The naming rights industry is robust, mature, and well established. Yet despite decades of deal-making across sports, entertainment, and civic infrastructure, very few organizations have truly cracked the code on why a brand and a property come together to create a lasting naming rights relationship.
When done correctly, a naming rights deal can become one of the most powerful marketing, business development, and enterprise growth tools available to a brand. When done poorly, it becomes an expensive signage agreement rooted almost entirely in media value and exposure metrics. The difference is not awareness. It is perspective.
Most naming rights deals under perform because they are evaluated as marketing sponsorships rather than what they truly are: a brand acquiring a long-term business platform.
Naming Rights as a Business Acquisition, Not a Marketing Buy
A naming rights deal should be evaluated the same way a company evaluates acquiring another business. The question is not how many impressions will this generate, but what does this platform allow the business to become.
At its highest level, naming rights represent a brand embedding itself into a physical, emotional, and cultural ecosystem. That ecosystem should create value far beyond media exposure and must be capable of driving both B2B and B2C growth.
When viewed through this lens, naming rights become a vehicle to expand business development and sales pipelines, open doors to enterprise and institutional decision-makers, create a marketplace showroom for products, technology, and innovation, and serve as a center for customer engagement and relationship-building.
Beyond Marketing: Where Real Value Is Created
The strongest naming rights deals extend across multiple dimensions of the enterprise.
They function as B2B and B2C growth engines, enabling brands to host clients, showcase capabilities, and create deal-making environments within the venue itself. They become business centers, not billboards.
They operate as community and corporate citizenship platforms, allowing brands to align authentically with local priorities, civic initiatives, and social impact efforts. This community integration strengthens trust and legitimacy, particularly for brands operating in regulated or high-scrutiny industries.
They act as employee engagement and recruitment hubs, transforming the venue into a living extension of the company’s culture. Naming rights platforms can support hiring, retention, internal pride, and leadership development.
They provide leverage with government affairs and public sector stakeholders, creating access, visibility, and influence that cannot be replicated through traditional marketing channels.
They serve as global showrooms for innovation, offering a real-world environment to demonstrate technology, sustainability initiatives, research and development capabilities, and future-facing solutions at scale.
Shared Philosophy Is the Real Fit
Asset fit and audience alignment matter, but they are not what ultimately determines whether a naming rights deal endures. The most successful agreements are rooted in a shared philosophy between the brand and the property.
This alignment goes beyond demographics. It asks deeper questions about shared values, long-term vision, and whether the venue authentically represents what the brand wants to stand for in the marketplace.
Just as in a business acquisition, cultural and philosophical alignment often matters more than surface-level synergies.
Structure, Valuation, and Future-Proofing Matter
Once naming rights are viewed as long-term business platforms, valuation and deal structure take on heightened importance. These agreements must be defensible on day one and resilient over decades.
This requires moving beyond media equivalency toward disciplined market valuation, thoughtful rights governance, category protection, and flexibility to adapt to future change. The strongest naming rights deals anticipate shifts in technology, media, regulation, and brand strategy rather than reacting to them.
The Common Thread in Enduring Naming Rights Deals
Across industries, the naming rights agreements that deliver lasting value share a common foundation. They are treated as business investments. They are designed to support enterprise objectives. They are structured with foresight. And they are rooted in shared philosophy between brand and property.
When those elements come together, naming rights become more than a name on a building. They become a strategic engine for growth, influence, and long-term value creation.
Sponsorships can deliver significant value for brands and properties, but ROI is not created by the deal itself. The true return on a sponsorship investment is realized through strategy, disciplined implementation, and thoughtful activation designed to connect brand objectives to audience engagement and measurable business outcomes.
Effective sponsorship programs go far beyond logo placement or static signage. They require a structured approach that integrates experience design, media, data, and ongoing optimization. When executed properly, sponsorships become scalable business platforms rather than isolated marketing tactics.
Aligning Sponsorship Strategy With Business Objectives
The foundation of any successful sponsorship program is clear alignment with business objectives. Before implementation or activation begins, brands and properties must define what success looks like. Objectives may include increasing brand awareness, driving customer acquisition, supporting product launches, building community engagement, or strengthening B2B relationships.
At Innovative Partnerships Group, sponsorship strategy begins with objective-setting and valuation discipline. Sponsorship assets are evaluated based on their ability to support business outcomes, not simply visibility. This ensures strategy, implementation, and activation remain aligned from the outset.
Strategic Implementation: Designing the Sponsorship Platform
Effective sponsorship implementation requires translating strategy into a scalable platform. This includes structuring rights, assets, and activation opportunities in a way that supports flexibility, measurement, and long-term optimization.
