Apr 27, 2021 at 12:00 AM
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Five Sponsorship Categories for Spring 2021
As more get vaccinated and stadiums start to refill stands, several sponsor categories are ramping back up. Here's a few we recommend keeping an eye on heading into the late Spring/Summer.
Performance Recovery - Though the category's name is a bit ambiguous, performance recovery companies like Theragun and Hyperice have made it one of the most active categories in 2020. Hyperice, in particular rapidly grew its sponsorship portfolio partnering with pro sports leagues including the NBA, NFL, MLB, UFC and PGA Tour, as well as pro sports teams including Tottenham Hotspur and the New Zealand All Blacks. Look for Hyperice and other companies to land grab in this red hot category well in 2021.
Secure Identification - Expect companies like CLEAR and Identogo to play a key critical role in safely helping events and venues determine who's been vaccinated and who's not. Earlier this month, the National Basketball Association partnered with CLEAR, the secure identity company, to make CLEAR's Health Pass technology available to NBA teams for COVID-19 health screenings in their arenas.
Gyms - As the weather warms up and more people get comfortable with gym environments, look for companies like Planet Fitness to spend more on marketing to get people back in the gym. Since so many cancelled memberships during COVID-19, the next few months may offer a rare land grab opportunity to gain market share with extra marketing spend.
Spirits - While spirit sales were largely up during Covid-19, spirit-makers have had to curtail to a dead stop one of their largest and most powerful marketing expenditures, experiential marketing. With lots of marketing powder and events and festivals ramping back up, expect hard seltzer and wine companies to jump back into experiential and sponsorships in a big, big way in the coming months. Some of the biggest spenders: Mike's Hard Lemonade, Boston Beer Company and E&J Gallo.
Mortgage Lenders - With mortgage rates at record lows and new home sales rising to a 14-year high expect companies like Quicken Loans/Rocket Mortgage and Guaranteed Rate to continue shopping for new sports and entertainment sponsorships to capitalize on the favorable macro environment.
