Maximizing Partnership Value, Atlassian Williams Style

👋 Welcome back to Sponcon Sports, a weekly newsletter dedicated to sponsored content strategy in the sports industry!

ICYMI, next week I’m joining an incredible panel with Stuart Drew, U.S. Soccer Federation’s Director of Social Media, and Dan LaTorraca, Zoomph’s Director of Marketing, for a webinar on maximizing game day content.

We’ll break down the seven biggest mistakes to avoid when monetizing game day social content—plus share actionable insights and expert advice.

There are over 100 people registered so if you’ve got any questions, reply to this email, for the best chance to get them answered. And if you attend (register here), you’ll get a FREE download covering everything we discuss.

Wednesday, February 26th at 1 pm ET. Can’t wait to see you there!

In Today’s Edition:

• Williams x Atlassian Case Study 💼

• CeraVe’s AD Woj Bomb 💣️

• Bud Light’s Parade Takeover 🥽

🏊️ DEEP DIVE
How Williams Racing Nailed Its Atlassian Title Sponsorship Reveal

When it comes to partnership announcements, having enough lead time to plan the perfect launch is a luxury we rarely get.

Decision-makers’ schedules, package negotiations, and legal reviews can derail even the best-laid plans. But at the end of the day, it’s about getting it right—not perfect—to set the partnership up for success.

Sometimes, though, the stars align, and rights holders can share the news strategically to maximize value for their newest brand partner.

That’s exactly what happened last week when Williams Racing announced Atlassian as its new Official Title Partner, Official Technology Partner, and Official Collaboration Software Partner in a multi-year deal.

The timing couldn’t have been better. In just four days, they generated 24.6M+ views and $1.1M+ in social value.

Those results don’t happen by accident. It takes strong cross-department collaboration—marketing, media, content, and more—to capitalize on the moment the way Williams did.

The Announcement: February 11

The hero asset? A short, high-energy hype video shared across both Williams’ and Atlassian’s channels.

I’ve shared my take on partnership hype videos before—I don’t think they’re the most effective way to announce these deals. (I break down eight better options [here].)

That said, if you’re going to do one, it might as well be for your title partner. At least Williams kept it quick (18 seconds) and got to the news fast—five seconds in. It also benefitted from being the biggest team news of the day (throughout the sport).

But my favorite part of the announcement? Atlassian’s senior leadership getting involved.

CEO and Co-Founder Mike Cannon-Brookes shared a one-minute video with his 59K LinkedIn followers, explaining why the partnership made sense.

Despite Williams Racing’s LinkedIn page having 339K more followers (391K vs. 59K), his post drove 48% more engagement than all three of Williams’ announcement posts combined (8,026 vs 5,430)!

• Drivers In Atlassian Williams Race Suits: 3,749 engagements

• Partnership Hype Video: 1,072 engagements

• Team Principal James Vowles Quote Graphic: 690 engagements

That video was also shared by other Atlassian execs, like Chief Revenue Officer Brian Duffy and Chief Sustainability Officer Jessica Hyman, amplifying the reach even further.

Involving senior leadership in LinkedIn announcements is definitely a strategy I’ll be adding to my list linked above. When done right, it ensures the news reaches a relevant audience and generates strong engagement—especially when those leaders have an active presence on the platform.

Preseason Hype: February 11 - 13

Announcing the Atlassian partnership in the preseason was a strategic win.

Do it too early, and the brand misses out on all of 2025’s firsts on track. Do it too late—say, during pre-season testing in Bahrain on February 26th—and on-track struggles could dampen excitement, engagement, and sentiment. After finishing ninth in the 2024 Constructors’ standings, that’s not a risk worth taking.

Not only does preseason bring new hope, but it also brings new gear and a new driver lineup.

The timing of the announcement ensured Atlassian was prominently featured in all the new gear revealed ahead of the car launch on February 14th, leading to strong results. Here’s a snapshot from Instagram, where Atlassian branding naturally took center stage:

• Race Suit Reveal, Partnership Announcement: 233.7K engagements

• Race Suit Reveal BTS: 1.6M views, 180.1K engagements

• Alex Albon’s Helmet Reveal: 1.4M views, 129.5K engagements

• First Atlassian Williams Racing Selfie: 125.2K engagements

• Carlos Sainz’s Helmet Reveal: 385.4K engagements

Notice something interesting? The most engagement came from Carlos Sainz’s helmet reveal—65% more than any other post mentioned above.

Sainz’s arrival from Ferrari had a massive impact on the social value generated during those four days. The helmet post alone on Instagram ($138,261) drove 39.4% more social value than any other post. He’s significantly more popular than his predecessors in Williams’ second seat:

• Carlos Sainz: 10.9M Instagram Followers, 2.7M TikTok Followers

• Franco Colapinto: 4.4M Instagram Followers, 568.8K TikTok Followers

• Logan Sargeant: 1M Instagram Followers, 165.9K TikTok Followers

Collaborating with Sainz on Instagram or TikTok dramatically increases Williams’ potential reach. But his impact isn’t just about follower count—it’s about chemistry.

Sainz and Alex Albon have quickly built a dynamic that fans love. Just a week before the Atlassian announcement, they dubbed themselves “Carbono.” Williams smartly capitalized on the moment, taking Atlassian along for the ride, by launching a fan engagement contest—letting fans design the official Carbono logo, with the winning design turned into an exclusive badge on the Williams app.

