Sponsorship Strategist

Virtual invitation: Watch the Opening Ceremony with me

I have a little secret: I LOVE the Olympics Opening Ceremony. The spectacle. The culture. The ceremony. The athletes' anxiety. The celebration. Checking out the sponsor tie-ins. All of it. As you know, this Friday, February 12, is the Opening Ceremony for the Vancouver Winter Olympics. It also happens to be my birthday. And how will I spend it? You guessed it. Smack dab in front of my television watching the pomp and circumstance unfold. Why am I telling you this? Because if you're watching it, too, I invite you to join me virtually. I plan to post observations about... Read more →

100 Things to Watch in 2010 (and the 40 That Might Matter to Your Business)

Certain trends on the list suggest clear implications for businesses. JWT’s Ann Mack says that many items on it reflect broader shifts, like a growing action around health and wellness and environmental issues, to crazy-fast developments in the tech space. via www.openforum.com This is a great time of year to review trend lists to get a head start on your sponsorship plans for the new year. Check out this one. See any ideas for industries or companies that could benefit from your organization or event's sponsorship program to build their business. Happy New Year! 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 →

Yo, Philly: Supercharge your sales

If you need a back-to-business break from all the holiday fun next week, join Lyn Kremer, publisher of the Philadelphia Business Journal, and me on Thursday, December 17, for a dynamic breakfast event: Supercharge Your Sales: Jump-start Your Nonprofit's Sponsorship Strategy. Why you should attend: Lyn will share with you recommendations on how to make reading the Philadelphia Business Journal a richer experience that truly will supercharge your business development efforts. I will share ideas about ways you can improve your relationships with existing sponsors, find new ones, and enhance your sponsorship program and operation to improve your sponsorship results... Read more →

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... Read more →

Short-attention span culture

I just overheard a 30-something guy say that he prefers a seafood gumbo over a steak. Why? Because by the end he realizes, "the last 24 bites tasted just the same." Maybe he has an adventuresome culinary spirit. On the other hand, maybe he has a short attention span. Electronic media has altered the way we consume information. Watch a movie trailer and count the number of cuts. Then, rent a film by Orson Wells or Alfred Hitchcock, masters of long uninterrupted takes. How are your events, conferences, meetings, festivals, and sponsorship programs adapting to this change? How are your... Read more →

Another case for sponsorship and integration

Finally some positive news coverage about the value of corporate sponsorship! Check out this story about the Virgin FreeFest and the ways that sponsors contributed to the event in positive, appropriate, and resonant ways for concert goers. It's also a great example of how important live events and festivals are, bringing communities together and uplifting them. What stands out for you in this story? 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 →

When Sponsorships End

Yesterday the Associated Press reported that Buick, a General Motors brand, ended its 50-year sponsorship of PGA Tour golf events because of its restructuring out of bankruptcy. While certainly this will be a blow to PGA, at least temporarily until new sponsors are acquired, it's also a tremendous blow to Buick. We don't always think about the loss from the corporate perspective, and we should. Corporations develop equity in the events they sponsor, and this equity serves an important role in the brand's overall marketing function. How are you and your sponsors developing equity in your events? Read more →

Marketing Collaborations around Sponsorship: Think Big

I've noticed two examples of corporations and the properties they've sponsored partnering in big ways on custom web sites around the sponsorship opportunities. Is this the start of a trend? What I like about these examples is that the partners are thinking big, integrating their brands, and creating something of high value to customers – something that wouldn't exist separately and that truly honors the partnership. European trading and investment bank, Saxo Bank, sponsored a team that competes in Tour de France. Saxo Bank – Taking the Lead is the behind-the-scenes look – literally, using video – at the race,... Read more →