It seems obvious to say, but sponsoring women’s sport isn’t the same as sponsoring men’s.

Where men’s football delivers mass reach, women’s football offers something else: a platform for building brand equity, fostering emotional connection, and telling purpose-led stories. That’s what makes it so valuable to brands that know how to play the long game.

Rexona, also known internationally as Sure, Degree, and Shield, is a prime example of a brand that has recognised this shift and adapted accordingly.

Historically, its football partnerships - such as those with Chelsea and Manchester City - were primarily focused on connecting with male consumers in a relevant cultural space.

However, Rexona realised that women’s football represented a different kind of opportunity: not just media exposure, but long-term brand health.

This mindset is also reflected in how Rexona structures its partnerships.

The traditional sponsorship model is built around visibility - logos on shirts, banners, and broadcast mentions. The modern model is centred on shared values and holistic impact.

Rexona’s Breaking Limits program is a case in point. Instead of just aligning with elite-level athletes, the brand also invests in initiatives designed to get more girls participating in sport - creating impact at the grassroots level, not just the top tier.

This multi-layered approach is a blueprint for how to do women’s sport sponsorship holistically. Rexona doesn’t just pick one property and badge it, they build an ecosystem of engagement that includes:

• Clubs like Chelsea and Manchester City, for consistent exposure;

• Players like Lucy Bronze and Lauren James, to bring storytelling and authenticity;

• Tournaments like the FIFA Women’s World Cup and UEFA Women’s Euros, to reach global audiences;

• And grassroots programs like Breaking Limits, to support participation and long-term change.

This holistic involvement is especially important right now.

For all the promise of women’s football, it is still at a different commercial stage than the men’s game. While interest is growing, audiences and revenues remain smaller, and the business case requires a different lens.

That’s something Rexona seems to understand intuitively. Its investment in women’s football is about positioning the brand in a space that’s progressive, emotionally resonant, and culturally important.

This is done by amplifying the sport and its stars through retail, media, and digital channels.

Take their recent partnership with Chelsea and England defender Lucy Bronze. It builds on the brand’s broader mission to empower girls with the confidence and opportunity to move more - linking elite athletes with grassroots impact in a way that feels cohesive and authentic.

The timing couldn’t be more important. More than 80% of adolescents globally don’t meet the recommended levels of physical activity. A study by Women in Sport found that over 40% of girls disengage from sport by the age of 14, often due to a lack of role models, safe environments, or encouragement. Brands that step in to address this are solving both a societal issue and a market opportunity.

That opportunity is twofold.

First, in a commoditised category like deodorant, where consumers are largely agnostic and highly price-sensitive, creating a true emotional connection can be a powerful differentiator.

Second, by encouraging more movement, Rexona quite literally expands its addressable market. More people moving means more people sweating and so more people needing their product.

And perhaps most importantly, this strategy appears to be working - judging by the recent decision from Unilever (Rexona’s parent company) to sign a new deal with the ICC, focused specifically on the women’s side of cricket.

Unlike past deals that spanned both genders, this was a standalone investment in women’s sport - a clear validation of the model and a signal that brands are no longer treating women’s properties as secondary.

This news broke just after recording the podcast with Em, but it fits with the description she gave around the qualities they focused on. Crucially, it’s another sport, like football, that offers a year-round narrative and the ability to activate consistently across markets.

For teams, leagues, federations, the takeaway is simple: brands aren’t just buying impressions anymore. They’re looking for platforms where they can build credibility, shape culture, and engage audiences more deeply over time.

Women’s sport may not yet deliver the audience size of men’s sport, but for brands like Rexona, it offers something else: a space to lead with purpose, win long-term loyalty, and tell better stories.