I see the coronavirus has triggered changes in sports sponsorship as well.
The organizers of the Race to Dubai (of course other golf tournaments too), but also its sponsors like Rolex have to face and embrace the changes in sports sponsorship.
It’s about the digitalization of services by embracing their digital platforms and identify new ways to connect with their fans in the absence of physical events.
There will be no turning back from this since this is our future. Generation Z & Alpha are totally different from previous generations. They eat, sleep, and breathe tech.
They are digital consumers. It means it will be difficult to reach and engaged them via TV. They prefer streaming, OTT, and social media because it gives them more freedom and flexibility to choose when and where. They want to pay only for what they consume.
We should utilize much better Artificial Intelligence and Augmented Reality. This will give rights holders new ways to engage with fans with meaningful and personalized experiences.
At the same time, these technologies provide new sponsorship opportunities too. Let’s think about what kind of experiences we can provide on & off-site to our fans and customers.
The good news with Virtual Reality you can create an experience that fans can enjoy even at home.
By the way, data-gathering. Data-driven fan engagement is the path to follow. Hence, both sponsors (e.g. Rolex) and rights holders should collect as much data as possible.
This way the sponsor will be able to target more effectively its potential customs and calculate the return on sponsorship.
Race to Dubai Rankings Presented by Rolex: DP World Tour Championship
I shared these insights with you because Rolex returned as the official timekeeper at the DP World Tour Championship (10–13 December 2020, Dubai), the final Rolex Series event of 2020.
The relationship between the European Tour and Rolex is not a new one. Rolex became the Official Timekeeper of the European Tour in 1997.
Coinciding with the 20th anniversary of this partnership, in 2017 the Rolex Series was launched as the premium tournament category on the European Tour’s International Schedule.
This year’s Rolex Series comprised four tournaments, each offering a minimum prize fund of US$7 million.