Author: Slingshot Team

Surge in Digital Sponsors 21st September, 2010

Sponsorship is gaining footing in the digital sector, where sponsors know how to best maximise ROI from these channels. By its nature sponsorship creates ideal digital marketing opportunities. It has the flexibility to provide platforms for brands to create exclusive content and online experiences as well as being able to engage directly with their audience.

One of our clients, the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), has some surprising figures in this regard. Seen as a more traditional marketing organisiation, you’d be surprised to learn that over 50% of their sponsorship comes from digital marketing partners!

Marketers are desperately searching for new and economical avenues to create stronger relationships between their brands and target audiences. One avenue that’s resurgent is sponsorship, which is proving a powerful way to engage with consumers. At a time when people are constantly marketed to through an increasing number of channels, consumer engagement is vital for marketers to get their messages across. When reaching its target audience, sponsorship provides an ideal medium to facilitate this engagement by providing tangible “touch points” for the consumer.

For example, when Silverpop, a U.S.-based organisation that provides worldwide web-based solutions to its clients, was interested in building brand awareness among the top marketers in the United Kingdom, it chose to incorporate a bespoke DMA sponsorship programme within its marketing mix to do so. Silverpop chose to sponsor the DMA B2B Email Marketing Event in London. This sponsorship has allowed the right’s owner the DMA to provide new training for the B2B email sector while also providing the sponsor Silverpop with the best platform from which to showcase its expertise.

For Silverpop, the many touch points and benefits of their sponsorship proposal included:

A speaking opportunity at the event
Production of a joint press release to associate themselves with the DMA
Increased profile among delegates throughout the promotional campaign

This sponsorship provided the perfect platform from which to increase brand awareness and engagement among the people that matter most to the company.

If you haven’t yet thought about integrating sponsorship into your marketing mix, or felt it wasn’t useful to your type of business, you might want to take a fresh look at your current marketing and what your competitors are doing—it may surprise you.

Email in Motion 14th September, 2010

Usually the last person picked for school teams, I jumped at the opportunity when asked to join the Pure360 team for their upcoming Scally Rally. Perhaps it was because of my experience of driving on the other side of the road or my love of road trip snacks, either way, I have made the cut!

The team includes email marketing specialists from Pure360 along with their partners and friends, myself included With a range of specialities in email, search and social media from product development and commercial management, you can be sure that the top email tips that we share will be worth following. Not to mention keeping informed on who crashes the car first!

Our race through Europe starts in Calais, France and ends in Rimini, Italy. Throughout those four days (based on the car not breaking down), the whole team will be sharing email marketing tips along the way through videos, blogs and tweets. We will be spreading the word of email marketing across Europe, so be sure to follow our adventure.

The Pure360 Scally Rally Team is also raising money for a group of charities including Barnardo’s, The British Heart Foundation, The Woodlands Trust and many others. We would love to swap your sterling for email tips – donations can be made here.

To find more information on the Pure360 Scally Rally team, their drivers, the route, or the charities, as well as following us on our blog, please check out: http://www.pure360emailmarketing.co.uk/scallyrally

Need Sponsorship? Our top tips will show you how! part II 13th September, 2010

Our last blog gave you some tips for sponsorship seekers and here are some more for you to take away with you!

Tip: Internal buy-in is key

There is only so much one individual can do to make the sponsor feel like a partner. It is imperative that the whole organisation recognises and realises the benefit of sponsorship for the organisation and doesn’t look at it as a hassle or more work. If you cannot get your team to work with you and your sponsor, you will be unable to provide one of the core objectives of the sponsorship – mutual benefits through partnership activity.

Tip: Look beyond logo placement

Sponsorship is about engaging an audience and creating a meaningful experience. By understanding the sponsor’s objectives you can work together to create this. I cannot stress this enough, sponsorship is not about putting your sponsors logo on your marketing. It needs to go beyond logo placement to create brand engagement and touchpoints with the audience so the partnership resonates. Only then will sponsorship be successful.

Tip: Understand your prospects

Tailored sponsorship proposals are the only option when you are looking to generate significant sponsorship funding. Understanding your prospect’s business and budget timelines is key to building these relationships. With so much information available, there should be no excuses for not doing your homework and really finding the value underlying the proposition.

Tip: Account management

Account management is the key to a successful and sustainable sponsor relationship. Ideally, you should be looking to have long-term sponsors who continually fund your sponsorship proposals because they find value in their relationship and they enjoy the positive working relationship you provide. Making your sponsor feel like a partner by involving them in every step of the way will enable stronger engagement by them with you and your sponsorship platform.

Tip: Get help

Sponsorship can be very complex and it is simply not about asking for funding because you have a great proposition. When done properly, it will not only help to fund your activities, but will also create a meaningful relationship between your organisation, your sponsors and your audience – significantly adding value to your whole business. Information on how to create sponsorship proposals or information on how to create sponsorship opportunities can be found online, through forums, blogs, and books. Specialist sponsorship agencies like Slingshot Sponsorship can also provide training and consulting to help integrate a successful sponsorship department into your organisation.

