The evolution of cause sponsorship in sport

If you’d have mentioned purposeful/cause/sustainable sponsorship in the sports industry 20 years ago, chances are you would have drawn a number of blank looks.

But this week’s guest, Kevin Bartram, did just that when, venturing out on his own in the late-90s, he decided that sport sponsorship should be about more than just money and exposure. There was a real chance, he saw, for brands and sports properties to do good while achieving their own objectives.

During this episode, Bartram discusses how sponsorship has changed in the subsequent decades, using a partnership that he brokered between the San Francisco Giants and PG&E to demonstrate what can be done when you bring together two organisations with similar values who are ready to innovate in the name of progress.

Over the course of the conversation, Bartram explains:

• Why social and environmental purpose is set to go mainstream in sport sponsorship
• How sports properties can identify the right partners
• What needs to be done to cultivate a partnership that benefits both parties and achieve wider objectives