Slingshot Sponsorship Open Pitch Night at Shoreditch House – Win a Free Consultancy Session worth £5k 4th May, 2016

June 14th | 7pm | Shoredtich House

Slingshot Sponsorship are hosting an Open Pitch night with Soho House Group on June 14th at Shoreditch House for members (or friends of members).  If you want to nail your sponsorship sales pitch – come prepared with your deck and your choice of one of five brands to pitch to, present to our team of brand buying experts and get direct feedback that will take your pitch to new levels. You will also be able to watch other pitches live and gain further understanding of what brands are looking for, what questions they will ask, and what will ultimately make them sign on the dotted line. And the best bit?  The best pitch of the evening will also receive a full 1-to-1 consultancy day with Slingshot Sponsorship, worth £5k. This is not to be missed so come and take the stage! 

Brands you can tailor your pitch to (you won’t actually be pitching to these brands): Blackberry, Marks & Spencer, Chelsea Football Club, Rolex, or Red Bull.

To note, this is a culmination of our monthly events with Shoreditch House and our next free monthly event is going to be held on June 7th at 11am.

We will only be taking a limited number of pitches, so if you want to sign up please email [email protected] at your earliest convenience.  Pitch spaces are on a first come, first serve basis.

If you are a member of Soho House you can find more details online and also ensure you register your place here.  To note, registration does not mean you have a pitch slot – it just means you can attend.  You must email [email protected] to reserve your pitch slot.


How to sponsor like a Rockstar 15th April, 2016

How buying rights is half the battle

There are many persuasive reasons why sponsorship is worth the money. Notably, sponsorship gives a brand a dominant platform for leverage however, if you want to invest – you have to make your investment work. Buying sponsorship rights is only the half of it. When you buy any sponsorship package you are buying an opportunity – not results. It is leverage that provides the results. A great case study in how to leverage rights and effective sponsorship can be seen with Rockstar Energy’s recent sponsorship of Snowboxx 2016.

The weeklong winter event is set in the heart of the Alps in one of France’s premier skiing resorts, Avoriaz. The event plays host to some 4,000 adrenalin junkies who turn up for great powder and equally great music artists. With top performing DJs and live artists such as Stormzy, Sigma, Paul Woolford, Mella Dee and Grandmaster Flash – everything from the heaviest grime, hip hop and house could be heard at over 1800ft.

When you think of rockstars, your mind is instantly drawn to The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix and Gun’s n Roses! The definition of partying like a ‘rockstar’, as stated by the Urban Dictionary – is where ‘someone can stay up and party hard all night long’ – so when you see Rockstar Energy sponsoring a winter music festival offering consumers the opportunity to party like a ‘rockstar’ you wonder why and how they can do so?

Rockstar Energy, the third biggest energy drink brand in the world and the last non-corporate owned energy drink on the market – chose to sponsor Snowboxx 2016 in order to give its consumers a taste of what it’s like to party like a Rockstar. Here is how they attempted it:

Customer Experience

The most important aspect of the sponsorship opportunity for Rockstar Energy was customer experience, the energy drink took VIP to a new level by offering 26 competition winners the ultimate experience for any music lover, the opportunity to party like a rockstar! The lucky winners were treated with a week’s holiday in Avoriaz, including flights, festival ticket, ski passes and the best VIP access to stages and artists. Now that’s a rockstar experience!

POS

In order to drive excitement and interest, Rockstar created bold and exciting structured POS to be used through key retail partners. This was effectively achieved with the use of a competition to win VIP festival tickets to support the customer experience and was present in the UK, Finland and the US providing a reach much greater than the festival itself.

Branding

Throughout the festival site, Rockstar Energy was seen as ‘the’ energy drink. Branding on and around the mainstage framed every artist’s epic performance, whilst POS encouraged purchase throughout the resort. Rockstar became a significant part of the visual elements of the festival.

Customer touch points

Ensuring maximum exposure to the captive audience, Rockstar was stocked exclusively throughout all bars onsite. In addition, Rockstar made use of the key times of pre and post piste to activate a sampling campaign in order to revitalise the festival attendees. This meant the only way to regain your energy to party like a rockstar, was to drink a can of Rockstar Energy. On top of this they hosted their own DJ (Bunch of Deckheads) to play at an intimate gig in the Avoriaz stash park (freestyle area) based on the side of one the breath-taking mountains.

Content

Keen to amplify the onsite activity to the 90,000 social media followers outside the resort, Rockstar hosted exclusive supporting content across all digital platforms. This included images and videos of sweeping mountain landscapes and high adrenaline action shots from some very talented freestyle skiers – on top of all this, Rockstar even interacted with other sponsors – Coors Light and Jungfrau, ensuring no possible social news feed was left untouched.

