Over the years, I’ve had a steady stream of questions about putting sponsorship out to tender. The questions invariably come from government, and often from a dismayed member of the marketing department, who is having this process thrust upon them by bean-counters. My advice to all of them is the… Read More
Every day, my inbox fills with messages from people who want advice about selling sponsorship. There is nothing wrong with that – I’m happy to hear from you! The issue is that many, if not most, of those sponsorship sales efforts are destined to fail. They are trying to sell… Read More
I see too many one-year proposals. Way too many. Some rightsholders seem to be under the impression that it will be easier for a sponsor to say “yes” to the lower commitment of a one-year deal. In reality, sponsors say “yes” to offers that fit their target markets and brand… Read More
I work with some amazing, committed sponsorship professionals, spanning industries and on both sides of the equation. But as smart and experienced as these professionals are, I’m often surprised at how little they understand about the other side. When collaboration is key to best practice sponsorship, this tunnel vision isn’t… Read More
A while back, I was forwarded a link to a video showcasing how Chelsea Football Club went about replacing their principal partner. The link was accompanied by the message, “I bet this will make you sick.” He wasn’t wrong. I will say that Chelsea FC was successful in gaining a… Read More
“Lower Back Jersey Partner” Those were the only four words on an ad featured in an industry newsletter. This is where we’re going to put your logo, with the added benefit of time travel back to 1993. Ugh. We’re talking about a professional sports team that people LOVE 365 days… Read More
If your company sponsors a major event or professional sporting organisation, there is every chance that they will require you to submit your leverage plan for their approval, well in advance of the event or season. This seems reasonable enough. They are ensuring that sponsors are actually going to do… Read More
“If you can’t explain it to your grandmother, you don’t understand it well enough.” – Albert Einstein I love that quote, and it is so appropriate for our industry. We so often overcomplicate what we do, but in my experience, the people only overcomplicate sponsorship when they don’t really understand… Read More
After almost seven years, over 137,000 views, and a lot of amazing feedback, I’ve fully updated my most popular video tutorial, “Sponsorship Proposal Basics in About 10 Minutes”. The new version, “Sponsorship Proposal Basics in About 15 Minutes” is longer (obviously), and fully up-to-date with best practice advice and strategies.… Read More
There is a “Coke ad” that did the rounds a few years ago Facebook and Twitter. It’s a collaboration between a few people, including mystery artist, Banksy. The language is rude, but if you can handle the f-word, you should stop and take a look at that “ad” now. If this… Read More
Back in 2010, soccer fans were gripped with anticipation over the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Also in that year, Valentine’s Day happened to fall on a match day. Puma seized on that to create a viral campaign that captured both the passion and the imagination of soccer fans.… Read More
Sponsors are becoming more and more strategic in how they make new investments. They’re embarking on strong relationships that are negotiated and leveraged so they benefit the rightsholder and the fans, as well as the sponsor. Mutuality rules the day, as sponsors see that when their partners do better, so… Read More