Sports Sponsorship in B2B | B2B Marketing Shepherd Rajesh Kumar | EP 08

UntitledThere’s a reason the world’s most prestigious brands bet big on sports, music, and celebrities even in B2B.

In this episode of Decoding B2B Marketing, host Rajesh Kumar (https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajeshkjindal/) – marketer, Fractional CMO, Board Advisor and author of the upcoming book Decoding B2B Marketing – sits down with Sujatha V Kumar (https://www.linkedin.com/in/sujatha-v-kumar-8319585/), CMO, Ex Visa, Coca-Cola and P&G, to unpack how sponsorships, celebrity endorsements and influencers can work powerfully for B2B brands.

Sujatha brings a rare mix of B2C and B2B experience — from Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola and RBS, to leading marketing for Visa in India & South Asia. She has worked with iconic global properties like FIFA World Cup, the Olympics, and with stars like P.V. Sindhu and Neeraj Chopra among others.

Together, they explore how to:

• Make high-cost sponsorships pay back in B2B context
• Turn sports & music partnerships into a lever for business-building
• Choose celebrities and influencers that truly fit your brand
• Use sponsorships across the full lifecycle — from brand to demand
• Think beyond spray-and-pray to sharp, measurable, strategic marketing

Along the way, Sujatha also shares her journey from from being an earnest psychology student to leading some of India’s most loved brands

• How she navigated the shift from B2C → B2B/B2B2C
• Her passion for music, bands and theatre
• How she mentors young women to grow in their career, as a champion for women in leadership

If you’re a B2B marketer, founder or leader wondering whether sponsorships, celebrities or influencers are “worth it” — this episode gives you a practical, no-fluff playbook on how to use them smartly.

Chapters

00:00 – Introduction

02:15 – Journey into B2B Marketing

07:02 – For the Love of Music

08:59 – On Women in Leadership

11:08 – Transition from B2C to B2B

16:08 – Unpacking Sponsorship for B2B Brands

20:18 – Integrating Brand with Sponsorship

26:24 – Delivering Experiences Money Can't Buy

28:19 – Using Influencer Marketing in B2B

30:33 – Choosing the Right Celebrity/Influencer

32:07 – Making a Business Case

33:46 – Warm Human Side of Celebrities, Paying It Forward

39:10 – Advice, Tips & Hacks

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