Mark Covington - SNAP CEO
"I was absolutely delighted to read this article in Sport Business today. Not only has a new agency been formed during the most difficult of times but there was also an acknowledgement of Hyperlocal Marketing (Congratulations Lisa, Tom & Adam).
This is something that SNAP identified in 2012 in our very first business plan. It was our vision for the future of sponsorship! ............back then we were drawing comparison to the 'supermarket coin drop' to identify the 'Hyper Local Cause' that a grant or pledge would be gifted to, chosen by shoppers.
Now we are are seeing Community/Grassroots sports initiatives at the core of partnership being developed by the biggest brands on the planet.
www.snapsponsorship.com have had the privilege of being able to facilitate some of these transactions, providing the tools and network of clubs nationally to make this a reality.
My favorite quotes:
Former Synergy trio launch ‘The Space Between’ agency
Parfitt said: “Another area of opportunity is the rise of hyperlocal marketing and brands engaging with local sports communities. Local community grassroots programmes will move away from being the add-on to the big, glossy sponsorships to being the core of what the partnership will be about.
“The sports industry is hurting right now and this is where brands can play a valuable and vital role in rebuilding society. Vitality is a great example where they’ve refreshed their focus on women’s sport, reinvested in the likes of the Vitality Women’s FA Cup, England Hockey, This Mum Runs, and Women in Sport to close the gender play gap that exists between men and women participating in sport.”
The Full Article Can be seen below.
Credit: https://www.sportbusiness.com/news/former-synergy-trio-launch-the-space-...
Former Synergy trio launch ‘The Space Between’ agency
A new London-based sports and entertainment marketing agency called ‘The Space Between’ has been launched by former leading figures at two well-known sponsorship agencies.
The Space Between is led by former Engine Sport co-founders Tom Gladstone and Lisa Parfitt, along with Adam Raincock, former managing director of Pitch Marketing Group. The three executives first met while they were at sports marketing and sponsorship agency Synergy.
Parfitt and Gladstone left Engine in September after Engine’s sport and brand experience capabilities were folded into the Engine Creative marketing agency. Raincock has joined up with the duo after more than three years as Pitch Marketing Group managing director.
Parfitt told SportBusiness the economic results of the Covid-19 pandemic had forced integrated agencies to make some tough decisions on where to focus strategically. “Whilst that direction shifted at our previous agency, it presented a brilliant opportunity for us to start a new sports and entertainment agency with Adam, founded on a belief in a better way of working that’s faster, more flexible and better value,” she said.
Raincock said Pitch Marketing Group had been through a period of growth since he joined and proved a resilient business in 2020. “It was case of the stars aligning for me – an opportunity to start a business with a great roster of clients, alongside two people I admire and trust and, as someone said to me, ‘It’s about time you did it for yourself’”.
The agency launches with a roster of clients including Vitality, Mitsubishi Motors and Principality Building Society.
Explaining why this was the right time to launch the new agency, Raincock observed: “Any downturn is accompanied by an acceleration of change and agencies are no different. Clients want great work, delivered fast by a flexible team and the industry has long acknowledged that most agencies aren’t set up for that.
“The pandemic is forcing a greater speed of transformation and not all agencies will be able to pivot fast enough. We’ve been fortunate to set up an agency free from this legacy and by blending a core team with a collective we can give clients what they need – great work, delivered fast. There has never been a broader or deeper talent pool of specialists for us to tap into, and we are already seeing the benefits of working with a more diverse range of collaborators.”
Gladstone added: “Lockdown has also changed the way people work, forever. Working from home doesn’t suit everyone, but neither does commuting or an office nine-to-five environment. Launching an agency at this time means we are starting with remote, virtual working and can develop from there in line with the needs and preferences of our team. If we had started a purely virtual agency a year ago, there might have been one or two raised eyebrows from clients, but lockdown has given total proof of concept.”
The opportunity over the short to medium term will be driven by a “bombardment of huge sports events through to 2024”, Gladstone said. “We are pretty positive brands are going to embrace it, probably more than they ever have as a marketing platform to connect with people. The economic impact is that there will be greater opportunities for brands to get involved where previously they had been priced out of the market.”
Parfitt said: “Another area of opportunity is the rise of hyperlocal marketing and brands engaging with local sports communities. Local community grassroots programmes will move away from being the add-on to the big, glossy sponsorships to being the core of what the partnership will be about.
“The sports industry is hurting right now and this is where brands can play a valuable and vital role in rebuilding society. Vitality is a great example where they’ve refreshed their focus on women’s sport, reinvested in the likes of the Vitality Women’s FA Cup, England Hockey, This Mum Runs, and Women in Sport to close the gender play gap that exists between men and women participating in sport.”
The name of the agency is inspired by Viktor Frankl, an Austrian neurologist, psychologist and Holocaust survivor, who said: “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”
