Media sponsorship is proliferative in the Middle East; but does TV sponsorship mark the end of the 30-second TVC? Alice Johnson reports.
Media sponsorships appear in many different guises: from a wraparound newspaper or magazine cover, to promotion in movie breaks and sponsorship announcements for specific radio programmes.
Television sponsorship is ever-prevalent in the current media landscape, as is radio and print sponsorship. Does this increasing interest in TV sponsorship in particular, however, mean the death of the traditional 30-second TVC?
Rani Raad, VP, ad sales, CNN ME, says: "Over the past two years we have seen bigger sponsorship deals; as time has gone by, it [sponsorship] has grown in the region.
"There are more recommendations from agencies and media owners for clients to use sponsorship and move away from the 30-second campaign."
Raad adds, however, that sponsorship is "complementary", because the most successful medium is the one with the "clearest message", which "helps build brand awareness".
"Any campaigns we have, every sponsorship also has a 30-second ad; it always culminates with a 30-second spot on behalf of the client," he says.
TV sponsorship, therefore, is usually best utilized in conjunction with more traditional mediums, such as advertising.
So has TV sponsorship changed or is it currently changing?
Mazen Hayek, group director, marketing, PR & commercial, MBC Group, comments: "TV sponsorship has evolved over the past few years, and is now a powerful option for marketers to gain greater visibility. At the end
of the day, you can cut through and target specific audiences."
The 30-second TV spot, however, has been extremely popular for a very long time. Is TV sponsorship therefore a real threat to its continued popularity as a way of directly targeting consumers in the home and even out and about with modern technology?
Hayek says: "The 30-second TV spot remains the main weapon in the communications arsenal for marketers. It is here to stay. Sponsorship is not a replacement, it's a complement."
Living on air
Despite the popularity of the TVC and TV sponsorship working in partnership, other media can provide ample targeting opportunities.
Radio sponsorships, for example, can reach specific target markets, wherever the consumer may be (e.g. driving, at home or at work).
The opportunities for radio sponsorship are wide, with a plethora of stations in many different languages, airing to diverse target audiences. In this respect, targeting is relatively straightforward.
Etisalat helped to establish and currently sponsors the 'Sabah Al Noor' religious programme, on Qu'ran FM.
Haitham Al Kharusi, director, marketing communications, Etisalat, says: "It is important for any company to understand where its customers are and how to reach them in the most effective way. Using traditional means through a la carte radio or outdoor doesn't necessarily mean you will actually reach your targets.
"If you want to reach them, you have to understand what types of media they consume. In this context, we are reaching a segment of religious targets who meet our profile base."
Etisalat sponsors 'Sabah Al Noor' in order to target two specific groups; "those who are predominantly more religiously orientated than others" according to Al Kharusi.
"A lot of people listen to the station... the audience is growing because people like to start the day with positive vibes and learn how to get closer to God. This isn't just religious, but it's also lifestyle-related," he says.
The second are individuals who drive to work in the mornings: a huge segment for the Middle East, particularly in the UAE.
Is radio sponsorship therefore the most effective medium through which to target consumers?
Not necessarily, according to Al Kharusi, who uses a combination of sponsorship and advertising to reach these specific segments.
Sponsorship, it seems, is not always particularly discernable from ad media.
"It all depends on how you want to reach out to your consumers. A lot of people mistake sponsorship for advertising; which is why we are now trying to do advertising as well as sponsorship," he says.
He continues that engagement and one-to-one contact is all-important: "You need to look at your customers and find out how to interact with them about products and services."
Hold the front page
Print sponsorships for newspapers and magazines take numerous forms; from a simple logo displayed on a cover, to a sponsor's note in the front of the publication or even a complete false cover.
The Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) has undertaken a number of print sponsorships. These include the launch of Conde Nast's Traveler World of Luxury Supplement and GQ Magazine's Travel Guide.
Sponsoring these publications enabled the ADTA to tap-into a specific target audience.
Ali Al Hosani, marketing division manager, ADTA, explains: "Sponsorship of the GT Travel Guide enabled ADTA to target a key market for Abu Dhabi: the discerning male traveler... [it] enabled us to showcase everything Abu Dhabi has to offer..."
So why was print sponsorship chosen over TV or radio, for example?
Al Hosani says: "As a high-profile luxury destination, Abu Dhabi is targeting a core set of discerning travelers and the sponsorship packages enabled us to tailor our messages to target this group of travelers directly.
"Whereas radio and TV can reach a large audience very quickly, these print sponsorship opportunities enable us to effectively target the type of traveler who is most likely to book a holiday to Abu Dhabi in a cost-effective manner," he says.
He continues that print sponsorship was used to give the destination a level of credibility that often could not be gained through stand-alone adverts.
Endorsement in this respect can benefit brands through building trust with the target audience - one of the main benefits of sponsorship in general.
Expense tracking
As with all marketing media, expense and measurement of ROI are vitally important. Brand awareness and ROI from media sponsorship is no exception; however, it is difficult to measure.
Raad at CNN, says: "There are two ways to measure [sponsorship]: one is that clients return and the second is measuring [brand] awareness. This is a test before and after a campaign to measure awareness of it.
"Most sponsors come back and maintain the association for a long time, not one-off deals. They return for two, three or four years, which shows that they have had positive feedback and that our viewers are watching the show," he says.
Hayek at MBC, concurs: "Most multi-national clients do pre- and post-advertising research assessments, to tell if their brand campaigns/ ad campaigns have created brand recognition, loyalty and retention.
"From our side, the only proof that it's working is that most multinational clients come back with more sponsorship packages. If prime-time slots are responsive, it's sure to say that it's working, and we want it to work for them."
Measurement is also key for radio sponsorship.
Al Kharusi at Etisalat, says: "Measurement is difficult: obviously the radio station is now like TV. The way to make it [sponsorship] accountable is to have audited measurements, so you can say 'yes, I get 100,000 listeners, making sure that it is the most popular radio station in the segment and population. There are now tools coming out that will be able to do this [measure]."
So what is the best way to reach consumers if print, TV and radio can all offer sponsorships, each with their respective issues?
Hayek at MBC, says: "As I always say, it takes three to tango: consumer, media and advertiser. Advertising is the most transparent [medium] - and gives a better experience for viewers. If you have the ratings and the look and feel that you ought to have, then you practically can't go wrong."
© Gulf Marketing Review 2007
