Women’s sports sponsors get on the pitch

There’s all that throwing like a girl isn’t there? And it’s never on the telly? And yes they’re very good – for girls – but proper athletes? For years companies didn’t even bother trying to think up sensible, commercially-motivated reasons for not sponsoring women’s sports – not when there were so many tip-of-the-tongue cliched ones to pick from. But there’s a change afoot in how women’s sports are viewed in the marketing mix – it’s happening slowly but the momentum has picked up considerably in the past 18 months.

During that time camogie as well as women’s rugby and soccer have all signed big name corporates as sponsors. And as global brands tend not to be motivated by emotion or pride of the parish, it’s a sure sign that women’s sports are increasingly seen as a way for brands to create cut through in a very noisy communication space.

On Sunday Cork captain Anna Geary lifted the O'Duffy Cup at the end of All-Ireland Camogie Championship Final at Croke Park. Liberty Insurance sponsors both the senior hurling and camogie championships and since signing up with the GAA for the five-year deal the company's head of marketing Annette Ní Dhathlaoi has been determined to promote the sponsorship with both sports featured side by side.

The brand’s advertising shows male and female players – all looking fierce and fit, emphasising the point that they are all first and foremost competitive athletes in peak condition. Ní Dhathlaoi, who is a passionate supporter of women’s sports sees it as a way of hurling, the undeniably more popular, more commercialised sport, helping to give camogie a higher profile.

To open up the discussion Liberty Insurance held a breakfast seminar in Croke Park last week titled, The Business of Women in Sports. There's an element of speaking to the converted at these things but the facts are starting to speak for themselves. Continental Tyres is the new sponsor for women's soccer having signed a deal with the Football Association of Ireland (FAI). The Women's National League has, since August, been rebranded as the Continental Tyres Women's National League – and again the relationship with women's sport must be working for the tyre brand for them to extend in to this market. It is already the official partner of women's football in England.

In July the women's national rugby team smashed that old chestnut that says as an absolute truth that no one would be bothered to turn on the TV to watch women playing sport. Boxer Katie Taylor in the Olympics is one thing, but rugby? A sport many people didn't even know women play never mind that we have a world-class team.

For several sunny weeks in the summer there was that thing that so often happens when an Irish team in any sport does well on the international stage – everyone is suddenly an expert and there’s a sense that the folks back home are urging the team on every step of the way.

Nearly half a million people tuned in to TG4 to see the women's team compete in the semi-final of the Rugby World Cup. That viewership and hype will have delighted Aon who in a trail-blazing move came on board at the start of 2014 as the first sponsor of the women's senior team. The women had already proven themselves at the RBS 6 Nations but their subsequent journey proved the power of "a good story"

– something emphasised by speakers at the Liberty breakfast meeting as a crucial element in attracting sponsors.

"Sponsorship, particularly of women's sports plays well with the idea of corporate responsibility," says Rob Harnett from Sport for Business. "There's the payback of being seen to give respect to a committed group of players or team. That's a strong message."

While being an avowed sports fan, Ní Dhathlaoi is also pragmatic. “It’s about . . . building brand recognition.”

Meanwhile, only the women's basketball team qualified to compete in the European 3x3 Championships for Ireland in Bucharest earlier this month. After a series of tightly-fought games in a tough draw they won through, and so Team Ireland has qualified for the first European Olympic Games in Baku in 2015. The women need a sponsor. Any takers? Twitter@berniceharrison