"Are you lucky or are you intentional?"
This is something we ask often at
SponsorPark because in the dynamic and fast growing world of sponsorship marketing the squeaky wheel doesn’t always get the grease. Now, a little luck isn't bad either! But with a floundering economy and an increasingly raised bar of accountability for allocation of funds, Sponsorship Opportunities have to cross their t’s and dot their i’s if they hope to be noticed by the right people. Just because you know someone who knows someone on the board of Directors at a company doesn’t mean you’re a shoe in sponsorship partner. I’m not saying it doesn’t help – companies are all about maintaining their relationships. But the truth is there are a few things you as a Sponsorship Opportunity need to keep in mind when you are pursuing sponsorship:
1. This is a mutually beneficial relationship. Most sponsors are not simply won over with the tax write off anymore. You need to have a clear benefit to offer your sponsor, and by benefit I mean a way to enable them to connect with thier target audience and gain exposure and loyalty points with them (most sponsors will have a good idea of what they want out of the relationship if you will take the time to ask). If you haven’t been in the habit of relaying this information learn how to. If your opportunity is cause related or in the arts – the sponsorship world belongs to you right now, so seal the deal by providing this information up front.
2. Cast a vision! Offer measurable and relevant information and illustrate something worthy of tweets and talks! What’s your history? How many people are you able to reach? Who specifically is your target audience? What kind of media exposure will you be able to offer? Remember, this information should support the fact that you align with their marketing initiatives, if you are a match, you should highlight this!
3. Provide ROI. Does the idea of long term relationships sound good? Would you like to stop pursuing a new sponsor every year and simply maintain the relationship you’re in? Break ups are hard, and it’s tough to put yourself out there over and over again. Create some loyalty by showing your value to the sponsor. Pre and post survey your audience, supply some event analysis, anything that supports the partnership was a good investment – and even throw out a few ideas about how it might be even better next time!
Now, if after you have considered these things you still want to carry around a four leaf clover or a rabbit's foot, by all means, be my guest - it can't hurt, right? But the pot of gold will more likely show up when you implement the above best practices!
So what do you think? What has your experience been? What else would help Sponsorship Opportunities get in front of the right people at the right place at the right time?