Building a compelling sponsorship proposal
After finding a suitable sponsor, you’ve got the task of reaching out and establishing a connection. That means putting together a sponsorship of sport proposal that’s configured to account for the specific needs and interests of the brand in question.
Putting a proposal like this together not only helps to determine a sponsor’s suitability but also demonstrates to the company you’re contacting that you have taken the time to understand their brand, audience and business objectives.
What’s made clear is that you’re committed to a mutually beneficial arrangement - boosting the chances of it being accepted. Let’s take a look at some of the most important parts to include when putting yours together.
An introduction and overview
To begin with, a well-structured proposal should start with an introduction and overview of who you are as an athlete or the position of your sports club, team or event in the market. This introduction should highlight the unique aspects of the sports sponsorship benefits on offer, which ideally makes a compelling case for a partnership.
Audience insights
Next, you’ll be laying out the demographics, size and engagement levels that their brand will get to enjoy when partnering with you. Here you’ll be detailing data on factors like income level, gender, age and loyalty of your audience.
Available sponsorship packages
You may be offering a single sponsorship of sport package or a range of options to the brand in question. If it’s the latter, clearly define what each one includes. The options provided could include prominent logo placement, media exposure or perhaps even naming rights.
Benefits and ROI
There aren’t many things as important to any brand as its ultimate return on investment (ROI), which is why it’s imperative to include it in your proposal. Without it, they might come back to you with “What’s in it for us?”, and it’s wise to show how you’ll enhance the sponsor’s reach, customer engagement and brand visibility. If you have them, use successful sports sponsorship examples you’ve been involved with previously.
How you’ll track results
After you’ve covered every detail of your approach, be sure to discuss how the metrics of the sponsorship arrangement will be tracked and reported. For instance, this might include data like social media engagement and event attendee feedback and ensure that your sponsors get to see tangible results for their investment. It’s great for building the kind of trust that might lead to a long-term relationship.
A well-crafted proposal can make a real difference no matter the professional sphere. The MCI team put together an impactful sponsorship proposal for the 2022 International Conference on Emergency Medicine (ICEM). Consequently, significant funds and exhibition contributions were secured, meaning that the event was a resounding success.
Building and nurturing relationships with sponsors
If you want to enjoy long and fruitful sponsorship of sport partnerships, it requires a great deal of work to grow those relationships. An effective way to get relationships off to a good start is to regularly attend sports expos, industry events and sponsorship meetings. Playing an active part will pay dividends in the long run.
Maintaining these relationships requires consistent communication through which you’ll be continuously updating sponsors on progress. This serves as a reminder that their involvement is having an impact, and personal touches like thank-you notes or inviting sponsors to exclusive events can also make them feel more valued and appreciated.
Exceeding sponsor expectations
Another surefire way of solidifying relationships in sponsorship of sport is to provide so much value that you exceed their initial expectations. By delivering more than was originally promised through additional branding opportunities, and media coverage that highlights their services or products, you’ll reinforce their belief that your partnership was a good move.
Need help meeting your sponsorship goals? Leverage our expertise today
When you find the right brand partner the achievable results in sponsorship of sport partnerships can be extremely lucrative - and for both sides. However, in such a competitive sphere, there are only so many sponsors to go around, meaning that the proposal you create has to hit the mark in all the right areas. Finding the right blend requires time and expertise, which is why many athletes, clubs and event organisers turn to the experts.
At MCI, our team has many years of experience in securing sponsorship and contributions through a tailored, data-driven approach. This places us perfectly to connect you to the right sponsors and help you enjoy long and rewarding relationships. If you’d like to find out more about us and how we can assist you, take a look at our comprehensive range of engagement services that cater to a diverse range of needs.
Alternatively, if you'd prefer to start a dialogue with our experts about your specific requirements, just fill out our contact form and we’ll show you from the first moment to the last that reaching out to us was a great move.
MCI Content Team
