Cazoo, Cinch, Just Eat and Tik Tok were the breakthrough consumer brands in sports sponsorship in the UK in 2021 according to new research released from the specialist consultancy ONSIDE.
These were the only four new brands to break into ONSIDE’s Top 10 Most Appealing UK Sports Sponsors across four waves of consumer research in 2021.
ONSIDE Infographic - Most Appealing UK Sponsors in 2021
Just Eat and Tik Tok made their mark in the UK in the build-up to the men’s Euros, reaping the rewards of official sponsorships of the event. They were two of four UEFA partners to make the Top 10 in mid-2020 with Coca Cola leading the way and Heineken just ahead of the newcomers.
Cinch’s position amongst the most appealing sports sponsors also peaked mid-year, a time when its partnerships with British Tennis and the England and Wales Cricket Board were to the fore. Cazoo began its sponsorship drive earlier than its online competitor but only broke into the Top 10 Most Appealing Sport Sponsors towards the end of 2021 as deals with Wales rugby and the English Football League came to life, complementing earlier investments in football, cricket, snooker and horse racing. It continues to build its portfolio, adding extensive darts rights and a shirt sponsorship with French club Lille in January 2022.
“Cazoo and Cinch have followed a well-trodden path in using sport sponsorship to help build brand awareness and credibility,” said ONSIDE’s UK & Middle East Managing Director, Jon Long.
“They have both invested heavily in sport sponsorship since the middle of 2020 and these began to cut through with the UK public in 2021. Major sponsorship investment has been a common theme in disruptive sectors where market dominance promises to deliver significant returns. It has been a similar story with food delivery and started to play out in cryptocurrency trading in 2021.”
Despite these new entrants, established brands dominated the ONSIDE list of stand-out sponsors in the UK. Coca Cola was one of four brands to sustain a slot in the top five throughout the year along with Nike, Adidas and Barclays. Nike topped the list as the most appealing sponsor in three of four quarters.
While Coca Cola (International Olympic Committee), Adidas, Camelot/National Lottery and Aldi (Team GB) featured in the top 20, Long noted that: “The Tokyo Olympic Games did not have as big an impact on sponsoring brands as the men’s Euros in 2021 and the impact of next month’s Winter Olympics in Beijing is likely to be even smaller”.
Supermarkets and retailers featured prominently in the ONSIDE list of the most appealing non-sports sponsors, with Argos’s partnership with Coronation Street propelling the brand to the top of the list in the first quarter of the year and Aldi’s sponsorship of the Great British Bake Off having a big impact towards the end of the year. Gala Bingo was another brand to benefit from broadcast sponsorship, its tie-up with The Chase helping it to feature prominently in the second half of 2021.
Category leaders uncovered in select sectors included O2 as the only telco to place in the non-sport sponsorship Top 10 all year and Guinness ranking highly on the most appealing sport sponsors list during the 2021 Guinness Six Nations. Although betting brands featured prominently across football, horse racing, snooker, darts and many other sports in 2021, only BetFred and Bet365 made it into the Top 10 during the year with Betway just missing out.
