Harnessing the power of public relations - Eight ways in which PR can turbo charge your sponsorship

A charitable instinct: Betting firms are not flavour of the month right now, but there’s no question Paddy Power has proved the master of sponsorship-based PR activations. Lucky Pants and Save Our Shirt attracted plaudits, but both perhaps have been trumped by Paddy Power’s Big 180 Charity Darts Campaign. Spun off the back of the World Darts Championship, the goal of this campaign was to raise awareness of Prostate Cancer and funds for charity Prostate Cancer UK. In a characteristically funny execution, the sponsor gave the charity £1000 for every player who hit ‘180’ at the WDC. It raised £1m and a smile or two along the way. The campaign highlighted the power of sponsorship and PR when a charitable beneficiary is thrown into the mix.

The integrated attack: The beauty of sponsorship-based PR activations is that they can be launched from any direction. Working with Red Consultancy, McDonald’s UK came up with several highly effective ways to showcase its support for the FIFA Women’s World Cup. It secured FIFA screening licences before ITV and the BBC; created women’s football’s first collectable figurine; staged fan events and provided participation for youngsters. By integrating PR, experiential and social, McDonald’s became the most talked about brand during the tournament, with 49% share of voice.

Reverse engineering: Typically, PR is deployed as a way of activating sponsorship rights. But it can also work in reverse. One of the most eye-catching entries into UKSA 2024 was Spanish football league LaLiga’s shirt sponsor of Welsh Football Club Clwb Pêl Droed Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. This odd sounding partnership, devised by CSM Sport & Entertainment, was designed to support LaLiga’s new logo and brand positioning ‘The Power of our Fútbol’ in the UK & Ireland. In other words, this innocuous seeming sponsorship was selected to support the PR brief. The sponsored team has no less than five double L’s in its name – making the association an ingenuous way to build LaLiga exposure and likeability. 

Memorable moments: Sponsorships typically run over months and years, with investment rising and falling according to the timing of calendar events. But sometimes it’s possible to create a tactical PR bubble out of memorable moments. As a long-term sponsor of Brighton & Hove Albion FC, for example, American Express wanted to celebrate 10 seasons of support. Working with Hope & Glory PR, the American Express Shirt Buy-Back campaign gave fans the chance to get a new season shirt for free in return for a shirt from the previous 10 seasons. The story reached over 30 million people and resulted in an 18% increase in brand consideration amongst non-cardmembers. In a similar vein, UKSA 2024 saw Sela and Newcastle United FC reach the final of the PR category with ‘We’re Back’. Here, the hook was that Newcastle United were returning to the UEFA Champions League after 20 years. To celebrate, Sela created a football-themed drone show above St. James’ Park stadium. Millions engaged globally, with plaudits from fans and media. Content reached 1bn+ people in 162 countries, was published by 80+ media outlets and became a major talking point.

New product launch: Sponsorship is about creating long-term affinity and affection, while one of PR’s many benefits is that it can generate spikes in exposure and engagement. This combination is particularly powerful when it comes to new product launches, because it blends trust with temptation. Klaxonn Tombola, for example, used PR to squeeze extra juice out of its long-established sponsorship of I’m A Celebrity. In addition to celebrating another year of sponsorship, it generated awareness of a new IAC themed mobile game. The result was the ‘Tombola Critter Challenge’, a live AR and sensory experience ‘mystery box’ challenge.

A cost-effective boost: Large sums of money can be lavished on a multi-pronged PR strategy, but in the era of social media it’s also possible to let consumers do the legwork for you, by creating shareable content. One way to do this is by enlisting much-loved influencers. A recent example from the UKSA library is ‘PE with Joe’ on tour with MINI BIG LOVE, entered by Wasserman. This partnership saw The Body Coach, Joe Wicks, take ‘PE with Joe’ on the road with MINI. Visiting seven locations over two weeks, Wicks raises funds for charity, brought fitness to over 5,700 participants and showcased the capabilities of the MINI Clubman as a family car.

From boring to buzzworthy: Adding a drop of PR-based secret sauce can turn humdrum stories into attention-grabbing media events. A case in point is UKSA 2024 finalist: Three’s 5Gs with Chelsea Football Club, sponsored by Three and entered by Three and Mischief PR. The campaign centred on the installation of Three’s 5G network at Chelsea stadium Stamford Bridge - important but hardly a riveting story. To give it some star quality, Three and Mischief enlisted five Chelsea legends, all with ‘G’ in their name: Geremi, Gianfranco Zola, Eidur Gudjohnsen, Rob Green and William Gallas. In essence, Three’s 5G was launched with five Gs.

Amplifying Inclusion: Sponsorships increasingly need to demonstrate their commitment to DEI – and PR can help by providing tangible and relatable evidence of intent. Another UKSA alumni, Tackle HIV with ViiV Healthcare, illustrates the point. Supported by ViiV Healthcare and entered by Beat Media Group, this campaign has helped normalise HIV testing and reduce stigma around the infection. From mass media coverage and bus tours to high-impact TED talks and ambassador engagement, the message engaged with multiple audiences. Another UKSA PR category finalist, Vodafone Haptic Suits, entered by Fuse, sought to address the fact that festivals can be exclusionary experiences for the deaf and hard-of-hearing. To build a PR case, the brand worked with Mighty Hoopla, an inclusive UK festival. Both are examples of how PR can add authenticity and emotion to sponsorship.

Interested in entering the PR category of the UK Sponsorship Awards? The 2025 edition of this prestigious annual event is now open for entries. For details on the awards event and how to enter, visit the UKSA website.