Conclusion

Having set out with a clear sponsorship plan, with clear ideas of success – Rockstar Energy were able to leverage their key assets on a number of platforms to ensure an effective delivery to their captive audience.

The VIPs may well have lived like rockstars, but Rockstar Energy sure do sponsorship like one!



From rags to (relative) riches, what does this mean for Africa’s marketing mix? 30th March, 2016

Africa’s economic evolution over the next few years will be exponential – now home to more than 1.1 billion people, continued commodity-fueled growth combined with new energy discoveries and Africa’s ever growing role as a food producer for an expanding global population will certify increases in economic output for years. These revenues will increase per capita incomes and consumption demand. How can brands unlock this market and is sponsorship the answer? Historically lucrative sponsorship deals in Africa have been confined to sports such as football and rugby with deals ranging from $100, 000 to $5, 000, 000.

What will newly rich Africans spend their money on?

In the lowest-income group, consumption decisions are based on fulfilling basic needs; people in this category typically live from hand to mouth with near to nothing for savings. As people begin to shift away from an existence lifestyle, output per person rises moving them into the middle income group resulting in their brand consciousness emerging – resulting in more emphasis placed on quality.

Food: As people get richer, they first increase their caloric intake before they begin to diversify the kinds of foods they may eat and then, later begin to attach significance to certain brands and convenience

Beverages: Alcohol consumption follows a similar suit to food. Sales of beer (the cheapest brand) expand first – then consumers start to favour branded beer, then spirits and wines begin to gain market share and imported beers gain popularity.

Household items and vehicles: In Africa television penetration is below 20% in poor countries like Malawi and Mozambique, and rates are around 90% in the richer countries like Tunisia and Mauritius. The overall household television penetration rate has gone 42.4% in 2009 to around 50.8% in 2016. Vehicle ownership begins to increase also, incomes of US $2,500 to US $12,000 show there is double-digit growth in vehicle purchases as the product becomes more accessible.

Where to begin in marketing to Africa

Africa is huge continent – finding the right customers in the market can be a laborious process with as many as 53 countries. The future of marketing in to Africa could be compared to what western brands have done in India and China as a result of increasing incomes when those countries saw per capita gross domestic product (GDP) rise quickly in the 1990s and 2000s.

Chinese Marketing in the 1900’s and 2000’s

Due to its fast economic expansion and Open Door policy, China has become a lucrative market for Western companies that are seeing a decreasing market demand in their home countries. China’s rapidly expanding middle class is expected to triple their spending over the coming years, reaching $6 trillion by 2020. Although China offers many opportunities for Western companies, the Chinese market presents obstacles to Western marketing managers too.

Many of these barriers originate from the Chinese culture, which can be difficult for Western marketing managers to understand. The culture influences consumer buying and adoption behaviours, and Western marketing managers are challenged to gain insight into the Chinese consumer. By following these 3 examples brands may not trip up in a foreign market.

  1. Make your brand more socially and culturally acceptable:
    • Back when Coca Cola entered the Chinese market it was struggling to attract the same consumption it sees in its home markets, one idea fashioned by the company was to change the brand name. Coca Cola’s Chinese name, 可口可乐 Ke Kou Ke Le, loosely translates to “happiness in the mouth” and also sounds like Coca Cola.

 

  1. Know your market:
    • The success of China’s Taobao versus eBay determines the importance of knowing your target market. Both have the same basic service in which someone can sell products to another, yet it was the platform and methods which Taobao used that captured the Chinese market. EBay required customers to pay online using a credit card, something that is standard in the west. Taobao, knowing that many Chinese do not like to use credit cards online either because of they don’t own one or because of security concerns, allows customers to pay with cash on delivery.

 

  1. Advertise through effective experience:
    • Advertisements have been ineffective because they depict people and/or situations that are unfamiliar to the Chinese audience, such as a blonde family of four vacationing on a sunny California beach.

For western brands to take advantage of a growing economy they should look to emulate the marketing techniques of those in China, then they will emerge victorious within a new and expansive market.



Coors Light Announced As Official Beer Supplier For Snowboxx Festival 2016 29th February, 2016

Coors Light have been announced as the ‘Official Beer Supplier’ for Snowboxx Festival 2016 with the agreement brokered by Slingshot Sponsorship.

In a new development for 2016, Snowboxx is creating something never before seen at winter festivals, its own ‘Snowboxx Village’. Based in Avoriaz, the heart of the Port du Soleil ski region, Snowboxx Festival will host a plethora of events from main stage performances, off-the-wall festival features & local food and drink stalls.

