The beer giant company – Anheuser-Busch – recently evaluated the sponsorship models, which it had applied for several years. The US-based company has been dominating beer industry for half a century in the country. It is not surprising that it has a market share of 45% now. Anheuser-Busch sponsorship models have been the same for several years. It was redoing all of the endorsement models with sports companies like Budweiser, Busch and Michelob, Bud Light, and many other companies.

The New Anheuser-Busch Sponsorship Models

According to Joao Chueiri – the Vide President of Consumer Connections at the company – the current models are no longer relevant, since they were created for consumer behavior, which is not there anymore. The consumer behavior changes with time, while Anheuser-Busch sponsorship models remain the same. As one of the leaders in the US beer industry, the company is pushing for evolution in its sponsorship model.

So, how do the new sponsorship models look like? They are built on incentives to boost performance. In the future, every sponsor deal will include a base compensation amount. This will apply for both team or league based sponsorship. The there will be additional incentives for metrics that trigger the company to invest more. The metrics can vary widely, for instance:

• Playoff appearance or boost in the number of visitors that can lead Anheuser-Busch to offer more money for sponsorship
• A new digital platform that can boost Anheuser-Busch brand awareness
• Any kind of innovations that can increase fan engagement and brand awareness

Before launching the new Anheuser-Busch sponsorship models, the company will discuss the metrics with teams and leagues. So far, four partners have been ready to discuss the new formats. They include New Orleans Saints, the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and NASCAR. The latter company recently announced that A-B is its official bear.

Behind the Changes in Anheuser-Busch Sponsorship Models

As discussed above, the main reason behind the changes in Anheuser-Busch sponsorship models was changing consumer behavior. The sports teams and leagues are competing for TV ratings and attendance. They can only do it when the deals address the changing consumer behavior. For instance, more and more people now enjoy sports events on social media channels compared to they once were. Therefore, Joao Chueiri said that the new deals would embrace those components.

The company fully realizes the importance of brand-loyal fans. In addition, Anheuser-Busch sponsorship models touch almost all aspects in sports industry, including NBA, MLB, and NFL besides a number of team-specific facts. It also targets emerging sports like surfing and even e-sports. Chueiri also said that the company would keep evaluating and testing the ideas to find out deals that best fit their marketing objectives.

Despite its popular name in sports industry, Anheuser-Busch is also one of the leaders in music festivals. The new sponsorship models will encourage the teams and leagues to find creative ideas to attract visitors or online engagement. They are expected to benefit both parties.  In fact, performance-based incentive system has been a mainstream in other industries, particularly retail industry. Accordingly, A-B is optimistic that the new model will work.