Six Sponsor Categories for Summer 2020
What a difference a year makes. Last Summer, we were talking about all of the sponsorship categories that pick-up activity over the summer months, and this year we'll all be lucky if there are events for sponsors to sponsor. SponsorPitch stats show that the number of new sponsorship deals is down 34% from pre-Covid (March), though the month/month decline slowed in May (-12%) compared to April (-26%). As you're probably aware though, all situations, even those as awful as Coronavirus, create new opportunities for sponsorship deals. Here are seven categories to be pitching right now.
Cannabis - While all industries face headwinds from Covid-19, CBD is one of the few categories that has maintained a steady sponsorship deal flow. Nanocraft, Kadenwood and cbdMD are among those recently signing new sponsorships.
Pain Relief - Blue-Emu and Performance Health are two pain relievers that have steadily increased sports sponsorship investments over the past 12 months.
Grooming Products - A first-timer on our quarterly categories to watch, home grooming products are one of the few categories that are thriving during the Covid-19 crisis. DIY grooming companies like Manscaped have been snapping up high profile sponsorship opps recently with sports being one of the most direct ways of reach male viewers in the absence of experiential marketing.
Data Security & Storage - With more workforces decentralized, companies are in some cases playing catching up to ensure that their software systems are up to current standards for back-up, disaster recovery and security. Leaders in the field like Acronis are using sponsorships to stay top-of-mind with IT departments having signed four high-profile sponsorship deals in the last quarter alone.
Auto Parts & Services - From purchasing autos online to parts and services, summer naturally sees a spike in auto traffic as consumers take to the road. Given that consumers are wary of flying, companies in this category are banking on longer summer roadtrips. A few of the companies active in this category recently include Advance Auto Parts, CarParts.com and AutoTrader.
DFS & Gambling - This is a no-brainer. As more and more states legalizing gambling and a need for additional state revenue, look for a land grab similar to daily fantasy a few years back. Last week, the Broncos added two sports betting sponsors. With more states legalizing and new entrants (see MKF) looking for their slice of the sports betting and fantasy space, expect many more deals to follow.
