Women’s sport is at a “crucial inflection point”, according to CEO of the Women’s Sport Trust, Tammy Parlour.
Speaking at an event hosted by the organisation today (8 July) to mark its latest consumer report, Parlour argued increased momentum, coupled with “rising investment” and fan attention, means the opportunity for growth – and for brands to capitalise on women’s sport – is there to be taken.
At the event, marketers from the likes of Guinness, Unilever and Cadbury explained how their businesses are driving results from effective women’s sport sponsorships, moving beyond surface level activations to being proactive and combining purpose with commercial success.
Women’s sport is at a “crucial inflection point”, according to CEO of the Women’s Sport Trust, Tammy Parlour.
Speaking at an event hosted by the organisation today (8 July) to mark its latest consumer report, Parlour argued increased momentum, coupled with “rising investment” and fan attention, means the opportunity for growth – and for brands to capitalise on women’s sport – is there to be taken.
The new consumer report, released today, finds consumers are more likely to buy from a brand that sponsors women’s sport than men’s. Some 9.96 million consumers say they are more likely to purchase from women’s sport sponsors, compared with 8.38 million for men’s sport. This figure is up 2% since 2023.
Moreover, 30% of consumers think more positively of brands that support women’s sport through sponsorship, compared with 20% for men’s sport. The research surveyed a nationally representative sample of 2,080 UK adults and tracked 40 different partnerships.
“The momentum that we’re all feeling is real, but it doesn’t guarantee long term success and long-term sustainability,” Parlour cautioned
“If women’s professional sport is to thrive commercially and culturally, we need to understand what truly drives impact, how to activate in ways that resonate, and how that translates into brand and business outcomes.”
For brands the opportunity is huge. But they’re not all taking it, yet. At the event, marketers from the likes of Guinness, Unilever and Cadbury explained how their businesses are driving results from effective women’s sport sponsorships, moving beyond surface level activations to being proactive and combining purpose with commercial success.
Never settle for basic
For Guinness has shifted its sports partnership strategy from one-off moments to deeper campaigns, explained senior brand manager Nick Pearson.
One example is the brand’s collaboration with IDA Sports for this year’s Guinness Women’s Six Nations. IDA Sports manufactures boots made specifically for female feet, compared with the vast majority of women’s sport shoes which are based on male anatomy.
With IDA, Guinness created the ‘Never Settle’ rugby boot as a way to meet real player needs.
“To be magnetic today brands must be meaningful – people are expecting brands to do more than just say through great advertising. You need to actually do stuff, make actions, make statements, do financial commitments and actually set up the kind of sport that they’re working within for long-term success,” said Pearson.
Given five of the six teams in the tournament adopted the boot, Pearson emphasised it wasn’t just a PR play for Guinness. The brand “took it further” by giving 1,000 pairs to women playing in grassroots rugby, ensuring the campaign got to the “whole pyramid”.
The campaign drove a three figure increase in website traffic and global reach of more than 1 billion people, said Pearson. His advice to brands thinking of activating in the women’s sports space is to resist the desire for perfection.
“No brand gets it right and that’s important to know. It’s always doing better, not the best. That’s important. If you strive for perfection, [you] never get anything done,” Pearson added.
Cultural relevancy beyond badging
For Unilever, creating impact through women’s sport partnerships means connecting with audiences in culturally relevant, meaningful ways, suggested Ashley Goldie, media marketing activation manager in the personal care business, which owns Sure and Rexona.
“It’s not enough to put a logo on it. It’s not enough to go out with a social asset saying, ‘We’re proud to sponsor,’” she said.
Goldie noted how the “savvy female shopper”, who typically controls household buying, “wants more”.
Unilever has repositioned its marketing investment to a social-first approach, as outlined by CEO Fernando Fernandez earlier this year. For sports sponsorship, this looks like moving from sole product ads to engaging with female ambassadors and creators.
“You’re speaking to the mass, but how are you engaging in culture that converts? This is one of the biggest cultural moments of the year and we have to adapt, and be agile,” she added.
While commercial impact through increased sales is important, Goldie also stressed the importance of playing the long game, emphasising that results don’t always come “overnight”.
In terms of how brands should approach women’s sport, particularly if they’ve traditionally worked in the men’s game, Goldie said one of the biggest lessons has been that you can’t apply the “same rulebook” as with men’s sports.
“You have to adapt it into what your audience want and what they expect,” she added.
Embracing stories
For Cadbury, success in women’s sport ties in with the brand’s purpose of “small acts of generosity”.
One example came last season, when the fixture for Manchester United Women versus Chelsea Women was moved.
“We decided, through our small acts of generosity [platform] that we would fund the coaches to go down and support those fans who wanted to go to the game,” said Chris Parker, brand manager for partnerships at Cadbury.
While the brand isn’t a partner with the team, the move helped Cadbury “tap into” fans’ passions through a brand lens.
This year, Cadbury launched its specific women’s football brand platform ‘Game Changing Wins’ with footballers Jill Scott, Leah Williamson, Katie McCabe and Lauren James.
Through “embracing” ambassadorship and “authenticity” the brand saw a tangible shift in effectiveness, said junior brand manager Bethan Williams.
Its first all-female led campaign had a big unique participation rate, Williams added, recruiting more new customers than previous campaigns.
