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Which companies have the biggest corporate sponsorship programs?
Hello! Thank you for your question of which companies have the biggest corporate sponsorship programs. I understand that Wonder's first response was heavily geared toward non-profit sponsorship and that you would like additional information on other types of corporate sponsorship programs. The short version is that PepsiCo, Anheuser-Busch, and Coca-Cola are the three companies that spend the most money on corporate sponsorships. I have included details about these three companies and 17 others on a spreadsheet for easier comparison.
Methodology
I began my research by thoroughly reading through Wonder's initial response and spreadsheet to make sure I understood what you are looking for in this response. Then, I searched for a pre-compiled list of companies with the biggest corporate sponsorship programs. This led me to IEG's Top Sponsor Rankings list, which provided me with the exact information I needed. I realize this ranking list was compiled in 2016, so it is based on 2015 numbers, but after extensive searching I could not locate more recent data.
Once I had the pre-compiled list I would be using to create your spreadsheet, I researched the top 20 companies, which was the most I was able to research within the course of a single Wonder request. I searched corporate websites, media mentions, and press releases to find information on current sponsorships for each company. I also scoured these sources for insight on the companies' sponsorship strategy and people involved in running the programs. I tried to provide you with at least two senior level employees who are responsible for sponsorships for each company. If I was unable to find two names in the course of my research, I used LinkedIn to identify other executives that would likely be involved in sponsorship decisions.
Limitations
Since I was not able to locate sponsorship dollar amounts more recent than 2015, it is possible some of the top 20 companies have changed position, or even dropped off the list altogether, particularly those companies like Sprint, that have announced a reduction in their sponsorship budgets. It is also possible that other companies have spent their way onto the top 20 list in the year since this information was published. However, I am confident that the companies listed on the spreadsheet are among the top 50 companies spending money on corporate sponsorship programs.
I was unable to identify specific criteria that determine how a company chooses a sponsorship program. I decided to use quotes from the people involved with the decisions to explain their sponsorship strategy. I also used quotes from expert marketing analysts where possible.
Results
The top 20 companies that have the biggest corporate sponsorship programs (excluding non-profit) in order from the company that spends the most to the one that spends the least are:
My research revealed that the top sponsorship programs are those that involve professional sports, particularly the National Football League, Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, and Major League Soccer. Many companies have also recently been throwing more corporate sponsorship dollars to international soccer teams and leagues. The next most popular type of sponsorship programs are those that involve music. Many corporate sponsors at the top of the list are major sponsors of music festivals, concerts, and recording artists.
As you get further down the list, you will see more local and community sponsorships rather than huge national programs. For example, Berkshire Hathaway almost exclusively sponsors local teams, foundations, and funds. Some of this can be attributed to the fact that the companies at the top have taken all the best national sponsorship spots. However, it also appears the companies near the bottom are not willing to spend what it takes to become a sponsor of one of the major sports leagues or concert events.
Conclusion
From the extensive research I performed over the course of several hours, I have determined that PepsiCo, Anheuser-Busch, and Coca-Cola have the biggest corporate sponsorship programs (excluding non-profits) in terms of dollar amount spent. I have included the company names, links to their programs, the types of corporate sponsorship they do, and their sponsorship program strategies on the attached spreadsheet. I have also included all sources used to find the information on the spreadsheet as well.
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