How brand sponsorship is being rewritten in 2025

Brands are turning to smaller creators for deeper, more trusted connections with their audiences.

“They might be more niche creators, but they have a more niche following, and that actually creates a stronger fandom,” said Rob O’Siochain, head of growth at TRO. “That builds stronger trust and delivers that longer-term value.”

According to Paula Albuquerque, managing partner at Ykone UK, it’s not about replacing celebrity with micro; it’s about matching creator tiers to campaign goals. “We should stop looking at endorsements from the perspective of an endorsement and start looking from the perspective of building brand value over time.”

The hybrid model wins

As influencer strategies mature, brands are learning to balance quick cultural wins with steady, long-term credibility.

“We try and find the balance between long-term partnerships that build credibility versus short-term campaigns that drive impact and engagement,” said Michael Green, senior sponsorship director at Verve. “A hybrid approach is more effective long term.”

That balance is key to brands such as Boss, said Albuquerque, which is “acing its celebrity endorsements” while also “activating local niche influencers to sustain the message beyond the launch.”

Meanwhile, Robin Clarke, global chief executive officer at M&C Saatchi Sport and Entertainment, emphasized the strategic orchestration needed. “It’s not a one-size-fits-all. Every brand will have a different and bespoke consumer journey. The smart brands are the ones that are piecing that together, doing the listening.”

Future-proofing social content

With ever-changing social platforms, marketers are rethinking how to build sustainable sponsorship strategies.

“The TikTok ban in the US got us questioning what would happen if suddenly a channel disappears,” said Albuquerque. “Strategies centered on community, not channel, are going to be key this year.”

Parisa Howard, senior vice-president at Momentum Worldwide, highlighted the need to expand how brands measure success. “We’re seeing a lot more asks around audience surveying, customer surveying, how effective brands sponsorships and messaging is, brand favorability, likelihood to impact future purchase, in addition to impressions, engagements, lead gen.”

Meanwhile, Kim Bui, vice-president of strategic partnerships at NVE, pointed to cultural agility as a competitive edge. “Being an early adopter goes a long way. Understanding trends and tapping into them early on is key.”

Empower the creators

One consistent theme throughout the discussion was that the best results come when creators are trusted to do what they do best.

“For BMW around the PGA, BMW provides the message and the creators provide the content,” said O’Siochain. “The message was the brief and that was it. They were empowered to deliver the content. That’s how you build trust.”

It’s also how you build lasting value. “We’re now working with some of those influencers again, organically,” he added. “It’s no longer a paid partnership.”