Tag: Sponsorship

Evolve With Social Or It Will Pass You By 12th July, 2017

Social is soaring and it doesn’t look set to slow down anytime soon. The majority of online users are moving away from computers in favour of smartphones. Figures released by OFCOM show 66% of the UK own a smartphone, as do 90% of 16-24 year olds. It’s the latter group that makes brand sponsorship on social platforms very profitable to those targeting their content at millennials. Social media sponsored content is fast becoming the best way to reach out and inform a digital generation.

Brands generally prefer the method of sponsored content as it differs from usual native advertising and its purpose is to inform and not necessarily convince its audience, keeping the brand message much more authentic.

A case study posted on the Instagram website claims that sponsored posts results in 2.8x higher ad recall than other online advertising. The soft nature of the posts and the tailored way in which Instagram integrates the posts are the likely reasons for the higher re-call rate. The company has also moved to close the gap between celebrity endorsements and sponsored posts by placing them under one umbrella. Snapchat has also introduced it’s sponsored filters campaign, where brands can sponsor a filter for a specific amount of time. With 150 million users daily it makes for a very lucrative opportunity.

Facebook has gone a slightly different way and created a unique sponsorship system, which is now in high demand. The company allows brands to sponsor user activity instead of posts. Partner’s simply pay to highlight an action that users have already taken on the social network or within a Facebook-connected app.

Social platforms have created great ways for brands to capitalise through sponsored content and thus far, audiences have been receptive to this influencing method due to sponsorship’s credibility to not be so intrusive. With social media continuously evolving and creating new opportunities for brands, rights holders must ensure that they are constantly up to date with changes so that they too can offer relevant opportunities for brands. It is not enough anymore to offer Facebook or Twitter posts as part of a sponsorship package. Rights holders need to understand how brands will want to use social platforms to ensure maximum cut through.

Creative in Context of Commercial 3rd July, 2017

It’s that Cannes time of the year. A time where the focus is on excellent creative – what makes it, how to harness it, and who is doing it best. I am a huge fan of good creative. As I’m not particularly creative myself, great concepts executed phenomenally really drives inspiration. And who doesn’t want to be inspired?

Creative used to drive commercial. The best creative television ad had the capability to harness the purchase power of millions, dropping credit cards like flies for the latest milk chocolate or iPhone. However, as more channels are developed, more creators are surfacing and it’s now harder than ever to guarantee that great creative will drive the bottom line. With exceptional creative, this still exist (and perhaps stands out more than ever), but on the whole – it’s harder to get your ad to stand out.

And so the value of understanding commercial in view of the creative increases.

Commercial in the creative industries can be viewed in two ways:

Creating ads that are more effective
Reducing the spend on ads through other channels

Efficiency

Being more effective can be done in many ways now that brands have the capability to take more risks. Creative is no longer confined to pre-planned, locked-in billboard and television ads, creative now can be tested in real time with smaller markets producing immediate feedback. Furthermore, planners can now be more creative on how that spend is made. Efficiency can also be found through sponsorship. Purchasing assets that can have multi-purpose uses throughout the business; tickets for hospitality, brand ambassadors for influencer marketing, rights for reach. The value to broadening the historical isolated view of marketing and sales departments can produce even greater results than exceptional creative alone.

Multi-channel

Ads no longer work like they used to. And for that matter, the logo in sponsorship drives zero value. And yet, sponsorship is on the rise. The reason being is that sponsorship provides multi-channel marketing that is wrapped up to make it financially less risky than ‘putting all your eggs in one basket’. The cost to repurpose creative across these channels makes it easier to become more effective, whilst also saving money. Understanding how to leverage a sponsorship proposal’s multi-channel assets is incredible vital to the success of the sponsorship campaign – and yet most don’t even go into detail to what channels they are purchasing and how they can be used until after the deal is done.

By viewing creative in context of commercial at the outset, you can ensure that even so-so creative has the power to drive the bottom line. And whilst I wouldn’t want to champion average work, it is important to view this in light of the ever growing marketing industry shifting faster than most of us can truly keep up with.

