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By building strategic partnerships via Cricket, brands can make the most of the game to establish themselves in a sponsorship market that has yet to be fully exploited.

There is light at the end of the long COVID-19 pandemic tunnel.

Heading into 2022, brands are more optimistic than ever of what sponsorship can do in support of their measurable business and brand objectives.

As we look forward, with COVID-19 transitioning to endemic, sports, arts, culture, community, and music properties offer Canadians the opportunity to come together for human-scale experiences, leaving public health restrictions behind them.

Latent Demand for Live

IMI, the Canada-born global consumer research firm, has been tracking consumer sentiment related to the pandemic across thirty-nine country markets since early 2020. During that time, latent demand for live experiences has steadily grown.

As of December 2021, Canadians’ intent to attend live festivals was 43% higher than it was pre-pandemic, intent to attend community events was 48% higher, and live concerts 32% higher.

Of little surprise, the COVID-19 pandemic will have an impact on how brand marketers should be thinking about sponsorship for the remainder of 2021, and at least into 2022, if not longer. Consumers expect the pandemic to continue to be a concern until December 2021. It will likely be between 15 and 18 months between their ‘normals’.

We expect consumers to reengage with the world around them in stages, moving from household and neighborhood to their wider communities and regions, and then to national and international travel. It is the trusted brands that are alongside Canadians on that journey that can build relevance and earn attribution.

While past financial crises barely made a dent in sponsorship expenditures (chiefly due to ongoing agreements), this pandemic has impacted the sports and entertainment industry like no other calamity in recent times. As shows, festivals and sports ground to a halt, many brands were obliged to axe activation and slash their budgets, ending decades of growth for the communication medium.

Over 135 days have passed since the declaration of the global coronavirus pandemic. It was just a few days earlier that the NBA took swift action suspending its season indefinitely due to safety concerns when a player tested positive for COVID-19 – how quickly things evolved from there. Since that time, we’ve witnessed thousands of live entertainment events around the world, and here at home, having no choice other than to postpone, cancel or shut-down permanently, leaving many questioning the future of live entertainment.

As the situation has evolved, discussion in the media around the industry and future fan and consumer behaviour has heated up…

The entertainment industry has been deeply affected by the disruptions cause by the global COVID-19 pandemic, and its repercussions will continue to be felt in the short to medium term.

Thankfully, sponsorship agreements often have cancellation and postponement clauses, but they are rarely used and some could benefit from a little clarification.

Within this context, how can partners agree on the best course of action to minimize the negative consequences of this global crisis? What follows are some topics of discussion to help you analyze your legal obligations and think beyond the contract so you can find solutions that are favourable for all parties involved…