Marketing National Teams: Proposals For The Attention Of The Commission Of Inquiry, Brazil 2014 World Cup

Contents
0.0 Preamble …/03
1.0 Marketing Options For National Teams …/04

1.1 The National Products …/04
1.2 Bundling Option …/05
1.3 FIFA Marketing Portfolio …/05
1.4 The CAF Marketing Portfolio …/08
1.5 Weighting Values For National Teams …/09

1.5.1 Valuation For Rights Holders …/10
1.5.2 Valuation For Sponsors …/11
1.5.3 Matching Buyers And Sellers Valuations …/11

1.5.4 Value Weights For National Teams …/11
1.6 Prospecting For Sponsors …/12
2.0 Merchandising, Licensing & New Media Rights …/14

2.1 Introduction …/14
2.2 National Teams Trade Properties …/15
2.3 Products & Rights …/15
2.4 New Media & New Opportunities …/17
3.0 Ambush Marketing …/17
3.1 Definition & Scenarios …/17
3.2 Advertising Ambush …/18
3.3 Strategies For Combating Ambush Marketing …/19

3.3.1 Trade Marks And Other IPR …/19
3.3.2 Broadcast Rights …/19
3.3.3 Ticketing Entry Conditions …/20
3.3.4 Licensing Contracts …/20
3.3.5 Control Of Surrounding Environment …/20

3.3.6 Integrated Marketing And Communications …/21

3.4 Ambush And Crisis Management …/21
4.0 Consolidation Of Efforts …/21
5.0 Way Forward & Measurement …/22

1. Preamble

The Commission Of Inquiry, Brazil 2014 World Cup by a letter WCC/REQ/05/14 dated 15^th September, 2014 sought to solicit from Agency, a comprehensive proposal on how to market the various national teams in order to raise funds for the State to finance the activities of the National Teams.

Agency was also advised that for the purposes of putting together the strategic marketing paper should examine the following:-

1. Merchandising of national team paraphernalia, etc.; and
2. Isolation and enhancement of the positive brand attributes of the various national teams and the marketing of same.

The paper thus will seek to address the request of the Commission as well as propose alternatives to existing formats for consideration, including the following:-

1. Marketing Options For National Teams;
2. Merchandising, Licensing & New Media Rights;
3. Ambush Marketing;
4. Consolidation Of Efforts;
5. Way Forward & Measurement.

This is against one simple question which many brands fail to answer properly. Long gone are the days when the company chairman gives money to his favourite team or sport. Now sports sponsorship needs to be part of a fully planned strategy.

Now brands can achieve a number of main objectives through sports sponsorship, including:-

1. Through increased exposure create or raise awareness and brand / product recall;
2. Shift brand perceptions;
3. Drive unit sales or customer interactions;
4. Drive repeat purchase and loyalty;
5. Build database or generate sales leads;
6. Enter new markets or launch new products;
7. Staff incentives, retention and recruitment;
8. Build deeper relationships;
9. Demonstrate Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) credentials; and
10. Gain political influence.

Sponsorship is now much more than firms just handing over money to governing bodies and rights holders for pitch-side promotion on billboards.

The relationship is now becoming a much more textured one as sponsors become aware of the growing non-commercial, and social and political nuances around their roles as financial backers of major sporting events and national teams.

The new realistic approach is that companies and brands are becoming increasingly aware, and have an added push and impetus towards showing ordinary people they are aware that there is a social aspect to being a sponsor.

1. Marketing Options For National Teams

1. The National Products

The products available in respect of the national teams for football are:-

1. Black Stars – senior male team;
2. Black Meteors – the male under-23 or the Olympics team;
3. Black Satellites – the male under-20 team;
4. Black Starlets – the male under-17 team;
5. CHAN – the male local team with players participating in local leagues;
6. Black Queens – senior female team;
7. Black Maidens – the female under-23 team; and
8. Black Princesses – the female under-17 team.

