Tag: Sponsorship

What Newsagents & Hairdressers have to do with Sponsorship Sales 16th April, 2013

I love the Newsagent – the whole Slingshot Sponsorship office pop around to the one on Upper Street at least twice a day.  Mr Ozza owns the shop, we love him – and I especially love that he sells my favourite Fizzy Blue Bottle sweets at the counter, a real delicacy around these parts.

However, whenever I pop in I tend to buy the same thing – water, Diet Coke, sweets.  The orders rarely change and no matter how much value Mr Ozza provides us with his convenience, we will never increase our purchase.  For this reason, Mr Ozza’s newsagent is a transactional sale.  It is based on a ‘need’ (3pm sugar fix) and delivered very quickly and efficiently.

Now compare this type of sale to your hairdresser.  You spend months, years even, finding the perfect hairdresser.  Once you have found them, you indulge in the luxury (or if you are male, then perhaps you are just happy to find someone who doesn’t cut your hair where you end up looking like a 12 year old).

Either way, you are happy.

You then start building a relationship with your hairdresser and when they recommend a product the next time you come in – you buy it.  When you discover that the product works you start to view your hairdresser as credible and someone who knows what you want/need.  Years go by and you start to realise that not only have you purchased all your hair products from one salon based upon your hairdressers’ tips, you’ve started eating out and going to the new pubs they recommend.  This is a relational sale.  It is a sales process which increases with time, trust and ability to deliver.

Now there are places for transactional sales within sponsorship – tactical sales and deals that work for specific reasons that don’t need investment.  However, many should aspire to create a more relational model with their sponsorship sales.

And similar to the hairdresser, here are my 5 tips for creating a relational sponsorship sale:

  1. If it is a new platform, be expected to provide credibility elsewhere – proof that your event truly is what you claim it is.
  2. Like a shampoo sample, brands will be unwilling to invest in your sponsorship platform for millions if they haven’t attended the event or even tried sponsorship on a smaller level.
  3. Be likeable and professional – I hate a moody hairdresser and similarly I hate working with people that I don’t see eye to eye with.  Most brands are in it for the long haul with sponsorship, if they don’t think you are capable or if they just plain don’t like you, it doesn’t encourage investing in you.
  4. Know the up sell – be prepared for when the sponsorship does work – be sure to be clear on additional ways in which the brand is able to get involved and gain more benefits.
  5. Know your client – if you don’t know what they want, how are you going to sell anything?

Why Big ATL Agencies Can’t Crunch Numbers 5th April, 2013

Walking into a fabulous advertising agency the other day, I will admit, I was envious.  Envious of the beautiful office building, elevators, stairwell, art work, great tea  – even the receptionist wooed us with her timely wit. There were whispers of “…and they also have a free cafeteria!” when we entered the large doors into a reception area that is bigger than the entire Slingshot office.  It was hard not to be smacked in the face  by success the moment you walked  through the front door.

And yet, the meeting with over 15  bright young things – planners, account managers and creatives left me feeling slightly underwhelmed when it came to brainstorming ideas for driving additional revenue to a project and it got me thinking about sponsorship and the future of the agency model (which I will also be discussing at the ESA Summit, read more here).  Now I am not saying that all creative media and marketing agencies and the people that work in them can’t understand sponsorship – many of them can.  The point really is that they don’t have to.  They don’t spend an agonising amount of the day working client budgets to meet targets through multiple revenue streams.  They don’t spend hours on the phone negotiating media rights and convincing brands to provide free products in order to drive the event forward.  They don’t have midnight calls with overseas clients on how to then find a way to pay for the distribution of said product.  Unfortunately, this is my job.  Again, cue my envy.

Yet envy aside, I have come to the conclusion that the thousands of hours I have spent agonising over a successful route has inevitably given me a very strong aptitude for understanding how to generate revenue – effectively and sustainably.  These hours spent have gifted me the ability to valuate a platform fairly quickly, just by a call, because this is what I do – day in and day out.

I can whole heartedly admit that I cannot come up with the creative idea.  I cannot even draw stick people properly. Of course, I  recognise the huge value in the idea and implementation  – but I think the tables are turning.

The Mad Men days where creativity is king is difficult to validate in an era where ‘Charlie Bit My Finger’ has over 520 million views.  Where budget cuts, the economic recession, and overall increased scrutiny on budgets continues to rise.   I think it is time to recognise that it is now the era of ROI.

As I am in the business of ROI, I am sure you’d expect me to say that. However, look around you – it really is everywhere.  From the daily Groupons, to free content on ITV player, value is something we are all looking for and delivering that value can be a difficult challenge.

