Most sponsorships start with visibility. GoCompare wanted to start with value. 

As it explored a long-term partnership with Wales Rugby Union, the ambition was clear: to create meaningful impact beyond the usual shirt sponsorship and stadium hoardings. 

That meant getting beneath the surface of a complex grassroots ecosystem. GoCompare needed to understand the real pressures, motivations and needs of rugby volunteers, players and communities, then identify where it could make a credible difference. 

Assumptions would not cut it. The brand needed robust evidence to guide investment, activation and long-term legacy decisions. 

Ponderosa designed a blended insight programme around a simple principle: start with people, not preconceptions. 

Qualitative research captured the human stories and lived experiences behind grassroots rugby that traditional research might have missed. Quantitative validation tested those insights, helping Go.Compare prioritise opportunities and make large scale decisions with confidence. 

The approach was deliberately ground-up. Rather than forcing the research into predetermined answers, we created space for overlooked issues and unexpected opportunities to emerge. 

We worked closely with stakeholders throughout, keeping the insight practical, defensible and connected to real-world decisions. The result was not research for research’s sake. It was a strategic tool built to shape investment and action.