The Commercial Manager’s Playbook: Leading the Women’s Sport Investment Shift

Australian sporting codes are at a critical juncture. Audience expectations, brand strategies, and the untapped commercial value of women’s sport demand a new approach. Bundling women’s sport with men’s investment may have worked in the past, but future growth depends on targeted strategies that showcase real, defensible ROI for brands. Here’s your 101 guide to drive the change and clearly demonstrate value to partners.

Step 1: Unbundle Investment, Uncover Value

• Build stand-alone women’s sport sponsorship packages. Do not use women’s assets as “add-ons”, they deserve, and command, their own spotlight.

• Transparently document and communicate actual investment. Show where every brand dollar is allocated and what unique outcome it fuels.

Stat: Brands investing in women’s sport are seeing more than 7×7\times7× customer value for every $1\$1$1 spent.

Step 2: Lean Into Athlete-Led Storytelling

• Elevate athlete journeys—on and off the field—to create meaningful connections. Young, diverse fans are drawn to personality, confidence, and authentic backstories.

• Position brands as collaborators, not just sponsors, include them in content creation sessions and athlete-led social video.

Stat: 60% of women’s sport fans feel more positive toward brands who invest authentically in women’s sport.

Step 3: Prioritise Visibility and Access

• Secure prime-time coverage for women’s competitions, not just secondary channels or off-peak slots.

• Match game-day visibility with brand activation. Enable activations that directly tie back to high-viewership game moments and community interaction.

Tip: Fan recall is 70% higher when a brand is linked to a compelling, visible moment at a women’s sporting event.

Step 4: Measure, Monitor, and Report Impact

• Use sponsorship “impact scorecards” to track growth in audience, sentiment, media impressions, and brand health. Go beyond basic crowd numbers—segment results by gender, demo, and sentiment.

• Deliver clear, quarterly ROI snapshot reports detailing uplift in brand metrics, attendance, engagement, and unique partner activations.

Sample Scorecard Metrics (Metric / Target)

• Social engagement/ +25% YoY

• Crowd attendance / +15% YoY

• Positive brand sentiment / +50% among women’s sport fans

• Unique partner activations / 3+ per season

Step 5: Commit to Corrective, Long-Term Investment

• Set defined targets for marketing and sponsorship spend parity, aim for at least 40%+ for women’s codes at elite level.

• Encourage multi-year brand partnerships. Long-term, purpose-driven deals deliver compounding growth in revenue, brand leadership, and cultural impact.

Stat: Achieving sponsorship parity could unlock up to $49 billion in added customer and brand value for Australian corporates over 10-15 years.

Educate Brands: Case Studies and Collaboration

• Use real case studies showing direct links between women’s sport investment and brand uplift, purchase intent, loyalty, employee pride, and positive press.

• Invite brands into collaborative ideation, ensuring campaigns and activations are co-created and genuinely “owned” by all parties.

Stat: Up to 60% of fans would switch to or try a brand who sponsors women’s sport.

The ISSM Difference

ISSM is positioned to help commercial managers and codes go beyond “paint it pink.” ISSM guides partners to invest mindfully, leverage strategic storytelling, and shape a more inclusive, growth-ready sports landscape, unlocking the full commercial and cultural dividend of women’s sport.

Change isn’t just possible, it’s profitable, measurable, and essential. By following these playbook steps, commercial managers can build the value narrative Australian brands need to see, and power the next wave of investment into women’s sport.