How analysing notable developments before the Crypto.com sponsorship wave took hold can help rights holders potentially identify the next big sponsorship thing 

The most common task we’re asked to help rights holders or their agencies with is variously described as finding companies: ‘on their way up’/’new kids on the block’/’hidden gems’/’breakthrough brands’. Essentially, finding the next TeamViewer, Cazoo or Crypto.com before everybody else.

So, how do we do that?

It’s about researching and analysing developments going on around the world to identify potential triggers or buying signals. So, using Crypto.com as an example, one can learn how to spot similar patterns with other companies and potentially identify who could be the next big buyer of sponsorship.

Admittedly, Crypto.com, is a very rare example: a company that in less than six years of forming has gone on to spend over $2 billion in sponsorship. However, it does makes it easier to understand all the key ingredients as they fit together in a shorter period of time.

Timeline until first major Crypto.com sponsorship

1. 15 Jun 2016:  (Launch) Established as Monaco Technology. T-minus 4.7 years until first major sponsorship deal.
2. 24 May 2017: (Funding) Launched initial coin offering, raising $3 million in three days. T-3.8 years.
3. 18 Jun 2017: (Funding) Launched Token Sale, raising over $26.7 million. T-3.7 years.
4. 31 Aug 2017: (Launch) Launches mobile app designed “to Bring Cryptocurrencies to Every Wallet”. T-3.5 years.
5. 17 Jan 2018: (Sponsorship) Strikes first sponsorship deal (Asian fintech event Money20/20). T-3.1 years.
6. 27 Mar 2018: (Milestone) Co-founder named in Forbes Asia 30 Under 30 List. T-2.9 years.
7. 24 Apr 2018: (Hire) Makes several senior hires including Head of Marketing and Group Strategy. T-2.9 years.
8. 06 Jul 2018: (Marketing) Buys domain Crypto.com as part of Monaco rebrand (reportedly for up to $10 million). T-2.7 years.
9. 26 Sep 2018: (Hire) Forms Advisory Board to help with global rollout of products. T-2.4 years.
10. 10 May 2019: (Milestone) Becomes one of the first crypto companies in the world to achieve “Gold Standard” for information security accreditation. T-1.8 years.
11. 19 Sep 2019: (Marketing) Starts rollout of major outdoor campaign “Time for Plan ₿” in various cities globally. T-1.5 years.
12. 15 May 2020: (Expansion) Announces launch of its Visa card in 31 European countries. T-10 months.
13. 10 Aug-2020: (Hire) Appoints new Chief Marketing Officer. T-7 months.
14. 28 Oct 2020: (Hire) Hires senior exec of Visa’s Latin America division to expand LATAM presence. T-4 months.
15. 02 Mar 2021: (Sponsorship) Strikes first major sponsorship deal (Aston Martin Formula 1 team). T-0 months.

So, although Crypto.com’s timeline is squashed into a shorter period of time than most other companies, it does contain all the key triggers or buying signals to help identify the next big thing: a mix of funding rounds along with some significant marketing and expansion-related hires, appearing in a “top X” list from a reputable source and a notable marketing campaign.

As one can see, these triggers are similar to both the Cazoo sponsorship and cinch sponsorship timelines.

caytoo also researches smaller deals that could be a buying signal or precursor to bigger ones. As well as Crypto.com’s sponsorship of Asian fintech event Money20/20 three years before its Aston Martin sponsorship – the first record we found of any Crypto.com branded sponsorship was a much smaller one with YouTube channel “Crypto Fiend” in December 2020 – just three months before Aston Martin. Since Crypto Fiend, the brand has gone onto spend in the region of $2-3 billion on sponsorship.

From small acorns grow mighty oaks.