Sponsorship Strategist

Time change

I don't know about you, but the Daylight Savings Time change has got me all mixed up. My sleep patterns are off, I feel groggy, and I'm racing to reestablish my circadian rhythm.

Just like our bodies' biological rhythms, sponsorship development has a rhythm, too. Are you in the optimum rhythm? Or do you feel a little off? Here are few signs to help you recognize that you're off-beat.

1. Stressed. You're feeling super-stressed about landing sponsors ASAP because your event is only a couple months away.
2. Conflicted. You really should be tending to other tasks and activities to ensure that you're event is successful, but you know you have to get sponsorship dollars pronto (hence the stress, see #1).
3. Disappointed and under budget. You've actually managed to confirm a few companies' committments, but you're disappointed because they're only agreeing to very low-level participation.

How do you fix it? Make a pledge to begin sponsorship development for the next year of your existing events as soon as you complete this year's. 

Your sponsors' abilities to achieve success, as defined by their metrics and the business results they seek, are contingent on having adequate time to implement. Usually sponsors have numerous internal steps they need to take to align internal departments to execute. Similarly, you need adequate time to sell, develop, and fulfill all aspects of your offerings.

A handy guide

Time needed to:

• Secure new sponsors for an existing event            1 year
• Renew sponsors for an existing event                   9 months 
• Secure sponsors for a new event                          18-24 months
• Launch a new sponsorship program                       1+ years

Do the best you can this year, and work now to adjust your sense of timing for 2014 and beyond.

To Dave Brubeck and legacies

Last week's sad news about Dave Brubeck's passing reminded me of one of the most enduring lessons about sponsorship, events, and audience development, learned through my many years working on music festivals.

George Wein, founder of the Newport Jazz Festival, grew concerned that we were losing so many jazz greats and committed himself to cultivating young jazz artists and audiences so jazz would continue.

He created a second stage and, at the time, producer Art Edelstein programmed an adventurous line-up, beloved by critics and both new and existing festival audiences. Seeing an opportunity for our sponsor, also cultivating a younger audience, I proposed the stage naming rights to Mercedes Benz, and it became the Mercedes Benz Pavilion

We think about audience development in the short term, but what are you doing to cultivate audiences for the long-term? What will the long-term impact of your event or festival be in your industry or genre? Does this present a sponsorship opportunity? 

My condolences to Mr. Brubeck's family, friends, and fans. I invite you to take time to honor his legacy by watching these videos of Newport Jazz performances, collected on YouTube by the Festival staff.  

 

Gail Bower interviewed for Association of National Advertisers' ANA Magazine, Part 1

If you're responsible for sponsorship decision-making and execution for a corporation, check out this two-part Q&A with writer Michael J. McDermott for his article on improving the effectiveness of event sponsorship for ANA Magazine, a publication of the Association of National Advertisers. Be sure to visit on Wednesday for part 2.

 Michael J. McDermott (MJMcD): What are the most important areas marketers need to focus on when considering whether a sports or event sponsorship opportunity is right for them? 

Gail S. Bower (GSB):

1. Is the sponsorship medium appropriate for our strategy? 
2. Will this opportunity advance our strategy, and is it aligned with our priorities? How do we know?
3. Is this opportunity managed by people who will be good partners for us?
4. Do we have enough time, energy, and resources to take full advantage of the opportunity so that we get results?

MJMcD: How important is resource allocation when it comes to executing a successful sports/event sponsorship campaign?

GSB: Very. One of the biggest mistakes I see on the corporate side of sponsorship is when marketers invest in sponsorship (in other words, pay the sponsorship fee) but then fail to take full advantage of it. That’s like buying a TV schedule and not giving the network or station the spot!

Marketers will derive much better results from their sponsorship investments if they really consider these investments as focal points for broader marketing efforts. Weave in advertising, social media, PR, promotion, and as many other business objectives as possible. These objectives may include engaging consumers, entertaining clients, driving traffic to retail outlets, showcasing CSR or diversity initiatives, attracting or retaining talent, rewarding sales teams, building merchant or vendor relationships, and many others.

MJMcD: and why?

To see business and marketing results, to avoid wasting money, to derive full value of the sponsorship medium.

MJMcD: Same question for operational issues?

GSB: Also very important. If a sponsorship opportunity is appropriate and strategically aligned, it will be aligned across many areas of the business – not just the marketing or PR function. The investment will become more cost effective and have a greater impact for the business if it’s woven into the fabric of the operation. This obviously requires time, strategic fit, and an operation that avoids silos. Teams will need to work together to conceptualize and execute.

MJMcD: And for integration with other communication channels?

GSB: If the opportunity is appropriate, it will work on many levels of the organization and will lend itself well to a transmedia approach. Take the time to develop the communications strategy so that the sponsorship opportunity truly becomes a focal point. Sponsor an event at a critical time for sales. Build the advertising schedule around it to drive traffic and get mileage out of the sponsorship tie. Create in-store promotions. Develop PR messages. Engage social media friends and followers. Create an online experience around the opportunity; Saxo Bank’s sponsorship of the Tour de France is a great example.

