Creativebrief: Will the Women’s Rugby World Cup be a tipping point for sponsorship?
This should absolutely be the tipping point moment. All the pieces are in place. But a lot of the power to fit them together correctly lies in the hands of brands. Because we’re up against the same old issue as all women’s sports: the lack of both visibility and investment.
Ilona Maher has done an unbelievable job in driving awareness of the sport, transcending the game and almost single-handedly taking it to new audiences (even my decidedly-sport-indifferent eldest found himself at a Harlequins v Bristol Bears game one cold February evening – purely for Ilona). Yet, as impressive as she is, she is still only one person, and recent research from O2 and the Women’s Sport Trust shows that 63% of rugby union fans still aren’t able to name a single player on the England women’s team.
It’s a positive sign on the road towards parity that brands such as Asahi and Gallagher have come onboard, both with strong existing associations with the men’s game. Even more excitingly we’re seeing brands like Wilkinson Sword – who don’t have a history in the men’s game – signing deals.
But we need more. Much more. If we want fans to keep coming back, we need to be telling the stories of these brilliant women, building narratives around the sport to entice fans and make them feel included in the stories of the clubs and the players.
And it’s the brands who hold the keys to this. By investing in partnerships, putting players in the spotlight, telling their stories and making them heroes. And it can’t just be for a moment in time. It needs to be an ongoing commitment, one that will reap future rewards. Getting ahead of the curve is everything. So what are you waiting for?