Guinness has topped the league of Ireland’s most appealing sports sponsors among Irish adults so far in 2016, while the level of new deals activity reported has slowed this year, the quarter one report of the national sponsorship market by sponsorship agency Onside indicates. Since January, 64 different sports sponsors competed for consumers’ attention.
Three in 10 Irish adults identified either Guinness or Heineken sponsorship as best in class.
The next line of stand-out sports sponsors identified by Onside’s tracker included 3 Mobile as sponsors of Irish football and rugby, provincial rugby sponsors Bank of Ireland and AIB, whose GAA support peaked in March with the club championship finals and their RTE One series, The Toughest Trade. GAA sponsors Allianz and SuperValu had strong results.
The report noted a strong start for Lidl’s €1.5m support of ladies GAA. Other sports sponsors singled out by the Irish public for stand-out recognition included brands active around the 6 Nations, including Aer Lingus, Aviva, Canterbury, RBS/Ulster Bank and Sony. Onside CEO John Trainor said January was a particularly slow month for new sponsorships.
Trainor expects a more positive second quarter for sponsorship investment with new sports sponsorship deals on the horizon and the Euros stimulating some game-changing forces. Pictured above is Republic of Ireland striker Shane Long in action against Switzerland in the recent friendly at the Aviva Stadium. Photos: Joe Cunningham