There is greater premium on just the senior male national team, the Black Stars product – as the flagship than any of the junior teams – Meteors, Satellites, Starlets with the CHAN team; and the female teams – Queens, Maidens and Princesses.

1. Bundling Option

Indeed, the same goes for all nations’ national teams’ structure and even within FIFA, UEFA and CAF; and in all cases the senior male team is the flagship, whose brand attributes are always leveraged as a major income earner to support the other national teams.

Even with the official major events, including all the FIFA, CAF and UEFA properties, all marketing right offers are bundled on the back of the flagship event, but weighted for fair share of revenues.

It is important to stress that the teams by themselves have only nominal value. What gives them the real value is the number of events – regional, continental and global that they participate in and offer sponsors and marketing partners opportunities to leverage their relationships for increased revenue, to not only underwrite the cost of sponsorship but also earn profit from the operations. Thus, the number of competitions that the teams qualify to participate in determines the value, even as positions that they reach in such tournaments bring added value / premium.

1. FIFA Marketing Portfolio

At this point it is important to place the FIFA example in perspective for greater appreciation of addressing the issue of marketing all the national teams in a bundle; and as a possible format worth considering.

FIFA holds the rights to the following products / events:-

1. FIFA World Cup;
2. FIFA Under-20 World Cup;
3. FIFA Under-17 World Cup;
4. FIFA Futsal World Cup;
5. FIFA Youth Cup;
6. FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup;
7. FIFA Women’s World Cup;
8. FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup;
9. FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup;
10. FIFA Club World Cup;
11. Olympic Football Tournament – Male & Female (International Olympic Committee - IOC own rights);
12. Youth Olympic Football Tournament – Male & Female (IOC own rights); and
13. FIFA Confederations Cup.

The twenty-two (22) corporate backers pay an estimated £8m to £120m to have their names associated with what is one of the two biggest events in global sport, with more than 3.2 billion global TV viewers.

FIFA has a 3-tier structure for marketing partnerships for its non-TV revenues.

1. There is a top-tier of six (6) premier commercial ‘global partners’, who have a global marketing association with all FIFA events, including non-football platforms.

The six are Adidas, Coca-Cola, Hyundai-Kia, Emirates, Sony and Visa.

As well as being a global partner, Coca-Cola also backs the global trophy tour separately.

1. The second tier of eight (8) events’ ‘sponsors’ have global associations restricted only to the World Cup and the Confederations Cup events / products.

The eight are Budweiser, Castrol, Continental, Johnson & Johnson, McDonalds, Moy Park, Ol, and Yingli.

1. The third tier of eight ‘local partners’, or ‘national supporters’, who have roots in the host nation of a World Cup, and are allowed to promote the association in the domestic market only. The following supported Brazil 2014 World Cup – Apex Brasil, Centauro, Garoto, Itau, Liberty Seguros, Wise Up, FIFA.com and Football For Hope.

To maintain the sponsorship in increasing values, FIFA endeavours to sign on marketing partners over a number of tournaments. For example, Adidas has signed up for the next four World Cups until 2030, and Visa, Coca-Cola and Hyundai-Kia until 2022.

By selling the rights for these firms to be associated with the FIFA World Cup product, it is estimated to make some £850m over a four-year World Cup cycle, making up the majority of its non-TV revenues during an event.

It is imperative to recognize that the value of any national team or the brand is dependent on the number of competitions / tournaments it participates in; the extent that it stays in any particular competition or the various stages it qualifies for, including reaching the finals and winning the ultimate prize; and its marketing potential within non-TV revenues.

