The Guardian's corporate sponsorship

Who: The Guardian News & Media
What: Title sponsorship of the Guardian Hay Festival
When: Since 2002. Currently in the third year of a three year agreement
Why: “The Guardian Hay Festival brings the Guardian brand values to life, by encompassing discussion, debate, and a passion for both politics and literature,” says Vanessa Smith, consumer sponsorship and events manager for Guardian News & Media.

"The sponsorship was originally conceived to support the ‘Review’ section, but now involves many sections of the paper, including ‘Comment is Free’ and ‘G2’. Daily podcasts from the festival have been hugely popular online, while other activities to support the sponsorship have included building a house made out of hay as an editorial office and a space for people to meet Guardian writers.

“Hay provides stimulating ideas and voices, which we hope mirrors the experience of our readers when they open our newspaper, or view our content online. “The success of the partnership can not only be seen in sales of the paper on site, but the popularity of our coverage online and also the high level of editorial engagement and interaction with the audience.”