IELTS Band 9 Essay About companies who sponsor big games can gain a lot
Here we take a look at a band 9 ielts writing task 2 sample about “companies who sponsor big games can gain a lot”. This sample then will be further analyzed for its vocabulary, grammar and format, so we see how it has qualified for such band score. We also suggest over 200 band 9 IELTS samples released in 2025.
Sample Answer (Band 9)
Some people say that companies who sponsor big games can gain a lot; other people believe that it has disadvantages for them.
Discuss both sides and give your opinion.
Corporate sponsorship of major sporting events has become a widespread marketing strategy in recent years. While some believe that such sponsorship brings significant benefits to companies, others argue that it can have drawbacks. This essay will discuss both perspectives before presenting my opinion on the matter.
On the one hand, sponsoring large-scale events offers businesses the opportunity to enhance brand visibility and reach a vast audience. Sporting events, particularly international ones, attract millions of viewers, providing companies with a platform to promote their products and services. This exposure can lead to increased sales and brand recognition, particularly for companies that manage to associate themselves with positive emotions linked to sports. For instance, the long-standing sponsorship of the Olympic Games by Coca-Cola has significantly reinforced its global image. Additionally, sponsoring prestigious events can elevate a company’s status, making it appear more credible and trustworthy to consumers.
However, despite these advantages, there are potential downsides to corporate sponsorship. Firstly, the costs involved in sponsoring high-profile events can be prohibitive, especially for smaller companies. Without a guaranteed return on investment, such a financial commitment could strain resources and harm profitability. Moreover, if an event becomes associated with controversy or poor organization, sponsors may face negative publicity by association. For example, companies sponsoring the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil faced criticism due to widespread protests against government spending on the event, which detracted from the intended positive brand image.
In my opinion, while sponsorship does entail certain risks, the potential rewards outweigh the disadvantages when managed effectively. By carefully selecting reputable events and ensuring a clear alignment with their brand values, companies can maximize their gains. Furthermore, sponsorship offers a unique opportunity to engage directly with consumers through on-site promotions and social media campaigns, something traditional advertising cannot achieve.
In conclusion, although there are valid concerns regarding the costs and potential risks of corporate sponsorship, I believe that the benefits in terms of brand exposure and consumer engagement make it a worthwhile investment for many businesses. With strategic planning, the positive outcomes can far exceed the disadvantages.
Highlighted Academic Words in the sample for companies who sponsor big games can gain a lot
- Brand visibility (/brænd vɪzəˈbɪləti/)
Sentence: Effective marketing strategies focus on increasing brand visibility across multiple platforms. - Global image (/ˈɡloʊbəl ˈɪmɪdʒ/)
Sentence: Companies with a strong global image are more likely to attract international customers. - Downsides (/ˈdaʊnˌsaɪdz/)
Sentence: Every investment decision involves certain downsides, which must be carefully evaluated. - Prohibitive (/prəˈhɪbɪtɪv/)
Sentence: The prohibitive cost of sponsoring major events can deter smaller companies from participating. - Return on investment (/rɪˈtɜrn ɒn ɪnˈvɛstmənt/)
Sentence: Ensuring a positive return on investment is a key factor in deciding whether to sponsor an event.
Advanced Grammatical Structures:
- Complex sentences with relative clauses
Example: “Sporting events, particularly international ones, attract millions of viewers, providing companies with a platform to promote their products and services.”
Why it helps: Relative clauses add essential information without breaking the flow, demonstrating grammatical range and coherence. - Passive voice
Example: “Sponsoring prestigious events can elevate a company’s status, making it appear more credible and trustworthy to consumers.”
Why it helps: Passive voice emphasizes the action and outcome rather than the subject, enhancing the formal tone. - Conditional sentences
Example: “Without a guaranteed return on investment, such a financial commitment could strain resources and harm profitability.”
Why it helps: Conditional sentences introduce hypothetical situations, adding depth to the argument and showing flexibility in grammar use. - Parallel structures
Example: “By carefully selecting reputable events and ensuring a clear alignment with their brand values, companies can maximize their gains.”
Why it helps: Parallel structures improve readability and clarity, presenting complex ideas in a balanced way. Balanced discussion with cohesive devices
Example: “On the one hand, sponsoring large-scale events offers businesses the opportunity to enhance brand visibility… However, despite these advantages, there are potential downsides to corporate sponsorship.”
Why it helps: Using cohesive devices such as “on the one hand” and “however” helps organize the discussion logically, contributing to a well-structured response.
Free IELTS Sample Essays with Answers PDF
Here you can download over a 1000 sample essays in pdf written by ex ielts examiners: PDF 1 / PDF 2 / PDF 3 / PDF 4 / PDF 5
Last But Not Least!
We suggest a useful IELTS website in English for more valuable IELTS sample essays on a range of topics. Our final suggestion is our writing free correction Telegram channel where you can send your own sample for evaluation and correction by an experience IELTS tutor with over a decade of practical experience in this matter.
