Partnerships with purpose emerge victorious as 2023 activation approach

Brands are using their creative platforms at live sports and entertainment events to promote diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) or environmental, social and governance (ESG) interests, as partnerships with purpose continue to grow in popularity.

As the festival season continues, AEG Global Partnerships has seen increasing demand from brands for meaningful activations that can make a tangible difference and help them to connect with fans on the issues that are important to them.

“Partnerships are versatile by nature, allowing brands to activate them in a way that aligns with their objectives and values, and deepen their relationships with consumers” said Chris Marking, Vice President – EMEA at AEG Global Partnerships. “This year’s focus on purpose-led partnerships goes beyond anything we have seen in the past, going far beyond aligning with or raising awareness of an issue – they want to have a real impact. It just goes to show how DE&I and ESG are becoming more important factors in everyone’s lives, with brands looking to earn the trust and admiration of festival and event-goers across the UK.”

Building on AEG Global Partnerships previous work with brands including OVO’s support of OVO Arena, Wembley’s Greener Arena certification, Budweiser and AEG raising funds for humanitarian relief in Ukraine by bringing Chernigivske to The O2, Luno presents All Points East (which starts on Friday 18 August) is alone flaunting four notable partnerships with purpose spanning different industries. CUPRA UK, Kraken, L’Oréal Paris and Coca Cola are all bang on trend, working with AEG Global Partnerships to develop meaningful activations.

• L’Oréal Paris
  L’Oréal Paris is bringing its charity partnership with the Suzy Lamplugh Trust to the festival. Artists on the Emerging Talent stage will highlight the role of the Stand Up Against Street Harassment programme, designed to tackle the intimidating behaviours that affect women’s confidence and sense of freedom as they move through the world. In an experiential safe space, festival goers will be able to relax in a comfortable environment and charge their phones, which research suggests helps people to feel more secure.
• CUPRA UK
  CUPRA is taking over sponsorship of the North Arena at this year’s All Points East, extending its Let Music Move You campaign in partnership with CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) to a new audience. The campaign promotes music’s use as a force for good, encouraging people – including North Arena artists, to share how music has got them through life’s difficult moments and helped their mental health.

• Kraken
  Kraken is bringing foundation.fm back to All Points East, offering festival-goers a unique, exclusive and bespoke experience. Across two weekends, foundation.fm will curate a line-up of London’s hottest and most exciting female DJs and artists, promoting the hottest talent in the underground music scene.

• Coca–Cola
  Coca-Cola is collaborating with GayTimes to give emerging, unsigned LGBTQ+ artists paid opportunities to perform as part of an exciting lineup at its’ Coke Studio activation at Luno Presents: All Points East, and other festivals over the summer. Both Coca-Cola and GayTimes are committed to promoting diversity, inclusivity, and self-expression, and believe that supporting independent musicians is a vital part of that. By helping artists from all backgrounds and identities to gain visibility and recognition, the two companies hope to make a positive impact and create a more inclusive and welcoming society for all.

Many festivals appeal to hard-to-reach audiences. For example, around two-thirds (66%) of those attending All Points East are millennials or Gen-Z. These demographics are particularly passionate about festivals, and are typically more ethically-minded, so brands are communicating with them on their terms and choosing to take activations beyond the transactional.

Chris Marking added: “We are increasingly seeing partners collaborate with artists, charities and consumers to build more meaningful partnerships that provide added value for everyone involved. As a company, AEG has always promoted inclusivity and worked to drive positive change, and we are happy that we can work with partners to achieve a shared vision and build activations that make a difference.”

These partnerships, and all others at All Points East, were brokered by AEG Global Partnerships, which oversees sponsorships across AEG’s global portfolio of assets. Building customised marketing programs for established and emerging brands, AEG Global Partnerships has created some of the most iconic brand partnerships across the UK’s live events.

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For further information, please contact:

Beth Hardwick, Visible PR

+44 (0)7710 529 953 / beth.hardwick@visiblepr.co.uk

About AEG Presents 

AEG Presents is AEG’s live-entertainment division, a collection of companies dedicated to all aspects of live contemporary music performance, touring and a variety of programming and multi-media production. AEG Presents is behind festivals such as California’s famed Coachella, Los Angeles’ Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival, London’s American Express presents BST Hyde Park and Luno presents All Points East, Paris’ Rock en Seine and a myriad of tours, live shows and venues around the world including the world’s most popular venue The O2in London and many more.

For more information, visit AEG today at www.aegworldwide.com. AEG’s European headquarters are located in London.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @AEG_Presents

About AEG Global Partnerships 

AEG Global Partnerships oversees the worldwide sales and servicing of sponsorships for AEG’s entire portfolio of assets. Creating customised and innovative marketing programs for established and emerging brands it has created some of the most iconic brand partnerships in the entertainment industry, including The O2in London and Coachella Music Festival.

Overall, the division manages naming rights deals, premium seating and other strategic partnerships. Through its worldwide network of venues, portfolio of powerful sports and music brands and its integrated entertainment districts, AEG entertains more than 100 million guests annually. More information about AEG can be found at www.aegworldwide.com