Also, with consumer trust in corporations still off as we manage our ways out of the recession, corporations have an opportunity to benefit from being a friendly face in the communities in which they become involved. These may be geographic communities, virtual communities, or people linked by common interests, passions, conditions, and goals. Make sure this interaction is genuine, human, real, transparent, and not shallow.

 

Think like a starving artist, and you won't starve

One day last week, I left a meeting with someone who is under a great deal of pressure because of current budget squeezes that impact her nonprofit organization's funding. The physical sensations of stress she described were indelible, and I felt a great deal of empathy as I walked through the City towards my office.

I passed the Merriam Theatre in Philadelphia, and a crowd spilling out onto the sidewalk, hours before showtime, piqued my curiousity. Then I heard drumming. Stomp was in town, and at this very moment, they were conducting a masterclass for high school-aged – and very enthusiastic – kids. 

With nothing more than plastic buckets, wooden sticks, and passion, this drumming circle crackled with energy. If you've ever seen Stomp, you can imagine.

It reminded me of a few things:

• The human spirit is a live wire of creativity, passion, and inspiration. Accessing that energy requires no budget.
• Anyone feeling stressed or pressured can find instant relief through the arts – music, visual art, performance, wonderful writing, beauty in some form. Our own internal creative energies can help us through a challenge.
• Shouldn't arts funding be as critical as human services funding? (Yes, that's rhetorical.)
• We have a mythology about the starving artist. The most creative and artistic people revel in the constraints of their craft. Sure, they spend lots of time fantasizing about what they'd do with piles of money. The best and most innovative push on, transcending the constraints and making the most of their resources.

And that's where you might be inspired. Rather than focus on what you don't have, perhaps you might think more creatively and bigger about what you do have. Perhaps you have more to offer than you might imagine, or can focus your sponsorship effort in a new way that yields bolder results.

Today I received a press release about the Blue Cranes, jazz artists from Portland, OR, about to launch a cross country/East Coast tour by train. They rallied their friends and friends' friends on a Kickstart fundraising effort, raising nearly $7,000 to cover their costs. They also sought a rail sponsor and found a promotional partner in the National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP) which so far has written a blog post about the tour.

Blue Cranes' print publicist Matt Merewitz and the band members developed some great ideas for a rail partner. Blogging along the way. Performances by the quintet at station stops. Mentions to the group's audiences all along the tour. They're all great ideas which hopefully will come to life with a committed partner on the next tour. NARP, for now, is simply a promotional partner, and my hope is that they recognize the value of having an innovative band exemplify NARP's ideals, encouraging people to travel by train, and commit at more appropriate levels in the future. My hunch is that Blue Cranes' fans and audiences share the values of America's railroad passengers but who may not have considered train travel as an option.

"I believe in their mission," alto sax player Reed Wallsmith said about NARP. He looks forward to the collaboration. 

While I wanted to hear reports of a great partnership between the two and cash and/or inkind fees commensurate with the exchange of value, I remain hopeful that that will happen in time. What I am excited about seeing, which is exactly my point, is that the Blue Cranes are making things happen. They set out to accomplish a revenue goal and through lots of ingenuity on their part, they accomplished it. Next time, they'll have stronger ideas and new skills that they can use to secure a substantial sponsor or two. (NARP, you have a great opportunity, so I hope you're thinking big, too!)

If you're struggling with making your fiscal year-end or event budget goals, do what you need to do to shake the anxiety and stress. Shift your energy and reconnect with your own creativity. You need new ideas, fresh thinking, and a way to see your work, your event, your sponsorship offering from a new angle. That's when you'll think big and pursue big partners to leverage big results.

To check out the Blue Cranes and  learn more about their tour, watch their video below or visit their web site for dates near you. Blue Cranes photo credit: Jen Downer

 

Sponsorship Realities: Gail Bower's Predictions for 2011

If you’ve been operating at a frenetic pace, trying to outsmart the economy, you may not have stopped to look around and notice what’s going on in the world around you, the sponsorship world, that is. This special report provides you with five observations I’ve made that absolutely will have an impact on organizations’ abilities to generate revenue through partnerships with the corporate sector. Consider this insider intelligence to help you plan your 2011 sponsorship strategy.

Download Sponsorship Realities 2011

P.S. A day after I wrote the special report, I read this post. To me it's an indicator that my prediction #4 is happening sooner than later.

Announcing: 7 teleseminars for nonprofit and event leaders on corporate sponsorship, marketing communications, event topics

Would you benefit from enhancing your skills and knowledge working with corporate sponsors, conceptualizing and producing events, or communicating more powerfully with key audiences of your organization?

Please join me for BowerPower Programs, a series of 6 teleseminars, plus a bonus session, on corporate sponsorship, event, and marketing communications topics, designed to improve your results in these areas for 2010.