High-performing sponsorship implementations typically integrate:
IPG works with brands and properties to design sponsorship platforms where assets, activation, and media function as a connected system rather than isolated components.
Activation Across Multiple Channels
Sponsorship activation is most effective when deployed across multiple channels. Relying on a single touch point limits both reach and impact. Multi-channel activation reinforces brand messaging and creates multiple opportunities for audience interaction.
Activation strategies should be designed to meet audiences where they are—on-site, online, and through ongoing content engagement. Integrated activation increases frequency, relevance, and recall while improving measurement accuracy.
Digital and Social Media Integration
Digital and social platforms are essential to modern sponsorship activation. They extend reach beyond physical attendance and enable real-time engagement and performance tracking.
Effective digital sponsorship strategies include branded content, audience participation, user-generated content, and social amplification tied directly to on-site experiences. At Innovative Partnerships Group, digital activation is planned as a core component of the sponsorship platform, not an afterthought.
Experiential Activation and Audience Engagement
Experiential activation creates emotional connection and deeper brand engagement. Interactive installations, product demonstrations, hospitality environments, and immersive brand moments allow audiences to engage meaningfully with sponsors.
The most effective experiential activations are purpose-driven, integrated with digital extensions, and designed to support measurable objectives. Innovative Partnerships Group ensures experiential elements are aligned with broader sponsorship goals and supported by data capture and performance metrics.
Measuring ROI Through a Disciplined Framework
Maximizing ROI requires moving beyond impressions alone. Innovative Partnerships Group applies a three-level measurement framework:
This approach provides clarity into what is being delivered, how audiences are responding, and how sponsorship investments are contributing to business outcomes.
Creating Long-Term Value
The strongest sponsorship returns are achieved through consistent execution over time. Ongoing strategy refinement, implementation optimization, and activation evolution allow sponsorships to generate compounding value.
IPG treats sponsorships as long-term business platforms, continuously optimizing performance and ensuring alignment with evolving brand and market conditions.
A Strategic Approach to Sponsorship ROI
Successful sponsorship ROI is driven by strategy, disciplined implementation, and intelligent activation. When brands and properties align objectives, structure assets effectively, and apply rigorous measurement, sponsorships deliver sustainable business value.
Innovative Partnerships Group helps brands and properties design, implement, activate, and measure sponsorship programs with accountability and long-term impact.
Learn the basics of brand representation for Naming Rights
1. What does brand representation mean in sponsorships and naming rights?
Brand representation in sponsorships and naming rights means serving as a trusted advisor and subject-matter expert acting on behalf of a brand. It includes guiding strategy, valuation, program design, negotiations, and long-term optimization so sponsorship and naming rights investments drive real business and brand outcomes.
2. How is brand representation different from traditional sponsorship agencies?
Traditional brand representation is broader and can span many areas of marketing. A sponsorship and naming rights Agency of Record is more specialized, combining marketing and business strategy with deep knowledge of how sponsorship and naming rights deals work and how properties think and sell. This helps brands integrate sponsorships and naming rights into their overall strategy and optimize long-term value and performance.
3. Why do brands need representation in sponsorships and naming rights?
Brands need representation because sponsorships and naming rights are complex, long-term investments, and success depends on understanding how the property side thinks, sells, and structures deals. A brand representative helps build strong relationships with rights holders while optimizing rights and benefits, securing the best deal structure, and ensuring the program is evaluated and measured effectively over time.
4. What services are included in brand representation for sponsorships and naming rights?
Brand representation includes end-to-end support across sponsorship and naming rights strategy, planning, and execution. This typically includes sponsorship strategy and advisory, naming rights planning, sponsorship and naming rights valuations, research and analytics, program design and sponsored program development, and brand equity and revenue impact analysis. It also often includes creative concepting, activation strategy, and measurement and optimization to ensure performance over time.
5. How does a brand representative help brands evaluate sponsorship and naming rights opportunities?
A brand representative evaluates opportunities through strategic fit, disciplined valuation, and deal-structure review. This includes benchmarking against comparable agreements, assessing the rights package and commercial terms, modeling brand and revenue impact, and clarifying activation requirements. The outcome is a defensible view of what the asset is worth, how it compares to alternatives, and how it should be structured to deliver measurable ROI over the full term.
6. How does brand representation impact sponsorship ROI?
Brand representation improves sponsorship ROI by ensuring agreements are structured correctly, rights are fully optimized, and performance is measured beyond media impressions. It emphasizes direct and indirect revenue impact, brand equity creation, and long-term value rather than short-term exposure metrics.
