Unlocking sponsorship's full potential
The Sponsorship Effectiveness Forum publishes The Sponsorship Effect, a landmark study that provides the industry with something it has never had before: a shared, credible evidence base for how sponsorship truly drives growth.
It reveals patterns, gaps and opportunities that show why the strongest work outperforms the rest, and what it will take for the industry to close that gap.
Download The Sponsorship Effect
The Sponsorship Effect is the Sponsorship Effectiveness Forum's first publication. The study analyses 92 sponsorship case studies from around the world and codes them to IPA-style standards. It uncovers key insights into how sponsorship drives business growth and how to plan, optimise, and measure sponsorship to deliver commercial results.
Authored by SEF Chair Rory Natkiel, with contributions from SEF co-founders Charlie Dundas (GSIQ), Sarah Kendall (The FA) and Rebecca Martin (Sport by Global), the report challenges assumptions about sponsorship’s role in marketing and shows what the strongest sponsorship activations have in common.
A cross-industry initiative to raise standards in sponsorship
Founded in September 2025, the Sponsorship Effectiveness Forum is dedicated to enhancing standards in sponsorship effectiveness through shared evidence, consistent measurement, and collaborative research across brands, agencies, and rights holders.
SEF exists to:
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Promote credible measurement and evaluation of sponsorship activity, with standards equivalent to those of leading marketing bodies, in particular WARC and the IPA.
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Develop, publish and maintain industry-wide standards and guidance for sponsorship measurement and evaluation.
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Create and run a not-for-profit awards programme that recognises the most effective sponsorship campaigns based on proven business and brand outcomes.
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Build and maintain a database of case studies from these awards to support better decision-making and learning across the sector.
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Undertake and publish research, reports and best-practice guidance on sponsorship effectiveness for the benefit of the industry.
Our ambition is to give sponsorship the same level of rigour, scrutiny, and confidence already expected in the best advertising and brand-building work.
About SEF
Get Involved
The Sponsorship Effect report and SEF:01 are just the starting point. The work continues through:
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future SEF events and working groups
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the not-for-profit awards programme
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ongoing research and publications built on an expanding case study database.
If you are a sponsor, agency, or rights holder and would like to contribute to the development of new standards for sponsorship effectiveness, we would like to hear from you.