Why You Aren't Selling More Digital

👋 Welcome back to Sponcon Sports, a weekly newsletter dedicated to sponsored content strategy in the sports industry! 

This is a resource for sports organizations to generate more sponsorship revenue and for brands to get more from their sports partnerships by building sponsored content fans actually want to engage with.

In Today’s Edition:

• 💰️ Why teams undersell digital inventory

• 🚗 Joe Alt’s Sienna story gets sponsored

• 🚜 Jesser reimagines creator favorites for Powerade, John Deere

🏊️ DEEP DIVE
Your Digital Workflow Is Costing You

I saw a LinkedIn post from sponsorship strategist Ricardo Fort recently that got me thinking.

His argument is that signing a sponsor speaks to the value of the property you’re selling. Renewing that sponsor is heavily influenced by the experience you deliver.

That distinction is especially relevant to digital partnerships.

Throughout my career, I’ve heard some version of this countless times:

“Digital is too hard to activate.”

And to be fair, digital assets are more nuanced than many traditional sponsorship assets.

Take signage or a jersey patch. The size, placement, and branding are largely defined before the deal is sold. Everyone understands what the brand is buying and what the rights holder needs to deliver.

Digital content has a lot more variables.

Which channels and how many posts? How does the brand show up, and for how long? When does the content go live, and what access is needed to capture it?

All of those questions can be answered.

But when they aren’t answered early enough, everyone spends way too much time figuring out what was supposed to be just one piece of the partnership.

Eventually, the conclusion becomes: Why bother selling more of it?

Demand for digital assets has increased, creating a meaningful revenue opportunity. But if digital creates headaches internally, organizations will limit how much they sell. And if brands repeatedly have poor experiences with it, they’ll stop buying.

The instinct might be to call this an activation problem.

But it starts much earlier.

The Problem Starts At The Pitch

A brand comes to your sales team with a wacky idea for a social content series.

It might make perfect sense on the brand’s own channels, but anyone who works closely with your audience can tell pretty quickly: our fans aren't going to care about this.

The problem is that the content team isn't always in the room to say that.

And frankly, most people working in partnerships aren't digital media experts. That's not a knock on them. They're being asked to sell dozens of different assets and channels.

So when a brand asks for something, and there’s pressure to close the deal, the salesperson finds a way to make it happen.

Completely understandable.

But brands want access to a rights holder’s digital channels because they offer something brands struggle to build on their own: a large, highly engaged audience.

You can't access that audience by treating the team’s channels like your puppet. An idea designed for the brand’s audience can't simply be delivered through the rights holder and be expected to perform.

That's why content needs to be involved before the idea is sold. They can immediately flag issues with the concept, platform, access or brand integration that could hurt performance.

Otherwise, activation still has to deliver what was promised, while content is asked to execute a plan they already believe won't work.

That creates two problems.

Internally, content starts viewing partnerships as the department handing them bad ideas they’re forced to execute.

Externally, the brand sees poor results and starts questioning whether digital content can accomplish its objectives.

The content didn't fail because digital doesn't work. The concept failed.

But good luck convincing a client to increase its digital investment after its first major activation underperformed.

TBD Is Still A Decision

Sometimes the issue isn't that the wrong idea gets sold.

It's that no idea gets sold at all.

A contract might include:

• 10 social posts, concepts TBD

• $100K digital content bank

• One custom content series, TBD

That flexibility can make negotiating a package faster.

But really, you're kicking the can down the road.

You've sold an obligation without deciding how you're going to fulfill it. The work you avoided during the sales process becomes a problem for activation and content after the contract is signed.

I've seen what happens next.

As the season approaches, everyone is scrambling to launch the partnership, so digital gets pushed:

“We’ll figure it out once the season starts.”

Now you’ve missed one of your best production windows. Preseason is often when player access is strongest and you have more flexibility to capture content in advance.

Once the season starts, those competing priorities don't disappear. More pile on.

But there's another problem with TBD inventory: you've given the brand significantly more control over what gets created.

If you sell “10 social posts” instead of 10 executions of a defined concept, the conversation after signing becomes:

“What do you want those posts to be?”

Now the creative process can start from what makes sense for the brand rather than your fans.

And once the contract is signed, you have a lot less leverage to change course.

That's not the brand's fault. You sold them a bucket of content, so it's reasonable for them to believe they should have a significant say in how it's used.

You can—and should—push back. But you're negotiating from a much weaker position.

And remember what content is measured against: growing audiences, strengthening relationships with fans and improving performance.

