1. Executive Summary
During the 2005–07 Volvo Ocean Race, Ericsson proved that sponsorship can fuel growth, not just visibility. A four-pillar programme—C-suite customer tracks, travelling tech pavilion, global employee activation, and purpose-led media—delivered 4 150 meetings, 50 executive roundtables, 1.2 billion SEK in media value, 80% employee engagement and directly influenced multi-billion-SEK contracts.
2. Business Challenge
Corporate sponsorships are often treated as outsized branding spend with little commercial accountability. Ericsson’s newly signed Volvo Ocean Race deal risked the same fate: high visibility but thin evidence of revenue impact or employee energy. Two persistent pain points remained—sponsorships usually sit outside the sales engine and under-deliver on internal activation.
Yet the Volvo Ocean Race offered a once-per-decade canvas: a mobile, 10-country stage that stretched over months, attracted C-suite guests to each port, and let Ericsson’s technology sail—literally—into city harbours. The opportunity was clear, but so was the risk: without a tightly orchestrated, cross-functional playbook, the race could become just another logo on a sail.
Key question: How do you turn a global sports sponsorship into a business accelerator that feeds pipeline, deepens customer access, and galvanises 50,000+ employees—rather than a marketing expense that drifts with the wind?
3. Strategic Response
The VOR program was designed around four strategic pillars, each connected to business impact:
1. Customer Growth
Tailored executive programs were created for 400+ customers—each 2–3 day engagement designed around strategic themes, curated demos, and meaningful dialogue.
2. Technology Demonstration at Scale
Ericsson built a traveling Technology Pavilion—a fully immersive showcase replicating the innovation presence typically seen at Mobile World Congress. The tech experience came to the customer.
3. Employee Engagement
More than 50,000 employees were activated globally via livestreams, storytelling, branded team rituals, and local race activations. This generated unity and internal pride.
4. Brand Visibility and Societal Dialogue
The program amplified Ericsson’s broader role in digital inclusion, broadband-enabled education, and job creation—anchored by media coverage, thought leadership roundtables, and stakeholder forums.
4. Key Initiatives and Execution
- Global C-Level Programming
- Customized VIP programs in every race stopover
- Curated tracks based on industry, geography, and commercial priority
- Executive sessions led by Ericsson’s senior leaders
- Technology Showcase
- Hands-on demos aligned to customer industries
- Innovation storytelling embedded into the race journey
- Employee Campaigns
- Real-time storytelling via intranet and social platforms
- Activation teams in local offices coordinated regional engagement
- Integrated Content and Media
- Thought leadership panels on digital society themes
- Joint storytelling with customers and partners
- Localized campaigns driving press, digital, and industry exposure
5. Results and Outcomes
| Area | Impact |
| Deal Acceleration | Direct influence on multiple multi-billion SEK contracts |
| Relationship Building | 4,150 professional meetings and 50 executive roundtables executed |
| Media Value | 1.2 billion SEK in equivalent media exposure across 10 countries |
| Employee Activation | 80%+ employee participation globally |
| Societal Impact | Local engagement in digital inclusion initiatives and policy forums |
6. Frameworks Applied
- Strategic Event Portfolio Management (BMEF Model)
Helped structure the VOR sponsorship as a portfolio of interconnected experiences—with asset, audience, and outcome clarity. - Experiential Marketing Framework
Guided the end-to-end customer journey—from pre-engagement, through experience, to post-engagement action and follow-up. - Brand Purpose Alignment Model
Ensured the sponsorship connected clearly to Ericsson’s broader purpose—beyond product promotion—via storytelling and social activation.
7. Pitfalls and Lessons Learned
1. Treating Sponsorship as Brand-Only
Sponsorships often remain isolated in the brand or communications function, with little connection to sales, business development, or partner strategy.
Lesson: Sponsorship must be integrated into the core go-to-market agenda. Success requires alignment across customer engagement, product showcasing, employee activation, and leadership messaging.
2. Overlooking Field Enablement and Commercial Preparation
Too often, executive events and customer programs are designed without input from sales teams, or without sufficient account-specific targeting.
Lesson: Involve commercial teams early. Customize content, touchpoints, and experiences for key accounts. Treat sponsorship as a business development platform, not just an event.
3. Failing to Scale Beyond Event Moments
Even high-impact engagements risk fading quickly if not followed up through structured processes.
Lesson: Build rigorous post-engagement workflows—including CRM integration, executive follow-up plans, and pipeline tracking tied to event-driven conversations.
4. Ignoring the Internal Culture Opportunity
Most sponsorships under-leverage their internal potential. Employees watch passively—if at all—instead of participating or gaining inspiration.
Lesson: Use sponsorships to build pride, cohesion, and shared vision across the company. Invite teams to engage with storytelling, live activations, and digital experiences.
5. Lack of Strategic Narrative
Without a cohesive story that connects the sponsorship to the company’s mission, it becomes noise. The investment feels disconnected—internally and externally.
Lesson: Anchor the sponsorship in a broader strategic narrative—one that connects customers, employees, and society to the company’s purpose and ambitions.
8. Ideal Use Cases
This case is ideal for organizations that want to:
- Reposition sponsorships as business accelerators, not brand expenses
- Create immersive customer engagement platforms tied to strategic accounts
- Activate global employees through purpose-led campaigns
- Use sponsorships to drive both pipeline and thought leadership visibility
Applicable for:
Companies with complex go-to-market models—across B2B, SaaS, product-led, or services-driven environments
9. Key Insight
Sponsorships don’t create value on their own—what matters is how you design and activate them.
With the right architecture, sponsorship becomes more than visibility. It becomes a growth platform.
10. References
- Close, A., et al. (2006). Experiential Marketing: A Literature Review
- Keller, K.L. (2012). Brand Planning and Purpose Activation Models
- Schmitt, B. (1999). Experiential Marketing
- BMEF Model – Brand-Managed Event Framework (Event ROI Institute)
11. Appendix: Framework Critique and Limitations
Strategic Event Portfolio Management
Strength: Provides structure and portfolio thinking across touchpoints
Limitation: Requires significant internal coordination across regions and functions
Experiential Marketing Framework
Strength: Offers a proven path for engagement-led design
Limitation: Success hinges on flawless execution and post-event follow-up
Brand Purpose Alignment Model
Strength: Strengthens internal and external narrative consistency
Limitation: Risks becoming abstract if not anchored in concrete actions and outcomes