7. How are sponsorships and naming rights valued from a brand perspective?
Sponsorships and naming rights are valued based on brand impact, business objectives, market conditions, competitive context, and integration potential. This helps a brand understand what an asset is worth to them over the full term, not just what it costs.
8. What role does program design play in brand representation?
Program design turns sponsorships into scalable platforms rather than isolated assets. It includes building sponsored programs around community impact, sustainability, human capital, and government affairs to align with broader brand, ESG, and stakeholder priorities.
9. How does brand representation help brands unlock additional value?
Brand representation uncovers underutilized rights, integration opportunities, and structural improvements that increase total value. This can include new programs, deeper operational integration, expanded rights, improved measurement, and stronger activation planning.
10. What types of brands benefit most from sponsorship and naming rights representation?
Brands of all sizes can benefit from sponsorship and naming rights representation, from emerging brands pursuing their first strategic sponsorship to global Fortune 500 companies managing complex, multi-year naming rights investments. Representation adds value at every level by helping brands evaluate opportunities, structure deals, optimize rights and benefits, and measure performance.
11. How does brand representation support negotiations?
Brand representation strengthens negotiations by grounding deal terms in strategy, valuation, and market context rather than subjective pricing. It helps define value, optimize the rights package, structure agreements appropriately, and negotiate from an informed, defensible position.
12. How does brand representation impact long-term brand equity?
Brand representation ensures sponsorships and naming rights reinforce credibility, relevance, and alignment with meaningful platforms. Over time, this strengthens brand equity, improves market perception, and increases the long-term return on sponsorship investment.
Learn the basics of Sponsorship and Naming Rights
1. What is a naming rights deal?
A naming rights deal is a long-term commercial agreement in which a brand secures the right to attach its name to a venue, district, or other high-profile asset. Beyond signage, these deals typically include integrated marketing rights, media exposure, hospitality, and ongoing brand presence. When structured correctly, naming rights function as a strategic platform that delivers sustained visibility, credibility, and business value over time—not just logo placement.
2. How do sponsorships benefit brands?
Sponsorships allow brands to connect with audiences in environments where attention, emotion, and engagement are already high. Unlike traditional advertising, sponsorships create association, credibility, and relevance by aligning a brand with experiences people care about. The strongest programs are designed to drive specific business outcomes—such as awareness, consideration, customer acquisition, or community impact—rather than just impressions.
3. What types of sponsorships are available?
Sponsorships span a wide range of assets, including teams, leagues, events, venues, media platforms, districts, and mixed-use developments. They can be local, regional, or national in scope and may include naming rights, presenting sponsorships, category exclusivity, media integrations, and experiential activations. The right structure depends on a brand’s objectives, audience strategy, and long-term growth goals.
4. How do I determine if a sponsorship is right for my brand?
The right sponsorship aligns with your target audience, brand values, and business objectives—and can be measured against clear performance criteria. This requires understanding not just who the audience is, but how they engage, what the asset represents, and how the partnership can be activated. A strategic evaluation helps ensure the sponsorship supports broader marketing and business priorities rather than operating in isolation.
5. What are the key elements of a successful naming rights deal?
Successful naming rights deals balance financial terms with strategic value. Key elements include brand visibility standards, media and marketing rights, category protections, activation opportunities, contract length, and performance measurement. Just as important is ensuring the deal is structured to evolve over time, allowing the partnership to grow as the venue, audience, and market mature.
6. How can sponsorships enhance brand visibility?
Sponsorships enhance visibility by embedding brands into highly visible, culturally relevant platforms across physical, digital, and media channels. The greatest impact comes from integrated programs that combine signage, media exposure, content, and on-site experiences. Visibility is most effective when it is consistent, contextually relevant, and supported by activation—not just presence.
7. What’s the difference between naming rights and sponsorships?
Naming rights are a premium form of sponsorship that provide exclusive, long-term brand association with an asset’s identity. While sponsorships can include a variety of assets and shorter-term agreements, naming rights typically involve higher investment, longer commitments, and deeper integration into the property’s brand and communications. As a result, they require more rigorous valuation, structuring, and long-term planning.
8. How do you negotiate sponsorship deals?
Effective sponsorship negotiations are grounded in a clear understanding of value—on both sides of the table. This includes evaluating audience reach, brand alignment, market conditions, and comparable deals. The goal is not simply to reduce cost, but to structure agreements that maximize rights, flexibility, and long-term return. Strong negotiations result in partnerships that are fair, sustainable, and performance-driven.
