By Mary Githinji
AUG 26 – Every business leader faces the same question: Where should we invest to create lasting value?
Some investments deliver immediate financial returns. Others build something less visible but equally important: trust, opportunity and stronger communities. Sponsorship belongs firmly in the second category.
For many years, sponsorship was viewed largely as a branding exercise, a logo on a jersey, a banner at an event or a name attached to a competition. Visibility was the primary measure of success. That is no longer enough.
Today’s customers increasingly expect businesses to contribute to the communities in which they operate, not simply market to them. They choose brands whose actions reflect their values and whose investments create meaningful impact.
The encouraging news is that doing good and doing good business are not mutually exclusive. Research consistently shows that strategic sponsorship strengthens brand trust, customer affinity and long-term loyalty. It is one of the few investments capable of creating commercial value while delivering wider social and economic benefits.
The impact extends far beyond the sponsoring organisation. When a business invests in sport, education, entrepreneurship or the creative economy, it is investing in an ecosystem. Behind every athlete are coaches, officials, healthcare professionals, photographers, broadcasters, hospitality businesses and countless entrepreneurs whose livelihoods depend on thriving industries.
Across Africa, sport is increasingly recognised as an economic sector, contributing billions of dollars to GDP while creating employment, attracting investment and inspiring future generations. In Kenya, public policy increasingly recognises sport and the creative economy as engines of economic growth, encouraging greater private sector participation in developing talent and infrastructure.
The real value of sponsorship, however, lies in the opportunities it creates. Across our country are talented young people with extraordinary potential in sport, music, technology and business. What many lack is not ability, but access, to mentorship, exposure, facilities and the confidence that someone believes in their future.
Thoughtful corporate investment cannot solve every societal challenge. But it can help create pathways where none previously existed. Kenyan basketball offers a timely example. Growing corporate support is helping improve the quality of competition, expand fan engagement and position local teams on regional and continental stages. It demonstrates what becomes possible when business, institutions and communities invest behind a shared vision.
Of course, investment alone is never sufficient. Sustainable progress also requires strong governance, capable leadership and long-term planning. Financial support achieves its greatest impact when matched with accountable institutions and a clear strategy for growth.
That is why sponsorship should be viewed not as philanthropy, but as partnership. It reflects an understanding that business success and societal progress reinforce one another. Stronger communities create stronger markets. More opportunities create more productive economies. And trusted organisations earn customer loyalty not only through the products they offer, but through the future they help build.
Perhaps that explains why sponsorship continues to thrive in an increasingly digital world. Even as technology transforms how we connect, people are still united by shared experiences, on playing fields, in classrooms, on stages and within their communities.
The sponsorships that endure are rarely remembered because of the logos they displayed. They are remembered because they expanded opportunity, strengthened industries and helped people achieve more than they otherwise could have.
That is the true return on investment, and why sponsorship still matters.
The writer is the Group Head of Marketing and Communications at I&M Bank.
