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.

Collaboration – it’s everywhere 10th August, 2010

A new wave of marketing seems to be emerging everywhere. Collaboration, synergy, sponsorship, integration, partnership, engagement, and branded content are terms heard on a daily basis. You could even argue that the UK government is joining this shift in marketing by uniting two different parties to reach one goal – although that might be a little bit harder to argue.

It seems obvious that this shift has been made so apparent because of the recession – brands and marketing teams are now forced to find new ways of obtaining the same results with half the budget and half the resource. Partnerships have proven to be the perfect solution. By partnering with engagement at the core, brands are able to achieve more than what they could have achieved alone.

The most interesting thing about this shift is not the shift itself, but the outcome, which will ensure this shift will continue well after we are in recovery. An outcome which has seen a more engaged audience, more innovative marketing campaigns, and strategic partnerships across all sectors and channels.

This outcome has been so influential that ITV now have a Content Partnerships department, independent films are signing sponsorship agencies to generate funding, and multi-national agencies are starting specialised sponsorship divisions to grab some of the market share. Professional associations, product launches, independent films, and band tours are now realising how beneficial these types of sponsorships are. Sponsorship funding is a multi-billion pound industry in the UK and everyone wants to get a piece of that pie.

But the best part about shifting sponsorship insight into the mainstream is the value – done well, these partnerships add value to all parties involved. The rights owner receives additional sponsorship funding, the sponsor receives a receptive targeted audience, and the audience receives added value through more engagement with the event. In a win-win-win situation, I anticipate sponsorship and collaboration in all forms to continue to grow well into the future.