How to Master the Art of Brand Activation in Sponsorship 26th June, 2018

Creative brand activation is crucial to captivate an audience and create long-lasting, memorable experiences. Here, we reveal the future direction of brand activation in sponsorship and provide a case study of a perfect execution of this by Vitaminwater at the WayHome Music & Arts Festival.

Sponsorship has rapidly moved away from being just about planting a logo somewhere visible for crowds to walk past and occasionally acknowledge. The now and future lies very much in brand activation and consumer engagement.

Executing this new method of brand activation effectively benefits both sponsors and rights-holders. By tapping into audiences’ personal journeys, you ensure that an emotional connection can be created, with memorable experiences – in turn creating a strong loyalty to the brand.

This rise in creativity and innovative ideas provides a platform for brand associations with popular public passions, such as music festivals and sport events. Areas such as these capture fans in a positive environment, producing golden opportunities for sponsors to develop deep personal connections with audiences.

Simple as the theory may sound, there is a definite art to cultivating creative ideas from inception right through to effective delivery. And it’s something, for example, Vitaminwater achieved in style at the WayHome Music and Arts Festival.

Case Study: Vitaminwater and WayHome Music and Arts Festival

Vitaminwater’s Hydration Station at the WayHome Music and Arts Festival is a fantastic example of how brand activation in sponsorship can be achieved extremely effectively.

Amid the sweltering Canadian summer heat, Vitaminwater’s idea of creating a “human car wash” proved enormously popular. Festival goers immersed themselves in cool mists at their branded area and – coupled with bottled drink handouts – instantly felt refreshed and rehydrated. These feelings link directly to the core values of Vitaminwater’s brand.

Furthermore, guests had the opportunity to have their photograph taken at the Hydration Station with their festival wristband. These pictures were sent directly to their email address for ease of sharing on social media and, with little extra effort, Vitaminwater and WayHome were soon being promoted across guests’ newsfeeds with native, shareable content.

Unsurprisingly, Vitaminwater’s Hydration Station proved to be a hugely popular addition to the festival. It was unique, playful, served a valuable purpose and ensured guests genuinely engaged with the product, adding a new dimension to their experience at the event.

Key takeaways

Creating ways in which audiences can be actively involved with a product experience will generate a strong, long-term emotional connection to the brand.

Consider it objectively: fresh, innovative ideas drive the commercial world – and it’s no different with brand activation in sponsorship. Doing this creatively entices consumers in to discover more and you will be able to connect with them on a deeper, personal level.

The Cateran Yomp – ABF The Soldiers’ Charity’s ultimate challenge! 13th June, 2017

Slingshot has been selected by the Army’s national charity to provide valuation and long-term commercial direction for The Cateran Yomp.

Entering its 7^th year, The Cateran Yomp is an epic trek where teams of 3-6 people take on 54 miles in 24 hours across the rugged terrain of the Scottish wilderness, pushing both mind and body to the limit. The Yomp brings together unsung heroes from the UK and overseas, with participants ranging from elite athletes to first timers, the young and the old in a unique environment fostering terrific camaraderie.

The event has raised over £2.4m and has been sponsored by the likes of Sainsburys, Alliance Trust, HSBC, Thomson Reuters, PWC and notable others since its inception in 2011.

Bernie Critchley, Events Manager – Bespoke Events & Sponsorship states:

“It was really useful getting Slingshot Sponsorship to do a valuation on the Cateran Yomp, and give us advice on sponsorship packages, so we knew that we were pitching it at the right level. The proposal that they designed for us was excellent, and was perfect to send to our prospects. The team were very friendly, professional and easy to work with throughout the whole process.”

Sam Howell, Head of New Business, Slingshot Sponsorship said:

“We’re delighted to provide sponsorship support to such an inspiring charity and a team of passionate individuals to help them make the most of the commercial potential of The Cateran Yomp”

The Cateran Yomp takes place this weekend, 10 -11 June 2017.

The Extreme Tech Challenge Series Presents: Zoom – Main Communications Partner 1st June, 2017

Extreme Tech Challenge (XTC) is proud to announce the return of Zoom Video Communications, Inc. to the 2018 XTC Sponsorship Series. Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise video communications, with a secure, easy platform for video and audio conferencing, messaging, and webinars across mobile, desktop, and room systems. Zoom Rooms is their original software-based conference room solution used around the world in conference, huddle, and training rooms, as well as executive offices and classrooms. Zoom is proud to be the official sponsor and judge of the Productivity Vertical for XTC 2018.

