Good sports
The Games have been “a huge success”. That was the verdict of Bakkafrost Scotland’s Managing Director, Ian Laister, after the 20th International Island Games were held for the first time ever in Orkney last month.
As he put it: “They’ve brought people together from all over the world to compete, to make new friendships, and for a sporting celebration.”
The salmon producer is the main sponsor of the Western Isles Island Games Association (WIIGA), which sent a squad of 88 Hebridean athletes to “the Olympics for islands” – including swimmer Kara Hanlon, who had already set a WIIGA record of 12 medals.
“It’s great to see Kara Hanlon become WIIGA’s most decorated athlete of all time,” the Bakkafrost MD said. “She is an inspiration and embodies the spirit of the Games. We are incredibly proud of the role Bakkafrost Scotland has played in making that possible, and we congratulate all the competitors for their achievements.”
The biennial Games is no small, rural affair. This year’s event drew more than 2,000 athletes from 24 island groups in the North Sea, the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, and as far afield as the South Atlantic and the Indian Ocean.
Over a week from 12-18 July, global competitors went head-to-head in a dozen sports, including archery, athletics, badminton, cycling, football, golf, gymnastics, lawn bowls, sailing, squash, swimming, and triathlon.
For the tenth year running, Bakkafrost Scotland has sponsored WIIGA, a non-profit organisation set up to help elite athletes reach their full potential and foster friendship between island communities through sport.
“With travel and training facilities often proving a challenge for sportspeople based in rural areas, Bakkafrost Scotland’s sponsorship bolsters local athletes on their journey to the world stage,” the company explained, as it handed over the competitors’ kit before the Games.
Why is this salmon farmer sponsoring Western Isles athletes?
“Our long-standing relationship with WIIGA is very important to us, and we are proud to play a continued role in the development of local sporting talent,” Laister said.
“A sense of community underpins the work we do at Bakkafrost Scotland, and we are committed to promoting the health and wellbeing of the communities in which we live and work.”
In return, WIIGA is “incredibly grateful”. General Team Manager Iain “GG” Campbell said: “The event has community at its heart, and the sponsorship really does make a significant difference where it matters most.
“We know the company is committed to supporting the communities in which employees live and work, and the sponsorship helps local athletes make an impact on the global stage.”
But gratitude is not all that Bakkafrost gets in return. It will gain many other wins of its own, which is partly why it was not just Bakkafrost sponsoring the Island Games, but almost the whole salmon sector.
Local producers Cooke Scotland and Scottish Sea Farms, together with trade body Salmon Scotland, have supported the event from the outset, providing sponsorship, safety vessels for sailing competitions, and volunteers to help the week run smoothly.
Scottish Sea Farms supplied boats and crew to support the sailing events off Hatston pier, and donated £10,000 from its Heart of the Community fund to the Orkney Islands Games Association’s team, which fielded its biggest ever cohort of well over 200 competitors. The funding was used for kit and sporting wear, uniforms and strips, and SSF was also the front-of-shirt sponsor for the Orkney team.
Cooke Scotland, meanwhile, sponsored the Shetland Island Games Association. Colin Blair, Managing Director of Cooke Scotland, said: “Cooke’s purpose is to cultivate the ocean with care, nourish the world, provide for our families, and build stronger communities. We’re proud to support all the athletes competing at the Games.”
Tavish Scott, Chief Executive at Salmon Scotland, explained: “Salmon farming companies sponsor island games teams from Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles and have been part of many athletes’ sporting journeys for many years.
“As a key source of protein, omega-3 and essential vitamins and minerals, Scottish salmon is chosen by athletes for its performance boosting properties, so it makes perfect sense for salmon farmers to work together to help bring elite level sporting competition to Orkney.”
In this month’s Fish Farmer (see page 26), he adds: “Many of the volunteers are part of the local farms and supply chain workforce. It was a genuine show of support. This is community. It is also social licence.
“It is not the people already working in or with the sector we need to reach. It is those with no understanding of what we do, including visitors, who would see the wider contribution.
“The connections between island communities go beyond sport. Salmon farming links Orkney, Shetland and the Faroes through shared challenges and ambitions. From training and research to new technology, these relationships matter and events like the Island Games only strengthen them.”
Eyes on the prize
Why do companies invest thousands, millions, and even billions into sports sponsorship, and what they get in return?
“Sports sponsorship is an incredibly common strategy among brands large and small,” explains the communications agency Pitch, which specialises in sport. “The proof is in the money being spent on such partnerships - it’s estimated that the global sports sponsorship industry was worth an estimated $66bn (£49.7bn) in 2022, and is forecasted to skyrocket to a value of just under $108bn (£81.3bn) by 2030.
“For sponsors, sports sponsorships help increase brand awareness, improve their brand image and enable them to build community relationships. The huge interest in sport helps explain the first two benefits, while directly contributing to the success of local sports teams and athletes explains the latter.”
“Sports sponsorships is big business,” concurs Rec Media, a Canadian advertising firm and specialist in athletics. “But you don’t have to be a large multinational to get in on the benefits of grassroots sports sponsorship: family and small businesses can profit, too.
“There are many reasons why grassroots sports sponsorship is a win-win for the athlete or team, the sports and the company. By nature, sports sponsorship is an authentic way of creating a personal relationship with consumers by showing that you care about the sports, the team, and the community.
“There are more advertising opportunities than you can shake a stick at. But how many of those will cut through the noise by bringing us close to something we feel strongly about: our local sports teams and the sports we love?
“Marketing is about knowing your audience, and you already have a pretty good idea of who’s seeing your messages at sports games and venues: young people, their families and friends, and by extension, the audience of any media covering sports events.
