Sponsorship marketing

National Dragster, Feb 7, 2003 by Saxton, Ernie

The beginning of the. year is a year is a good time to check in with current sponsors and step up your search for potential supporters. The economy is improving, so it may be time to talk about a new contract with sponsors who are already sharing in your team's success. In addition, this is the time to meet again with potential sponsors who may now be able to take advantage of your offer.

The new year is also a good time to thank your sponsors for their support. A small gesture, such as sending a thankyou card, can go a long way. If you have extra money in your marketing budget, consider taking your sponsors out for dinner or drinks. Taking care of your sponsors will keep them happy and encourage them to tell their business friends about your team. Now is a good time to ask current sponsors (assuming they are satisfied with your contribution to the partnership) to give you a few names of business friends who you can contact regarding new sponsorship.

Sponsorship in sports is one of the best forms of direct-response marketing. If you offer hospitality and entertainment opportunities, your sponsors have a chance to meet their customers in person and in a fun atmosphere. Direct-response marketing is much more effective than mass-media marketing, in which a business is left to talk to a generic audience through a generic medium. Be sure you emphasize this to your sponsors, and if you do not offer hospitality and entertainment opportunities at the events, begin doing it this year.

Most potential sponsors are price-conscious at the beginning of their search for sponsorship deals, but they end up becoming value-conscious once they see what is being offered. Value is the combination of price, quality, and service. The racer's role is to help sponsors understand the value of his or her sponsorshipmarketing package; however, it only works if the racer is offering benefits and values that are better than what is being offered by the competition.

Take advantage of everyday opportunities to meet people. You can make excellent contacts almost anywhere - at the health club or in line at the supermarket. You never know from what seed the next valuable relationship will sprout.

When meeting new people, remember to treat every person with the same respect, even if they don't appear to be in a position to sponsor a race team. I have seen a lot of big names in this sport treat people poorly. It is possible to lose sponsorship as a result of this kind of behavior. Every person you meet may have a friend or relative who is in a position to help you, so when speaking to someone at a meeting or a party, give that person your undivided attention.

From time to time, I try to call people with whom I have lost contact. I go through old names and phone numbers, wondering what happened to old what's his name, then I call up and find out. You may be surprised to find out that your old friend can help you. Take a few minutes each day to make at least one such call and find out what an old friend is doing.

I get a lot of calls from readers who are looking for information that will help them secure a sponsor. I am always glad to help. I offer a variety of tools; however, I am not the only resource available for racers. International Events Group offers a tool called Sponsordex, which provides the names, addresses, and contact numbers of 2,000 target companies and top sponsoring corporations. Included in the package are a proposal template and ready-to-use labels for your next sponsorship-offer mailing. For information, call (800) 834-4850 and tell them that you read about Sponsordex here.

My current special includes a one-year subscription to my monthly newsletter, Motorsports Sponsorship Marketing News; a copy of Andrew Waite's fantastic book, Winning Sponsorship; and a drag racing sponsorship proposal that I created. This package normally would cost close to $300, but if you act now, you can receive the package, a sample direct-mail brochure, and my top 20 sponsorship tips for only $150, which includes postage and handling. Call me at (215) 752-7797 or (215) 752-2392.

Ernie Saxton has been involved in motorsports and motorsports marketing for close to 40 years. He writes a number of columns for a variety of publications and websites and hosts a one-hour weekly radio show. He has announced events at close to 175 different motorsports facilities. Saxton's monthly newsletter, Motorsports Sponsorship Marketing News, features, the latest sponsorship stories and includes tips, leads, ideas, and contacts that will assist readers in their sponsorship-marketing efforts.