From 5 to 53 sponsors in seven years.
Few sports organisations have scaled this fast while managing such a wide sponsor roster.
McLaren Racing is one of them.
The only team in the paddock without a title sponsor. Instead, McLaren has three major sponsors: OKX, Mastercard and Google.
According to their CEO, Zak Brown, the team has likely generated the most commercial revenue in the history of F1.
Earlier this year, the team announced the renewal of Salesforce, Stanley Black & Decker, Alteryx, Medallia and Smartsheet.
Brown, a former executive of a highly successful motorsport marketing agency, led McLaren to win the constructors’ championship for the first time since 1998.
A record growth on and off the track while building the Papaya Army worldwide, considering only 2% of F1’s global audience ever gets to go to a race.
What drove McLaren’s commercial success?
✓ From a racing team to a media company. The secret of commercial partners’ natural integration is a clear business-driven vision. A fan-first mindset in every decision, activation, and message.
✓ Crafting a narrative rooted in heritage. Going back to the roots to adopt McLaren’s original papaya colours was key to telling a different story. Not about being better than others, but authentic.
✓ Zak Brown became the voice. Consistency in communications from the right face over the years has built trust and engagement. Stakeholders have been supported by a strongly committed CEO.
✓ Attracting hands-on partners. Co-creating assets has been key. DP World handles the team’s logistics, Dropbox supports content transfer, Dell with efficiency and Android with footage review.
✓ Producing for the next generation. Compelling, digital-first content for younger audiences. They leveraged a team of young drivers that fit naturally into the digital ecosystem.
✓ Tapping into new territories. Partnerships with fashion brands such as Abercrombie & Fitch and Reiss allowed the brand to expand with purpose, reaching different audiences outside motorsports.
“Tell me who you hang out with and I’ll tell you who you are” also applies to sponsorship.
McLaren Racing hangs out with the likes of Mastercard, Google, Salesforce, Estrella Galicia, Android, Unilever, Deloitte and eBay.
Sponsors prefer being one of the few to support a property, but McLaren showed it’s possible to deliver a great service at scale.
Receive my weekly post