To this end, the increasing number of platforms available to showcase a team, including the quality of the event or the platform; the size of the platform like FIFA World Cup and CAF Africa Cup Of Nations; and what sponsors and marketing partners acquire for such values are:-

1. Valuable prime-time media presence – positioning a brand around sport-event ownership, stadium naming, shirt sponsorship, perimeter and hoarding signage, racing cars, bikes or boats – gives sponsors a ‘money can’t buy’ opportunity to deliver their message to a live and often international media audience;
2. Increased recognition and brand equity – turning a brand into a household name is very difficult in a world full of marketing messages. Sponsorship of sport boosts recognition and this translates into commercial value in terms of sales and share price valuation;
3. Gain in trust, confidence and loyalty of valuable consumers – research has shown that consumers are abidingly loyal to brands they trust and that trust is won at an early age. The demography that follows sports tends to be young, relatively wealthy and upwardly mobile; a key target group for brands.
4. Gain positive association and endorsement for their products – positioning their products alongside winners, heroes, icons and role models provides brands a powerful positive association. Their products by comparison with peers will appear more attractive, aspirational and desirable as a result; and
5. Influence consumer choices and drive sales – brands recognize that purchasing and service provider decisions, once made, are often long lasting. They use sports sponsorship to position themselves as a positive presence in the market.

Engaging with sponsors can therefore bring numerous benefits for sports rights holders. They include:-

1. Financial – it is hard to imagine sports continue to exist in its current form without the significant monetary backing sponsorship provides;
2. Value-in-kind – where the brand owner pays for some or all of its sponsorship with products and services required by the rights holder;
3. Access to consumers – brands can open up access to large groups of consumers that the rights holder might want to reach but does not have the means to do so;
4. Image enhancement – a major sponsor will ensure that the property’s profile is raised; and
5. Create a virtuous circle – once one sponsor is on board it is far more likely that others will wish to become involved.

1. The CAF Marketing Portfolio

Also find it appropriate for a look at the marketing / product portfolio of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and their marketing partners / sponsors:-

1. Africa Cup Of Nations (AFCON);
2. African Nations Championship (CHAN);
3. African Youth Championship;
4. CAF Under-17 Championship;
5. CAF Champions League;
6. CAF Confederation Cup;
7. CAF Super Cup; and
8. African Women’s Championship.

The title sponsor for almost all CAF competitions, with the exception of the African Women Championship (AWC) is Orange communications; the title sponsor for the AWC is tn mobile.

The other sponsors bundled for all the CAF competitions include Standard Bank; IFD – Kapital; Adidas; Pan-Atlantic; Pepsi, Doritos and Samsung – indeed, it is the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), CAF’s flagship event which is leveraged for sponsorship to support all its events and activities.

In the particular instance of the 9^th African Women Championship hosted by Namibia, there were additional sponsors as they related to broadcast rights, namely SABC, beinsports and SuperSports.

1. Weighting Values For National Teams

The valuation of a sponsorship depends on a number of factors, including:-

1. Branding and signage – where the sponsor’s logos will appear at events, the prominence of signs and the time that they are on show;
2. Media – where, when and for how long will sponsors logos appear on TV, in print and online during coverage of events;
3. Marketing rights – association that the sponsor can claim in its marketing and promotions;
4. Athlete appearances – the use a sponsor can make of specific athletes / footballers at events or in promotions;
5. Hospitality – access to event tickets and corporate client opportunities; and
6. Leads – data that the sponsor will obtain that can be converted into sales.

There are six (6) steps to a perfect fit between a sponsor and a rights holder. Similar to passion, fit often seems hard to define and value. It can be defined as the level of the connectivity between the sponsor and the rights holder. However, there are some elements sellers can focus on, namely:-

1. Demographic – does the fan base of the sport match the marketing objective of the brand?
2. Media – will the sponsor’s logo appear within a range of media that is relevant and valuable?
3. Opportunities – does the sponsorship agreement offer the chance for a sponsor to connect in different ways such as corporate hospitality and staff retention;
4. Image – does, or could, the image of the sport fit with the brand’s target image;
5. Values – does the brand have stated values or a mission which are embodied by the sport; and
6. Competition – does the sponsorship work by blocking a competing brand’s marketing opportunity.

The starting point will be two (2) valuations from the point of the rights holders and then the sponsor.

