Sponsorship –
the dreaded “S” word.
 If you want
your team to be professional and competitive
it’s a necessity.
The question comes
up often: Do I know any sponsors and how do
you get one. The answers are easy. I know many
sponsors – you have to work at it. After
exhausting friends and family and not to
mention your own savings – it’s time to find
funding …..sometimes known as the “hardest
part of racing.”
A sponsor is any
company, person, or product that is willing to
fund your racing effort. Chances are if you
look around you right now you will see
products and/or services that already are
motorsports contributors. Who to approach?
Here I must change the question to who should
you NOT approach – the list is smaller. The
companies you should not approach are the ones
you do not believe in. For example – if you
are a vegetarian – do not approach a beef
company for money. Being a spokesperson for
your sponsor must be done in good conscience –
your fans deserve this.
Product versus
monetary sponsorship: Not all sponsorship is
based on the almighty dollar. In a non-spec
series you should approach any company whose
product you use – from tires, shocks, fuel…you
name it! The money you can save by having
these products supplied to you, can pay off
big over the season.
Open the
phonebook, watch TV…Keep your eyes and open.
More and more unusual sponsorships are popping
up. We’ve seen other sports teams; movie
previews and cartoon characters all show up on
the side of a race car. The resource pool is
endless so think beyond the norm. Now is the
time to find that long lost uncle who owns a
mushroom farm. The reality is who you know,
counts.
Parallel
marketing: Take the time to look at the
sponsors on your competitors cars. Are there
similar companies that could benefit from
sponsorship? If Car #1 is sponsored by Red
Jellybeans Co. Then approaching Green
JellyBean Co. their peer may prove fruitful.
How so? By proving a good motorsports
marketing campaign {sponsoring you} can help
get them exposure and market share – such as
Red Jellybean Co. has already done with your
fellow racer.
How to get a
Sponsor: You ask! Let’s not forget WHY a
Company would sponsor you – It’s to market
their service or product. This is the most
important point you have to remember when
designing your proposal. It’s easy to ask for
money but it is difficult to validate why you
need it. A simple “to race” is not enough.
Sponsors are looking for value. By giving you
$$ – they expect a program that will generate
sales and advertising that is equal to or
better than if the gave the money to a media
outlet. We will discuss further what should be
in your proposal in the next installment of
Racerchicks 101.
Be prepared for
disappointment. Rejection - It’s a part of the
game. Always politely ask for the reason your
request was denied. I say this since there is
a difference between an economic
downturn/marketing budget cuts and a badly
written proposal. We can change the latter.
It’s important to try – because really the
worse thing a potential sponsor can say is
“No” and sooner or later one just may say
“Yes”.
Coming soon:
Writing your sponsorship proposal…..some do’s
and don’ts.
For
information on
How to Write
a Press Release...
For
information on
Media Lists... and
What is a Media
Kit
If
there are other areas you’d like to see us
cover, or you’d like to provide your
insight, ideas and share your experiences, we
invite you to do so on our forum or by
e-mailing us here at info@racerchicks.com
|