I truly believe the way forward is  through building partnerships – creating true synergies between organisations, understanding all parties objectives, and working together to reap mutual rewards.  The shift has already begun with major brands pulling funding out of the major kit deals in favour of smaller, more integrated campaigns and partnerships.  It can also be seen with the huge success of our own agency, which has doubled in the last year purely through the increase of new incoming business. People are beginning to recognise (whether forced or not) the value of building lasting commercial partnerships.

Now I am not claiming that I am the next Sir Martin Sorrell, David Ogilvy, or William Bernbach – but I do see a future  that features free meals for Slingshot employees.

Slingshot Sponsorship’s Mark Mylam Highly Commended for Barrie Gill Award for Most Promising Young Executive at Hollis Sponsorship Awards 2013 27th March, 2013

Slingshot’s very own Mark Mylam was Highly Commended last night for the Barrie Gill Award for Most Promising Young Executive at Hollis Sponsorship Awards which were held at the Marriott Hotel in London.

Having only been in the sponsorship industry for two years, Mark’s High Commendation reflects how far he has come in such ashort period of time.  The Barrie Gill Awards for Most Promising Young Executive recognsises young executives working within agencies, client companies or rights-owners who are making a significant impact within their organisation or sector.  The awards seek to honour excellence, recognise effectiveness of campaigns, and in Mark’s case, his High Commendation is testament to his hard work, creativity and driving energy that he has contributed to Slingshot.

Mark stated ‘I am delighted with the High Commendation I received for the Barrie Gill Award.  The Award itself celebrates emerging talent within sponsorship and I am honoured to be recognised as a part of the new generation breaking through.’

Mark’s achievement is not only reflected through his High Commendation but in the work he has done whilst at Slingshot.  Having Account Managed three of Slingshot’s largest clients – British Heart Foundation, Mencap and Outlook Festival; Mark is set for great things in 2013 – Congratulations!

The Big Data Divide 26th March, 2013

Data – the four letter word that has been uttered over and over again in recent years.  Mentioning the word data has the ability to cast confusion, spread fear and ignite inspiration throughout brands and agencies alike, all in two syllables.  Indeed, the influx of data has left marketers confused at the best of times, yet slowly but surely more and more are coming to realise its true potential. Yet despite the many upsides to the use of data, a shadow has been cast over it, flagging debate within the industry over its ‘Orwellian’ nature and its misuse by brands. Indeed, there is no denying that Big Data has become a hotbed of conversation, and in many instances has divided opinion.  But there is one thing that everyone is able to agree upon, the era of Big Data is here.

The prominence of Big Data in our ever more interconnected world is something that retailers and marketers are unable to continue to ignore.   The internet has become a single space through which hundreds of millions of individuals are able to congregate and where their every action is recorded.  The development of social media within this has added another level to this experience.  Communication channels such as Twitter and Facebook allow the consumer to like, share and engage with brands and products on a personal level like never before.

Indeed Big Data and social CRM provide brands and agencies with bountiful information about the consumer allowing them to direct campaigns, communicate messages and market new products to consumers that really want to engage with them.  In many cases, the use of data and CRM has allowed brands that have the ability to react fast and use Big Data intelligently to create some truly creative content.  Take for example, Samsung and their ‘The Next Big Thing is Already Here’ campaign which saw the brand use real time social listening software.  This enabled Samsung to track consumer reaction to the unveiling of the iPhone 5 as it happened which led them to create a campaign based upon the comments it was seeing.  The campaign featured adverts mocking Apple customers queuing outside the iStore – an advert that was viewed more than 70 million times online.

However, the use of data sets such as these has led to a considerable debate within the industry.  Speaking at Advertising Week Europe this month, Sir John Hegarty, founder of BBH warned brands over their reliance upon collecting data and basing campaigns around it.  Hegarty explains that brand use of personal behaviour data in some instances, verges on the inappropriate.  Taking example from tools such as Nike Fuelband, a devise which tracks and stores individuals running patterns which Nike in turn uses, Hegerty continues, could be viewed as taking away from our personal freedom and too much of an intrusion into our daily lives.

Indeed, it is not only the data itself that has been criticised, but the means through which brands are choosing to use this data.  Speaking at the DataIQ Conference, Jon Cano-Lopez expressed that if brands choose to use Big Data, they must be able to decipher what is useful, what is accurate and most importantly what is acceptable.  Furthermore, the means through which brands choose to transfer this data and communicate it back to the consumer is also critical. It may also be said that brands that have an abundance of data sets lose site of their overall brand picture whilst trying too hard to react to the data at hand and predict behavioural patterns.