9. How do I know if my venue is ready for a naming rights deal?
A venue is ready for naming rights when it has a defined brand identity, measurable audience reach, and long-term relevance. Market demand, category interest, and competitive context also matter. A formal valuation helps determine realistic pricing, optimal deal structure, and the types of brands most likely to see strategic value in the partnership.
10. How can naming rights generate long-term revenue?
Naming rights provide predictable, long-term revenue that supports operations, development, and growth. Beyond the base fee, well-structured deals can unlock additional value through extensions, activation spend, and expanded partnership rights. As the property’s profile grows, naming rights can also increase in strategic importance and market value over time.
11. What industries benefit most from sponsorships and naming rights?
Industries that value visibility, credibility, and long-term brand association—such as sports, entertainment, real estate, financial services, healthcare, technology, and education—often see strong returns from sponsorships and naming rights. The key is not the industry itself, but how well the partnership aligns with the brand’s audience, positioning, and growth strategy.
12. How do sponsorships impact the overall success of an event or venue?
Sponsorships provide critical financial support while enhancing the overall experience for fans, guests, and stakeholders. Strong partnerships can elevate marketing reach, improve amenities, and fund innovation. When aligned strategically, sponsorships contribute not just revenue, but long-term brand strength and market relevance for the event or venue.
For more information about this partnership, check out our case study.
LOS ANGELES, CA – June 13, 2025 – Innovative Partnerships Group is a leader in naming rights, long-term sponsorships and brand partnership advisory and consultancy for the sports and entertainment industry. HotelPlanner is proud to announce the successful execution of over 25 new partnerships between HotelPlanner and premier sports properties over the past three years. Representing HotelPlanner, Innovative Partnerships Group has played a critical role in expanding the travel technology company's presence across the sports landscape, ultimately building strategic and creative relationships with major organizations across the United States.
Innovative Partnerships Group is the best in the business—a trusted partner whose proprietary Partnership Intelligence System and proven deal-making methodology give us significant credibility and a competitive edge”, said Bruce Rosenberg, CEO of HotelPlanner. “This relationship has been instrumental in acquiring partnerships with unique and emerging sports properties”.
Through Innovative Partnerships Group’s strategic leadership, HotelPlanner has become a trusted travel partner for organizations such as USA Boxing, the Pro Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA), Tough Mudder, DEKA, Life Time, The Basketball League (TBL), Team Combat League (TCL), and the National Lacrosse League (NLL). Each partnership is tailored to the unique needs of the property—ranging from offering exclusive hotel discounts and streamlined group booking solutions to developing custom-branded platforms and providing 24/7 travel support.
“These partnerships reflect our commitment to adding real value to the clients we work with and building their sports portfolio in a meaningful way,” said Sierra Kempthorn, Director of Business Development at Innovative Partnerships Group.
Among the highlights: HotelPlanner now supports endurance athletes participating in Life Time’s top events nationwide; helps Tough Mudder and DEKA participants save up to 70% on travel with direct platform integrations; provides discounted lodging for USA Boxing referees, staff, and supporters; powers team and fan travel logistics for emerging leagues like The Basketball League and Team Combat League; and offers NLL teams, fans, and youth programs access to a fully customized hotel booking platform under the NLL brand.
"Whether it's a world-class boxing event, a gritty endurance challenge, or a lacrosse championship weekend, travel is a crucial piece of the experience," Kempthorn added. "Our role at Innovative Partnerships Group is connecting value to sports properties in ways that drive impact and growth for all parties involved."
With 30 current HotelPlanner deals now in place—and additional partnerships on the horizon—Innovative Partnerships Group continues to deliver transformative, revenue-generating solutions for some of the most dynamic organizations in the sports and entertainment world.
About Innovative Partnerships Group
Innovative Partnerships Group is a global leader in developing long-term, revenue-generating business relationships among the most prestigious professional sports team, entertainment properties and global brands.
The company has been recognized on several occasions in recent years by Sports Business Journal as one of the leading sports marketing agencies in this industry. Innovative Partnerships Group has its breakthrough Partnership Intelligence™ system that allows both properties and brands to maximize their return on sponsorship partnerships. For more information, visit www.Innovative Partnerships Group360.com.
About HotelPlanner
HotelPlanner is a leading travel technology company and hotel booking platform that combines proprietary artificial intelligence technology, a 24/7 global gig-based reservations and customer service network, and robust travel partnerships to deliver the best value for hotel stays worldwide.
For more information about this partnership, check out our case study.