XTC 2018 marks the fourth year of this exciting and innovating competition that brings together the world’s brightest entrepreneurial minds to compete for the chance to pitch their budding business ventures to an all-star panel of judges on Sir Richard Branson’s Necker Island. Zoom will be returning for it’s second year as an invaluable member to the team of global sponsors who will be on hand to guide and support this year’s applicants as they compete in the Tech Challenge of their lives.

“Zoom is proud to be a second-time partner of XTC. We had a great experience sponsoring the Productivity vertical last year, and we’re excited to support this group of world-changing entrepreneurs again. Zoom helps teams be more productive with high quality video meetings and powerful collaboration tools, and it’s a pleasure to support other productivity innovations by promising startups.”
– Eric S. Yuan, Founder & CEO, Zoom Video Communications

As part of their sponsorship, Zoom will offer free accounts to lauded competitors in the contest, with Head of Marketing Janine Pelosi representing Zoom as an XTC 2018 judge for the Productivity Vertical. First place in the Productivity category will receive five free Zoom Pro accounts for one year, while second through fifth place will each earn one free Zoom Pro account for one year. Additionally, the overall Top 10 Semi-Finalists moving onto CES this January 2018 will each get one free Zoom Pro account for one year.

The Final Champion of XTC 2017 will be awarded with the most sought after prize from Zoom—ten free Business accounts for one year. Over 600,000 companies trust Zoom and 94% of their IT organizations recommend Zoom to colleagues, a testament to the high caliber of Zoom’s sponsorship of XTC 2018.

Sponsorship opportunities are still available – contact Slingshot Sponsorship should you wish to discuss the potential of inclusion.

The Extreme Tech Challenge 2018 launches with style in Oslo 30th March, 2017

After a hugely successful XTC 2017 competition, which included some amazing sponsors, XTC 2018 has officially launched with a bang in Oslo.

The world’s largest technology start up competition, backed by Sir Richard Branson, hosted an intimate launch at SALT, Oslo with multiple budding start-ups, accelerators, athletes and the XTC team. Not only will this year be bigger and better than ever, there is also a new look website, new brand and, of course, new start-ups ensuring the best of the best can achieve greatness with their game changing ideas.

After a grand opening from XTC’s CEO Bill Tai, we were treated to some insight in to the success behind some of the world’s greatest technology companies, a look in to the future and how to keep ahead of the game. Here is what I learned from the best:

The 3 P’s of successful start-ups

Paul Herz (Apple and Facebook) gave the start-ups in the room invaluable tips on ensuring scalability and success. The three key areas are platform, partners and processes. Apple for example has iTunes as its main platform which is simple, easy to use and designed for the consumer. They have over 70 partners that produce different parts of their products better and cheaper than they could, which ensures the product quality and profit margins remain high. Finally, Apple’s processes are simple, streamlined and set to ensure everything is delivered on time. All start-ups should emulate this simplicity, over complicating everything and getting expensive partners on board wont attract VC’s or investors and will erode the profit margins.

Arnold Schwarzenegger might have got it right

Isabelle Ringnes, tech-evangelist, took us all through the exciting, and slightly daunting future of tech. It was incredibly interesting to hear about the realistic possibilities to connect our brains directly with devices and robots that have been designed to emulate feelings and facial expressions. Now, I’m not against robots or AI for that matter, but as long as there are restrictions in place to stop Arnie popping back and the Terminator films coming true!

Sport and start-ups are one and the same

To top it all off, legendary Olympic Nordic Skiier (and tech enthusiast) Axel Lund Svindal explained the need to overcome adversity, not just in sport, but in the similar competitive landscape of the start-up world. There are many attributes that cross-over between sport and start-ups; determination to succeed, competitiveness, hard-work and professionalism to name a few. Axel talked us through his incredible career and the mind-set in takes to be the best, some amazing advice for budding global disruptors.

In fine XTC form, it was all finished with a party integrating round table tech discussion. With XTC applications for 2018 now open, it is the perfect time for sponsors to integrate in to this exciting and growing industry with the next global organisations. Get in touch to find out more – [email protected] or 020 7226 5052.