It is becoming ever more apparent that Big Data is playing a critical role in marketing and sponsorship industries alike.  Despite the aforementioned pit falls, the benefits that can be gained through the correct use of data are endless.  Big Data allows marketers to identify, measure and manage what is impacting their brand in a way that has never been previously been possible.  However, no matter how much data is available, the overwhelming factor resides upon how a brand chooses to use and communicate it.

My Top 3 Digital Sponsorship Campaigns 25th March, 2013

Sponsorship campaigns have always relied on brand synergy and mutually benefitting concepts but now it is imperative to incorporate the partnerships through a digital platform. Here are three of my favourite digital sponsorship campaigns…

Nike and Apple (Nike+)

The Nike+ sponsorship campaign stands out for simply the sheer size of the two brands involved, as corporate logos go, few are as identifiable. For Nike and Apple there was no case of ‘clash of the titans’- merged products (shoes, sensors, kit) allowed joggers to be notified of progress by iPod prompts as well as tracking distance and duration. The data could be uploaded to a Mac or PC, and then on to Nikeplus.com, giving people the chance to record progress, set targets and share results.

For Apple, the sponsorship allowed them to target consumers from a different angle and created a much more fulfilling exercise experience thanks to their technology. For Nike, the sponsorship helped them shift their brand image away from bad press concerning labour ethics and high-profile court cases previous to 2006. Aligning to Apple, which had a very clean reputation at the time, aimed to help add credibility to some of the promotional tags that Nike were trying to shed.

Vice and Intel

Vice is brash, incisive and radical, which is exactly why Intel bit, their aim was to diversify their brand image. John Galvin, director of Intel’s partner marketing group, admitted that “if we give music fans the opportunity to have this amazing experience, maybe they will think about Intel differently, becausewithout our technology, this wouldn’t be possible.”

Having Intel as a sponsor not only associates Vice to a global brand but it also acts as a service for their multiple digital ventures. Intel has now partnered with Vice on two of their most impressive subsidiaries, The Creators Project and Noisey. The collaboration has a real sense of synergy – Vice finds fresh talent and creative pioneers in order to distribute the content and footage while Intel supply cutting edge ways for fans to engage digitally.

Kopparberg and Spotify

Independent cider brewer, Kopparberg partnered with Spotify and Last.fm in 2012 to create the Kopparberg Festival Player, which helps UK festival-goers plan their schedule of bands they want to watch over the summer based on Spotify playlists, the app featured playlist sharing and chances to win tickets to the most sought-after festivals in the UK.

The appeal of this campaign is Kopparberg’s chance to connect with fans through music, rather than direct, brash marketing which festival-goers tend to disapprove of. Furthermore, the partnerships drives awareness of the brand and drinking Kopparberg before they even get to event, which cuts out the competition and resonates with the customer. With their involvement at more than 15 UK festivals and major events in 2012, this became a key reason for their sales success.

Slingshot Sponsorship’s Mark Mylam Shortlisted for Barrie Gill Award for Most Promising Young Executive at Hollis Sponsorship Awards 2013 22nd March, 2013

Slingshot’s very own Mark Mylam has been shortlisted for the prestigious Barrie Gill Award for Most Promising Young Executive at the Hollis Sponsorship Awards 2013.  The awards will be held at the Marriott Hotel in London on 26th March, 2013.

The Hollis Sponsorship Awards represent the pinnacle of any Sponsorship Executive’s career.  Honouring the very best in the sponsorship industry for 19 years, the Hollis Awards have become a highlight in the sponsorship calendar.  Throughout its lifetime, the ceremony has awarded some of the most memorable and innovative campaigns in sponsorship history.  Furthermore, no other award rewards effectiveness and excellence across all sectors of the sponsorship industry like the Hollis Sponsorship Awards; emphasising the feat of Mark’s achievement.

Mark stated ‘It is a real honour to be nominated for the Barrie Gill Award, alongside a host of young talent within the industry.  Hollis Sponsorship celebrates the increasingly diverse and innovative nature of sponsorship, and I am flattered to be recognised as a part of it.’

The Barrie Gill Award for Most Promising Young Executive, sponsored by the European Sponsorship Association, recognises young executives (27 or under) working within agencies, client companies or rights holders who are making a significant impact within their organisation or sector at large.  The awards seeks to honour excellence, recognise effectiveness of campaigns and in Mark’s case, his nomination is a testament to the hard work, creativity and driving energy that he has contributed to Slingshot Sponsorship as an agency.  We wish him so much luck for the ceremony this Tuesday!

