Sponsorship Strategist

There's a sponsor for that!

Growing up in my family, the holidays were my favorite time of year. Off from school, the anticipation of Santa, the decorations, tons of presents, usually some new toys, fun with our grandparents and family, getting all dressed up, a special dinner, and then the start of a new year. My understanding of and relationship with the holidays has morphed and evolved over time, but it's still a special time of year for me. One thing that always cast a sad pall over New Year's Day, however, was the dismantling of all the Christmas fun. We took down the tree... Read more →

The Code Words of Breast-Cancer Awareness - NYTimes.com

“Oh, yeah,” she said, vaguely, when questioned about it. “It’s for breast cancer.” via www.nytimes.com If you are involved with a cause or cause marketing campaign, check out Peggy Orenstein's story in today's The New York Times Magazine, linked above, on pink, the slogans and products we see annually in October, and what this means from the perspective of someone who actually experienced breast cancer. I recently had a conversation with a woman who, like Orenstein, had experienced the disease. We talked about pink, ribbons, breast cancer, awareness and sponsorship. She told me that she disliked the annual reminder and... Read more →

Saluting Dunkin' Donuts and the Troops

My friend and colleague Joe Brooks, president & COO of the USO of Pennsylvania & Southern New Jersey, writes in with details of a great partnership his organization has with Dunkin' Donuts. If you're in Philadelphia, tune in to Fox tomorrow morning, Veteran's Day, at 7:15 to see Joe in action. In the meantime, here's what Joe has to say: Today and tomorrow the USO of Pennsylvania & Southern New Jersey (Liberty USO) and Dunkin Donuts (DD) call attention to their “November is USO Month” promotion. With 6 ABC covering the event this morning, DD’s Louis Conte, left, presented [Joe... Read more →

Don't force the fit

A participant on a webinar I presented today asked me an interesting question, and I'm guessing other nonprofit – and corporate – leaders may be wondering about the same thing. The individual wanted my opinion on how to overcome possible negative perceptions or stigma associated with the cause. (Not the organization itself, but the issue that this and hundreds of other organizations worldwide address.) Diverse audiences attend events held across the US and Canada to help raise a lot of money for a cause that affects a lot of lives. Here's what I told this person: Destigmatize. As the sponsorship... Read more →

Pepsi goes social

Socially conscious that is. Did you hear the big news? Pepsi's pulled out of the SuperBowl ad adventures and will turn to social media and social responsibility instead. In January, we'll be able to propose projects that make our worlds better places and vote on them starting in February. Pepsi will fund thousands of these projects, investing $20 million. The article, linked above on ABC News' web site, written by a New York ad agency CEO and the chair of American Association of Advertising Agencies New York Council, is amusing. He calls the Pepsi decision a "risk," and smack in... Read more →

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... Read more →

Thinking pink

If you run a nonprofit organization or cause-as-brand, the celebration of breast cancer pink in October and on Mother's Day is a worthy model to emulate from an audience engagement perspective. Everybody – man, woman, child, and pet – embraces pink and their breast message of choice. Today, walking through a cheering station for the 3 Day Walk in Philadelphia, one person was "saving second base"; another guy proclaimed via his t-shirt that "real men wear pink"; one group waved signs in honor of "mounds of joy"; and this woman went all out with hand prints strategically positioned on her... Read more →

More on Bailouts & Politics & Sponsorship

Earlier this year, politicians, the media, and just about everyone with an opinion, it seemed, publicly flogged Northern Trust Bank for proceeding with the second year of its five-year commitment to PGA Golf because it received TARP funds. According to the bank's CEO, no public dollars funded the sponsorship, and fiscally sound, doing quite well, the bank went forth with a sponsorship program its leadership clearly values. Furthermore, they participated in TARP at the government's request, not because they needed the money. (You can read more about it and the effect this event had on sponsorship in my guidebook How... Read more →