Jackie Fast Launches Slingshot Sponsorship 7th September, 2010

Specialist sponsorship agency secures the Direct Marketing Association UK (DMA), Periodical Publishers Association (PPA), UK AWARE, iheartfashion, and the Data Publishers Association (DPA) as first clients.

London, 7 September 2010 – Jackie Fast, the former head of the DMA’s sponsorship and affinity partnership department has launched her own agency, Slingshot Sponsorship Ltd (localhost:8080/slingshotsponsorship.com). In response to the growing need of expertise in sponsorship strategy, the agency is pioneering a new wave of marketing specialising in sponsorship that communicates across all vertical sectors and channels.

Slingshot Sponsorship will be using both national and international sponsorship experience as well as innovative marketing techniques with a focus on brand engagement through digital channels and social media. Jackie has worked with major brands including Royal Mail, Equifax, Xerox and ITV building sponsorship campaigns in the marketing services sector.

Slingshot Sponsorship specialises in corporate funding and asset management for music artists, professional associations, sporting competitions, as well as arts and cultural events. In addition, they will be working with leading consumer brands and international agencies to help enhance and negotiate future sponsorship campaigns.

Jackie Fast, managing director at Slingshot Sponsorship comments, “The market is shifting towards partnership marketing approaches and creating synergy between organisations. This shift created a surge in mid-market sponsorship during the recession, which has caught on with atypical rights holders. Whereas in the past sponsorship would only be sourced for large consumer events such as Formula1, we are now seeing brands take advantage of smaller and more engaged platforms generated through professional associations, music tours, and bespoke events. Instead of corporate excess of hospitality, this new wave of sponsorship brings a high level of engagement with the brand at a fraction of the cost of advertising.”

Jackie continues, “Slingshot Sponsorship aims to help rights owners effectively take advantage of this shift. Not only ensuring that the rights owner can develop a sustainable new revenue stream, Slingshot Sponsorship ensures that the programmes in place add value to all parties involved – propelling the brand, adding value to the audience, and providing additional capital to the rights holder. Furthermore, with the increase of sponsorship opportunities now available, Slingshot Sponsorship will help brands consolidate the opportunities to choose the right fit for their objectives.”

At launch, Slingshot Sponsorship has been selected by the Direct Marketing Association to manage and develop all of their current sponsorship opportunities including the DMA Awards. For UK AWARE and iheartfashion, Slingshot Sponsorship will manage all of their partnerships and consult on PR, media and communications. The DPA & PPA have also come on board as first clients of Slingshot Sponsorship who have been tasked with managing corporate sponsorship sales.

Slingshot Sponsorship is based in Central London, UK and works with both national and international clients.

Need Sponsorship? Our top tips will show you how! part I 10th September, 2010

With the recent surge in corporate sponsorship in the UK, sponsorship proposals are coming in faster than ever. However, with so many new organisations and events trying their hand at sponsorship funding, not all of these sponsorship proposals are maximising the total funding available. This is due to the lack of specific knowledge in this area as sponsorship professionals can be hard to come by and are rarely located within an organisation. Most often sponsorship is championed by the Marketing Director who rarely has the time and resource to make the most of their sponsorship opportunities.
To save some time and money take note of Slingshot Sponsorship’s top tips for organisations requesting sponsorship:

Tip: Sponsorship isn’t about you!

Sponsorship happens because you can provide an audience, which helps sponsors reach their objectives. Sponsorship is not simply about someone helping you fund your opportunity or great idea. You need to look at sponsorship as a product you are selling. Most people do not like to pay for something and leave the store empty handed.

Tip: Sponsorship proposals should focus on benefits

Your sponsorship proposal should focus on the benefits you can help them realise. Although there are sponsorship programmes that are for corporate social responsibility, the majority are not, and even if they are, they still need to see ROI. Make sure to focus on these commercial benefits rather than the event itself in the sponsorship proposal.

Tip: Get the right fit

Prospects should be approached who share the same target audience and values. This will not only ensure that the prospect is marketing to their key audience, but also creates an associated brand experience.

Keep following our blog – part II is coming up next!

Turkish Airlines Sponsorship Article Sparks Debate 3rd September, 2010

After reading Mark Ritson’s article in Marketing Week “Sponsorship Should Not Be A Random Act” I was inspired to comment. Mostly because I thought he was completely off the mark, but also because through the eloquent writing, there really seemed to be no point made.

Ritson argues that Turkish Airlines sponsorship platforms – Barcelona Football Club and Manchester United – caused confusion, whilst Kevin Costner was a badly chosen spokesperson.

Ritson goes on to state:

Whatever the process by which Turkish Airlines chooses these sponsorship targets, these decisions are symptomatic of an industry that no longer understands or even respects brand equity. Costner, Barcelona or Manchester United certainly confer global brand awareness, but beyond this simple goal, what of the more complex challenge of building brand associations? Is there even a sliver of brand heritage or genuine patronage in any of this?

Although I definitely agree with the title of the article, I think the article itself misses the objective of sponsorship. My comment sparked further debate amongst the sponsorship industry and I invite you to join in. Click here to check out the article and join the debate!