The Art of Brand Storytelling 26th February, 2013

In a recent article, Rebecca Walton, the newly appointed head of brand for UNICEF expressed the need for the charity to develop a central brand narrative.  The reasoning behind such a claim is in sight of two main aims – firstly, to better integrate its marketing and secondly, to boost its appeal to supporters within the UK.

Reading the article triggered an initial thought in my mind, which traced back to a piece I read at the end of last year in Direct Marketing News – which stated 2012 to be ‘the year of the story.’  Indeed, 2012 exemplified the notion that brands and charities alike have to utilise upon their brand narrative, and storytelling in order to deliver their message and increase their level of engagement with the consumer.  In an age where anything is available at the touch of a button – the importance of delivering the right message or story is critical.

Of course, the relationship between the brand and the art of storytelling has been around for years – you only have to look at some of worlds most loved brands and you will know and understand their brand story, take for example, Ben & Jerry’s.  Yet what distinguishes these brands from most others is that their narrative truly engages with the consumer.  Not only do Ben & Jerry’s promote their own story, it seeks to integrate the consumer’s story within it, see for example, their ‘Capture Euphoria’ campaign which encouraged Ben & Jerry’s fans to upload photos of themselves in situations where they felt Euphoric onto Instagram.

Unlike Ben & Jerry’s, UNICEF believes that it has not created enough of a brand narrative through which to engage with the public.  However, Watson expresses, ‘UNICEF is very trusted, it’s very rational and intelligent’ yet she feels that as a charity, it is sometimes overlooked.  UNICEF’s decision to develop its brand narrative highlights so significantly that yes, content is key, but what has developed to become equally as important is how the brand story and its content is delivered.  Walton explains that the internal shift within UNICEF is designed to make its communications and brand marketing ‘more strategic, more integrated and more effective.’  As witnessed throughout the industry, brand narrative can be used as a powerful marketing tool, but if they are not communicated in the right way, the connection between charity/brand and consumer can be tainted and sometimes even disengaged.

What is most fascinating about brand storytelling and engagement is the avenues that can be explored through the development of technology.  Technological innovations in relation to communication channels have seen the development of Pinterest, Tumblr and Instagram to become part of the overall brand narrative.  Such communication tools allow the consumer to engage with the brand whenever and wherever they so wish.  Encouraging the consumer to immerse and engage themselves with the brand’s story – in the hope that the targeted audience will have a life-long affinity to the brand which in UNICEF’s case, should lead to support and donations.

As another element to UNICEF’s new brand strategy, the charity has decided to focus on partnerships and public engagement.  The charity wishes to build on its existing partnerships with the International Cricket Council and will seek to explore additional avenues into sports.  What is becoming ever more apparent is the use of partnerships as a means to target the audiences charities/brands wish to engage with.  Partnerships allow charities/brands to engage in activities which in many cases lead to progress and an expansion of the overall brand narrative.

If we relate back to UNICEF’s two main aims to develop their brand narrative: to integrate its marketing and boost its appeal to UK supporters.  What we are able to learn from this decision is the importance of not only the brand story itself, but the means through which it is communicated.  Technological advancement and the inter-connectivity that has escalated from it, alongside strategic partnerships can help develop and expand a brand’s story into avenues towards audiences that previously may never have been reached.

Michael Jordan: The Original Brand Ambassador! 25th February, 2013

On February 17th 2013 Michael Jordan, one of sport’s great personalities, turned 50. Not only is ‘Mike’ a sports legend but also the face of arguably the most successful brand endorsement deal of all time. Due to the recent headlines involving sports stars such as Oscar Pistorius and Lance Armstrong the value of brand ambassadors is being questioned more than ever (see Mark Mylam’s blog). Michael Jordan’s sponsorship deal with Nike however, proves what kind of positive impact such an agreement can have for both the brand and the celebrity. Let’s recap this incomparable success story:

“The 1984 Olympics was Michael Jordan’s coming out party” describes his agent David Falk. Up until this point Michael Jordan had not even played a single game in the NBA and yet at the time top three major basketball shoe brands Adidas, Converse and Nike were after him. Before his NBA career even started Jordan already knew who he wanted to partner with – Adidas. The German sports brand and Converse were the leading shoe suppliers for the NBA stars in the mid and late 80’s. Michael Jordan himself had never worn any Nike basketball shoes before and was convinced by the quality of Adidas’ products but the first brand that Michael Jordan met with was Converse. During this pitch Jordan mentioned his worries about the endorsement deals that Converse already had in place with superstars like Magic Johnson or Larry Bird and asked: “With all these stars, where do I fit into the conversation?” John O’Neil, the president of Converse, took that question and replied: “We’ll treat you like all our other superstars.” This is obviously not the answer that the upcoming star wanted to hear and the $100,000 per year that Converse offered him could not change his mind either.

