Quick quiz for you? Name three sponsors of Sunday’s SuperBowl.
If you’re like me, one of the only ones you’ll remember is Apple Music.
And if you’d like to get better at your marketing-driven corporate sponsorships (vs. a whole host of other ways you can partner with corporations), check out this rundown by Fast Company.
Actually, study it.
Here are three top takeaways:
Mission alignment.
Apple’s marketing team made the no-brainer $250 million, multi-year sponsorship deal because naming rights to the SuperBowl Apple Music Halftime Show is aligned with its mission. And what better star power do you need than Rihanna.
- Are your sponsors aligned with your mission and marketing reach?
Before, during, after.
Apple Music—and Rihanna, too, for that matter, since apparently halftime performers donate their considerable talent and name to the effort and receive no fee—created activities, promotions, and opportunities to make considerable use of the sponsorship of this 12-minute performance.
These activities leverage their platform and aim to attract new subscribers, renew and engage existing customers, and “woo people.”
And Rihanna collaborated and engaged throughout the process.
- How are you enabling your sponsors to not only “own” a piece of your event or opportunity but also leverage it before, during and afterwards?
Value.
Hands-down, the number one way your sponsors will see a return on investment from their sponsorships is by bringing value to your event, campaign, program, or initiative. Sponsorship is not a passive activity.
Clearly, as you’ll read, Apple brought a lot of value to the SuperBowl, and 118 million people (even more than who watched the game) tuned in.
(Yes, I’m quite sure Rihanna had a little something to do with that, but the power of this collaboration took that viewership to new heights. Or Eagles fans are also Rihanna fans!)
- Are you creating opportunities for your sponsors to bring value to your events? Or are they just sending a check, then checking out?
Take a look at this recap and consider where your sponsorships could benefit from a little star power.
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