Sponsorship for Professional Associations 1st September, 2010

Sponsorship revenue for professional associations in the UK is a booming business.

With marketing budgets being scruitinised, value for membership in professional associations is fierce. Professional associations have had no other option, but to start thinking outside the box through mergers, partnerships, and shared expenses. However, one emerging trend is the value and integration of sponsorship departments being led internally or outsourced by specialist agencies.

As sponsorship takes on many different forms, it requires professional associations to think more about integration and relationships for their members rather than monetary expectations, which have been the ways of the past.

By maximising their current assets through sponsorship, professional associations have the ability to create value for their members, their bottom line, and prospective members who attend the events. In this type of relationship – sponsorship is exceedingly successful.

A great example is the Direct Marketing Association UK. With over 50 current sponsors, the DMA has been able to successful help its members get in front of a niche audience of marketing professionals. Some companies have also taken advantage of larger packages which encompass the sponsorship of the DMA’s entire activities in a specific sector.

One such company is consumer credit and business information specialist, Equifax, which provides a range of services to support companies marketing to consumers and businesses. Reflecting its influence and authority in the marketing data arena, Equifax has become the DMA’s Overall Data Sponsor which includes sponsorship of DataSeal, the DMA Awards, regional activity, and the Data Tracking Study.

Laura Marlow, Marketing Manager for Equifax Marketing Services, says that becoming the DMA’s overall data sponsor was the perfect way for promoting Equifax as The Heart of Data Intelligence:

“Marketers have faced some real challenges this year, making it more important than ever that they have access to properly targeted, good quality data. Our role as overall data sponsor of the DMA has put us in an excellent position to make marketers aware of the services we offer, enhancing our brand and reputation in this important sector. We look forward to continuing to work with the DMA and its members to maximise the full potential of marketing data to create the most impactful and cost-effective campaigns.”

Chris Combemale, the DMA’s executive director, states that sponsorship is crucial to the mission of the DMA:

“Through the additional revenue of sponsorship, we can expand the number of professional services we provide, as well the number of insight and networking events we offer. These activities are integral to our purpose of promoting the business interests of our members and driving the growth of the direct marketing industry. Of course, through pairing our sponsor partners with suitably themed platforms we ensure maximum relevance and mutual benefit to their target market.”

Sponsorship agencies have an integral part to play in helping professional associations harness this revenue and creating successful partnerships. By creating a sustainable revenue stream to supplement event and membership fees, sponsorship can help your organisation continue creating value for the industry.

Slingshot Sponsorship Signs New Client 27th August, 2010

Slingshot is happy to announce that they have been signed to manage the DPA & PPA Awards, held at De Vere in Brighton, 18 November 2010.

This innovative event brings together fantastic industry insight at the full-day conference in addition to the DPA Awards gala event in the evening. The DPA Awards salute innovation and achievement by leading companies, teams and individuals across the data and digital publishing sectors.

Attracting senior data and digital professionals, this is a fantastic event to be a part of. Slinghshot Sponsoship is working with both the DPA & PPA trade associations to fully leverage all available assets for sponsors. New this year, we have introduced a range of tailored sponsorship proposals in order to build brand awareness to this unique audience.

For more information, please visit the DPA Awards site here or get in touch with Slingshot Sponosrship on: 08455 335 053.

Sponsorship Measurement 26th August, 2010

Measuring sponsorship is one of the most important services a sponsorship agency or property partner can provide. With innumerable ways to measure marketing ROI, it is important that sponsorship provides the same value. It is also one of the crucial points that will decide whether or not sponsors renew.

A sponsorship agency should not only help you deliver value, but it should also measure it.

Three key tips to measuring sponsorship

1. Understand the audience

This should go beyond standard demographic information and include insight on how the audience you are targeting engages with the brand. In order to build a brand relationship through a sponsorship platform, you need to understand where the current relationship sits. This will act as a baseline for measurement as well as informing the brand and activation teams in order to help leverage the sponsorship.

2. Lay the groundwork

In any type of collaboration, it is very important that each party understands the roles they will undertake to achieve their objectives. It is also very important that all parties understand the other’s business – the better understanding of the partner and nature of the relationship, the easier it will be to understand where synergy can be achieved.

This should be discussed right from the beginning of the contract negotiation. Once signed, both parties should walk away knowing exactly what they will be bringing to the relationship. By encouraging this, measurement goals can be set against achievables.

3. Provide valuable data

Data capture during the entire sponsorship campaign – include post-event, is incredibly valuable for assessing the success of the sponsorship. Measuring a sponsor’s impact can be done through fulfilment surveys, surveying social media buzz, interviews, focus groups and third party research.

Surveys and feedback forms can be an easy way to not only measure the success of the sponsorship programme, but also can add value to the sponsor by providing them a few sponsor-related questions. In addition, feedback can provide both parties with insight needed to make the next event even better.

These tips are just some of the ways you can work together to ensure that the sponsorship relationship you build is tangible, which will be key in creating sustainable partnerships.

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