Greetings!
As your summer winds down, you may be thinking about ways to revitalize your organization's events, marketing programs, and sources of revenue. Always consider the value you offer first, and let this core serve as the foundation for your innovations.
Enjoy this issue of BowerPower Papers, featuring a whole new look and an anchor article on bringing value to your sponsors. I invite you to particpate in my latest survey and don't forget to download the recent white paper on sponsorship.
Warm regards,
Gail S. Bower
President
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| How Your Organization Supports Sponsors' Goals
7 Steps to Building Successful Sponsorship Programs
by Gail S. Bower
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 You face tremendous competition in the sponsorship arena. Sports properties alone command two-thirds of sponsorship spending, with the other third going to associations, arts organizations, festivals and fairs, entertainment tours and attractions, and causes.
So what motivates a corporation to work with your non-profit organization or festival/event, and how can you be sure that you're able to compete with a valuable offering?
7 Steps to Building Successful Sponsorship Programs
1. Purpose. First, you need to understand that supporting a sponsor's business or marketing goals is the primary purpose of sponsorship. Corporate sponsorship is a marketing-driven tactic that businesses engage to fulfill marketing objectives. It has a unique role in the marketing mix, just as advertising, public relations, and online marketing do.
2. Goals. Next, you need to uncover what your sponsor prospect's goals are. These include business, marketing, and sponsorship goals. The only way you'll learn this information is by developing a trusting relationship with the decision maker.
3. Value. Every property offers something unique, from both qualitative and quantitative perspectives. Be clear what your cause or event offers. Then, be sure that what you offer, including access to a given audience, matches your prospects' needs. For example, if your event or program reaches women, ages 25-54, don't approach a company clearly targeting men, ages 18-35. Sounds obvious, but sometimes it's not.
A key advantage non-profit organizations offer sponsors is connection with an audience who resonate with a particular cause or interest. How can you make connections with this audience and your sponsor's social responsibility goals?
4. Tactics to meet needs. Know your sponsors' and prospects' industries and learn what would be important to them. Then deploy the appropriate sponsorship activation tactics to meet the need. For example, in the food industry, when a company launches a new product, the marketing team often is interested in getting it in the hands of as many people as possible. Can you offer that kind of volume? In the automotive industry, it's all about driving traffic to dealerships and stimulating test drives. Can your event accommodate such an operation? Investment bankers welcome opportunities to entertain good clients and meet new ones. How can you develop hospitality opportunities?
5. Measurement. Brainstorm ideas and develop specific tactics that offer solutions to your client's marketing challenge. Then ask how you and your sponsor will measure the success.
6. Simplify. Be easy to work with. The promotion may be complex, with lots of arms and legs extending into your market, but simplify, connect dots for the sponsor, and guide the process.
7. Be a Leader. Take an active interest in the outcomes, tweaking the program as necessary, being accountable if something goes wrong, offering new opportunities as they present themselves, celebrating the successes, and educating the sponsor along the way.
Most likely, you will never compete with the value sports properties offer; however, I have no doubt your cause, arts organizations, business development or social organization, or festival offers unique value for the right corporate partners. The creativity you use to package that value and the leadership integrity you display when delivering what you promise will allow you to confidently compete with the top properties in your market.
Thanks to Lori Busch, Director, Special Events, at The Children's Hospital Foundation for inspiring this article with her question: "How can non-profits better support the goals (marketing?) of a company? We aren't the NFL, NASCAR, etc. so we can't offer tickets, access to players, etc." Have a question of your own? Simply hit reply to send me your question, and I'll be happy to answer it in the next issue.
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Bower & Co. Requests Your Input
You're invited to take part in shaping a series of educational offerings about corporate sponsorship.
Please click on the appropriate link and complete a short survey--just 5 quick questions. One is geared for Executive Directors and the other for Development, Marketing, Corporate Sponsorship, Event, and other Non-Profit Leaders. Your feedback will be confidential and only used to assist Bower & Co.
As
a special thanks for your participation, you'll be eligible to receive 10% off an upcoming program. Simply send me an email to
let me know you completed the survey, and I'll confirm your
discount. Thanks in advance for your time and input!
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Recent Projects & Successes
Mazel tov to Golden Slipper Club & Charities on its new web site, written by Bower & Co. and developed by the Creative Web Group. President Steven Meyer said, "We love it. The response has been tremendous. We've had thousands of hits, just in the first month." The new site not only raises visibility for the organization, but also it allows members to more easily make donations, purchase event tickets, network, and learn about upcoming events and activities. Happy 50th Anniversary to Philadelphia's beloved WHYY! Bower & Co. assisted the organization as a producer for its successful President's Dinner, featuring an interview with Terry Gross and honoree Charlie Rose. Gail Bower recently spoke on corporate sponsorship at two conferences to standing-room only audiences. She and Patrick Feeley of the Children's Hospital Foundation spoke on the similarities and differences between corporate giving and corporate sponsorship at the Philadelphia Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals' Franklin Form. In California, she spoke at the Social Enterprise Alliance's annual conference on developing corporate sponsorship as a form of earned income. If you're looking for a speaker on sponsorship or marketing for an educational program, please email Gail@GailBower.com.
© 2007 Gail S. Bower. All rights reserved.
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Don't beg for corporate sponsorships. Partner.
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