It’s not just the temperatures that are sweltering right now. There have been plenty of red-hot sponsorship activations all July long that...
Archive: Sponsorship Activation
The latest industry news, interviews, technologies, and resources.
The Top Ways to Make Your Sponsored Events More Interactive
Before you dive in, if you are interested in event sponsorship, check out these titles in our “sponsorship for events” series: Resource...
The Five Stages of Sponsorship Sales
Five stages of sponsorship? But isn’t sponsorship about setting a budget goal, creating a package with three levels (Gold, Silver, Bronze) and then dividing that budget goal across those three levels and e-blasting your stock proposal to every company you can think of? Yes! At least that’s the common practice, anyway. I have spent a lot of time selling sponsorships, reviewing sponsorship proposals on behalf of brands and talking to prospects about their sponsorship goals. Based on this experience I can say with 100% confidence that the above-mentioned approach is the least efficient way to sell sponsorship. What is the best way? Well, truth be told (no matter what anybody tells you) there is no “best” way. That said, I have observed certain stages of the sponsorship sales process that, when followed, bring in more sponsorship dollars, build better relationships with prospects and simplify the sponsorship sales process. Let’s break them down stage by stage and look at ways to implement them into your sponsorship sales program. The Five Stages of Sponsorship Sales Inventory Building and Valuation Why start here? Because your inventory of assets (what you will sell) tells you who you should be talking to. It guides your […]
June 2024’s Most Memorable Sponsorship Activations
Activation season takes off as summer gets into full swing. It’s a great time to get outside and engage new audiences with one’s brand,...
The Hottest Activations from May 2024
Well, boys and girls, festival season is officially upon us, meaning that the sponsorship activations are coming hot and fast. We’re also...
27 Things You Can Do to Bring in More Sponsorship Dollars Right Now (Without a Sponsorship Package)
Our sector has an outright obsession with the sponsorship package! Of course, sponsorship packages have their place and play a role in sponsorship sales, and I’ve written about the subject extensively here. If you find yourself focused on building the perfect sponsorship deck before you start talking to sponsors, you’re in big trouble. Here are 27 things you can do right now to move the needle on your sponsorship program, none of which require you to wait for final approval on your sponsorship deck! Create 5 “out of the box” activation ideas that you know your audience will love and offer them to your current sponsors! Update your valuation calculator to include an ROI calculator Stop thinking “philanthropy” and start thinking about the power of your audience Schedule your first Business Breakfast Start doing the Friday Five this week Create a fulfillment report template for your organization Schedule a follow up meeting after your next event and ask your sponsors for feedback Run an inventory building workshop for your team Make friends before you need them! Go for coffee with your prospects and ask them for nothing at all Conduct a valuation of your assets Make a list of the […]
April 2024’s Awesome Sponsorship Activations
Welcome! If you’re reading this, it’s officially May, which means we’re nearly midway through the year already. The sponsorship...
Sponsorship Activation, It’s Easier Than You Think
After taking the time to dream up assets and then painstakingly valuing and sorting them into properties, you might be feeling creatively spent. That’s not unfair, as valuation is one of the trickiest parts of the sponsorship process. Take some time to recharge your creative batteries, because activation is a must-have component of your sponsorship program. Whether you are in cause, sport, municipality, education, or festival sponsorship, the reality is the same. Sponsorship = activation. Period. Still thinking of sponsorship as putting a logo on a building, wall, invitation, bottle of wine? Then you are missing 90 percent of the sponsorship world. Putting logos on stuff is definitely part of sponsorship, but only a small part, and certainly not the most valuable part, or the most fun. The best way to make your sponsors happy is to make your audience happy. In a nutshell, that’s what sponsorship activation is all about. In this guide, I’ll explain sponsorship activation, share some examples of good and bad activation ideas, and load you up with lots of tips and best practices so your own activations knock it out of the park. After all, your attendees should never have to endure sponsorship. They should […]
Proving Your Value: Measuring Sponsorship Return on Investment
I’ve written a lot about sponsorship valuations lately and, while this is not a post about valuation, sponsorship ROI is a close cousin. Before we get started, make sure you check out these two posts, which will be referenced throughout this article: Case Study: Sponsorship Valuation Best Practices The Essential Guide to Sponsorship Valuation: Learn How to Price Sponsorships Like a Pro The second article is stuffed with great resources, including my valuation checklist and infographic. The first article listed above has a fascinating comment from a sponsor all about the concept of sponsorship return on investment (ROI)…and that’s what we are going to focus on today.