“Best of all, they’re a captive audience, and will be seeing those messages repeatedly. You’ll also reach rival teams that come to play the local teams – doubling your exposure with a brand new audience at every game.
“Sports sponsorship has always had potential to create long-term positive partnerships between the brand and the sports. It’s more about quality over quantity, but most of all it’s about loyalty.
“Fans are loyal to their teams, and athletes and sports families have a tendency to be loyal to their sponsors. Over time, you’ll eventually be considered almost as part of the team. That’s a strong emotional commitment.”
It’s also socially responsible, Rec Media says: “By sponsoring something as important as sports, you’re contributing very positively to the community, keeping kids involved in healthy activities, and helping to build strong neighbourhoods.”
There are risks though, warns Infront, a global sports marketing company: “When athletes or clubs fall into a crisis, the sentiment can be transferred to the sponsor. But even in difficult situations, the sponsor brand can show itself as a loyal partner and supporter and thus gain additional sympathy.”
Ahead of the game
With all those benefits, it’s no surprise salmon producers have sponsored so many other sports for so long.
Last January Bakkafrost extended its sponsorship of the Faroese men’s national football team for the next four years. The Faroese Football Association was “delighted”. Its President Christian Andreasen said: “Bakkafrost is among the world’s leading aquaculture companies, headquartered in the Faroe Islands, and it is gratifying that a company like Bakkafrost sees development potential in the men’s national team while also wishing to support the tremendous work being done on and around the team.”
Later in the spring, Norwegian super striker Erling Haaland became an ambassador for the country’s seafood industry. The prolific Manchester City forward signed a two-year deal with the Norwegian Seafood Council, which sees him appear in commercials, promotional posters and digital ads worldwide.
Haaland said: “Seafood has been part of my upbringing and my diet growing up. Norwegian seafood, which I consider to be the best in the world, still has a natural place in my life.
“The Norwegian Seafood Council does an important job of inspiring and building knowledge about tasty and healthy seafood globally and at home in Norway.”
Christian Chramer, CEO of Norway’s Seafood Council, said: “Haaland is recognised as one of the world’s best footballers and is a gigantic profile with unrivalled global visibility.
“The match with Norwegian seafood, which is in demand, bought and enjoyed all over the globe, is obvious. Being able to combine two of Norway’s best exports and strongest brands fills us with enormous pride.”
So not only is it about fitness, but also fit. Norwegian salmon farmer SalMar became an official sponsor of the Nordic World Ski Championship in Trondheim this year, delivering more than 10,000 fish meals to visitors, competitors and officials. Championship Director Åge Skinstad said he was thrilled to have SalMar on board: “The World Ski Championships aim to be the most sustainable Nordic skiing event ever. It’s a perfect match to serve food from a company that prioritises sustainability in everything they do.”
Meanwhile in Scotland’s Highlands and Islands, Mowi has a long history of sponsoring shinty, a fast-paced game played in the North, similar to hockey and hurling, but with more freedom - like “hockey with no rules” as someone once put it.
The company sponsors all senior shinty leagues, Women’s Camanachd Association senior leagues and competitions, national Under 17 and Under 14 youth leagues, the annual shinty/hurling international match and Scotland’s senior national shinty team, as well as the annual National Shinty Awards.
Extending Mowi’s sponsorship in 2023 for a further three years, CEO Ben Hadfield said: “The sport embodies our company values, including passion, and is a cornerstone of many of the communities in which Mowi operates.”
The then Camanachd Association President Steven MacKenzie said Mowi’s sponsorship, which began in 1988, is “extremely welcome and demonstrates their continued support for Scotland’s community sport”.
“This must be the longest running sponsorship in Scottish, if not British sport, and we look forward to continuing this partnership for many years to come.”
Beyond sports, Mowi sponsors other “causes and organisations across the Highlands and Islands that work hard to support young people or enhance life for those living in such rural communities”.
The list includes the Eilean Dorcha Festival on Benbecula, The Outward Bound Trust, the Highland Cinema in Fort William, and most recently in June, the Campbeltown Picture House, which will also show branded videos before screenings.
The three-year sponsorship deal comes at a crucial time as cinemas across Argyll have come under threat, with some forced to close their doors, due to increased financial pressures including crippling utility price increases.
Mowi Scotland’s Community Engagement Officer Jayne MacKay said: “We recognise how important a picture house is to a community and we are delighted to be part of this deal, as we too are part of this community, and it is such a great place for our team and their families to come along to.”
All the positive publicity from sponsorship must be worth the huge investment, as companies share in the champions’ triumphs. The Western Isles Island Games Association secured a bumper haul of medals at the 2025 International Island Games.
Breaststroker Kara Hanlon, competing for the sixth time at the event, took her total medal tally to 17, by securing four golds and a bronze. There were also five athletics medals, with Abbie Stewart claiming silver and bronze in the women’s 1,500m and 800m respectively, while Amie Ringstead won gold in the women’s javelin.
The women’s half marathon team claimed gold and Mhairi Hall won bronze at the same distance thanks to her individual performance. On the final afternoon of the Games, the women’s football team pushed the overall medal total to 11 by winning bronze.
General Team Manager Iain GG Campbell said: “I think it’s fair to say our performance exceeded what we had hoped for. We are very proud of all of them – not just for their performances but also for the way they conducted themselves, the sportsmanship they showed.
“We are also very grateful for all the support Bakkafrost Scotland has given us. It is a tremendous partnership we have built together over the years and the support is invaluable.”
Sponsoring sports seems to be money very well spent.
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