Remember a while ago I wrote about event sponsorship?
Or should I say, mad event sponsorship?
As I said then, when done right and done for the right reasons, sponsorship can be a really powerful and valuable tool for brands – whether it’s for driving audience resonance, improving internal/partner company morale or simply exploiting a distribution opportunity.
That said, I can’t help but feel too many companies do it badly and for the wrong reasons and the latest version of that is this:
OK, so Hyundai are one of South Korea’s most important companies and yes, I am sure a lot of people from a lot of different countries will be attending, BUT WHAT THE FUCK ARE THEY DOING SPONSORING THE NUCLEAR SECURITY SUMMIT???
Let’s say that again, Hyundai are sponsoring the NUCLEAR SECURITY SUMMIT!
Look, I know Hyundai make a bunch more stuff than just cars, but short of making nuclear security equipment, I can’t see the point or benefit of sponsoring this event – especially for their car business.
Fine … they’ll get to drive a bunch of dignitaries from hotel to conference and yes, it lets them show an international audience they don’t just make cheap metal [even though the powers-that-be already think they make Merc equivilents], but seriously, this is totally and utterly fucking mental.
Having read the copy, it appears some sales genius flogged this sponsorship to Hyundai under the guise of it helping ‘drive brand perception’ and ‘national pride’ – but seriously, is it going to do that???
Hell, is anyone in South Korea even going to know this event is going on?
Or care?
Then again, given the nuclear aspirations of South Korea’s crackpot next-door-neighbours, maybe they will.
I suppose that even though the chances of a visiting dignitary going back home and trading in their Merc or BMW for a Hyundai is approximately nil, making sure their car brand drives the important ‘heads of state’ around town makes a bit of sense [note: a bit] … but sponsoring the whole event?
THE NUCLEAR SECURITY SUMMIT EVENT?
Give me a break.
I would love to know how much this cost and what they claim they’ll get out of it because to me, the only real ‘return on investment’ they’ll achieve is keeping the CEO’s ego in its deluded state for a little bit longer.