Corporate Sponsorship is big business. In the big leagues, companies spend millions of dollars for the right to be associated with a particular sporting team, competition or worldwide event. You see evidence of this sponsorship everywhere – from in stadium signage to logos on a player jersey. These days you don’t need to be competing at an elite level of competition to look for and receive sponsorship. It is these smaller opportunities that businesses, like yours, should be looking to sponsor. You won’t have to spend millions of dollars but you will get the advantage of being associated with a team. You should sponsor a local sporting team. I outline some great reasons why below:

Networking opportunities – If you sponsor a local sporting team there should be plenty of opportunities for networking. You won’t be the only business sponsoring the team so there is a networking opportunity. You can also network with players, officials and coaching staff.

Brand recognition and goodwill – If you sponsor a sporting team this is great for brand recognition. If you are doing your job properly you should be in front of your prospects regularly, as should your brand message be appearing in their newsletters and on their website etc. The more these people see your logo and your message the more likely they are to remember it in future if they need your product or service. Being recognised as a sponsor of a sporting team is also great for your brand goodwill.

Corporate sponsorship and entertainment

Another great benefit of a corporate sponsorship package with a local sporting team is that it gives you the ability to have access to cheap corporate entertainment. Yes the food might not be as classy as if you were at a high-end event like the AFL or A-League but that’s not an issue. You can position it as supporting the local community. And most clubs will have clubrooms with drinks and table and chairs that are comfortable enough. The club you sponsor should be happy enough to help you organise your corporate entertainment, including catering if you pay for it, as this means more business owners down at the club and potentially more sponsors.

When you sign a sponsorship agreement you should ensure that the club you are sponsoring fulfils their side of the bargain. Further, you should ensure you leverage any opportunities available to boost your chances of a successful sponsorship.  Some ways you can do this include:

Take the opportunity to speak publicly at club events

Most clubs will have events throughout the year. As part of your corporate sponsorship package you should see the club officials about the opportunity of speaking publicly at these events. These public speaking opportunities are a great way to share your message and better explain to your prospects around the club who you are and what you do.

Make sure you are seen around the club

Local sporting clubs are very community focussed. When they buy something, people want to buy from a person. They want to get to know that person and get to trust that person. A great way for you to ensure this happens is to make sure you are seen around the club. You should attend events and you should attend games. You don’t need to attend all games but make sure that the key people get to know you.

I am a passionate believer that all businesses should get involved in their local community by sponsoring a local sporting team because it is the right thing to do. Having said that, I still think that those businesses supporting local clubs should leverage the benefits of their sponsorship.

If you want to support a team but are not sure who to support and how to best leverage that sponsorship we can help you. We can research local teams for you and then help you develop a sponsorship plan to ensure you achieve your best results.

Get in contact today.