Coors Light partnership with Snowboxx further supports the brand message of #DammeCold and the positioning as the ultimate in ice cold refreshment.

The partnership will see Coors Light as the exclusive beer supplier to the festival with retailing across multiple bars onsite in addition to inclusion in all promotional activity across Snowboxx’s digital and social channels and a bespoke Igloo party hosted onsite during the week-long snow festival extravaganza.

Rachel Twemlow, Brand Manager for Coors Light commented: “Coors and Snowboxx have a natural affinity through the shared passions of music and the cold nature. Snowboxx 2016 is set to be the biggest and best yet and this will provide a super platform to launch our relationship as well as the opportunity to capture great content and engage with our core demographic.”

This year, Coors Light will be in the acoustic company of headline acts Sigma, one of the biggest acts of 2015 and DJing royalty Grandmaster Flash for what will be a week of unforgettable music, skiing and partying.

Aden Levin, Managing Director, Snowboxx remarked: “Coors’s partnership with Snowboxx is testament to the shared vision of both brands. With the event growing year on year we’re excited to be able to start this relationship and look forward to what will be the biggest ski festival of the year.”

 

Register your interest for Snowboxx 2016 now at http://snowboxx.com/



Dare2B Announced As Official Ski-wear Supplier For Snowboxx Festival 2016 11th January, 2016

Dare2B have been announced as the ‘Official Skiwear Supplier’ for Snowboxx Festival 2016 with the agreement brokered by Slingshot Sponsorship.

This year, Avoriaz in the heart of the Port du Soleil ski region, will play host to Snowboxx Festival. In a new development for 2016, Snowboxx is creating something never before seen at winter festivals, its own ‘Snowboxx Village’. This village will host a plethora of events, main stage performances, off-the-wall festival features & local food and drink stalls.

Dare2B’s decision to partner with Snowboxx is fuelled by their desire to become the skiwear choice on the slopes in 2016. To celebrate the launch of the partnership, Snowboxx are running a ’12 Days of XXmas’ promotion with the chance to win £200 worth of Dare2B ski clothes.

The partnership will see all Snowboxx staff equipped with Dare2B merchandise for the duration of the event. In the run up, Dare2B will also be included in all promotional actitivty across Snowboxx’s digital and social chanels whilst discounts will be available for all festival attendees to ensure they are ready for the week-long extravanganza.

Catherine Tait, Marketing Assistant for Dare2B, commented: “The choice to partner with Snowboxx for a second year was an easy one after last year’s Festival. This year’s event will provide another fantastic platform upon which to engage with our core demographic. It will also help us achieve our ultimate goal of becoming the skiwear brand everyone is wearing across the slopes of Europe.”

Last year, Snowboxx witnessed the explosion of Jungle, who featured on the main stage with the likes of 2manydjs and Eton Messy. This year, Sigma, one of the biggest acts of 2015, are headling with DJing royalty Grandmaster Flash for what will be a week of unforgettable music, skiing and partying.

Aden Levin, Managing Director, Snowboxx remarked: “Dare2B’s partnership with Snowboxx was a natural one but what really stood out for us was their vision for the brand. We were delighted to be part of that and I look forward to seeing Snowboxx staff hitting the slopes in their Dare2B skiwear for what will be the biggest ski festival of the year.”

Register your interest for Snowboxx 2016 now at http://snowboxx.com/



Sponsorship Revolution in Iran, the unexploited market of the Persian state 18th December, 2015

Earlier in the year we saw a massive development in international relations, as Iran signed the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. The treaty, has the objectives to inhibit the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, promote cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, and to assist in the goal of nuclear disarmament (depository states of the non-proliferation treaty include United States, Great Britain and Germany). Before this, Iran was seen as an outsider in the global community due to world super powers freezing many financial assets, implementing trading embargo’s and sanctions that were crippling the nation’s economy and society.

To prevent an economic collapse, the Persian state succumbed to the West’s demands and signed the treaty. With this change, there is a commercial revolution afoot. The youth of Iran are in search for a taste of modern western culture – which makes this an area of opportunity for brands looking to grow in the Middle East. Sponsorship can be the tool to forge new revenue streams in prime markets such as tech, consumer and sport products.

Iran’s demographic has shifted considerably in the past 20 years. The archaic revolution era of the 80s has passed as the left wing followers are growing old and having a smaller effect on the country’s political direction. The new youth of today are inter-savvy and pushing change underpinned by this improved relationship with the West.

Where does sponsorship fit into all this?

