Why have motorsport so few sponsors in Sweden?

Motorsport has many advantages for sponsors in the UK, but in Sweden the companies are, to say the least, hard to charm in terms of active sponsorship linked to motorsports at the central level. In addition to industry companies and “closest mourners”, national sponsors are few and at a relatively low level in terms of effort and commitment.

Unfortunately, I think this is mainly due to prejudice, ignorance and tradition and not to a more rigorous analysis of opportunities and benefits.

So let’s look at the motor sport’s advantages and disadvantages as a commercial platform.

What can motorsport offer?

The Advantages are many and clear:

• Motorsport is – like sailing and equestrian sports – just as much a lifestyle as a sport. We have dedicated practitioners who, together with the family, spend many of this year’s weekends on various types of motorways.

• Sport is great. The Motorcycle and Snowmobile association has more than 160 000 members, Motor racing around 85 000, Flight sports just over 60 000 and speedboat over 1 000.

• There are plenty of core values to exploit. Speed, action, mechanics, traffic wit, camaraderie, family, tactics, etc. Since the association is an increasingly important ingredient in the use of sponsorship, this should attract more than it does today.

• Even the activation is thankful to work with. To sit in a rally or race car, to go boat for over 60 knots, to parachute or to ride a motorcycle in the woods are just a few examples of customer-care opportunities.

• In Public terms, the sports are large. Speedway is Sweden’s third largest public sport after football and ice hockey. With an average of over 3 000 spectators on the matches. Motorsports are also the branches that generate the most viewers during the SM-week (Winter and summer).

Good Target Group

• The Sports are also spread throughout the country and are in many respects this motorsport. The Involvement outside the big cities is possibly only golf clubs and football clubs that can compete with.

• Practitioners and members are buying strong. The Sports are relatively costly, and in most cases, this is paid out of your own or family’s pocket. The Target group usually owns its own house and has a very good economy. The proportion of small entrepreneurs is very large.

• Internationally, motorsport is gigantic. Both Formula 1 (car) and MotoGP (MC) are among the top 5 TV events of all year. Internationally, sports are also attractive to larger companies in a completely different way than in Sweden.

Why does motorsport not attract more?

So What disadvantages are there with the sponsorship of motorsport. If you ask companies. The resistance is based on a few different factors: It is not considered good for the environment (which modern research has shown on the contrary that it is); It is a sport with risks (which in itself is true but none of the sports is among the most dangerous in the RF); There is little exposure in TELEVISION (but still more than many sports that attract large national sponsors); The target group is not attractive (but is larger in the adult segment than the large children’s sports). But as I wrote above – tradition, prejudice and ignorance are probably the real drawbacks. Many opportunities for creative sponsorship

20% of women

In conclusion, Let me give you some suggestions as to how one (or more) sponsor (s) can create your own platform in motorsport

More female practitioners: Overall, the proportion of female practitioners is less than 20 per cent. At the same time, those who hear just as bitten as their male colleagues. But we probably need to think a little differently to attract more women. Here, a partnership with one or more companies that want to promote gender equality can really get a positive press and make a difference.

Investment in electric power: Within all four unions (national and international) work is actively involved in replacing internal combustion engines with electric power. Mainly to lower the noise level during training and competition and to eliminate exhaust. Motorsport is a storefront and a regular traffic performance, so the associative effect for a sponsor can be great.

Focus on technology and mechanics: Today, interest in technology and mechanics is shrinking, and to embark under the hood of a car is today for an amateur not even advisable. Sweden has for a long time been a country where technical knowledge has reaped great success, but the opportunities to take on the technical interest of people are becoming fewer. Here, motor racing can really be an asset and an opportunity to create an interest in technology.

Road Safety: Many employees in large and small companies spend time in the car. Either at work or on the way to and from the workplace. In many ways, Accidents on the roads can be costly – both for the individual and for the company. Being Able To handle a vehicle (car or MC) in a safe way reduces the risk to employees and costs for companies.

Bang for the Buck!

Going where few others have gone is usually a good strategy in communication and marketing. And have you read this far, and yet think that there are safer alternatives for the company’s sponsorship, so please ask yourself what the value is to stand out and do something new and different towards the competition. This also applies to other sports and activities than motorsport. What makes a difference is either to do new things or to do things in a new way. Especially in sponsorship and commercial collaborations.

Read more about Motorsports Slots here.