B2B brands are turning to sports sponsorships—not for the spectacle, but for strategic impact.
In this episode, Bob Kersten of BrandingBusiness speaks with Emily Miller, former VP of Brand Experience at NetApp, about how sponsorships can drive credibility, support sales, and strengthen customer relationships.
Emily brings deep experience leading global partnerships with the NFL, Formula 1, DreamWorks, and others. Insights include:
- Why sponsorships work in a B2B context
- How to align them with business goals
- What to measure—and what to avoid
Episode Transcript
[This is an edited version of the transcript. Listen to the full interview by clicking the player above.]
Welcome to another edition of Expert Opinion. I’m Bob Kersten from BrandingBusiness, and today I’m thrilled to be joined by Emily Miller, who brings deep insights into sports sponsorships and marketing in the B2B world—how they work, what to watch for, and how to measure their impact.
Emily spent over 15 years in marketing leadership at NetApp, most recently as Vice President of Brand Experience. Emily, welcome.
Emily: Thank you, Bob. Great to be here.
Bob: To start us off, could you give us an overview of your background at NetApp and beyond?
Emily: Absolutely. I began my career at Landor, which was like a second degree in branding—really formative. I’ve always been drawn to corporate positioning, where brand meets culture. At NetApp, my focus was building recognition and reputation—how brand weaves through everything from website messaging to content strategy.
One of the most exciting areas I explored in the last decade was sports marketing in a B2B context. These were our customers—DreamWorks, Ducati, Porsche Motorsports—and we told their stories through content and live experiences. It was a powerful way to bring the brand to life.
Bob: Before that, you also worked in Seoul for Samsung, right?
Emily: Yes, after working in Bay Area startups, I took a post-grad role with Samsung in Seoul. It was right after they had sponsored the Sydney 2000 Olympics. That gave me early exposure to global sponsorships and brand-building from HQ.
Bob: Fascinating. Let’s dive in. You mentioned B2B sports sponsorships—what did those look like at NetApp?
Emily: It started about 10–11 years ago when I was handed an NFL sponsorship just before my boss went on maternity leave. I was new to sponsorships, but excited.
In B2C, it’s about mass appeal—think chips and beer. But in B2B, especially tech, the audience is narrow. The trick is making the story resonate with that audience. If you’re partnering with a brand like the NFL or F1, you need to back it up with substance.
In our case, we weren’t just sponsors—we were part of our partners’ tech stack. With Ducati, DreamWorks, Porsche, and Aston Martin, we were enabling performance. That’s a story worth telling.
Bob: So what kind of value did NetApp actually get out of those partnerships?
Emily: At its core, it’s an exchange. You’re giving money or product—what are you getting back? Sometimes it’s brand legitimacy. Our logo next to the NFL Shield gave us immediate credibility.
But the bigger value in B2B is customer engagement. When Aston Martin’s IT team can speak to your prospect about how your tech fuels race-day performance—that’s gold. These relationships turn into powerful reference points that help close deals.
Bob: How do you choose the right sponsorship? Is it mostly opportunistic?
Emily: Often, yes. The NFL opportunity came when IBM stepped away, and we were already a partner. Same with Aston Martin. But we also proactively sought new fits—like Porsche Formula E—to reach younger, emerging audiences.
For us, the ideal sponsorships started with existing customer relationships. Without that, it’s much harder to create authentic, impactful stories.
Bob: Does that go back to the B2B versus B2C distinction?
Emily: Definitely. B2B brands can become core to a partner’s success. You can show your software in action in the pit garage—not just hang a banner. That technical visibility is powerful for IT decision-makers.
Bob: That’s why I found this topic so interesting. It’s not just about awareness—it’s a true sales enabler.
Emily: Exactly. If you invest in a program and resource it well, you can create content that performs 2x better than standard pieces. With DreamWorks, even insurance execs were intrigued—it’s all data. The story cuts across industries.
Bob: Speaking of execution—what does it take to run one of these programs?
Emily: People, time, and money. You need dedicated internal staff and external partners. When I first ran the NFL program, I had no team—just me, hustling nights. Eventually, we brought in an agency, which was critical.
Also, don’t forget activation costs. If you spend $1M on sponsorship, budget at least $2M–$5M to activate. Otherwise, it’s like buying a Mercedes with no gas. You can’t just park it and hope for impact.
Bob: What are some pitfalls to watch for?
Emily: One is misalignment—team, league, or individual? Leagues like the NFL provide broad coverage, but individuals come with reputational risk.
Also, internal misalignment is a big one. One exec might expect sales leads, another brand lift. If you’re not clear on objectives and metrics, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment.
Bob: Can you expand on measurement? How did you track success?
Emily: We tracked both brand and business impact. Brand halo was measured through studies—like the bump in credibility we saw after the NFL sponsorship.
For sales, we leaned on anecdotal and attribution-based evidence—who attended events, who followed up, what converted. It’s messy, but valuable. And we built in deliverables, like quarterly reference calls, to ensure ROI.
Bob: I’m amazed at how complex this is. Did you scale the team over time?
Emily: Absolutely. We expanded with both internal hires and agencies. For big activations—like a full NFL season—you need a scaled, templated program that can be deployed regionally. Strategy stays in-house, execution can be shared.
Bob: Final question: What advice would you give a CMO considering a sports sponsorship?
Emily: Start with the problem you’re solving. Is it awareness? Credibility? Content? Then understand your audience—what do they care about emotionally?
Use data to pick the right property. NFL ranked highest among IT pros, so it made sense for us. And if possible, choose customers as partners—that unlocks far more value.
Bob: Sage advice. Emily, thank you so much. This was eye-opening.
Emily: My pleasure, Bob. Thanks for having me—looking forward to continuing the conversation.
BrandingBusiness is a global B2B branding agency dedicated to building powerfully effective B2B brands that lead with clarity and perform with purpose. For more than 30 years, we have helped forward-looking clients to navigate change, enter new markets, unify cultures, and drive sustainable momentum toward their growth plans.