caytoo’s analyst team reveals their Top 5 sponsorship deals in January in terms of the ideas they provide for other rights holders

Our Top 5, in no particular order, aren’t necessarily the biggest or most high-profile. Each one has been selected as it represents best practice for other rights holders and brands or an important lesson it provides rights holders.

Showcasing company attributes: Canva x SXSW

In July 2024, creative software brand Canva expanded its European HQ in London, which included a new event space, to create a “more vibrant, cohesive environment for local Canvanauts.”

Seven months later, it sponsored the first UK event (in London) for South by Southwest – the film, music, art, tech and business festival. This ticked two major business boxes.

The majority of sponsorship deals cite the ‘fit’ or shared characteristics between the sponsor and rights holder as the reason for doing the deal – some genuine, some tenuous.

However, this one is deeply authentic and reinforces what Canva is all about: “South by Southwest is really about bridging the gap between tech and business and creativity. That’s incredibly closely aligned with how Canvas sees the world. We’re a technology platform used by businesses to increase their creativity, and break through in new ways.”

Secondly, it reinforces Canva’s location as a creative hub. SXSW’s events are all taking place around the same area as Canva’s office and as part of the activation, it will open the doors to their new HQ and event space to the festival audience.

Lesson: establish what the key characteristics of your organisation are – the more unique/granular the better – to find companies exhibiting the same ones, particularly if it can involve a relevant geographic angle.

Meeting an objective or challenge: Protinex x Kaun Banega Crorepati

We’re all about identifying buying signals for companies but here’s one for an entire country. In this case, which is the pick of our top sponsorship deals in January, research has indicated for many years that India faces a significant protein gap, with many people unaware of their daily protein needs and, therefore, not getting enough.

So, one of India’s biggest TV shows, Kaun Banega Crorepati (the official Hindi adaptation of the ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?’ franchise) secured health nutrition brand Protinex as a sponsor.

The show provides a massively popular and influential platform for Protinex to amplify awareness about the critical role of protein in maintaining a healthy lifestyle and, thereby, Protinex’ ability to fill this role.

Note, the best sponsorships, like any marketing activity, help sell product so this one also ticks that box.

Lesson:  can you identify a wider societal issue that needs addressing? Then you can identify a category and/or group of brands that can help address that issue through the nature of their product/service. This can include showing how your organisation/property can help amplify the wider message through the brand’s own channels.

Multi-country expansion match: Etihad Airways x BWF

In November 2024, Etihad Airways announced the launch of seven new destinations in Asia for 2025. Two months later, it sponsored the Badminton World Federation to engage with fans at tournaments across 14 countries – many of which take place in their new flight destinations.

Specifically, the BWF is hosting nearly 20 events in Asia in 2025 of which six are in the countries covered by Etihad’s new routes.

Both the sponsor and the rights holder are growing in Asia so the deal also has nice synergy to use in its story-telling.

Lesson: dig deeper into the target markets of potential prospects to identify those which have the largest cross-over with your markets, particularly where you have physical events on the ground – as opposed to just a fanbase there.

Selling product: Boots x ITV

As previously stated, the best sponsorships, like any marketing activity, help sell product and this one is a much more direct example than Protinex’s deal with KBC.

In June 2024, UK health and beauty retail chain Boots launched over 25 new brands into its stores. It will supply a number of these brands to contestants in reality ITV show Love Island as part of its sponsorship.

Crucially, fans can also buy these brands themselves throughout the series on the dedicated Love Island app and Boots website via boots.com/love-island. Fans will also be able to purchase the coveted new Boots x Love Island Beauty Box later in the series, featuring a selection of top picks from the show.

Lesson: identify what channels – be it physical or digital – that your organisation can provide to help a sponsor sell directly to your audience. This can be done by thinking about the journey – literal and physical – that your audience/fanbase goes through when following/supporting/attending your organisation.

In addition, like the Boots X Love Island Beauty Box are there are any co-branded products/offerings you can produce to sell.

Showcasing capability: Google Pixel x Australian Open

In August 2024, Google launched its Pixel 9 phone series in Australia. Four months later, its sponsorship of the Australian Open tennis involved an on-site interactive Pixel Studio.

A key part of Google’s messaging around the Pixel is “finding unexpected inspiration in a seemingly everyday moment.”

So, to reinforce this ‘inspirational’ messaging, the Studio at the tournament lets fans get hands-on experience with the Pixel 9 Pro’s advanced tools. This includes access to expert coaches to show fans how tools like Gemini, Circle to Search, Magic Eraser, and Magic Editor can help them with info and get inspiration on how to enhance their photos.

Lesson: think about what physical activations your organisation can provide to enable sponsors to go beyond just getting their ‘brand-in-hand’ so attendees can really experience more of what the product has to offer.

Summary

All these sponsorship deals in January provide an example of the great utility sponsorship provides which all rights holders and brands can look to emulate to benefit both parties. This is particularly the case for rights holders who can come up with their own version to spark a conversation with potential sponsors.