Irvine, Calif., Feb. 5, 2025 — OCVIBE, the visionary entertainment and lifestyle district coming to Anaheim, is proud to announce Concordia University Irvine as a Founding Partner and its Official Education Partner. This groundbreaking partnership marks a transformative step for both organizations, creating opportunities to showcase Concordia’s reputation as a regionally and nationally recognized institution that fosters unique professional and academic experiences for its students.
Through this collaboration, OCVIBE and Concordia will jointly develop innovative programs designed to enhance the educational journey of Concordia University Irvine students. These initiatives will include:
Looking to the future, OCVIBE and Concordia will also create a dedicated workspace at OCVIBE, offering students and the community a dynamic environment to collaborate and learn within the heart of this cutting-edge district.
“Concordia University Irvine is thrilled to serve as the sponsoring educational partner with OCVIBE, a new locale that will become the heart of Orange County,” said Dr. Michael A. Thomas, President of Concordia University Irvine. “Filled with sports and entertainment venues, restaurants, hotels, residential housing, business spaces, and open plazas, OCVIBE will be the place to be in Southern California! We have caught Henry and Susan Samueli’s vision for this transformative project, and we applaud their ongoing commitment to Orange County. And we just knew that Concordia’s faculty, staff, and students had to be part of this. Concordia University Irvine has called OC home for nearly 50 years, so we cannot imagine a more fitting and strategic partnership to showcase our educational offerings and the talents of our students with the citizens of Orange County!”
As part of the partnership, Concordia University Irvine will also play an integral role in community engagement at OCVIBE, serving as the presenting partner for one tentpole community event each year and hosting four public performance arts events annually within the district. Concordia will also benefit from LED and static signage throughout the OCVIBE campus, reinforcing its role as an educational leader and its deep connection to Orange County.
In addition to aligning with OCVIBE, Concordia University Irvine is becoming the Official Education Partner of the Anaheim Ducks and Honda Center. More details on this exciting collaboration will be shared closer to the start of the Ducks' 2025–2026 season, highlighting the expanded opportunities for Concordia students and the greater Anaheim community.
“Concordia University Irvine’s commitment to academic excellence and community enrichment aligns perfectly with OCVIBE’s mission to inspire and connect people through exceptional experiences,” said Graham Siderius, OCVIBE’s Chief Partnerships Officer. “We’re thrilled to welcome Concordia as a Founding Partner and look forward to creating transformative opportunities together.”
OCVIBE was represented by Innovative Partnerships Group for the origination and negotiation of the partnership with Concordia University Irvine.
For information about OCVIBE, including press materials, please visit ocvibe.com/mediacenter.
About OCVIBE
OCVIBE is a vibrant entertainment district at the heart of Anaheim in Orange County, California. Currently in development by the Samueli Family and OC Sports and Entertainment (OCSE), OCVIBE will reimagine the downtown experience by turning 100 acres in Anaheim into an easily accessible, walkable district designed to bring surrounding communities together at the intersection of culture and entertainment. OCVIBE will surround Honda Center with serene park space and introduce a broad selection of eclectic dining options, concerts and nightlife, and a rotation of immersive entertainment experiences not found elsewhere in Orange County. For more information, visit ocvibe.com.
About Concordia University Irvine
Concordia University Irvine, part of the Concordia University System, is a private, nonprofit Christian university that is proud to be one of the founding institutions of higher education in Irvine, California. For nearly 50 years, we have developed “wise, honorable, and cultivated citizens” through distinctive Lutheran education. Today, we educate nearly 5,000 students on campus and online, and our alumni network has grown to over 25,000 worldwide. We’re recognized as a top-ranked university for Social Mobility by U.S. News & World Report and a fierce NCAA Division II PacWest competitor. Learn more at cui.edu.
About Innovative Partnerships Group
Innovative Partnerships Group is a global leader in developing long-term, revenue-generating business relationships among the most prestigious professional sports teams, entertainment properties and global brands. The company has been recognized on several occasions in recent years by Sports Business Journal and other publications as one of the leading sports sponsorship and naming rights agencies in this industry. Innovative Partnerships Group has its breakthrough Partnership Intelligence™ system that allows both properties and brands to maximize their return on sponsorship partnerships. For more information, visit www.ipg360.com.