For rights holders, the value of a sponsorship agreement can be determined by a simple equation:-

(Value of tangible benefits) X (passion premium) ÷ (uncertainty factor) = value

The passion premium is inevitably subjective but can be justified by:

• Research: how likely are fans to prefer a sponsor’s products;
• History: how many more units did a previous sponsor sell; and
• Benchmarks: how have other equivalent sports properties changed for similar product.

How much uncertainty affects value will depend upon:-

• The nature of the competition – a straight knockout competition like tennis will have more uncertainty for sponsors than a league;
• The market in which the property exists; and
• The importance of winning – sometimes it just does not matter. It is just a matter of being seen.

Valuation for sponsors follows a similar equation.
(Value of tangible benefits needed) X (Passion premium) ÷ (Uncertainty factor) + (Fit factor) = Value

Sponsors would only value the tangible benefits they actually want, and may well apply very different values to passion and uncertainty.

Putting a value on fit will be different for each sponsor and will depend upon their objectives and their customers.

The two equations from the rights holder (seller) and the sponsor (buyer) can deliver radically different valuations but the following tips may help bridge the gap:-

1. The seller must ensure that tangible benefits match sponsors’ needs: it is always going to be hard work to justify international exposure to a business which is essentially local;
2. The seller must ensure that a basic fit between the sports demographic and sponsors’ target market;
3. The seller should at all times ensure that there is data to back up valuations; and
4. The seller should consider the level of uncertainty to facilitate closure: listening hard to find points of fit and value for sponsors.

The best marketing option to cover all national teams is bundling within these proposed weights or percentiles, leveraged on the premium on the Black Stars, the flagship product:-

1. Black Stars - 60%
2. Black Meteors - 10%
3. Black Satellites - 09%
4. CHAN - 06%
5. Black Queens - 06%
6. Black Starlets - 05%
7. Black Maidens - 03%
8. Black Princesses - 01%
9. Total - 100%

The teams’ qualification and subsequent participation in the listed tournaments of both FIFA and CAF determine the aggregate uncertainty factor that is key to assessing the value of sponsorship.

1. Prospecting For Sponsors

It will be important to categorize the targets or areas for sponsorship, especially so that as a nation we could maximize the revenues that would adequately resource the operations of all the national teams, if we are to abate state expenditure for same.

However, it will be critical to underscore the necessity for state involvement in prospecting for new sponsors for the national teams, but in partnership with the Ghana Football Association (GFA) for good reason.

The current GFA sponsors for the Black Stars include:-

1. Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) as Headline Sponsor;
2. Guinness Ghana Breweries Limited as Official Beverages Company;
3. UniBank as the Official Bank;
4. Checki Ghana as Official Online Vehicles partner;
5. RiceMasters as the Official Food Partner;
6. Huawei as the Official Technology Partner; and
7. Latex Foam as Official Dreams Partner.

Going forward, it is proposed that the following categories are considered as a template for prospecting for sponsors for the national teams, either on bundling and or for specific national teams due to their unique nature:-

There will be the need to segment the prospecting into level of sponsorship or different types of sponsors, including:-

1. Sole or Headline Sponsor – such a sponsorship should be bundled to cover all national teams across board;
2. Global Sponsor – such sponsors, primarily multi-nationals in character; and possibly sponsors of major football events organised by either FIFA and CAF could be locally prospected and bundled for all national teams;
3. Local Sponsors – such sponsors shall be of two levels, primary and secondary or co-sponsor; and their rights shall be more limited in scope.

1. Primary sponsors would have exclusivity rights in business category to avoid overlap; and
2. Secondary or Co-Sponsors would have much more limited rights for such second tier local sponsors for several advantages. This increases publicity for the national teams when participating in the qualifying series of any major event or qualified to participate in actual tournament; they are always interested in also sponsoring the live telecast of such tournaments that Ghana participates in; they spread risk in case one sponsor defaults; and often bring in more revenue than a single sponsor alone or limited number of sponsors.
   1. Official Suppliers – such sponsors often require limited sponsorship association in return for providing technical services or products crucial to the sustenance of all national teams bundled for offer.

