What makes a sponsored athlete or team stand out and get renewed?

Go above and beyond contract expectations. Examples include: putting sponsor logos on licensed apparel that wasn't required, proactively creating content without being asked, and finding ways to add value without asking for more money. Ray Everham with SRX was cited as someone who 'gets it' - he committed to producing more content than the sponsor would have asked for and his team looks for opportunities to bring value without coming back asking for something in return. Under-promise and over-deliver gets noticed.