Iran adores sport, especially football. The Iranian Football Premier League, consists of 16 teams and is ranked by the Asian Football Confederation as the 3rd best league in Asia, and the National team are the highest ranked Asian team placed at 38th in the FIFA world rankings.

In 2011 The Iranian Football Federation secured TV rights of both Iranian Football Premier League and national team matches worth $96.5 million that ran until 2014. If a country that was under major sanctions can generate a football league that is one of best in the Asian peninsula and a T.V. deal of almost $100 million, what potential does this nation now have with these sanctions now revoked?

A real life example

An example of a country that has had a major development in sporting infrastructure is India. In 2008 the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) used a heavy mixture of commercialisation, international stars and Bollywood glamour to transform and unlock India’s immense market for sport, with the creation of the Indian Premier League for twenty20 cricket. This concoction of sport, culture and glamour has enabled the league to become the most-watched twenty20 competition in the world.

At its height the Indian Premier League had title sponsorship deals with Pepsi Co. worth $71 million (2013-2015) and DLF Group, India’s largest property developer, worth $50 million (2008-2012). On top of these monstrous sponsorship deals, a T.V. partnership was created. It was made up of India’s Sony Entertainment Television (Set Max) network and Singapore-based World Sport Group. Both of these entities secured the global broadcasting rights of the IPL with a record deal that has a tenure of ten years at a cost of US$1.026 billion.

All of these factors have enabled The Indian Premier League to be one of the most watched competitions in the world, resulting in the league currently being worth in excess of $3.67 billion. By replicating India’s platform, the Iranian Football Premier League could be looking at exponential profits.

Here are three ways in which The Iranian Football Premier league can emulate the success of The Indian Premier League:

  • The Iranian Football Premier League could look to branch away from the state ownership of teams and move into a more corporate ownership or stakeholder structure. Clubs who do so could have the potential to increase their sponsorship opportunities as they are more commercially viable to brands due to their business strategies.
  • The popularity of the league is clearly demonstrated with the average attendances of each game (Esteghlal Meli-Sanati Khuzestan Football Club average attendance is 50,000). Packed stadiums emanate an exciting and appealing league that is tempting for broadcasters
  • Finally a league that is appealing to broadcasters will be lucrative for sponsors. This means the league needs to begin to look further than the Persian Gulf and Asian continent in order to maximise and increase its audience and following.

By moving into a more corporate playing field, leveraging the sports obvious popularity and expanding its TV reach has enabled the Indian Premier League to become one of the most popular and profitable completions in the world. Iran now has the opportunity to follow that same blueprint.



How Sponsorship Impacts Sport Participation in the UK 11th August, 2015

After the 2008 Beijing Games and the backdrop of London 2012 there was a dramatic policy change by the new Conservative government. The Department for Culture, Media & Sport changed their focus from sport as a social intervention to that of a performance and excellence goal. Entitled ‘Game Plan’, a strategy for delivering the governments sport and physical activity objectives saw a policy named ‘Playing to Win’ introduced. This created a new era in British sport and looked to redefine it. Instead of creating success through mass participation of sport in the country, ‘Playing to Win’ looked to increase participation through success for top level elite athletes. Funding was redirected from lower level and grassroots sport to fewer but higher level athletes. The next superstars of British sport. This decrease in funding saw the reduction of sports being available to the average child.

Sport in a young person’s life is vital, it can enable a healthy lifestyle and plays a vital role in gaining social skills. Sports that have had a funding cut need to find resources from elsewhere in order to continue providing opportunities for young people. Sponsorship is not only crucial, but innovatively at the forefront of enabling grassroots sport to be made possible.

The Laureus Project, a foundation that looks to use sport to engage youth is a great example. In some of central London’s most violent areas they run The Midnight Basketball League. Held from 10pm – 6am, the aim is to use sport to reduce social issues such as conflict and crime. In order for the program to continue, Laureus use large corporate sponsors to fund coaches, venue hire and equipment. Mercedes-Benz and IWC Schaffhausen are the global partners and have both provided funding in excess of €60 million since the foundation began.

Another example can be seen with Street League, a football program that uses sport to engage youth in education, training and work. Youths from 16 – 24 attend the program which requires each individual to complete two hours in the classroom and two hours on the football field. The program has several partners such as Barclays, Capital One and Hyundai, helping support the interaction with over 1,000 young people each year.

Corporate sponsorship is demonstrating the substantial value and potential to the economy this platform can deliver, over and above traditional motivational aims. Nowhere is this more prominent than with grassroots sport. Due to the government’s policy change and grassroots funding cut, sponsorship is displaying a stark example of how it is bridging the gap where the government has left. If sponsorship wasn’t providing these resources and subsequent opportunities, young people would not take part in sport.