Concordia University Irvine Media Contact
Ann Ashmon
ann.ashmon@cui.edu
OCVIBE Media Contacts
Erika Muir
emuir@ocvibe.com
Emily Sharp
esharp@ocvibe.com
Leader in Naming Rights/Partnerships/Sponsorship Sales
Innovative Partnerships Group is looking for a Senior Director Business Development to join our fast-growing organization. This role will be tasked with leading business development and consulting efforts including key accounts with a focus on strategic and long-term partnership sales, external project and client management and internal leadership. A proven track record in sponsorship sales, business acumen, entrepreneurial spirit and solution-based approach are key elements for this role. The ideal candidate will have a team-oriented mindset, openness to thinking differently and a career rooted in collaboration. This candidate will also possess strong interpersonal skills and the ability to carry internal and external projects while reporting into partners of the firm and the C-suite.
Innovative Partnerships Group is a leading commercial consulting and analytics firm at the intersection of sports and entertainment and more. Our focus is on long-term revenue generation through partnership marketing. Our firm is a globally recognized organization that consults with prestige properties and as well as global brands to help maximize their sponsorship/partnership investments. We hold deep expertise in B2B partnerships, naming rights, foundational and sponsorship partnerships with a focus on sports and entertainment districts. We successfully execute on these partnerships through its proprietary Partnership Intelligence software that provides quantitative results for media and programs/platforms as well as the direct/indirect revenue potential for both properties and brands. Additional information is available at www.ipg360.com
At Innovative Partnerships Group, our core values are what bring us together and drive us to do big things for our partners. We commit to excellence for our clients, inspire, have fun, collaborate through leadership and always, act with empathy and respect. We are looking for the right individual to embody these values and communicate them to the future recruits.
To apply send your PDF resume and cover letter to hr@ipg360.com.
Innovative Partnerships Group is committed to a policy of Equal Employment Opportunity and will not discriminate against an applicant or employee on the basis of age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, race, color, creed, religion, ethnicity, national origin, alienage or citizenship, disability, marital status, military status, pregnancy or any other legally-recognized protected basis under Federal, state or local laws, regulations or ordinances.
Innovative Partnerships Group is dedicated to providing team member with a workplace the is free of drugs and alcohol. While on Company premises, whether during work time or non-work time, team members are prohibited from being under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
LEADER IN NAMING RIGHTS/PARTNERSHIPS/SPONSORSHIP SALES
Innovative Partnerships Group (IPG) is looking for a VP Business Development to join our fast-growing organization.
This role will be tasked with leading business development and consulting efforts including key prestige accounts with a focus on strategic and long-term partnership sales, external project and client management and internal leadership. A proven track record in naming rights and sponsorship sales, business acumen, entrepreneurial spirit and solution-based approach are key elements for this role. The ideal candidate will have a team-oriented mindset, openness to thinking differently and a career rooted in collaboration. This candidate will also possess strong interpersonal skills and the ability to carry internal and external projects while reporting into partners of the firm and the C-suite.
Innovative Partnerships Group is a leading commercial consulting and analytics firm at the intersection of sports, entertainment, technology and other industry verticals. Our focus is on long-term revenue generation through partnership marketing. Innovative Partnerships Group is a globally recognized organization that consults with prestige properties and as well as global brands to help maximize their sponsorship/partnership investments.
Innovative Partnerships Group executes on these partnerships through its proprietary Partnership Intelligence software that provides quantitative results for media and programs/platforms as well as the direct/indirect revenue potential for both properties and brands.
At Innovative Partnerships Group, our core values are what bring us together and drive us to do big things for our partners. We commit to excellence for our clients, inspire, have fun, collaborate through leadership and always, act with empathy and respect. We are looking for the right individual to embody these values and communicate them to the future recruits.
To apply send your PDF resume and cover letter to hr@ipg360.com.
Innovative Partnerships Group is committed to a policy of Equal Employment Opportunity and will not discriminate against an applicant or employee on the basis of age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, race, color, creed, religion, ethnicity, national origin, alienage or citizenship, disability, marital status, military status, pregnancy or any other legally-recognized protected basis under Federal, state or local laws, regulations or ordinances.
Leader in Naming Rights/Partnerships/Sponsorship Sales
Innovative Partnerships Group is looking for a Senior Director Business Development to join our fast-growing organization. This role will be tasked with leading business development and consulting efforts including key accounts with a focus on strategic and long-term partnership sales, external project and client management and internal leadership. A proven track record in sponsorship sales, business acumen, entrepreneurial spirit and solution-based approach are key elements for this role. The ideal candidate will have a team-oriented mindset, openness to thinking differently and a career rooted in collaboration. This candidate will also possess strong interpersonal skills and the ability to carry internal and external projects while reporting into partners of the firm and the C-suite.
