Preparing a Sponsorship Activation Plan for Maximum Impact

Context

Grant Thornton entered sports sponsorship a couple of years ago with a clear strategic vision. Before committing to a partnership in Belgian field hockey, the organisation conducted a thorough analysis of which properties aligned with its brand positioning, target audiences, and long-term ambitions.

The choice for hockey and the national teams was deliberate. The partnership supported brand awareness, employer branding, and internal engagement objectives. An activation plan was already defined, with clear assets, messaging, and objectives linked to the upcoming Hockey World Cup 2026.

With the strategic foundations in place, Grant Thornton wanted to take the next step. The ambition was to inspire and involve a broader internal team, sharpen ideas in the run-up to the World Cup, and ensure full organisational alignment around the partnership.

Our Role

The Missing Link was invited to design and facilitate a strategic workshop as part of the Go Beyond Academy.

The objectives were clear:

• Inspire the broader team with industry insights and (international) best practices
• Validate and enrich the existing activation thinking
• Translate strategic objectives into concrete World Cup-focused initiatives

We acted as an external sparring partner, combining expertise from both the brand and rights holder side to connect theory with practice.

Approach

The workshop combined three elements.

First, inspiration. Drawing from elite sport and international sponsorship cases, we provided context on how partnerships evolve, how value is created beyond visibility, and how brands can maximise impact in tournament environments.

Second, education. We revisited key principles of sports marketing, rights structures, activation levers, and measurement, ensuring a shared language across departments.

Third, co-creation. The teams worked on a structured exercise, analysing the existing hockey partnership and developing activation concepts linked to the Hockey World Cup 2026.

Outcome

The session reinforced Grant Thornton's strategic choices and strengthened internal alignment around the partnership.

Rather than redefining the strategy, the workshop sharpened focus, validated direction, and generated additional activation ideas with broad internal support. It ensured that the World Cup would not be approached as a standalone campaign, but as a strategic milestone within a well-considered partnership framework.

Conclusion

This case illustrates how strong sponsorship outcomes start with strategic preparation and are amplified through internal alignment. By combining a clear vision with collaborative execution, Grant Thornton positioned its hockey partnership as a long-term brand asset rather than a short-term visibility initiative.