How to Make a Sponsorship Deal Actually Get Noticed How to Build Customer Loyalty Without Relying on Discounts
Most sponsorships go unnoticed. After the payment is made and the logo displayed, it is often forgotten within weeks. I have observed this pattern repeatedly. But sponsoring an event or a sports team actually has marketing perks that you are yet to unlock. In this blog, we discuss how you can make the most of your sponsorship deals and why giving out free merch is still the most effective way.
Why Logo Placement Alone Doesn’t Work
A logo on a banner is passive. Attendees often overlook banners at events. Sponsorship gains attention when it encourages interaction, whether through items people use or experiences they remember. The goal is to move from being seen to being experienced.
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Get Physical With Branded Merchandise
In my experience, merchandise turns passive sponsorship into active engagement. A branded item distributed at an event provides ongoing exposure as attendees continue to use it. Match the product to the audience; for example, a branded cap suits an outdoor festival, while a drink bottle is more appropriate for a fun run. When the item fits the occasion, it is more likely to be used. A pull-up banner rarely stops anyone.
Signage remains important, but placement is more effective than size. Entry points, stage backdrops, and photo areas receive more attention than banners placed in less visible locations. A well-positioned display is more valuable than a larger, poorly placed one.
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Give Away Something People Actually Want
Give away something people need during the event. Examples are:
- Pens for career fairs or conferences
- Lanyards for trade shows
- Towels, shirts, tote bags, or water bottles for fun runs or marathons
- Stress balls for a seminar on mental health
- Golf tees or equipment during golf tournaments
- Hand clappers or stubby coolers for sporting events
When an item helps make the experience better for them, they tend to remember you as a sponsor.
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Engage the Audience, Don’t Just Advertise to Them
In my experience, the Sponsors are most memorable when they engage directly with attendees. Staff who interact with visitors, host brief activities, or personally distribute branded items create stronger brand recall than signage alone.
- Treating the logo as the whole strategy. Visibility on paper doesn’t equal visibility in the room.
- Choosing merchandise that doesn’t suit the audience or event. A branded umbrella at a summer beach event misses the moment entirely.
- Under-briefing staff on site. If your team doesn’t know how to engage attendees, the sponsorship loses most of its value.
- Ignoring the moment after the event. Sponsorship exposure shouldn’t stop when the event ends. Photos, tagged posts, and merchandise still in use all extend the value.
- Spending the whole budget on the deal and nothing on activation. The sponsorship fee gets you the opportunity. The activation is what makes people notice.
How We Help With Our Insights
When selecting products for a sponsorship, consider the event type, audience, and time of year. Ariane Milarpez, account manager at Cubic Promote, expressed it well: “I love it when someone reaches out, asks for a quote, and decides to place an order with us. It’s genuinely rewarding when they trust our recommendations and feel confident in the final decision they’ve made.” Confidence in the chosen product is important, as sponsors who trust their selection are more likely to fully commit, rather than choose something generic.
How Cubic Promote Can Help You Get Noticed
A sponsorship deal delivers value only when it captures attention, which depends on how the opportunity is utilised, not the size of the logo. Sponsors who prioritise visibility over simple placement are remembered long after the event concludes.