   This is one option available to grow the number of corporate backers and sponsors for all the national teams and thus position the rights holder to wean itself of central government financial support over say, a 4-year period.

   1. Merchandising, Licensing & New Media Rights
   1. Introduction
   
   One critical untapped source of income stream which the rights holders of all the National Teams could use for its development will be the management of Merchandising and Licensing Rights from its trademarks, if properly harnessed.

   A trademark includes any word, name, symbol, or device, or any combination thereof used by a person or institution such as rights holders of all National Football Teams to identify and distinguish his or her goods / products / players, both past and present from those of other national teams and to indicate the source of the goods, even if that source is unknown.

   National Teams’ Trademarks therefore will allow the rights holders to distinguish its merchandising & licensing products and to prevent consumer confusion among products, and protect the means they have chosen to identify their products or services.

   1. National Teams Trade Properties

   National Teams’ Trademarks for its merchandising and licensing products can be distinctive words – Black Stars, Black Starlets, Black Maidens, Black Princesses, Black Meteors, Black Satellites, Black Queens, phrases, logos, symbols, slogans or other things that identify the source of the product and make it distinctive.

   A trademark can either be inherently distinctive, or it can gain its distinctiveness over a period of time by being associated with a particular product or service.

   1. Products & Rights
   
   The list of items which the rights holder of all the National Teams should issue licenses for rights to produce and sell for fixed periods shall include the under-listed items and for corresponding annual fees:-
   1. Apparel - Polo & T-Shirts / Shirts / Sweatshirts / Caps*;
   2. Shoes*;
   3. Bedsheets / Pillow Cases;
   4. Boxer Shorts & Singlets*;
   5. Towels*;
   6. School Bags*;
   7. Wrist Bands*;
   8. Wrist Watches*;
   9. Car Stickers;
   10. Bottled Water;
   11. Fridge Magnets;
   12. Bantam Banners;
   13. Belts;
   14. Wall Plaques;
   15. Trainers*;
   16. Glasses, Coffee Mugs & Cups;
   17. Bandanas*;
   18. Replica Jerseys**;
   19. Singlets*;
   20. Ties & Scarves*;
   21. Blazers*;
   22. Cellphone Pouches / iPhone / Smartphone covers;
   23. Pendants ;
   24. US / Canada Car License Plate Frames;
   25. Flags;
   26. Cuff Links / Lapel Pins; and
   27. Keyholders / Badges / Key Rings.

   For the merchandising and licensing rights sales to be very successful, there would have to be conscious efforts to consolidate as well as grow the brand of all the national teams, either individually or bundled, to the extent that these products would be very well patronized both locally and globally, wherever the national teams will be participating in any of the FIFA, IOC and CAF competitions.

   However, there are issues of the agreement with PUMA as Kit / Technical Sponsor and some of the asterisk items since they might be part of the clauses under their agreement. Admittedly, they have offices and shops in Ghana except that their prices are not for mass purchases. What could be explored is for PUMA to sell local license rights to local supplier to produce replica jerseys** for mass sales.

   Even more importantly, there will be the need to evolve initial annual fees for license acquisition for the merchandising and then the full list advertised in the national dailies as expression of interests.

   1. New Media & New Opportunities

   There is also now the issue of new media, which the rights holder could exploit and build upon to grow the bundled brand as there is now big increase in brand promotion via social media.

   Indeed, digital consumption is now central to any sponsorship strategies especially in leveraging brands for fans engagement. Facebook and YouTube are gradually becoming the largest markets and most unique visiting platforms for the targets of sponsors, who are now positioning themselves to take advantage of this new phenomenon.

   Sponsors now use social media to activate their sponsorships’ integrated campaigns, recognizing that social media offers uniquely more intimate engagement but in return requires a more well-designed and considered approach.

