London, UK; 8 June 2022: A new survey has revealed that global sponsorship leaders strongly believe that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the sports sponsorship ecosystem with an overwhelming trend towards more purposeful partnerships. 

Over 600 highly respected leaders in the sponsorship and marketing world were invited to take part in the survey created by Partner on Purpose (a new consultancy aimed at helping brands form more purposeful and impactful partnerships), in association with leading academic institutions Loughborough University, Loughborough College and Loughborough Sport. 

Of the survey respondents, 93% agreed that the pandemic has had a profound impact, with the vast majority also agreeing it has made partnerships between sponsors and sports organisations more challenging; however, 75% agreed that the pandemic has created new opportunities. A total of 70% believe the pandemic has already changed the nature of partnerships between sponsors and sports organisations, and 96% see partnerships between brands, athletes and sports organisations becoming more purposeful, innovative and fluid. 

More than half the respondents stated that CSR has become more important since the beginning of the pandemic and 80% believe that the relative importance placed on CSR in relation to partnership strategies will increase in the future. 

Partner on Purpose Chairman Jon Tibbs said: “The results of this survey show that there is an overwhelming belief within the sports sponsorship industry that partnerships are expected to be more engaging, more community-centric and more focused on positive change. This trend has only been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic and recent geopolitical events have reinforced the need for the industry to be responsive, flexible and adaptive. Consumers want, and increasingly expect, brands to engage in more purposeful and meaningful partnerships. Partner on Purpose will help brands meet the demands of their consumers while also contributing to shaping a more harmonious society.” 

Partner on Purpose, created by JTA, the world-leading independent sports communications and international relations consultancy, was launched on the back of the survey. The new offer, with a dedicated team, will assist brands in sport to create and drive truly impactful partnerships with the power to activate positive, harmonious change. 

The Partner on Purpose model is based on the eight elements of the JTActiv8 wheel, which will evaluate, articulate, investigate, validate, negotiate, activate, integrate and generate purpose-driven sponsorship opportunities for brands that create meaningful and lasting connections to consumers and communities.