The importance of sports sponsorships
What is sports sponsorship? It sounds like an easily answered question, however, its effects can be profound. When it comes to the economic viability of sports events, clubs and athletes it can provide vital funding to provide equipment, training facilities, travel and more. It would be accurate to say that it can be fundamental to the entire sporting enterprise.
Without the financial support of sponsors, many sports teams, athletes and events - particularly at the lower echelons - would struggle to operate at a professional level.
Visibility and marketing opportunities
Another reason that sponsorship of sport is one of the fastest-growing promotional activities for modern companies is the unparalleled visibility and opportunities for marketing it offers. Being associated with popular sports events allows brands to tap into the broad reach and emotional connections that sports have with their audiences.
The relationships between athletes and sports sponsors are mutually beneficial, as brands involved enjoy precious exposure while you as teams, clubs, and sportsmen and women get the financial support you need to thrive. This is a win-win dynamic that strengthens the entire sports ecosystem.
Identifying and understanding potential sponsors
So, how do you start attracting the right brands interested in sponsorship of sport and you in particular? Well, it starts with carrying out thorough market research. When looking for potential suitors, you need to be watching out for those whose values and target audience align with you and your sport in general.
It’s about pinpointing brands that are a natural fit and your research can begin by looking at past sponsorship partnerships companies have had with sporting entities. That’s followed by checking out their market position to cement the link and ensure you’ll work well together.
Other important elements that will influence suitability include:
- Consider the financial health of any potential sponsor as they’re more likely to honour long-term commitments and provide consistent support.
- Think about the public perception of the sponsor. A positive reputation can enhance the image of the athlete or event, while a controversial sponsor could lead to unwanted negative publicity.
- Look at how the sponsor’s plans to activate the sponsorship. Effective strategies can increase visibility and engagement, benefiting both parties.
- It’s important to understand what the sponsor hopes to achieve by partnering with you, whether that’s increased sales, community engagement and brand awareness.
- Assess the potential for a long-term relationship as they can lead to deeper partnerships and more significant investments.
- Also think about the sponsor’s reach, particularly if you’re organising events or managing sports teams with a regional, national or global presence. It’s important that your reach and that of the sponsor are aligned.
Suitability with regards to sponsorship of sport is very subjective, however, by evaluating all of the different aspects of potential brands, you’ll ensure that you get the right fit.
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
