The Karma of Branding: What $100 Million buys you
“Why would we pay for views they mean nothing! : CEO of company now gone Bust
In elite football partnerships, the smartest investments can’t be measured on spreadsheets alone they’re measured in decades, shared values, and exponential returns that compound with time
When Standard Chartered first partnered with Liverpool Football Club in 2010, the bank couldn’t have predicted the extraordinary journey ahead. Today, their logo remains prominently displayed on one of the world’s best-selling football shirts, a testament to a partnership that has lasted longer than most Premier League sponsorships. The numbers tell a compelling story: what began as a four-year, £80 million agreement has evolved into a partnership worth approximately £50 million per season, a figure that continues to grow with each renewal. Yet the real story isn’t found in the contracts or financial statements it’s in the remarkable fact that both parties keep choosing each other, year after year, demonstrating that the most powerful branding investments operate on principles of shared growth and what might be called branding karma!
The Business of Faith: What £50 Million Per Season Really Buys
In the competitive world of Premier League sponsorships, Liverpool’s deal with Standard Chartered stands out as one of the league’s most lucrative arrangements. Recent valuations suggest that Liverpool’s front-of-shirt sponsorship has a fair market value reaching £65.9 million approximately £15.9 million more than the current arrangement. This gap represents not an undervaluation, but rather the intangible premium of a partnership that transcends transactional sponsorship.
The renewal in 2022 marked a significant uplift from previous terms, extending the partnership through the 2026-27 season and ensuring Standard Chartered’s logo will have adorned Liverpool shirts for 17 consecutive years. Unlike many sponsorship deals that revolve around specific performance clauses or rigid KPIs, this partnership has matured into something more profound a relationship built on shared values and mutual growth.
Bill Winters, Group Chief Executive of Standard Chartered, captured this essence perfectly: “When we partnered with Liverpool FC in 2010 we could not have imagined the success of both the partnership and of the Club”. This statement reveals a fundamental truth about elite branding the smartest investments aren’t just about what you can measure today, but about co-authoring a story that unfolds over years.
The Evolution of a Sponsorship Partnership (2010-2027)
Beyond the Dashboard: The Intangible Returns on Brand Investment
Most startups and SMEs approach branding with a spreadsheet mentality demanding measurable returns, tracking conversions, and calculating ROI with surgical precision. While these metrics have their place, the Standard Chartered-Liverpool partnership illustrates how the most valuable returns often defy quantification. Consider this: Liverpool boasts over 770 million followers globally, with significant concentrations in Standard Chartered’s key markets across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. How does a bank measure the value of its logo being worn proudly by millions of fans in precisely the regions it seeks to grow?
The partnership extends far beyond mere logo placement. Together, Standard Chartered and Liverpool have supported numerous global sustainability and community investment programs, including the bank’s Futuremakers initiative. Since 2019, this program has raised over $64 million and reached more than 670,000 young people, primarily girls and women. These initiatives create what might be called “branding karma” positive associations that compound over time, building reservoirs of goodwill that pay dividends long after individual campaigns conclude.
The Shared Value Proposition: When 1+1 = 3
This partnership thrives precisely because it has evolved beyond transactional sponsorship into shared value creation. Standard Chartered gains access to Liverpool’s massive global fanbase, while Liverpool benefits from the stability and prestige of partnering with a leading international banking group with a presence in 54 of the world’s most dynamic markets. Both entities have experienced tremendous growth during their partnership years Liverpool returned to the pinnacle of European football, while Standard Chartered solidified its position in key growth markets.
Perhaps most telling is how both parties describe the relationship. Billy Hogan, Liverpool’s CEO, notes that the partnership “has been able to thrive because of our shared values“. Conrad Wiacek of GlobalData Sport observes that “Liverpool’s recent success and the obvious appeal of the club in Asia and the US gives Standard Chartered a strong footprint in these target markets“. This synergy creates a virtuous cycle where each party’s success amplifies the other’s.
Lessons for Startups and SMEs: Building Your Own “Standard Chartered” Partnership
While your business might not have Liverpool’s global reach, the principles behind this successful partnership apply at any scale:
- Think in Decades, Not Quarters The most powerful branding investments mature over time. Standard Chartered didn’t achieve its current position through short-term thinking but through consistent investment in a partnership that has grown alongside the club.
- Seek Shared Values, Not Just Audiences Look for partners whose values align with yours. This creates authenticity that resonates more deeply than any demographic targeting.
- Measure What Matters, Not Just What’s Easy While trackable metrics matter, also pay attention to qualitative feedback, brand sentiment, and partnership satisfaction. These often predict long-term success better than last-click attribution.
- Invest in Community, Not Just Exposure Standard Chartered and Liverpool’s work with Future makers demonstrates that contributing to shared communities creates deeper bonds than traditional advertising ever could.
- Be Prepared to Pay More for True Partnerships As your partnership grows and succeeds, be willing to increase investment accordingly. Standard Chartered has consistently increased its commitment, understanding that the returns while not always perfectly quantifiable justify the growing investment.
The Compounding Interest of Brand Karma
In a world obsessed with dashboards and immediate returns, the Standard Chartered-Liverpool partnership offers a powerful counter-narrative. Here we find a bank that continues to increase its investment year after year, not because of rigid KPIs or contractual obligations, but because it recognizes something more profound the compounding interest of brand karma.
For startups and SMEs, the lesson is clear: the most powerful branding isn’t about buying attention; it’s about earning belonging. It’s not about tracking conversions; it’s about building connections that transcend transactions. And sometimes, the smartest investment is the one whose ROI can’t be fully captured on a spreadsheet because it’s measured in shared journeys, mutual growth, and the kind of success that builds upon itself season after season.
The bank’s logo will remain on Liverpool shirts through at least 2027, a testament to a simple but powerful truth: when you invest in genuine partnership based on shared values and mutual growth, you’re not just buying advertising space you’re buying into a story worth telling, year after year. And that’s an investment that pays dividends far beyond what any spreadsheet could ever capture.
YNWA Alan
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