Sponsorship Strategist

Remember jumping jacks?

About 7:30 this morning, I was on my balcony, sipping coffee, and reading my old-fashion newspaper. I happened to glance around, scanning the view, and noticed a guy in navy blue sweatpants tucking in a white polo shirt while standing in the middle of the parking lot of a long-abandoned but available for rent convenience store. I watched him for a second, curious about what he was doing. And suddenly, once he was all tucked in, he started doing jumping jacks, followed by a brisk walk around the parking lot, in a big loop. I returned to my newspaper, convinced... Read more →

Corporate Sponsorship is Not Dead

If you were in Philadelphia today and needed an inspirational experience to revive your sponsorship selling efforts or to inject some creativity into your own corporate program, the Arts & Business Council's annual luncheon and awards presentation was the place to be. Story after story about the super heros who make the business of the arts an art form inspired everyone. (It was also a fine example of elegant corporate sponsorship integration and activation.) And for those of you disheartened by media reports about the state of our economy and what it means for sponsorship, take heart. Sponsorship is not... Read more →

Over the Top

One metric properties and corporate sponsors must monitor for sponsorship efficacy is oversaturation. Though thrilled for their success, I've long believed the adoption of breast cancer organizations' pink ribbons by what seems like every business in their communities had reached that point. Today was the annual Mother's Day Race for the Cure. When I woke up and saw pink sky, I knew things had gone too far. Read more →

Become a Sponsorship Strategist

Welcome to Sponsorship Strategist, Gail Bower's blog designed to support your efforts to conceptualize, develop, sell or buy, negotiate, execute, and evaluate your sponsorship program through a more strategic lens. The corporate sponsorship industry has become increasingly sophisticated since my first forays in the mid-1980s with both buying and selling sponsorship opportunities. And though the tools and techniques have evolved, some things haven't changed at all: the sense of creativity, the power of the medium, and the effectiveness in engaging new and existing audiences. As more nonprofit organizations, events, festivals, sports entities, and even individuals attempt to garner corporate sponsorship... Read more →