and across multiple platforms. That level of visibility would have been unthinkable a decade ago.
“There are ten times more sources than there were in the last five or ten years,” Martin says. “That’s a blessing. But then what do you do with that data? Because it’s data overload.”
The challenge is no longer access to insight, but how effectively it is interpreted and applied. Most brands are now working from broadly similar datasets, targeting similar audiences, often within the same sponsorship environments.
“The ability to interpret that data and turn it into a very strategic approach from a sponsor or a brand is vital. However, the only way to differentiate now is not through the data, it’s not through social media, it’s not through the platform,” Martin says. “Because so many brands are doing that. The only way to do it is to be highly creative, sometimes provocative in that space, and sometimes going against the norm,” he says.
That does not mean chasing ideas for their own sake. The objective is not just to be different, but to be effective.
“It’s not creativity for creative sake,” Martin adds. “It’s about work that works.”
What that looks like in practice, and how brands can move from insight to execution, is something Martin will unpack further during his session.
Building for the fifth phase
That creative thinking has shaped how MSQ Sport + Entertainment has been built. Founded by Martin and Jamie Wynne-Morgan, the agency prioritises strategy and creative capability over channel-led execution.
“We’ve invested heavily in strategy,” Martin explains. “Because we used to give that away and go straight to ideas. But if you get a world-class strategy, based on world-class data and information on your audience, then it’s what you do with it.”
The agency takes an agnostic approach to briefs, allowing ideas to dictate execution rather than defaulting to specific channels.
“We come at it from a completely agnostic point of view,” he says. “There’s no ‘we’re going to do advertising’, ‘we’re going to do social’, ‘we’re going to do digital’, ‘we’re going to do events’, ‘we’re going to do PR’.”
Built on a tech-enabled foundation
MSQ’s approach is supported by the wider group’s investment in technology. As part of a network of nearly 2000 people globally, the business has embedded data, AI and audience intelligence into its model as it grows.
“What we can do in this space is build the technology and infuse AI into the business as we grow,” Martin says. “MSQ is building proprietary tools, not just using off-the-shelf platforms.”
Momentum and recognition
The approach has already translated into strong momentum. MSQ Sport + Entertainment was recently named Agency of the Year at both the European Sponsorship Awards and the UK Sponsorship Awards as well as being recognised in PR Week’s Sport Power Book.
The agency has also expanded rapidly, working across partnerships on behalf of Barclays’ O2, Callaway and Glenfiddich.
“We’ve gone into almost mid-size agency territory within 18 months, which is just wild,” Martin says.
Finally, what the fifth phase means for brands
Martin’s view of a fifth phase is not about replacing what came before, but building on it. Brand awareness, digital engagement, purpose and data remain essential. The difference is how effectively they are brought together. Creativity is the layer that determines whether those elements work in isolation or combine to create something truly distinctive.
This is exactly the challenge Sponsorship Masters is designed to address under the event theme: Investment to Impact
Martin’s session will go beyond the theory outlined here, focusing on how brands apply these principles in practice and how to create work that genuinely cuts through. Register below to reserve your place.
Sponsorship Masters registrations: https://sponsorshipmasters.thesponsor.com/