Innovative Partnerships Group is a leading commercial consulting and analytics firm at the intersection of sports and entertainment and more. Our focus is on long-term revenue generation through partnership marketing. Our firm is a globally recognized organization that consults with prestige properties and as well as global brands to help maximize their sponsorship/partnership investments. We hold deep expertise in B2B partnerships, naming rights, foundational and sponsorship partnerships with a focus on sports and entertainment districts. We successfully execute on these partnerships through its proprietary Partnership Intelligence software that provides quantitative results for media and programs/platforms as well as the direct/indirect revenue potential for both properties and brands. Additional information is available at www.ipg360.com
At Innovative Partnerships Group, our core values are what bring us together and drive us to do big things for our partners. We commit to excellence for our clients, inspire, have fun, collaborate through leadership and always, act with empathy and respect. We are looking for the right individual to embody these values and communicate them to the future recruits.
To apply send your PDF resume and cover letter to hr@ipg360.com.
Innovative Partnerships Group is committed to a policy of Equal Employment Opportunity and will not discriminate against an applicant or employee on the basis of age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, race, color, creed, religion, ethnicity, national origin, alienage or citizenship, disability, marital status, military status, pregnancy or any other legally-recognized protected basis under Federal, state or local laws, regulations or ordinances.
Innovative Partnerships Group is dedicated to providing team member with a workplace the is free of drugs and alcohol. While on Company premises, whether during work time or non-work time, team members are prohibited from being under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Innovative Partnerships Group’s team of consultants, data analysts, and marketing scientists have been on the cutting edge of partnership valuation for brands and monitors the trends in the sponsorship industry. We have performed dozens of naming rights and sponsorship valuations, and over the past 12-18 months we have had many clients, industry leaders and decision makers note there was a massive void in the market on data and trends related to hospitals/health systems and sponsorship.
This inaugural “Sponsorship and Naming Rights Study” is the first time that a company has taken an in-depth look at sponsorship, naming rights trends and best practices to help health systems maximize their sponsorship investments and understand critical best practices when negotiating and executing partnerships. The results provide benchmarking research and actionable insights to decision makers who support and influence future partnership marketing activities.
As health systems make investments to drive profitable growth strategies and provide more patients with access to quality care -- amidst higher costs and mergers -- healthcare organizations are still projected to spend more than $12 billion in 2024 on local advertising (according to a report). And despite a downturn because of Covid, health spending increased by 4.1% in 2022 and looks to continue to rise in the years ahead.
While sponsorships are not new to many health systems, committing substantial portions of marketing budgets may be more challenging in today’s climate. But with significant mergers comes the need to raise brand awareness, especially as hospitals and health systems move toward a regional approach. As our study demonstrates, while all 30 participants activate in sports, there are many categories inside and outside of professional/collegiate sports that are still ripe for partnership. Youth and amateur sports, school districts, mixed-use districts, zoos, film festivals, etc. are all underutilized properties and are typically available to health system partners as a viable way to reach – and increase – patient affinity for their brand.
PARTICIPANTS
This study was conducted from Feb-April, 2024. Thirty hospitals and health systems provided in-depth responses about their sponsorships and naming rights partnerships. Participants represent a diverse group of hospitals both geographically and economically. Participating hospitals had net patient revenue ranging from under $1 billion to more than $10 billion (with a median asset size of $1.75 billion). Of those surveyed 90% had more than 1,000 beds. Most hospitals have vast experience in the sponsorship industry, with more than 80% indicating 10+ years of experience.
KEY FINDINGS
The results of the inaugural study uncovered meaningful results that had not been typically captured for this important industry. It is clear that the rise in naming rights and high value assets for hospitals and health systems is one of the fasting growing sponsorship categories in the United States. It is even more evident that participants are continuing to look for metrics and qualitative/quantitative results to help them maximize their significant investments in sponsorship and naming rights as a percentage of their media/marketing mix.
MARKETING
Overall, typical marketing budgets ranged up to $60-80 million annually. The majority of hospitals allocate 0-25% of marketing budgets to sponsorships, yet more than two-thirds consider sponsorships to be a “very” important part of the overall marketing mix. This indicates strong profitability from hospitals and health systems with the wherewithal to allocate a smaller percentage of marketing dollars toward sponsorship, while still spending a “healthy” amount.