The right timing can set partnerships up for success by maximizing exposure and engagement. Williams nailed this one—not just by leveraging fresh team excitement, but by tapping into the social power of its newest star driver.

Navigating A Livery Launch Shake Up: February 14

In honor of its 75th anniversary, F1 is hosted F1 75 Live at The O2 in London on February 18. For the first time, all 10 teams—along with their drivers and team principals—unveiled their liveries together at a single event.

Traditionally, teams have held their own launch events, revealing their liveries and giving media access to drivers and leadership. But this year, teams were asked to hold back their real 2025 liveries for F1 75 Live.

While that could have been a challenge for Williams—who launched their car four days earlier—it actually played perfectly into Atlassian’s title sponsorship announcement.

By unveiling the FW47 before F1’s event, Williams maximized its share of voice. They were the only team to launch a car that day.

They livestreamed the launch on YouTube, and the results speak for themselves:

• Their first two livestreams (Austin and Las Vegas Grand Prix) each pulled less than 7K views.

• The 2025 car launch? Over 450K views! That’s 9x more views than typical performance according to Viewstats.

With full control over the event, Atlassian’s branding was unmissable—on the car, the set, and the garage. Williams even dedicated most of the first 10 minutes to the partnership, with James Vowles emphasizing, “They’re not sponsors, they’re partners.”

F1’s event didn’t allow for that kind of spotlight. Williams got the second slot for its livery reveal but had just over nine minutes of airtime—far less than the 47+ minutes on its own livestream.

By taking another bite at the apple, Williams racked up another 8M+ views and $586K+ in social value—including Atlassian branding—from their official livery reveal coverage on Williams’ channels.

In the end, Williams didn’t just win the day—they set themselves up to double-dip on exposure at F1 75 Live, without having to fight for attention in a crowded reveal.

The Takeaway

Williams Racing showed how the right timing and strategy can elevate a partnership announcement. By leveraging preseason excitement, tapping into star power, and securing a standalone launch event, they maximized exposure and engagement.

Their approach highlights the power of strategic timing, cross-department collaboration, and brand integration—valuable lessons for any rights holder looking to make a partnership announcement count.

🔍️ SPONCONSPIRATION
Steal These Ideas

[Social Value: $160,584] Anthony Davis was named Head of CeraVe alongside Paige Bueckers and Charli D’Amelio. But the brand didn’t stop at the comedic announcement videos—they pinned posts featuring all three heads, made AD their avatar, and even got Adrian Wojnarowski to post about it on X and Instagram. The surprise? All that star power and Woj was the one to account for 62% of the social value.

[Social Value: $19,185] Love this epic NASCAR edit featuring Ross Chastain and his primary sponsor, Busch Light!

[Social Value: $48,984] Philadelphia Eagles players rocked Bud Light-branded bottles, goggles, and chains during the Super Bowl parade—merch the brand needs to start selling!

[Social Value: $36,016] Being the NBA’s Official Automotive Partner pays off—just ask Kia, who saw Mac McClung jump over one on his way to a third straight dunk contest win.

[Social Value: $691,308] FC Barcelona put their squad to the test on the world’s oldest oval circuit, tackling curves up to 90 degrees in the Cupra Car challenge. Not every team would let their players do this—but it paid off with 3.5x more views than usual (3.4M vs. 99.5K).

[Social Value: $4,727] The Washington Capitals celebrated the first half of the season by spotlighting top shots in punny partnership with Jose Cuervo.

[Social Value: $7,380] Wilson Football nailed the seamless use of NFL marks, showcasing how Super Bowl game balls are made.

[Social Value: $6,340] If you’ve got a partner in the camera category, you need to try this video style from Aston Villa FC. The first-person view paired with the shot made for a fun and immersive experience. Looking at you, SONY—this is a perfect NFL team-level sponcon play.

*Social value is defined as the full equivalent media value of this social post based on applicable impressions, video views, and engagements.

🚨 ICYMI
What To Watch For

Broncos App Playbook: Denver Broncos Manager of UX & Digital Design, Tori Boykins, shared how the team kept fans informed and engaged through their mobile app during the 2024 season.

Banking On Local Sports: Many financial brands offer sports-focused exclusive perks, but First Tech Federal Credit Union is taking it a step further. Their first-of-its-kind program gives members benefits across all four of Portland’s pro sports teams (and more!). That’s a serious incentive for local sports fans to open an account.

Texting In The Spotlight: WhatsApp is testing an exclusive group chat feature in partnership with OffBall. “Chats" allow a small group of high-profile users to text each other like a regular group chat—except fans can follow along and react in real-time (just no comments) [via Mark Stenberg, Adweek].

Wemby’s Paris Play: Jeff Chen broke down how Victor Wembanyama used a hyperlocal approach to turn his Paris homecoming into an unforgettable fan experience [via The Baseline].

Gotta Catch ‘Em [B]All: MLB and Pokémon Go are teaming up to bring the game to the ballpark. Every MLB stadium will now have official club-branded PokéStops and Gyms, so Trainers can play from their seats. Plus, newly created Official Routes will guide fans through the ballparks.