Here to organise: How to activate sponsorship at an EHF EURO

The Men’s EHF EURO 2024 has already been a resounding success in terms of popularity, with a new world record set in the MERKUR SPIEL-ARENA in Dusseldorf, where the two opening matches, between Germany and Switzerland, followed by France and North Macedonia, saw 53,586 spectators flock to see the show.

Overall, throughout the preliminary round, attendances have been high in Munich, Berlin and Mannheim. The fans have seen great handball matches, but also had the opportunity to enjoy themselves by participating in other activities in the venues hosting the competition.

“Sponsors of the EHF EURO competitions receive a greater level of media exposure across free to air partners with over 80 per cent of the EURO audience viewing the competition via these platforms. This is opposed to the club ecosystem which predominantly exists on a pay environment. Therefore, the broader audience reach and the focused, more intense time frame during the EURO, enables brands to activate initiatives in a much more targeted and undiluted approach to reach target audiences,” says Christian Sperling , Associate Director for Summer Sports at Infront Sports & Media AG , the EHF’s long-standing exclusive media and marketing partner.

As handball provides a unique opportunity to connect brands and fans via the biggest competitions, the Men’s EHF EURO, a biennial competition held every January in even years, is the jewel in the crown and there is a plethora of sponsors flocking to partner up with the European Handball Federation in order to become more visible.

“Handball offers core attributes such as heritage, competitiveness, integrity, fairness and partnership which brands can utilise to grow their platforms regionally and globally. It has the ability to help brands reach a dedicated and loyal fan base in some of Europe’s most developed markets create a truly unique and exciting opportunity for companies to tap in to and build a direct and emotional connection with consumers via platform of handball,” adds Sperling.

For the EHF EURO 2024, 10 official partners from different backgrounds and with different targets  have signed up and have received various logo presences in all media-relevant areas and on the handball court and further activation possibilities in all venues in Germany.

All of them are relying on the handball fans to join the party and participate in handball-themed activations in Dusseldorf, Berlin, Mannheim, Munich, Hamburg and Cologne. The four preliminary round venues have had multiple sold-out days, with attention turning to the main round in Hamburg and Cologne from Wednesday.

“It is about partnership and relationship building with each sponsor. In an ideal world all sponsors would be engaged to activate various elements of their rights including onsite and digital innovation activations over and above the traditional floor stickers or led branding,” Sperling says.

“In these cases, the preparation and honing of partnerships begins years in advance of events to ensure that all activations are conceptualised and delivered in the most impactful of ways. Of course, some partners may only see benefit in the traditional branding activations, LED, static boards and floor stickers, which therefore requires a shorter activation lead time.

Brands such as Engelbert STRAUSS , Falken Tyre Europe GmbH and Gorenje have all received important exposure. Their target audience of 35+ years, male and with a middle-income status is a crucial segment of the handball audience.

Other sponsors have delivered out-of-the-box concepts, such as Lidl in Germany , which once again brought its Fan Sofa campaign, providing selected fans one of the best views in the arena through a dedicated and exclusive seating area within the stands for all matches – a distinctive yellow sofa, which delivers a unique experience in viewing a match.

“LIDL launched its fan sofa for the first time in 2018. Fans can win two tickets for the ‘best place’ close to the field of play. Through this activation LIDL has the opportunity to activate their sponsorship in specific LIDL markets directly at the point of sale, social media channels and digital platforms,” says Sperling.

There is no doubt that with excellent metrics both on TV, in the number of tickets sold and on the digital channels of the EHF, this EHF EURO has been a true success, both on and off the court, which means sponsors are getting their share in terms of exposure and awareness.

“What’s important is ensuring brands know to set clear, measurable objectives. This allows them to more accurately evaluate media exposure against traditional advertising costs, analyse social media engagement and understand audience perceptions through direct feedback. These are just some of the methods brands use when it comes to establishing the return on investment of a successful sponsorship campaign and offer a comprehensive view of its effectiveness,” concludes Sperling.