The top 13 largest hospitals surveyed (those with more than $4B in annual net patient revenue) tend to spend less on sponsorships as part of its marketing mix. And less than 40% (5 of 13) indicated that sponsorship was a “very important” part of their marketing mix. This is probably more indicative of large hospital marketing budgets and allocations toward various expenditures versus overall attitudes toward sponsorship as a whole. However, there are still impactful deals that smaller hospitals and health systems could engage in, especially in smaller communities, to mirror expenditure budget models of their larger counterparts by partnering with smaller universities, municipalities, arts and music, etc.
When asked about views on sponsorship asset categories, non-media and media assets were ranked highest among respondents. Hospitality consistently ranked last or next to last with all but a few hospitals. Intellectual property was a polarizing category, as about 1/3 ranked it last while 1/3 ranked it first. As one hospital executive stated, “the overall designation and relationship trumps everything.” The difference in opinions on asset categories reflects the importance of tailoring partnership deals to satisfy different marketing objectives among those in this industry.
Among individual asset categories, direct healthcare services ranked the highest while exclusivity ranked next. Media assets, especially social media, PR and TV-visible signage, were also considered to provide very effective value.
It is not surprising that most health systems do not put a high emphasis on business development, or hospitality and VIP experiences. It is surprising, however, to see the lack of importance given to employees. This would seem to be an area to increase programming given the turnover rates and retention difficulties in health care post-COVID.
SPONSORSHIP
The study asked about the types of sponsorships in which hospitals engage. Sports is the dominant category with 100% of participants surveyed having at least one partnership, followed by Cultural & Community, Non-Profit and Entertainment. At least one in six (1 in 6) participants had one or more sponsorships within Municipality, Attraction, University (Non-Sports) and Prestige Real Estate indicating a wide variety of property opportunities. Within each of these categories, we asked for a breakdown of category-specific subtypes. Festivals (non-music) was the most-popular non-sports rights holder.
Evaluation Methods & Tracking
Given that brand awareness was the top reason to engage in a sponsorship, it made sense that KPIs tracking brand awareness were the most important to those surveyed. Community give-back/involvement scored the next highest on average (3.73).
Evaluating sponsorship effectiveness can be difficult, especially when engaging in only a few deals with vastly different partners. Metrics can be difficult to quantify and even more challenging to measure, especially on an ongoing basis. About half of those surveyed have a formal process for evaluating sponsorships. Interestingly, of those hospitals who do not have a formal process, seven are engaged in naming rights or high value assets where the spends are typically higher and ROI may be even more valuable to track.
As marketing budgets expand and there is greater scrutiny of spending as related to marketing objectives, the evaluation approaches should increase.
Patients & Employees
Patient care is the backbone of any healthcare institution, especially when hospitals are not only competing for patients in their own backyards (markets), but are looking to attract from across their region, the nation and beyond. And with recent mergers, it is essential that trust is established with these new health system brands.
The results show that health systems have a lower awareness than what is deemed to be reasonably acceptable in sponsorship measurement. There is an opportunity to strengthen sponsorship activation and measurement programs to more adequately measure the unaided brand awareness of sponsorship, which is one of the most critical elements.
Another key stakeholder group is the health system employee.The majority of those surveyed indicated that employees are not aware of partnerships (less than 50%) or are unsure of the awareness levels. Many of the sponsorship deals are focused and aligned with marketing goals, while employee benefits are a secondary consideration. This may be an underutilized area of partnership activation.
Activations are an additional cost for partnerships that must be considered to maximize value. More than 75% of hospitals dedicate 25% or less of a sponsorship fee to activation.
NAMING RIGHTS
Two-thirds of those surveyed (20) have at least one naming rights partnership or entitlement to a high value asset, such as a training center, venue or jersey patch. Of those that do not have a naming rights partnership, only one (1) indicated that they are expected to pursue a naming rights opportunity within the next 12 months.
BEST PRACTICES
Looking forward, healthcare marketing executives are constantly looking for new ways to engage consumers, especially in the communities for which they serve. Media is a fragmented industry, but it’s possible to leverage different media channels combined with on-site activations and permanent signage opportunities to provide robust partnership branding. In addition, rights holders in emerging markets or with access to unique demographics that align with hospitals should seek ways to partner. Lastly, although the responsibility to measure a partnership could fall on both parties, hospitals desire better metrics that can be delivered more frequently to measure effectiveness.
To register for the 2025 Healthcare Sponsorship Study, or to request a copy of the full Executive Summary, please email Jeff Dimond at jdimond@ipg360.com.
*Innovative Partnerships Group served as the third-party administrator of the survey and held participants’ data in the strictest confidence. The questions in this survey were reviewed by a Steering Committee made up of executives from a select group of credit unions in order to ensure accuracy, relevance, and ability to make an impact for those participating.
