Sponsorship and the White House Crashers
Posted: 12/3/2009 10:27:53 AM by
Vinu Joseph | with 1 comments
An interesting item coming out of the White House party crasher story is the couple’s foray into sponsorship in connection with a charity polo event. As this article from The Washington Post points out, the couple staged an international polo match which ended up with dissatisfied attendees, unpaid vendors and charities getting far less than what might have been expected.
I’ll let you read the article, but a couple thoughts that came to mind from the situation
- We’re usually concerned about protecting property’s marks and logos from misuse by nonsponsors; this case suggests that corporate logos are being misused by the property. Some companies listed as sponsors on the 2010 event Web site have come out saying they are not sponsors. While this could just be a case of corporate spin control, such a misrepresentation would be pretty serious; not only does it compromise a company’s branding efforts, but it could place the company in the line of fire if the event were ever sued or otherwise embroiled in controversy (as in this case).
- While the polo match was a fundraiser, apparently the amounts raised have been far less than you might expect from such a lavish event. If you’re a nonprofit who will be a direct beneficiary of an event, you need to consider how your name is being used in the event’s marketing. For example, if the event is actively touted as a fundraiser and your name is used as a means to draw attendees, you should treat it as you would a cause marketing relationship; that means drawing up a contract and requiring a minimum guarantee. If your organization will simply be a beneficiary—perhaps in connection with a silent auction or other side event—a contract may not be necessary. But you still need to remain vigilant about how your name is used, particularly if the event promoter is using it to solicit auction items or other support from the business community.
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Filed under: cause marketing, contracts, events, nonprofit, backlash