Check out the details of all 6 teleseminars. Be sure to register early, before June 25. You'll automatically be registered for the bonus teleseminar, Jump-Start Your 2010 Sponsorship Strategy, on July 7, which will provide an update on what's changed since I published my book one year ago. At the request of readers, this teleseminar will be part session and part Q&A. As an early registrant, you're guaranteed to have your most pressing question answered. You may register safely by credit card through my web site or download a PDF order form and register using a check. Be sure to reserve by June 25, 2010 to hold your spot FREE in the bonus teleseminar!

What's changed in the last year since the book was published?

IFEA Book Reviewer Calls Gail's Corporate Sponsorship Guidebook a "Must-Read"

IFEA, the leading industry association for festival and event leaders worldwide, released its review by Ira L. Rosen, CFEE, of my guidebook, How to Jump-start Your Sponsorship Strategy in Tough Times, in the latest issue of ie magazine. See below and scroll to page 15 to read why he believes the book's ideas and recommendations are "incredibly valuable."

As a special bonus, if you scroll to page 32 in the magazine, you can also read an article I wrote, entitled 5 Trends in Corporate Sponsorship and What They Mean for You.

Wondering why corporate sponsorship for your nonprofit is confusing?

Even if you can't, you'll have to get used to the new handle. City officials yesterday announced that Wawa Inc. is the new title sponsor of the July Fourth festival, replacing Sunoco Inc., which had been associated with the multi-day event since the mid-1990s.

via www.philly.com

Congratulations to Welcome America! and Wawa on a new partnership for Philadelphia's 4th of July festivities. You can read all about it at this link.

Take particular note of Sunoco's comments. It's not unusual for corporations to take a different approach with their marketing dollars, especially in times of changing market conditions, which the oil industry has definitely encountered in the last 5+ years. Sunoco's current interests make sense, and I look forward to seeing how they invest those funds.

What concerns me is the confusion around "community resources" and marketing dollars. From what I could see, Welcome America! provided Sunoco with considerable marketing exposure, yet Sunoco seems to have considered these dollars "community resources," subject to new philanthropic direction.

I'm wondering about a few questions. Has Sunoco valued the marketing opportunity it has had? Has Sunoco's marketing team really seized the partnership and integrated it fully throughout its business units?

Why does Sunoco feel that sponsoring one of the country's biggest US birthday bashes is mutually exclusive from its new philanthropic interest? After all, Mayor Nutter has made a commitment to being a green city, and the festival touches a broad base of Philadelphians, who contribute to or benefit from enhanced educational and workforce development efforts.

Corporate support of nonprofits should not remain in one corporate silo. Indeed successful corporate sponsorship execution involves integrating and fully leveraging the sponsorship through multiple business units. (A great example of this McDonald's and their ties to the Olympics.)

To nonprofits and corporations: you co-create your partnership. Think big, collaborate, and incorporate multiple strategic interests.

10 ways to get your corporate sponsorship program ready for 2010

As we wrap up the first decade of the new millennium and one of the most challenging years for sellers and buyers of corporate sponsorship, I urge you to spend some time reflecting and really putting this year behind with greater awareness of how you'd like to move forward.

Selling sponsorship – selling anything – during easier economic times is, well, easier. When times are tough, all our shortcomings show up in technicolor. So what did you see about your operation this year? Where do you need new skills? A stronger operation? More ideas? More support? Jot your notes now so that when you return to your office in January, your focus is clear.

Here are 10 suggestions and areas to consider:

1. Be able to articulate your event/festival or nonprofit organization’s value to the corporate sector.
2. Develop an operation; sponsorship is not an ad hoc activity.
3.  Develop a sponsorship strategy.  Wishing for sponsors does not a strategy make.
4. Another plug for strategy: your operation is lean, and you have no time to waste.
5. Clearly articulate your brand.
6. Think in terms of the corporation and its self-interest.
7.  Innovate your way to meeting your mission through sponsorship.
8. Make activation easy for your partners.
9. Be proactive. Make fulfillment easy, too.
10. Express gratitude for the valuable relationships you have with your corporate contacts who support your nonprofit organization's cause or mission and with your organizational peers with whom you collaborate year-round.

When you return to your important work after the holidays, you'll be glad for this gift you'll give yourself.

What I learned at IFEA

Last week I attended the 54th Annual Convention & Expo by International Festival & Events Association (IFEA). I presented a session, based on my book, and participated in a panel on education. I also learned (or was reminded of) a few things:

• Some events had their best years ever in terms of sponsorship sales because of their priority to build great relationships with corporate partners.
• Corporations recognize that community goodwill is more important now than ever. Sponsorship is the perfect way to convey goodwill.
• Sponsorship is a qualitative medium, no matter how much you fight it. You can dump data into a spreadsheet, into a computer database; you can tally impressions all day long. It's still qualitative.
• Event leaders and nonprofit organizations that produce events can take better advantage of partnering with their local colleges and universities. Undergraduate, graduate, continuing education, and executive certificate program students all need internship/externship hours, are eager to learn, and they can help your event. Reach out to them.

Congratulations to all the Pinnacle Award winners, including Temple University's Event Leadership Executive Program, at the School of Tourism & Hospitality Management, on whose faculty I serve, which won a Gold!