Latest Thinking from IEG

11 Basics Of Successful Sponsorship Sales
Back in the early ’80s, when sponsorship was new to pretty much everyone, IEG traveled the world teaching sponsorship acquisition and sponsorship sales. The industry has incorporated those learnings and sponsorship “mavens” from near and far have incorporated those ideas into their books, blogs and practices.

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Filed under: media sponsorship, packaging, prospecting, selling, sponsorship valuation, how to get sponsorship

Revving up Sponsorship: Lessons from Motorcycle Properties

If you’re like me you’ve never been to a biker rally, but your head is full of preconceived notions of what a rally entails. For the purposes of my blog, erase from your mind those images of biker bar fights and think of motorcycle rallies as festivals that can be mined for sponsorship ideas just like any other property. Any festival, from Taste of Chicago to the small town county fair, can learn a few things from a biker rally.

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Filed under: events, how to get sponsorship, packaging, prospecting, selling, assets

Formula 1: A Sponsorship Example Not To Be Followed

Much has been written and said about Bernie Ecclestone, the brilliant, mercurial puppet master who pulls the strings of the Formula 1 international racing circuit. While I am not expert enough in the details of F1’s business to join the polarized debate over whether he is the best or worst thing to happen to the sport—although I’m sure the answer as it always is in these cases is somewhere in the middle—I do believe he has made a major misstep in the sponsorship arena.

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Filed under: international, motorsports, packaging, venues, assets

Platform Exclusivity: An Idea Whose Time Has Come

One concept that I’ve seen properties begin to adopt lately, and which could become a larger sponsorship sales trend, is platform exclusivity. The idea is that only one corporate partner is permitted to activate in a specified channel or manner, e.g., mobile-device marketing, in-store retail promotions, use of video content, ticket giveaways, etc.

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Filed under: assets, negotiating, packaging, selling, trends, activation

The WTA Argument: Do Title Sponsors Really Scare Off Other Partners?

As my colleague Bill Chipps reveals in IEG Sponsorship Report this week, the WTA Tour has decided not to market the title sponsorship position about to be given up by Sony Ericsson. (Subscribers can read the full story here.)

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Filed under: packaging, pro sports, selling, sports, trends, naming rights

Why Do Properties’ Cause Overlays Leave Sponsors On The Sidelines?

A trend I have noticed lately involves rightsholders—primarily sports and entertainment properties—conducting cause-related promotions that bring attention to their events and organizations while benefiting a charitable group.

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Filed under: selling, servicing, trends, packaging

Would You Price A Sponsorship Like You’d Price A Steak?

Would You Price A Sponsorship Like You’d Price A Steak?

If you know IEG, you know we generally advise against selling sponsorship with an a la carte menu. Surprisingly enough, this idea was affirmed for me this weekend while listening to The Splendid Table, American Public Media’s outstanding weekly food show.

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Filed under: packaging, selling, activation

What Properties Can Do to Ensure Sponsorship ROI

This past week I attended a National Sports Marketing Networking (NSMN) event on The Evolution and Role of ROI in Sports .

Set up as an open forum with the audience and six panelists, there was a lot of great discussion and insight on what sponsors are looking for in ROI and how properties can provide it. Outlined below are a few of the key takeaways I left the event with:

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Filed under: negotiating, packaging, sponsorship measurement, sponsorship ROI, evaluation

Part One: How can I Maximize the Value of my Sponsorship Opportunities?

One of the most common questions that I hear is: “How can I maximize the value of my sponsorship opportunities?”

This can be a daunting question for a property because there are numerous potential answers and generally there isn’t one “right” answer. There are both short-term solutions, such as adding overlooked tangible benefits to a package, or enhancing existing benefits and long-term solutions, such as increasing awareness of your organization. As always, the answer is unique to each property. My next few blogs, at a high-level, will focus on answering various aspects of this question. Let’s start at the beginning…

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Filed under: research, packaging

Does Selling Short-term Sponsorship Weaken Your Brand?

The NFL has been on a recent kick of signing short-term sponsorship deals in the quick-service restaurant category.

Most recently, the league announced this week a deal lasting through March 1 making Papa John’s the official pizza sponsor of the NFL and Super Bowl XLIV.  This sponsorship is very similar to the league’s relationship last year with KFC, in which the fast-feeder was the official wing of the NFL Playoffs and Super Bowl XLIII.

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Filed under: packaging, restaurant, selling, sponsorship measurement, contracts