   It is important therefore that brands stop differentiating between online and offline media as we live in an increasingly seamless world and successful social media campaigns are seamlessly integrated campaigns. This has created a new market for the development of various application software for sponsors to adopt and use.

   However, it is also important to understand how each platform works and tailor content to the specifics of each platform, including Twitter and Instagram through various initiatives undertaken by sponsors such as using Twitter cards to vote for Man of the Match at various tournaments.

   The new media platforms and the opportunities they offer is proving that bigger budget does not necessarily translate into higher reach and impact – creativity plays an enormous role.

   1. Ambush Marketing
   1. Definition & Scenarios

   The business of sports, like the sport itself, can be very unpredictable. Actions by rival companies or performers and teams themselves, both deliberate and unintentional can significantly damage a sponsor’s interests.

   With sports properties asking large sums from their sponsors it is essential that anything that confuses or distracts from the message is taken seriously.

   Ambush attempts and crisis of various kinds need to be anticipated and planned for, if the exercise of prospecting for increased financial support for all the national teams is to be successful and achieve its set goals and objectives.

   The International Olympic Committee (IOC) defines AMBUSH as “all intentional and unintentional attempts to create a false or unauthorized association with a sponsored event or a team.”

   With the cost of sponsorship often very high, brand owners sometimes seek to create ways of associating with sport without the expense of becoming an official sponsor.

   Ambush can encompass nearly any communication where the third party is seeking a commercial advantage but without any permission being granted by the rights holder or authority. As well as sponsorship, it also extends to merchandising, advertising, sales promotions, websites, mobile phone downloads and many other aspects of brand communications. As well as reducing the money going to sports, it can also be a ‘spoiler’ tactic designed to distract attention away from a rival brand who is an official sponsor.

   
   Advertising ambush is perhaps the most calculated and effective form of ambush marketingwhere a non-official sponsor gives the impression that they are formally associated with a property or uses the ambush to spoil or overshadow an official sponsor’s campaign. This is very common in Ghana, where non official sponsors of the Black Stars would place full page adverts in the national dailies to congratulate the team on winning a match and or qualifying for a FIFA and or CAF tournament, or and a stage of the tournament.

   Typical techniques of ambush advertising include:-

   
   There are a number of strategies that could be considered going forward:-

   3.3.1Trade Marks And Other IPR
   Primary among the steps necessary to protect against ambush marketing is ensuring that the sports rights holder has effectively protected, usually via trade mark registration, the principal visual identities of the national teams, from names and logos to the obligatory mascot and merchandise.

   3.3.2Broadcast Rights
   Photography and broadcast rights should be controlled within the realm of common sense. Souvenir and hoardings, either on-site or near the focus of the national teams’ matches and accommodation should also be tightly controlled.

   3.3.3Ticketing Entry Conditions
   To protect against spectator ambush, terms and conditions of entry need to be tightly adhered to. National Teams’ local matches should provide protection for sponsors in that rival brand owners cannot use tickets as part of unofficial corporate hospitality at such matches, including branding supporter-groups’ wears.

   3.3.4Licensing Contracts
   Apart from the fact that the sports rights holder must own the IPR and related rights, it is essential that it effectively controls the disposition of such rights via effective licensing contracts.

   It is vital for example, to ensure that the sports rights holder not only warrants its ownership and control of IPR but also that it is contractually obligated to defend the rights of the licensed sponsors. Sponsors should have an independent contractual right of enforcement if the sport’s rights holder decides not to take action in the face of ambush marketing by competitor brand owners. Also vital among the assurances that a sponsor must receive from the sports rights holder is the effective control by contract of other sponsors or other brand owners who have an affiliation with the property.

   Each sponsor or affiliate should be made aware of the specific rights granted to all other sponsors and affiliates in their contract. In this way, each field for which exclusivity is sought is defined so that the most frustrating of all types of ambush scenarios – where one bona fide sponsor ambushes another – can be effectively avoided.

