My next guest writer is Pat Roque from Business Boomers. I met her at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando and found her thoughts really interesting. Pat promotes golf brands, organizations and teaching professionals to grow sales, enrollment, retention, satisfaction and long-term ROI.
In this post she will explain us how to develop our sponsorship business and relationship with sponsor partners for our golf clubs.
Sports continue to dominate sponsorship spending. Yet IEG’s 2015 Sponsorship Spending Report1 suggests that sponsorship marketers have “reason to be optimistic but must be prepared to fight harder to maintain and grow revenue and return from partnerships.”
Winners in the sponsorship game must indeed put the audience at the heart of all efforts, and use digital tools to maximize impact.
So how do you bring unique experiences, quantify the opportunity and ensure measurable, repeatable success?
1) Build personal relationships: sponsors buy YOU first
2) Understand THEIR “WHY” (the decision maker AND company’s pain or promise)
3) Identify what success looks like (awareness? trial? sales? retention?)
4) Offer innovative, turnkey solutions (easy implementation and reporting)
5) QUANITIFY the VALUE of the investment as it relates to THEIR NEEDS. For example, reverse engineer a sponsor’s investment to reflect MANY facets of their exposure to your coveted members.
- Leverage member data to specify how your demographics align with their sweet spot
- How many “touch points” will you deliver over the year via online and offline efforts, eg
- Digital (PR, paid ads, social media, CRM/email)
- Events, contests, educational opportunities
- Newsletters, signage, print
- Contests, cross-promotions
6) REPORTING: Show measurable, repeatable success in a format they can easily share with upper management or their board.
Case in point: the Women’s Golf Association of NJ used this “audience-focused” approach across online and offline to grow from 375 to 463 members last year while doubling engagement and participation rates. We attracted new relationships and substantial support from prominent organizations including the Barclays/PGA Tour, LPGA ShopRite Classic, USGA, PGA Tour Superstore and more.
Remember, every deal should demonstrate VALUE: Return on awareness, engagement, participation and satisfaction. Let this be the first step in your five-year renewal strategy. Think about “what’s in it for ALL” and have fun along the way.