The next invitation that Michael Jordan received was from Nike, however he was not interested in what they had to tell him and declined this invitation at first. In the end it was Jordan’s mother who convinced him to at least listen to what Nike had to offer so he took the plane and the rest, as they say, is history. Nike  decided to spend all of its marketing budget on Jordan and offered him a five-year deal worth $500,000 annually plus royalties; five times as much as any other NBA superstar was receiving at the time. It wasn’t only the sound of the money that made Nike suddenly attractive to Jordan: Nike offered Jordan his own signature shoe line. This is the kind of special treatment that Converse didn’t offer Michael and as a result they were out of the running.

However Adidas was still in the race – Jordan’s “favourite shoe”. If Adidas could have matched what Nike put on the table then Michael would have teamed up with the German brand. However Adidas missed out on this opportunity and this mistake became known as one of the worst business decisions in the last 50 years. “They didn’t feel it was worth it,” said Jordan. “Which in hindsight is perfect for me, because it made my decision much easier. And I ended up with Nike, and it became a great relationship.”

The Jordan brand was born (with the jumpman logo appearing in 1987). Since 1984 Nike’s subsidiary coproduced 27 basketball shoes with Michael Jordan. Last year, the U.S. Jordan Brand sneaker business alone had $1.25 billion in wholesale revenue. Although Michael Jordan himself isn’t playing anymore there are still active NBA players (Carmelo Anthony, Blake Griffin, Chris Paul etc.) acting as Air Jordan ambassadors and supporting the brand’s huge success within the basketball industry. Whereas in the mid and late 80’s Converse and adidas were dominating the U.S. basketball shoe market, 30 years later it is the Jordan brand that is controlling 58% of it, followed by its parent company Nike (34%), adidas (5.5%), Reebok (1.6%) and Under Armour (0.6%).

Michael Jordan himself is still earning more than $80 million per year through corporate sponsorship deals and the majority of this income is related to his partnership with Nike. The current details of this deal are a well kept secret but royalties now generate more than $60 million annually for MJ, according to a Forbes article.

You can buy yourself a lot of nice Birthday presents with that amount of money – Congratulations Michael! But also, congratulations Nike!

Slingshot Sponsorship Announced as Exclusive Sponsorship Agency for Children's Charity Rays of Sunshine 22nd February, 2013

Slingshot Sponsorship has been announced as the exclusive sponsorship agency for Rays of Sunshine Children’s Charity’s 10th Anniversary Concert, which will be held at London’s prestigious Royal Albert Hall 6 July 2013.

Set in one of London’s most beautiful and exclusive venues, the Rays of Sunshine Concert promises to be a night of unprecedented music and entertainment.  With past line-ups featuring a host of Britain’s most treasured pop stars ranging from JLS to Pixie Lott, Rays of Sunshine’s Concert is shaping up to be as unique as the children themselves.

Granting its first wish in 2003, Rays of Sunshine Children’s Charity was formed with the aim of granting wishes to children with serious and terminal illnesses.  The charity’s promise is to grant wishes however impossible it may seem.  Ranging from hospital ward wishes, to organising events and outings for large groups, Rays of Sunshine has granted trips to Disney World and even meetings with superstars like Beyonce and One Direction.  What is more, Rays of Sunshine will be celebrating its 3,000 wish in line with its 10th Anniversary.

Jackie Fast, Managing Director of Slingshot Sponsorship stated:

Slingshot is delighted to be working alongside Rays of Sunshine for their annual Concert.  As a charity, Rays of Sunshine changes lives, and it is a privilege for our agency to be working with this highly unique organisation.  We are excited to explore the prospect of delivering partnerships that will enhance this special night for the children.

Rays of Sunshine’s Concert is one of many wonderful events the charity organises throughout the year, to raise money for children at their time of need.  One mother stated after attending the event, “I have never seen Ria like this before, she has so much energy and charisma, I cannot thank Rays of Sunshine enough for granting her the opportunity to attend a once in a lifetime event.”

Jane Sharpe, CEO, Rays of Sunshine commented:

We are proud to be working with Slingshot Sponsorship.  The expertise that Slingshot has crafted around events similar to Rays of Sunshine’s Concert will help us to deliver an event that will stay with these children forever.  The concert has become an integral part of our calendar and we have every confidence that alongside Slingshot, we will deliver the best concert in its history.

Sponsorship opportunities for the Rays of Sunshine Concert are currently available.

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