Rising consumer demand for privacy and security means VPN brands are growing, presenting a big opportunity for organisations selling sponsorship

With consumers demanding ever more privacy, security, and freedom online, one category benefitting is virtual Private Networks. VPNs, as they are more commonly known, undertake two main tasks in helping consumers in this regard: (1) hiding the location of a device and (2) protecting user’s information from being accessed by legal and illegal third parties.

For instance, VPNs:

• Offer more security if using public Wi-Fi
• Enable companies to allow remote users to access a company’s internal network
• Hide browsing habits
• Enable users to bypass geographic content restrictions and government censorship (such as accessing streaming content normally blocked in the region they live in)
  • Crucially for sport and entertainment, VPNs are increasingly advertised as a way for fans to access games and live events while travelling abroad – a direct link to the sponsorship ecosystem.

As a result, VPNs are quickly shifting from niche tech tools to mainstream consumer products (the global market is forecast to exceed $481 billion by 2035), as illustrated by the following:

• The new Online Safety Act in the UK triggered a 1,400% spike in sign-ups for Proton VPN almost overnight
• International restrictions on popular apps and websites, such as the United States’ attempted ban on TikTok or the withdrawal of Aylo Freesites (parent company of Pornhub) from France, has driven another surge in VPN downloads.

VPNs and sponsorship

As with many rising consumer-facing tech sectors before them, VPNs use sponsorship as a platform to gain scale, trust, and show how they’re more relevant to everyday life. The main objectives of VPN marketing are:

• Awareness, education & ‘normalisation’: VPNs are still not universally understood. In some markets, they also carry “grey area” perceptions due to the opportunity to bypass legal laws. Sponsorship of established organisations and events helps VPN companies to establish credibility as they grow.
• More example objectives in full article

Examples of deals done by VPN brands and why include:

• NordVPN x NYCFC: “While cybersecurity and privacy tools help protect internet users from a technical perspective, human error remains a key factor in cybersecurity. No one is fully protected from online scams. Cybercriminals are improving their tactics every day, putting even the most cyber-savvy users at risk.”
  
• More example deals in full article 

Who you can target next

caytoo has identified several VPN and privacy brands exhibiting strong activity-related signals including:

1. Hotspot Shield: Using influencer marketing to become the ‘go-to’ VPN provider among gamers.

• More example brands in full article

More VPN brands feature in caytoo’s news-based lead generation platform with new ones being added all the time.