Why insight – not instinct – is the foundation of successful sponsorship sales

Sponsorship sales in sport have changed. The days of working through a contacts list and leading with logo placements and perimeter boards are behind us. At GSW, we believe that selling commercial opportunities starts long before the first conversation with a brand.

It starts with understanding who you are targeting, which sectors are actively investing, where challenger brands are looking to grow, which businesses have the financial capacity to commit – and critically, what those brands are actually trying to achieve.

Ian Birtley, GSW’s Senior Vice President of Commercial, explains the shift:

Modern commercial strategy is built on data, infrastructure and process.

It’s about analysing categories across the wider sporting landscape – not just football – and identifying revenue size and growth trajectory, funding rounds, expansion phases, market positioning versus competitors, and audience alignment with specific rights holders.

Rather than defaulting to established blue-chip brands, Ian points to the often greater opportunity in challenger businesses – ambitious companies looking for growth, differentiation and customer acquisition.

Before presenting rights, we ask fundamental questions: Does the organization have the turnover to support this level of investment? Is sport the right platform for their objectives? Are they building brand awareness, driving activation, or targeting new markets?

The differentiator, Ian argues, is never the asset itself. It is the story you build around it.

Ian added:

Understanding a brand’s commercial objectives – and aligning those with the right sport, audience and narrative – is what turns a proposal into a partnership. In today’s market, insight-led prospecting isn’t a luxury. It’s the foundation of successful sponsorship sales.