Heineken Toasts The Best Sponsorship Reputation in Ireland
The Reputations Agency today announced the results of the inaugural Ireland Sponsorship RepTrak® 2018 study. Based on the perceptions of 7,094 members of the public who completed the survey between 5th January and 5th March 2018, the survey measures the consumer perceptions of the sponsorship activities and whether they impact on the corporate reputation for 80 of the largest, most familiar, and most important organisations in Ireland.
Winners
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1. Heineken - 82.2 |
6. Tesco - 78.8 |
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2. Lidl - 81.7 |
7. Credit Unions - 78.1 |
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3. Samsung - 80.4 |
8. Toyota - 77.4 |
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4. SuperValu - 79.9 |
9. Kerry Group - 77.1 |
| 5. The Coca-Cola Company - 79.1 |
10. Aldi – 77.0 |
The Ireland Sponsorship Reptrak® 2018 results and trends were revealed at a breakfast briefing held at The Merrion Hotel this morning where Hans Erik Tuijt, Global Sponsorship Director for Heineken International flew in from Amsterdam to acknowledge the accolade and address some of Ireland’s most influential marketing, sponsorship and communications industry figures.
The Ireland Sponsorship RepTrak® results coincide with the return this weekend of Heineken as title sponsor of Europe’s premier rugby club competition – the Heineken Champions Cup, which will see current champions, Leinster Rugby begin their title defence against Wasps at the RDS.
Hans Erik Tuijt commented, “It is an exciting time for Heineken® to return as the main partner to the European Rugby Champions Cup, the pinnacle of European club rugby. The expansion of the tournament to emerging rugby territories and new cities in traditional strongholds provides Heineken® with the opportunity to create engaging fan experiences and bring our association with rugby to new audiences throughout Europe. Heineken® is proud to have had a close association with rugby for over 20 years and we look forward to watching the competition unfold across the course of the season."
The reputational study also reveals what kind of sponsorships are likely to be perceived by the Irish public as having the most positive impact on a sponsor’s corporate reputation. Although sport dominates the Irish sponsorship landscape, with the sponsorship industry reported to be worth more than €200 million, the study revealed that sponsorship properties that are either cause-related or linked to a charitable drive are most likely to improve an organisation’s reputation, according to 59% of the respondents.
However, this was followed closely by brands establishing strategic partnerships with either national sporting teams/bodies or directly sponsoring local sports clubs. Both kinds of sponsorships were considered by over half of the respondents (each received 52%) as being likely to have a positive effect on an organisation’s reputation.
Unsurprisingly, sport featured predominantly amongst male participants but the younger cohort, those aged 18-24, involved in the study go against the grain. They highlighted venue sponsorships (such as Three Arena/The Aviva Stadium), arts and culture (such as music festivals, comedy festivals, art exhibitions) as well as awards initiatives (such as Irish Book of the Year/People of the Year etc.) as their top three forms of sponsorship that are most likely to enhance an organisation’s reputation. Interestingly, venue sponsorships also featured prominently among the 25-34 age category.
Upon further analysis of the sports sponsorship scene, participants were asked to provide their views on what sport was likely to have the most positive impact on a company’s reputation. The study revealed that seven in ten people (73%) ranked sponsorships associated with GAA Games as the most likely to garner support for an organisation’s reputation. In second place came rugby (53%) followed by football (40%).
According to Gareth Field, Head of Sponsorship at The Reputations Agency, “The Ireland Sponsorship Reptrak® study set out to analyse how sponsorship activities link into the overall reputation for an organisation. The results confirm that organisations aligning their brands with the right sponsorship property can enhance an organisation’s overall reputation. Organisations who are combining national sponsorship properties, communicated through local touch points, with activities which enable them to have a positive influence on society, are those most likely to resonate with their customers and the Irish public in general.”