Teamwork Won’t Make The Dream Work 1st March, 2017

The next innovation in football sponsorship has arrived – more advertising space. Shirt sleeve sponsors will likely be on show from the start of the 2017/18 season and some reports have suggested that this space is valued at 20% of that of a main kit sponsor. Think of that what you will, but what is actually interesting about this revelation is the news that an agency has brokered an aggregated deal with up to ten Premier League clubs to sell this space to a single sponsor.

In a sport that generally divides, it appears a selection of Premier League clubs have decided to unite for a potential quick-fire commercial gain. This wouldn’t be the first time that one brand has been associated with multiple Premier League clubs, with brands such as Mansion.com, Dafabet, Europcar and bet365 currently spreading their allegiance, but a deal with ten clubs teaming up to take a share of the spoils would be a first.

In the EFL Championship earlier this year, 888sport launched an interesting partnership as the first main sponsor to simultaneously sponsor four teams (Birmingham City, Brentford, Nottingham Forest and Preston North End), which saw the company roll out a series of activities as part of the 888sport ‘Fans First Campaign’.

To add to this, Sure recently signed a multi-club sponsorship deal and became official partners with Premier League clubs Chelsea, Everton and Southampton, brokering an official ambassador from each team separately.

The difference with these two examples is that on each occasion the brand would have strategically selected their partners based on a multitude of commercial reasons, whereas the potential Premier League shirt sleeve deal with such a variety of clubs will arguably be far less strategic and unsustainable.

The type of brand to take up such an offer likely won’t be interested in the success of the teams’ performance or driving engagement with fans, but will simply look to capitalise on the Premier League media machine to significantly improve its brand awareness.

Whether a deal can be struck or not, only time will tell, but the real winners here will be the Premier League clubs who decide to commit their shirt sleeve sponsorship efforts into pursuing a long term strategic partnership with a brand.

When should I think about Sponsorship for an Event? 3 Ways to Maximise your chance of Securing Event Sponsors 29th May, 2018

It is the stamp of a successful event to be able to successfully attract sponsorship from brands, therefore enabling it to grow and fulfill its maximum potential.

It’s therefore unsurprising that the question most often asked by organisers is when best to approach potential sponsors for their event.

Many organisers regularly fall into the trap of leaving it too late for brand involvement and miss a golden opportunity to subsidise and support their event, as well as dramatically increasing exposure to appropriate audiences.

The Slingshot Sponsorship team are on a mission to ensure this doesn’t happen to you. So here are our top three tips to maximising your chance of securing sponsors when organising an event…

1) Think sponsorship from the start

A successful sponsorship involves ways in which a brand can be interwoven throughout all aspects of the event – so engage sponsors through the entire process.

From initial communications and marketing, right through to ticket sales and the event itself, all stages are valuable assets that sponsors can utilise and you can monetise. Through connecting with sponsors in the planning stage you can create your event with bespoke brand opportunities for each sponsor, and activate them properly, given that you have the time to do so.

Bringing on a new sponsor late in the game can often seem rushed and doesn’t leave a sponsor feeling like they got the most out of their investment.

Key takeaway: The sooner you sign a sponsor, the more they can integrate with your event – and the more they will pay for it.

2) Don’t just approach any brand you can think of

When approaching sponsors for your event, it’s vital to stop and think. Why this particular brand? Can they add value to my event? Can they provide relevant products? Even more importantly, what can I offer them that they can’t get anywhere else?

You must be able to justify why your event will benefit their brand because at the end of the day, sponsorship is not charity – it’s a partnership. So don’t just approach any brand you may have contacts with.

The key is to approach brands that will resonate with your event’s audience, as corporate sponsorship is essentially a form of advertising for the brand. So you need to be able to show how the brand can not only reap the benefits at the point of sale, but also throughout the event lifecycle and beyond. This will help ensure they renew and upgrade on investment, continuing their support for years to come as you grow your event.

Key takeaway: Focusing on the most relevant sponsorship brands to your audience is vital in ensuring a successful partnership throughout the entire event experience and beyond.

3) Don’t pull a price out of thin air

One of the most common mistakes organisers make when approaching sponsors is simply not valuing their assets properly.

