Tag: strategy


You’ve got to do your research! 19th October, 2016

In an extremely over-crowded market, sourcing sponsorship requires skill, patience and of course, research. The majority of rights holders looking for sponsorship will approach a brand and tell them how their event is the best, but do they know that for sure.

Scope it out

There are thousands of sports teams, events and charities all competing for the same sponsors, therefore, it is crucial to actively look at what others are doing in the market.

If a company were looking to release a new product, the first thing they would do is ensure the market is thoroughly analysed, assessing what their competitors are offering and at what price.

What’s in their basket?

Understanding your competitors offering is the best start point for any rights holder. In this cluttered market, it is important to know what you are up against and how you can then position your own offering, focusing on your unique assets.

Go along to events, visit other teams/properties and even try to get your hands on their proposals. If you do this and find that you haven’t got any unique assets to offer then you need to invest time into uncovering them, as every rights holder will have something unique to offer. Without this insight, you will be entering the market blind, with no idea of whether you are over-selling, under-selling, or if your offering can provide a brand with something no-one else can.

Make sure you identify the correct competitors when doing research. It isn’t just cross-industry or direct competitors; sponsorship is a universal industry so you will be competing with rights-holders from multiple sectors. A local sports team might be competing with a national event, if they approach the same brand. Think outside the box and broaden your research.

The Price is Right

Although valuation is determined on numerous methodologies, the rights fee is also impacted based on the competitive landscape. If your rights fee is to too high then brands will be put off, too low and your platform is undervalued, reducing the revenue you can gain.

Right’s holders need to ensure their whole package is priced correctly within the market, so it is vital to benchmark this against industry standards.

Within a competitive landscape, any rights holder regardless of industry or size, should first research the market, make adjustments and ensure their platform stands out for the right reasons.


Muscular Dystrophy UK appoints Slingshot Sponsorship to drive commercial strategy 5th April, 2016

Slingshot Sponsorship today announce their new client, Muscular Dystrophy UK. Slingshot has been selected by the charity to help drive new commercial relationships and a long term strategy.

Muscular Dystrophy UK, founded in 1959, supports and helps bring together people affected by more than 60 rare and very rare progressive muscle-weakening and wasting conditions.

Rebecca Day, Director of Development for Muscular Dystrophy UK says:

“For Muscular Dystrophy UK, research is at a critical stage requiring a real acceleration in investment; along with all we want to accomplish in providing ongoing support for families living with these devastating muscle-wasting conditions.  Wholly reliant on voluntary income, we are keen to take a thorough and proactive approach to identify and maximize the potential of commercial partnerships to meet our goals. Slingshot responded to our brief with a perfect blend of energy and passion for the project, coupled with evident and demonstrable expertise. We are extremely excited to see what we can achieve by working together.”

Jackie Fast, MD of Slingshot Sponsorship said of the new partnership, “We’re delighted to be working with such a well-renowned British charity to help them make the most of the commercial benefit to their research and income streams.”

 

Slingshot Sponsorship win agency contract with Autosport for 2012 19th January, 2012

Autosport, the authority on motorsport, has appointed Slingshot Sponsorship to develop and implement a new sponsorship strategy for the 2012 Autosport Awards.  Slingshot is briefed to increase awareness and commercial value for the event through the creation of additional opportunities and sponsorship platforms throughout the year.

Rob Aherne, Publisher at Autosport:

“We are delighted to be working with Slingshot Sponsorship on the Autosport Awards. They have proven themselves to be a vibrant company with lots of ideas about driving our event forward commercially, and we look forward to making plenty of progress together.”

Held every December at the Grosvenor House Hotel on London’s Park Lane, the Autosport Awards are voted for by the readers and attended by the biggest names in motorsport including Formula 1, Motorsport GP, British Rallying & World Rally Championships.  Winners of the International Racing Driver of the Year Award have included Sebastien Vettel, Jensen Button, and Lewis Hamilton.

Slingshot Sponsorship will assist Autosport with consultation and overall execution of a strategy that will attempt to forge new brand partnerships, whilst raising awareness of the programme overall for current sponsors Castrol, Mercedes-Benz, Perelli, Skoda, BMW, UBS, Parkalgar, and TW Steel.

Jackie Fast, Managing Director of Slingshot Sponsorship:

We can’t wait to get started with the Autosport Awards.  It is a phenomenal event and can deliver real marketing value to sponsoring brands.  We will be looking to enhance their current programme through the creation of additional touchpoints as well as integrating new sponsoring brands to help diversify and deliver additional value.