Brands reveal their best practice tips for rights holders when it comes to pitching arts and culture sponsorship deals

It’s an exciting time for arts and culture as it becomes an increasingly emerging sponsorship entity yet the sector needs to think differently than other types of rights holders when it comes to pitching deals with potential sponsors.

So say brands and rights holders at an event organised by the European Sponsorship Association (ESA) including:

• Cathay Pacific’s European Regional Head of Marketing & Lifestyle, Lisa Delaney
• Aviva’s Head of Group Sponsorship, Tom Whiteside
• LW Theatres’ (owned by the Lloyd Webber family):
  • Head of Partnership Development, Abby Stanworth
  • Director of Commercial Operations and Partnerships, Tee Barnes

This article covers the following two key questions from the event.

What are the advantages of arts and culture sponsorship that rights holders should focus on?

1. Much less cluttered environment

Compared to many other sectors (particularly sport), arts and culture is a much less cluttered environment so there’s more opportunity to stand out and own the space.

For example, Cathay Pacific’s big question is how to stand out versus their competitors who go big on sports sponsorships. So the brand felt they could ‘own’ entertainment as they had won the World’s Best Inflight Entertainment Award at the 2025 World Airline Awards. Theatre is entertainment so it’s a great way to tell that story.

Therefore, a key lesson for rights holders (be it arts and culture or otherwise) is to look at which brands win which types of awards so you can approach them about how a sponsorship with your organisation can help accentuate that positioning or messaging.

2. More creative freedom

There’s more freedom in arts and culture to be creative around deals and activations due to the fact that:

1. Arts and culture is a more emerging sponsorship sector compared to established ones, so there’s more of a blank canvas and less ‘cookie cutter’ rules to try different things
2. The arts by its very nature is driven by creativity so there’s more expertise in trying and executing new and different ways of doing things

3. Speaking to different audiences

Arts and culture institutions regularly change the show or exhibition they host which enables a sponsor to hit different audiences. For instance, Cathay Pacific (which is based in Hong Kong) can reach an Asian audience through the likes of Phantom of the Opera and/or a more family audience through Hercules.

This is an advantage arts and culture rights holders have over other sectors (particularly sport) where brands typically hit just one audience repeatedly (e.g. fans of a particular team).

4. Easier to access talent

Explanation only available in full article.

5. Engaging experience

Explanation only available in full article.

6. Natural storytelling link

Explanation only available in full article.

7. A more premium environment

Explanation only available in full article.

8. Less sceptical environment

Explanation only available in full article.

What are the top tips for arts and culture rights holders when approaching brands?

1. “Start at the top”

The first thing to consider: is the sponsorship you’re proposing aligned with what the business is trying to achieve? Rights holders need to think more in terms of the language of the boardroom and speaking to objectives to help your marketing contact sell it internally.

Rights holders almost certainly underestimate the huge amount of work that goes into building the business case and getting a deal over the line. For instance, Aviva had about 35 internal meetings before going ahead with the Factory International naming rights deal (albeit a big one at £35 million).

Aviva cited six objectives it would hit that a board understands:

Objectives only available in full article.

For more on this general area, see the 13 benefits of sponsorship.

2. Competitive advantage

Show/explain how a deal provides a competitive advantage to the sponsor i.e. one that their competitive set won’t (easily) be able to do.

3. Audience alignment

Explanation only available in full article.

4. Invest in audience data

Explanation only available in full article.

5. Virtues and values

Explanation only available in full article.

6. Stay clear of the “funding shortfall” angle

Do not pitch the “funding shortfall” angle. We’re in an era of decisions being made based on a commercial, business-objective basis or angle, not a corporate philanthropy one.

If you’re an ESA member contact info@caytoo.co.uk to request your full copy.