You know that feeling when you get a good idea? Not just a “huh, nice thought,” idea, but an “oh my goodness! Where’s a pen?  Why has no one thought of this before?!” idea. Yeah, there are some entrepreneurs, event planners and brilliant marketers smiling right now - you know what I’m talking about!  It’s like it produces in you a supernatural drive, a hunger to taste the reality of this vision - you suddenly have unbelievable stamina – which is great!  If you can slow down for a brief second and think about what it’s going to take to get there, do the research, crunch some numbers, and get a good action plan in place. That’s why great teams have both a visionary- the one with the grand ideas and undeniable passion; and a doer – a doer is usually a thinker and implementer – someone who does their homework and researches the best route to take to make the concept work. 

Sponsorship Opportunities or Properties are almost always visionaries – they’re very excited about a particular idea or concept, and the next step is simply to slow down and make sure they are also being a planner, a researcher, and an implementer. There’s this interesting new show out called “Shark Tank,” where entrepreneurs pitch their ideas to business sharks hoping for their monetary support – it always shocks me how many of them don’t have critically relevant information to offer, research to present which supports the why’s of the investment! Of course they are ripped to shreds by the sharks which is apparently what makes good entertainment… These days there are so many sponsorship opportunities or marketing mediums for a sponsor to market through; so as one who represents a great sponsorship opportunity, you need to gather some critical information and present it in such a way that a sponsor will look at you twice!  I recently chatted with a Strategic Partnership’s manager at Coca-Cola who informed me that it was incredible how many potentially fantastic properties pitched their sponsorship idea – without relevant information.  He politely told them to come back when they put together a relevant proposal, when they stared blankly across the table and finally dared to ask what he wanted to see, he said “well, I’m not going to coach you on how to take my money, but if you can figure it out we can meet again.” Wow.  That being the case we’ve decided to walk through what we inventoried from some incredible active sponsors as “relevant” and “critical” information in an initial proposal.  This initial proposal is not customized to the sponsor’s specific objectives yet – that is something you will do after you get in the door with the most appropriate sponsors when you’ve had a chance to cast your vision and ask them what they might want out of the partnership. Keep in mind this vision casting initial proposal is not just an emotional, feel good document. It needs to include quantitative evidence of success around the criteria most important to potential sponsors. Here’s what you include:

• Detailed Description
• Pictures
• Timeframes / deadlines
• Media Exposure
• Target Audience / Market Information
• Sponsor Packages and Benefits
• Event Analysis
• Current Sponsors Involved

Each of these items Stephanie and I will be breaking down in future blogs – so stay tuned! In the meantime, tell us about a time that you were able to present an idea to a group of people and truly generate excitement? What worked best for you?

 Greetings!  Stephanie Lochmiller here, New Media Manager for SponsorPark. With this being my first entry on the SponsorPark blog, I thought I’d take a minute or two of your time and give you my quick top ten list of things to know about myself and sponsorship.

10. My background  is in non-profit development and marketing, so I understand firsthand some of the challenges and rewards of sponsorship!                            

9.  Sponsorship, not unlike the rest of the business and marketing world, has taken a hit during the rocky economy.  This means properties need to be smarter about their proposals and their efforts and work harder to please their sponsors. On the flip side, the good news is sponsorship remains up!

8. I am so excited to be diving into the realm of social media.  I think this resource is underutilized and overlooked and many organizations are wasting their marketing efforts on mediums that just don’t produce results like they used to.  A successful marketing campaign must be comprehensive and include a blend of traditional and new media.

7.  In sponsorship, it’s SO important to consider your underutilized and intangible assets to add value to packages.  What sets you apart from your competition?  Why should a potential sponsor pick you? Don't assume they know, tell them.

6.  I love hearing people’s new and exciting ideas.  If you have something you’re passionate about I’d love to hear about it!

5. Sponsorship isn’t sales in a traditional sense, rather its developing a product specifically designed to suit your sponsor’s needs.  You shouldn't ever expect to make a "sale" in your initial meeting.  That meeting is for you to sit back and listen to what your sponsor is telling you they want out of this partnership.  I like the 70/30 rule.  70% listening and 30% talking.

 4. Despite the fact that traditional marketing isn’t what it used to be, I love watching commercials almost more than actual TV programming.  A well done spot never gets old and solidifies brand recognition.  Energizer bunny anyone?

3.  Did you know 60% of sponsors say they are looking for new opportunities despite the economy? This is great news for those of you who may have lost partners over this past year.  Now is not the time to sit back and wait things out.  Get active, get involved and get working!

2. I’m an avid animal lover, and go from grown up mentality to baby-talk at the sight of a puppy.

1.  I am a firm believer in giving 110%.  Whether you’re developing your next big idea or simply burning dinner, if you’re going to do it, do it all the way.  

Thanks for reading!  I look forward to being a part of SponsorPark and working with each of you along the way! Should you ever have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me at Stephanie.Lochmiller@sponsorpark.com