When they're forced to publish sponsored content they believe fans won't care about, you're asking them to put those KPIs at risk.

There’s another risk: you’re setting a precedent.

Give one brand an overly brand-forward execution and another can understandably ask:

“Why can’t we do that too?”

You've already shown you're willing to make that exception, making it much harder to tell the next partner no. Before long, what started as an exception becomes the expectation.

And when brand preferences start driving content more than audience preferences, performance usually suffers.

Then we're back to the original problem: the brand sees poor results and starts questioning whether digital works at all.

If you're stuck with undefined inventory this season, use the offseason to evaluate what worked, what didn't, and start defining those TBD assets before renewal locks you into the same problem again.

Content Teams Have A Responsibility, Too

I’ve spent a lot of time talking about what partnership teams get wrong.

But this is a two-way street.

Content teams can't expect a real seat at the table if they don't understand how the business works and bring a solutions-oriented mentality to partnerships.

That doesn't mean saying yes to every idea. Sometimes the answer absolutely should be no.

But if the response is:

“That won't work for our audience.”

The conversation can't end there.

Explain why, then bring back an alternative that can accomplish the same objective.

Remember, most people in partnerships aren't digital media experts. You are. Make it easy for them to benefit from that expertise.

When your alternative performs better, you build trust. Partnerships sees that involving content leads to better ideas. Activation has an easier time delivering them. The brand sees stronger results.

And when reporting and renewal season arrives, you have evidence that digital content works.

Partnership teams want to generate revenue. Show them something works, and they're going to want to sell more of it.

There's some selfish upside for content teams, too.

Need more headcount? Better equipment? A larger budget? More influence within the organization?

It's a lot easier to make those cases when you can point to the revenue your work is helping generate.

Maybe you shouldn't have to “earn” a seat at the table. But fair or not, it's difficult to expect other departments to seek out your expertise if every interaction becomes a fight.

Learn how the business works. Bring solutions instead of roadblocks. Prove that involving content makes the organization more money.

That's how you make people want you in the room.

Build Before You Sell

So how do you fix all of this?

Do more work before the pitch.

Build a centralized digital partnership inventory with a large menu of opportunities sales and activation teams already know can work.

And I mean large.

Most inventories I've seen contain 25–50 digital opportunities. I'd aim for 150–200.

You’re creating enough variety that whether you're pitching an airline, QSR, financial services company or pet food brand, you have ideas with a legitimate connection to that business.

And don't stop at organic social. Map the entire digital ecosystem:

Organic social. Paid social. Email. Website. App. SMS.

For each opportunity, define:

• Description: What are we creating?

• Cadence: How often can it run?

• Channels: Where does it live?

• Brand Integration: How can the sponsor naturally appear?

• Expected Performance: What KPIs should the brand expect?

• Examples/Inspiration: What helps someone quickly understand it?

• Target Categories: Which brands make the most sense?

• Customization: How can it be adapted for a specific partner?

• Costs: Does it require incremental production, talent, paid media or outside support?

• Price: What should it cost based on expected performance and value?

It's a lot of work upfront. That's the point.

You're solving these questions before the chaos starts, so sales can pitch confidently, activation and content know what was promised, and the brand knows what it's buying.

But building the inventory is only half the battle.

You also need to follow digital inventory’s golden rule: every asset must be reapproved by content before it’s formally pitched to a new or current partner.

Partnerships can use the inventory during early prospect conversations to toss out thought starters. But once something moves toward a formal proposal, go back to content.

This can’t become a “no backsies” situation.

Treat initial approval as permission to sell an idea forever, and content will eventually stop giving you ideas.

Too much can change. Algorithms and formats evolve. Production bandwidth shifts. Inventory gets sold. Or the brand may want to execute the concept differently than originally approved.

Reapproval ensures the idea still works and builds trust with content.

When they know they'll get another look, they're more likely to keep adding ideas. Every brainstorm, new format or great concept can go into an evergreen resource instead of disappearing into an email thread.

And with that deep bench of vetted ideas, you don't need to start from scratch every time a new opportunity comes through the door.

Defined Doesn't Mean Inflexible

One pushback I hear about putting defined assets into contracts is that it makes them harder to change later.

And things will change.

Brand objectives evolve. Content formats stop working. Algorithms change. New marketing campaigns launch.

You should have the flexibility to adjust.

That's why I recommend working with your legal team on contract language that allows an asset to be replaced with something of equal or greater value when both sides agree.

Now you have a defined plan without locking either side into an asset that no longer makes sense.

