Yamgo Sponsors Extreme Sports Athlete Tim Emmett

Yamgo, the global mobile TV network, and, the world renowned mountaineer, climber, extreme sports athlete and television broadcaster Tim Emmett today announced a new sponsorship agreement.

As part of the new partnership, Emmett, one of the most talented and recognizable athletes in the world, will become a brand ambassador for the world’s largest free-to-view mobile TV provider and will undertake an active role in advertising and promotional campaigns.

Tim Emmett’s vast list of achievements includes a Piolet D’Or nomination, climbing’s equivalent of the Oscars, multiple podium finishes at the World Ice Climbing Championships, several world firsts and presenting TV shows for broadcasters such as BBC and ITV.

This latest partnership further represents the important relationship between the media and sports. Yamgo, like many worldwide consumer brands, recognises the value of being associated with popular, respected global sports stars.

Sports sponsorship is growing fast, rising by 11% a year for the past decade and in some cases, like global credit-card company MasterCard, sports sponsorship can account for 85% of a company’s total sponsorship budget.

There are three main reasons why companies find it worth their while to sponsor the stars of world sport. Firstly many brands believe that sponsoring sports stars creates an emotional connection with people. Athletes in this day and age enjoy the status previously reserved for the stars of the film and music industry. Any emotional connection between the consumer and the talent is also a connection with the brand.

Secondly, sport sponsorship can allow brands to reach the right people. Sponsorship enables a more targeted and accurate approach than advertising may allow. Sponsoring a particular athlete or team enables the brand to reach the target market effectively and efficiently. In an age of aspiration sponsoring the stars of the NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, Premier League, Rugby World Cup, Olympics and the world of extreme sports can allow brands to communicate their message with an audience who may otherwise avoid advertising.

Thirdly, brands understand the value of being associated with the best athletes and also understand the opportunity to form such partnerships is increasingly competitive. As the opportunities to form partnerships with top athletes become more exclusive and the price of being associated with them is driven up it becomes increasingly important that brands choose their stars carefully and wisely to ensure a return.

Which brands do you most closely associate with sport? Have your decisions to purchase products ever been influenced by a sports team or athlete?