Don’t blame the ship for its crew

Sponsorship, and the corporate hospitality that accompanies it, is widely misunderstood, as your article on the value of Formula One Paddock Club rates illustrates (MW August 8).

To put the record straight, Paddock Club costs are not E20,000 (£13,000) per guest. The actual figure is between E3,000 and E4,000 (£1,900 and £2,600). However, it is the overall slant of the article that is of most concern. No commentator would claim that a medium is a waste of money just because some companies do not use it effectively. The same is true of sponsorship

It is only by treating sponsorship as a platform that it generates real benefit. This is done by implementing local campaigns bearing the sponsorship message. The theme must be carried through to the consumer to influence buying decisions.

This is also true of corporate hospitality. If companies are not targeting the right people in the right way, then of course they will waste money.

Ben Pincus

Managing director

The Works (London)

London W1

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