Sponorship Part 3: Go After the BIG FISH!

Don’t think that you, as a little fish, can’t land the big names or host that huge event! Here’s an example of Sneakers and NBA stars!

1995: Young man, just shy of 7 feet tall is coming out of high school, jumps in the draft, and ends up with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Before his NBA Career even starts, he’s landed a huge shoe deal with Nike that will give him the ability to have his own signature shoe. Who?? Kevin Garnett!

The deal was great! Nike was “the” shoe company for bball and if you we’re a top player, that’s what 90% of your peers were wearing in the NBA. The stats were truly staggering as majority of basketball players had on some Nikes. The trend of aggressive athlete sponsorship hadn’t caught on with all the major shoe companies who were making shoes for the hardwood.

But that would certainly change. The next year, a large deal was landed for 2of the hottest rookies of 1996-1997; Allen Iverson and Antoine Walker signing with Reebok, that same year Adidas picked up Kobe Bryant. All 3 showed up in the NBA with their own signature shoes – something rare at the time.

Fast forward a couple of years, Adidas and Kobe are having design issues, and he’s threatening, so Nike focuses their efforts to get Kobe on their team, which was official in 2005 with the launch of the Zoom Kobe 1. Why did they need Kobe to jump from Adidas? Because they went shopping! To the tune of Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, Tracy McGrady, Gilbert Arenas, just to name a handful. All receiving signature shoes, and becoming the new face of the 3 stripes brand.

A bold move by Adidas, one that paid off – big time. 75% of the high schools that I’ve seen play in the past week have been wearing Adidas gear from head-to-toe, and it stems partially from those big signings.

The bottom line: no matter how small you think (or know) you are in respects to your industry, a bold move can really pay off! Many times, the potential clients out there prefer to go with someone a little smaller because they want your creativity and perspective. Something that is totally different than their views on corporate culture. Go For the BIG FISH!

All the Best of Success!

Part 2: Sponsorship Anyone?

I have been reading about a lot of traditional businesses (large ones at that) who are turning to sponsorships, new advertising and product placement as new sources of revenue.

The biggest ones which caught my eye were some of the major airlines. Way before the economic crisis really kicked in this fall, we heard about the airline industry losing money, cutting flights, canceling orders for new planes, laying off staff, and raising ticket prices to boot! This industry is in serious need of a cash injection; sounds like a small business owner or a new event.

Here's a good example. If you have flown recently, you have noticed the ad on the tray table. The first one for me was a Verizon ad on my last flight to New York. As I folded down the table and noticed the ad, I wasn't shocked at first, but as the flight continued, I thought about it a little more. Just as we look for places to generate revenue with our events (t-shirts, banners, posters, give-aways, etc) the major airlines are also looking for additional places to slap a logo!

It makes perfect sense for a couple of reasons; you have a captive audience for an extended period of time, demographics are easy to grasp, theres lots of eyeballs, you know where your audience is going to, and in a lot of cases, the consumer can purchase the minute they land in the airport.

These advertisers are seeing this as new, uncharted territory for them to gain more market share. As an event planner who is looking for sponsorship, you have to be that airline. Why does your sponsorship make perfect sense? Your event is the opportunity for them to get more market share, what are your hot points and which companies would be a good fit? Durning flights, I've seen a couple of Verizon ads now, a few for cough syrup/cold remedies, car rentals, hotels, etc. Sounds like everything you would need on your trip. So what would every one attending your event need? That's where we start, keep it broad, and land those sponsors!

Part 1: Sponsorship Anyone?

Sometimes it takes a village to raise a child, its no different for any athlete going through the many coaches and teammates that made investments in each other to reach the next level. Similarly, we need the same thing to be successful.

As most of the events out there, its not complete without sponsors coming on board to offer products, services, or support. I'm always looking for new marketing ideas; unique advertising, different channels, guerrilla tactics, whatever happens to catch my eye. The thing that never changes as a power player in the field is sponsorship. Whether it be contra, or cash, it is no joking matter.

Trying to provide the ultimate opportunity for potential sponsors is no easy feat. The proper exposure, return on dollar, interaction and exclusives can complicate the matter, but the bottom line does not change; the situation must be a win-win. As we try to put together our next large event, we're considering all these things for our sponsors.

Just like the previous entry displays, we've found a good home with apparel. Most of the events include apparel being given away to participants, or being sold. This has been a great fit for us. A couple of local companies have been awesome, and have come through with fantastic apparel! I'm not sure how much more we can expand with apparel, aside from a friendly reminder of rule #1; make sure its wear-able outside of the event!

I'm going to keep writing about sponsors and sponsorship, and if you have suggestions, I'm all ears. The Bravado Blog was started to show what we do in hopes that it can spark other interest.