advanced theory and practice in sport marketing - Marshalls University

■ Establish whether the potential sponsor has an interest or the financial ability
to enter into a sport sponsorship agreement.
■ Determine if there are any natural links with the potential sponsor – including
but not limited to geographic region; similar demographic and psychographic
target markets; historical associations; similarities in values, beliefs,
and/or vision; products and/or services of mutual benefit; etc.
■ Evaluate the status of the potential sponsor in their industry segment, including
the success of their marketing approaches; their success in their industry
segment as compared to direct competitors; and their previous involvement
with sport organizations, including positive and negative experiences.
■ Determine the value of a potential sponsorship and the projected results.
■ Prioritize and determine the needs of the potential sponsors from top down.
■ Finalize a list of those potential sponsors that offer the best probability of
mutual success through a sponsorship partnership.
Determining the Needs of Sponsors
Prior to finalizing a list of potential sponsors to approach, a crucial stage of
research is to determine the needs of the sponsor. All the advanced research
may point to a partnership that has the potential of being mutually beneficial.
However, when further detailed research into the needs of the potential sponsor
is conducted, the sponsorship may no longer be mutually beneficial.
Major corporate goals for sponsorship agreements may include some or all
of the following:
■ Increase the market awareness of the corporation and their products and
services.
■ Either improve image (usually when the corporation is viewed in a positive
light) or modify perceptions (usually when the corporation is viewed in a
negative light).
■ Position products and services in a manner that will result in increased sales
and market share.
■ The desire to increase visibility in a community by building relationships,
developing programs of goodwill, and other avenues to become more
involved with the community.
■ The overall performance of the sponsorship agreement should result in a
profit for the corporation – considering both tangible and intangible benefits.
Developing Sponsorship Proposals
In developing a sport sponsorship proposal, there are four main features
that should be considered as a framework for the agreement: goals and objectives;
characteristics of the sport organization; compatibility between the
potential sponsor and the sport organization; and maximizing exposure for the
potential sponsor.
SPORT SPONSORSHIP 261