Knowing the true value of what you are offering a sponsor is crucial because no brand will pay for something they don’t believe they will get a return on. This is doubly important once you recognise that the brands you approach see sponsorship proposals every day and they’ll be able to tell if your offering is worth the investment you are asking for.

It’s important to think practically and logically when it comes to event sponsorship. For example, if you need £100,000 for your event but you only have £25,000 worth of sponsor assets, you wouldn’t just suddenly charge them £100,000. Instead, you could find another three sponsors willing to pay another £25,000, thus spreading out value to cover the event’s costs. Think about it: would you pay four times the price of anything for the sake of it? Of course you wouldn’t – so you shouldn’t expect your sponsor to do so either!

Key takeaway: It’s a common mistake to scare sponsors away by overcharging them to cover costs. Instead, work to spread out sponsorship values evenly to cover costs.

We hope these three tips ensure you never let an event sponsorship opportunity pass you by in future. It always helps to put yourself in the brand’s shoes and make sure you feel as if they’re being offered strong, relevant exposure to a suitable audience throughout an event’s lifecycle at a price that’s honest and provides real value. This is the secret to maximising your chance of securing sponsors for your event.

Interested in learning more about how to get the most success in sponsorship? Follow our social media accounts for regular updates:

Slingshot Sponsorship – Facebook

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Slingshot Sponsorship – LinkedIn

Slingshot Sponsorship Wins European Sponsorship Association Rights Holder Award 2016 10th February, 2017

Slingshot Sponsorship has won the Rights Holder Award for the second consecutive year, at the 2016 European Sponsorship Awards for their work with Snowboxx Music Festival. The category celebrates the rights holder that has gone out of their way to support sponsoring brands, offering innovative solutions and opportunities.

With Snowboxx confirming the relocation of the festival to a substantially larger site in 2016, Slingshot were appointed to complete a strategic analysis of the property in order to utilise sponsorship (both funds and contra) to ensure an effective and profitable transition.

Since the launch of the event in 2012, the event had only ever secured 1 sponsorship from a brand. Within 3 months, Slingshot and the Snowboxx managed to secure crucial additional revenue and support from 3 global brand partnerships with Coors Light, Rockstar Energy Drink & Jungfrau, which ultimately contributed towards a sold out festival and through integrating bespoke brand activity the festival experience was enormously enhanced.

Slingshot approached Coors Light with an integrated proposition to support the brand message of #DammeCold and the positioning as the ultimate in ice cold refreshment. Coors Light signed as the ‘Official Beer Partner’ of Snowboxx Festival 2016. Utilising the natural synergies through the shared passions of music and the cold nature of the event Coors Light developed a sponsorship campaign focused on digitally amplifying onsite content & activity to the wider UK audience.

Slingshot also brokered the partnership between Snowboxx and Rockstar Energy Drink the ‘Official Energy Drink’ for Snowboxx Festival 2016. Rockstar Energy Drink has always had a close connection with music and winter action sports and as such the partnership was a natural fit. Rockstar Energy Drink were granted use of use of a range of Snowboxx imagery and assets as well as the support of VIP competitions to offer attendees the opportunity to experience Snowboxx 2016 as a true Rockstar.

Jackie Fast, MD of Slingshot Sponsorship was absolutely thrilled to win the award, commenting:

“Absolutely delighted to win this prestigious ESA award for the second year in a row, thank you to ESA for supporting the work that Slingshot does with rights holders. We are so happy to have helped Snowboxx enhance their event and look forward to seeing this event continue to flourish in years to come.”

The winners of the European Sponsorship Association Awards were announced at the awards ceremony in London on Thursday, 9th February 2017.

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Slingshot Sponsorship is an innovative strategic sponsorship agency based in Central London with offices around the world. Slingshot works across all industry sectors to help organisations identify, create and optimise assets so they become engaging marketing opportunities for brands to partner with. Clients include diverse verticals such as publishing, events, music artist rights, award programmes, music festivals, and charities – all with a desire of pushing the boundaries in traditional sponsorship.

For comments and information, please contact Kieran Morris:

Telephone: +44 (0)207 226 7839

Email: [email protected]

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