Corporate sponsorship contributes to the financial viability of projects and events. For example, many types of events rely on sponsorship to make up the difference in the budget between ticket sales and the true cost to operate. Every year, corporations are inundated with requests for partnerships, so it is often difficult for an unknown entity to broker a successful sponsorship deal. With modest expectations, preparation and strategic use of contacts, however, it is possible to develop a sponsorship portfolio that can have a significant impact on your bottom line.
Instructions
1. Identify marketing and promotional opportunities. Corporations are interested in sponsoring people, places, activities and events that can highlight their products to a desirable customer base and reflect positively on their involvement. Break the main opportunity into levels of engagement by price. For example, if the opportunity is a conference, identify every component that could have a sponsor attached to it, with an eye toward scaling the level of investment so a corporation has a selection of price points from which to choose.
2. Determine the value proposition in your opportunity. Corporations only sponsor opportunities where the value to their bottom line is clear. Research the characteristics of your expected audience. Determine expected audience levels. Package any examples or statistics that can substantiate your estimation of the marketing reach of the opportunity. Make a case that this particular opportunity will put the sponsor in front of a large audience of potential customers.
3. Write a sponsorship proposal or fill out an application. Draft a five to seven page narrative proposal that details the opportunity, the background of your company or organization, the market and the sponsorship levels. Include contact information for the point person managing sponsor relations. Alternatively, some corporations have their own sponsorship application. Download it from the corporation's website and prepare it according to instructions.
4. Match the proposal with appropriate corporations. Conduct Internet research to find corporations with interests that are compatible with your opportunity. Start with corporations that have local ties. Look in the business sections of newspapers to identify specific situations where corporations need to engender goodwill or positive publicity. Submit the proposal to the selected targets according to the instructions provided.
5. Contact personal and professional acquaintances at target corporations to get your proposal reviewed. Corporations receive many sponsorship requests every year. Use every contact available to get a personal meeting with someone at the corporation who can bump your proposal to the top of the pile.
6. Hire a sponsorship agency. If you have a particularly marketable sponsorship opportunity, you can hire a consultant or sponsorship agency to prepare the proposal and do much of the legwork. Review the credentials of any consultant carefully. Use referrals to make an informed selection.
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