And if something isn't working, pivot. Flag it early and recommend a better solution.

Flexibility is important. You just don't need TBD inventory to create it.

Break Down The Walls

Everything we've discussed becomes easier when content and partnerships are integrated into each other's day-to-day work.

Partnerships should have representation in content meetings. Content should have representation in partnership meetings.

That visibility helps partnerships identify revenue opportunities within upcoming content and helps content understand what brands are asking for.

And when a pitch is particularly digital-heavy, put someone from content in the room.

They can explain why an idea works, answer questions and offer alternatives in real time.

Pro tip: They don't need to sit through the entire pitch. Put a hold on their calendar and bring them in for the digital portion.

The same applies once the partnership is live. Bring content experts into client conversations when their expertise can help.

One thing I wouldn't recommend is creating another weekly “digital partnerships meeting.”

That can reinforce the “us versus them” mentality you're trying to eliminate.

Sponsored content should be part of normal content planning, and partnerships should be part of the conversations already happening around what your organization is creating.

The goal isn't another meeting. It's making collaboration part of how both teams operate every day.

The Renewal Starts Before The Contract Is Signed

This brings me back to Ricardo's post.

He's right that account management has an enormous influence on renewals.

But with digital partnerships, the experience you deliver is being shaped before there's even an account to manage.

It starts with the inventory you build, the ideas you pitch, the expectations you set, the internal alignment you create, and the performance you forecast.

Then it comes down to how well you execute, communicate, and adapt once the partnership is live.

Without that system, digital becomes difficult to activate. Teams become reluctant to sell it. Brands become reluctant to buy it again.

That's how a workflow problem becomes a revenue problem.

Fix the workflow, and you give your team a much better chance of selling more digital, delivering better work, and giving partners a reason to keep buying it.

🔍️ SPONCONSPIRATION
Steal These Ideas

Joe Alt showing up to Los Angeles Chargers training camp in a 2009 Toyota Sienna turned into an organic endorsement when he told reporters how much he loved the car. Toyota jumped on the moment, partnering with Alt to recreate his now-viral arrival before extending the story with a retirement fakeout that ended with Toyota retiring his ’09 Sienna and gifting him a new one.

The Women’s Lacrosse League dropped some clever sponsored content during Championship Weekend earlier this month. Maryland Charm players received their championship bonuses through Cash App Instant Transfer, then shared what they planned to do with the money. The product placement continued postgame, where interviews became “Postgame Interbrews” in partnership with Athletic Brewing.

The Mercedes F1 team came out of summer break with some product placement of its own. George Russell watched his first driving test on a Microsoft tablet, while another piece of content showed messages checking in on the entire driver lineup in a native WhatsApp format.

Emirates showed fans how it transformed retired aircraft parts into the Arsenal crest displayed inside the club’s stadium, a clever way to bring its sustainability efforts to life while adding something unique to the venue.

Jesser has been putting fresh spins on popular sports creator formats for his sponsored content. He turned the Impossible Wall into the “Impossible Bottle Flip” for Powerade, then reworked “Guess the Secret Player” into “Guess the Secret Farmer” for John Deere, with 49ers QB and brand ambassador Brock Purdy joining as a judge.

I’ve bundled every post from this section into one Gondola playlist so you don’t have to open them one by one. Click here to see them all.

🚨 ICYMI
Industry News & Insights

New Rules of YouTube: When Colin & Samir drop a video with YouTube strategist Paddy Galloway, I consider it required viewing. The trio discuss what works on the platform in 2026, 2027, and beyond.

Content’s Commercial Value: Cullen Honohan joined Tyler Webb on the Sportanomics Podcast to break down his unique Robert Morris basketball jersey patch partnership, including the specific goals they’re trying to achieve, how they’ll measure success, and how content can create more value for sponsors, players, recruiting, and attendance.

Breaking Internal Silos: Rudy Lui explored what sports marketers can learn from YoPRO’s Australian strategy, particularly how getting sponsorship, talent, experiential, and content teams working together can create more value across an entire sports portfolio.

Social Meets Brand: Jess Smith joined Eric Gray on the Radical Content Podcast to break down how NASCAR is building a personality-driven entertainment brand, why social and brand should work together under one roof, and what social pros need to make the jump from channel execution to leadership.

Building Before LA28: Alyssa Mercante broke down how USA Fencing is investing in creators two years ahead of LA28 to build fandom early, including cross-sport collaborations and an upcoming Creator Showdown targeting 100M+ impressions [via Digiday].