   3.3.5Control Of Surrounding Environment

   Sports rights holders owe their sponsors a high level of service that should always include policing the physical environment around the venues of all national teams’ local matches. Similarly, sponsors must be proactive in monitoring the activities of their competitors – this includes billboards and precincts around where national teams’ local matches are played or take place. However, such policing needs to be done under the laws relating to competition and should not amount to an abuse of power or other activity that could be viewed by the courts as anti-competitive behaviour of restraint of trade.

   3.3.6Integrated Marketing And Communications

   Integrated marketing and communications can help to eliminate competitive advertising and reduce the risk of the official sponsor being ambushed by a competitor brand owner. Essentially, an integrated marketing and communications programme secures the TV rights and broadcast time, the signage, the sponsorship property and promotional opportunities in a single package. Increasingly, these rights also include web and mobile platforms.

   
   Crisis can occur in sponsorship.
   These can affect both the sponsor and the rights holder. It is crucial to have robust contingency plans to cover these and it is important to view any incident coolly and ask, ‘is this a crisis’? Negative publicity should not always be viewed as a crisis, however, if one’s core values are being questioned and it looks like serious damage may be done to the national teams’ brand, one need to have a well prepared crisis management plan.
   1. Consolidation Of Efforts

   In all the discussions heretofore, we have advisedly shied away from the issue of the rights holder for all the national teams for good reason and for interpretation purposes.

   We consider it a matter of FIDUCIARY as against PROPRIETARY, especially as in the matter of merchandising and licensing rights, dealing with ambush marketing, logo to use by licensees, recognized body to execute contracts on behalf of all the national teams as a property, and the management of benefits due any sponsor, the appropriate body would be the GHANA FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION (GFA) and not the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

   However, for the exercise to be very successful in achieving set objectives, it would be more than appropriate for a collaborative strategy involving both the Ministry of Youth and Sports / Government of Ghana on one side and the Ghana Football Association (GFA) on the other part, ensuring that there is the consolidation of efforts, leveraging government’s clout of approach to captains of industry to support all the national teams and making inroads into such areas as mining, oil and gas.

   It is also important that the two parties both strengthen and use the Public Interest Committee (PIC) to manage this new initiative for greater transparency and accountability as an option. This should not take away the possibility of exploring other vehicle for managing the funds that would be secured as part of the process of weaning central government off the load of financing national teams in any sport.

   The other alternative is the organisation of a national sports lottery for the purposes of funding all sports, including their national teams (including football) for specific international games and tournaments.

   1. Way Forward & Measurement

   Successful sponsorship can bring enormous benefits to both rights holder and brand: the rights holders it can help better the property significantly through financial, in-kind benefit or other gain, whereas brands can drive sales, awareness or other goals through activation.

   It is important to note however that sponsorship contracts can collapse if they are not legally watertight; recognizing that sponsorship is a very diverse industry with a sponsor for every kind of sports property. It is also competitive and depends on a professional approach.

   As rights holders, the collaborators and representing body should know what their proposition can offer and be prepared to back it up with data. It is expected that the rights holders will research potential sponsor as it is all about what one can achieve for a sponsor and thus need to try to understand what sponsors will want.

   The rights holder should either build in-house capacities or engage professionals to handle issues; however there will be the need to take opportunities to gain skills; follow trends in sponsorship; and build database of contacts.

   Sponsorship can meet a host of marketing and communications objectives but success will prove far more likely with a planned strategy.

   Measurement is an absolutely crucial part of the sponsorship process. Regular evaluation helps assessment of how effective the sponsorship message is being received, and helps to correctly shape future leverage. It should be carried out at regular intervals throughout the sponsorship programme; using measurements that track particular objectives.

   Going forward, measurement should be one key deliverable that rights holders should use to assure sponsors of continued support for all national teams, if we are to succeed in weaning government off the enormous responsibility of funding all national teams.