Are all these chapters ~32 pages? This sounds normal but feels long for some reason. Maybe it’s just been a stupid hectic week.

Sponsorship: the acquisition of rights to affiliate or directly associate with a product, person, organization, team, league, or event for the purpose of deriving benefits related to that affiliation or association. EXAMPLES:

• The right to use a logo/trademark for advertising
• The right to an exclusive association with the product or service
• The right of entitlement to an event, venue, or facility
• The right to use various designations or phrases in connection with the sport
• The right of service
• The right to use promotional activities
• The rights to the media assets of the sport property

PROMOTIONS/COMMUNICATION MIX:

• Advertising
• Personal selling
• Sales promotions
• Publicity
• Positioning (broader view)

Sponsorship changes with the era (Tobacco used to be a big sport sponsor, not so much anymore). Sponsorship is also a great alternative to radio/TV ads which can get drowned out.

Sponsorship is shown to be effective so the prices are going up. Creating events is a major way to cope with costs going up, by having more control.

What does sponsorship have to offer? Well it’s an investment like any other so it has to pay dividends to be worth it. Reaching target demographics is key. Full layout:

• Increase public awareness of company, product, and/or service
• Alter or reinforce public perception of the company
• Identify the company with particular market segments
• Involve the company in the community or key geographic markets
• Build goodwill among decision makers
• Generate media benefits
• Achieve sales objectives
• Showcase unique product features, technologies or advantages
• Create an advantage over competitors through association or exclusivity
• Gain unique opportunities in hospitality and entertainment
• Secure entitlement or naming-rights visibility

Then there’s a solid 6 pages of details and examples on all of these. I need to go home and not thing. I’ll finish it tomorrow.

OKAY I’M BACK.

SPONSOR ACTIVATION (this somehow sounds like the important part): AKA engagement or experiential marketing

Dow being a sponsor of the Olympics is a good example, because there’s lots of opportunities for Dow materials to be used in Olympic events.

Social media engagement is one of they key forms of activation on the business-to-customer side.

Is it the Number of Impressions Generated or the Impression Created?

To-Do list to prepare for selling sponsorship:

• Make a comprehensive list of all assets in the inventory
• Establish a list price for each item based on the cost per impression
• Conduct research with regard to sponsorship sold in the market and in similar markets
• Establish packaging prices and, if appropriate, discounting for the more inclusive packages
• Remember to determine the real cost of the sponsorship (free tickets you give to radio companies to give away still cost you money)
• Establish sales strategy
• Initiate the eight-step sales process. Sell the best inventory first
• The order in which categories and potential sponsors are presented is critical – large categories first, major national sponsors first, easy closures first. Gain momentum: use the recognition of name sponsors to attract lesser sponsors and leverage those commitments to secure other relationships
  • The wisdom radiates
• Talk to competitors simultaneously to ensure a decision within a comparative period
• Remember that all sponsorship decision makers know each other and often communicate.

EIGHT-STEP SPONSORSHIP PROCESS:

1. Research the category and then conduct research on the top prospects within that category
2. Schedule a meeting with the sponsorship decision maker at the brand within the category that you are targeting. Meet only if the decision maker is present
3. At the first meeting, listen 80% of the time and sell only what you have to
4. Close with a statement that you are going back to determine whether you see a fit and to develop a possible solution that you can present next time. Try for 2 week followup
5. Create a marketing partnership proposal. Practice consultative selling
6. Present the proposal as a draft you will gladly modify to meet the organization’s needs
7. Negotiate the final deal and get a signed agreement. Close the deal when you have the opportunity; ensure that the final deal has agreed-upon deliverables and a timetable
8. Introduce the client to the activation team

Co-op sponsorship: two or more corporate partners or organizations to capitalize jointly on a sponsorship or licensing agreement.

Product placement: most effective in service to a story, can’t be too blatant.

Ethical issues in sponsorship: consider who you’re marketing to and what you’re marketing. Can you afford to be associated with someone who has done bad things? With a company that does bad things? MUST CONSIDER!