Winning Sponsorships: From Monster and Red Bull, the Emotional Power That Drives Buying Decisions

De Cecco vs Barilla, tennis vs Formula 1. The pasta showdown—or rather, the battle for emotional engagement through stories that connect sport, gastronomy, culture, and passion. Food sponsorships have always played a primary role. In motorsport, they’re a constant.

The boomers surely remember the Parmalat logo on the suits of Nelson Piquet and Niki Lauda. And the Lemonsoda Oransoda ads during the Grands Prix commented by Zermiani and Poltronieri? In the early 2000s, Wudy Aia had a boom. Sure, packaged hot dogs aren’t exactly known as healthy food, but plenty of moms still bought them for their kids—consciously or not—because of the association with Valentino Rossi.

Neuroscientific research indicates that about 95% of daily decisions are driven by unconscious and emotional processes (Sinapsi Group), controlled by deep areas of the brain, closely tied to emotions and affective responses (Drinking Media).

When ads succeed in triggering positive emotions, consumers tend to remember the product better. Think, for example, of choosing between two similar brands. It’s often hard to rationally explain why you prefer one over the other. However, that preference is frequently determined by emotional associations, memories, colors, or more generally, by the feelings and emotions that brand manages to evoke.

And that’s why those who follow today’s Superbike World Championship instinctively buy Pata chips instead of Pai when they go to the supermarket. Sponsorship works—oh, it definitely works. Before Pata, it was natural to buy San Carlo because it was tied to Team Italia, to the FMI’s Azzurri talents. MotoGP fans have always been torn between Monster and Red Bull, two energy drinks with a much bigger market than one might imagine. They’re not healthy products, but in the collective imagination they “do you good,” make you feel stronger, almost invincible—like MotoGP champions.

This phenomenon doesn’t just affect big brands, but also companies at the national level. Terra & Vita is a brand of ready-made salads and soups: on-trend products, finally healthy foods too. The logo appears on the fairings of Yamaha’s factory team in the Women’s World Championship. If someone who follows the WorldWCR goes to the supermarket, they instinctively put Terra & Vita in their cart, without thinking twice.

The years go by, but motorsport continues to be an important driver for the economy—in fact, its impact is likely growing.