Author: Sean Connell

Sean Connell is Editor of The Sponsor. He regularly publishes articles, interviews senior marketing leaders, hosts private events and leads The Sponsor's valuation research, market analysis and annual industry studies.

Cultural moments to commercial outcomes: The strategy behind BT’s EURO 2028 sponsorship

Cultural moments to commercial outcomes: The strategy behind BT’s EURO 2028 sponsorship

May 28, 2026 |

The media landscape is fragmented. Audiences are dispersed across streaming platforms, social media channels, creators, and second screens, making it harder than ever for brands to participate in moments that genuinely unite the public at scale. For BT, that is precisely what made UEFA EURO 2028 impossible to ignore. The telecommunications giant, which recently refreshed...
How Continental Tyres is building brand consideration from the grassroots up

How Continental Tyres is building brand consideration from the grassroots up

May 18, 2026 |

For Continental Tyres, sponsorship is not just about visibility. In a category where consumers rarely think about tyres until they urgently need them, the brand believes community investment and long-term emotional connection can have a greater impact on purchasing decisions than logo exposure alone. Peter Robb, Marketing Director at Continental Tyres, explained to The...
Are we entering a fifth phase of sponsorship? MSQ’s Steve Martin thinks so

Are we entering a fifth phase of sponsorship? MSQ’s Steve Martin thinks so

May 13, 2026 |

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...
Lidl and UEFA: When a sponsorship works, have the conviction to go all in

Lidl and UEFA: When a sponsorship works, have the conviction to go all in

May 7, 2026 |

A partnership that's truly aligned and delivering fully against brand objectives is hard to find. If you're lucky enough to achieve one, the next step is to invest with conviction and build something that lasts. That’s the partnership LIDL is building with UEFA. We spoke to Robin Ruschke, Head of Marketing at Lidl International, about what that decision looks like in...
JM Finn and Surrey: Proof that sponsorship value compounds

JM Finn and Surrey: Proof that sponsorship value compounds

Apr 30, 2026 |

Long-term value beats new audiences. There is always a pull in sponsorship towards the new: new audiences, new platforms, new sports. More often than not, however, the brands that generate the most value are the ones that stay. Not because they lack ambition, but because sponsorship value compounds. The longer a partnership runs, the stronger the association becomes, the...
Data driven sposnsorship