Successful SponsorshipsPatrick Moriarty Director of Training and Development Our Community (www.ourcommunity.com.au)

Sponsorship is NOT a donation it is a mutually beneficial relationship

Your aim – to get a major sponsor for Australia Day 2014 in your community?

Who was the major sponsor for Australia Day last year?

As a business why would I sponsor your Australia Day event?.....

If you can’t think of a compelling reason – don’t ask!!

Maybe grants/donations might be better

Australia Day is many things to many people….and to business it may simply be the pleasure of being involved but for many it will be about what business opportunities can be created and

how will that make my till ring!

Major corporate partners may want the exposure and the connection of their brand to your event – i.e. positioning their brand in the community – but even they will want to

know that they are getting value for money.

Australia Day is the nation’s largest community celebration, with 93% of Australians considering January 26 our most important national day on the calendar.

On Australia Day we come together as a nation to celebrate what's great about Australia and being Australian. It's the day to reflect on what we have achieved and what we can be proud of in our great nation. It's the day for us to re-commit to making Australia an even better place for the future.

On Australia Day, over 14.5 million Australians attended either an organised community event, or celebrated together with family and friends. Yet Australia Day is much more than barbeques and fireworks.

It is more than another public holiday. It is more than the pride and excitement of new citizens who call themselves Australian for the first time on 26 January after being conferred citizenship.

At its core, Australia Day is a day driven by communities, and the celebrations held in each town, suburb or city – unified by the celebration of what’s great about Australia and being Australian – are the foundation of its ongoing success.

This is not the end – this is really the beginning – now you MUST deliver

Step One – clarity around what it is you want and what you can deliver

What services, resources, money, goods, abilities or opportunities does want or need from a relationship?

and

What can you give in return to make the arrangement attractive to a prospective partner?

Do Your Homework• The more you can find out about potential partners, the

better• Saves time and energy• They will be doing their homework on you – make

sure your website and other public material is up to date

• Look for natural fit – some community organisations and businesses are made for each other

• Obvious shared vision, shared market, shared interests, sometimes a shared need

Who do they partner with now?

• Looking at your target’s existing sponsorships will give you a good idea of whether you will be compatible.

• Is your target already in sponsoring similar? • Do you respect the other organisations they support? • Will you be in competition with the other partners? • Can the current partners offer the business something you

can’t? • Is there something special you can offer that their other

partners can’t?

Values Match• This is one of the most critical aspects of any partnership –

business or personal• It is impossible to have a genuine sponsorship with an

organisation with incompatible values. • Look at the public vision and values statement• Look at past conduct and how they addressed issues• Be careful how you use this information - never think that you

can hold a business to ransom by offering a partnership as a way to ease their conscience or improve their reputation on a contentious issue

Fit’ is essential for a company considering a sponsorship. You need to identify possible link/s between the work and focus of the company and your planned Australia Day events. For example, links could be: health; wellbeing; quality; local produce; community welfare; supporting youth; serving a specific section of the community for years.

These days look at Facebook – Twitter – what they are saying and what others are saying about them

Make It Easy For ThemFind out their business drivers for partnership• The drivers for the decision makers can be very different to

what the business will present publically. • Could be:

• New customer market? WA firm moving East• New Market Segment? Youth• Branding opportunity? Australian Positioning• Reputation? YOU OWN AUSTRALIA DAY• A chance for the new CEO or Managing Director to build

his public profile? • If your organisation can deliver it, then make sure you

include it in your proposal pitch

Make It Easy For ThemGive them plenty of time

• Don’t approach a business with a tight turnaround time for a decision or at their peak season(s).

• Understand and respect their deadlines and processes for approval and be flexible. The more flexible you can be the more appealing you will be as a partner.

• If you get to the negotiation phase, jointly set some ground rules around deadlines and reasonable expectations, but when you are wooing a partner, try and be accommodating.

Negotiating and Planning

Roles and Responsibilities

•Determine who is responsible for what in each organisation.

•Establish the sponsorship leads from the word go – key contacts

•There will be many people within each organisation who may have a role - media and communication, finances, volunteer coordination, event management etc.

• Always include the heads of organisation when determining roles and responsibilities – need to be fully aware and involved in the partnership as spokespeople if nothing more.

Document, Document, Document

Formal

For many businesses this is a legal requirement

• Can be audited

• Taxation records

• Internal financial approvals

Informal

• Follow-up note or email after meeting (minutes)

Document, Document, Document

Bare Minimum

• Sponsorship agreement

• Minutes of meetings

• Media and communications plan

• Financial and progress reports

• Measurements

Communication

• Should be a no-brainer, but communication is an incredibly neglected area of sponsorship

• Breakdown in communication leads to a breakdown in the relationship

• Basic rule – always communicate as you would like to be communicated with – the how, the what, the why

Communication

• If you think they might need to know, then they DO need to know

• Consider contemplation a green light for communication

• Heads-ups

• Keep everyone on the same page

• No surprises!!!

Maintain the love

• Say thank you

• Updates – let your partner know how the relationship is going, but also how the event is going

• Special invitations – create a special role for your partner. Don’t burn them out.

• Your newsletter/media

• Visits and tours (set ups)

Maintain the love

• Say thank you

• Updates – let your partner know how the relationship is going, but also how the event is going

• Special invitations – create a special role for your partner. Don’t burn them out.

• Your newsletter/media

• Visits and tours (set ups)

Tell the world and celebrate• Letters to the Editor

• Media releases and photo opportunities

• Your newsletter

• Your website

• Their newsletter

• Their website

• Presentations to employees

• Letters to stakeholders

• Letters to local Members

• Morning/afternoon tea

Ask your sponsor who they want you to tell and how

Stand By Your Mates

External Problems

• Both partners are susceptible to problems – financial, bad media, changing leadership

• Understanding these problems, and supporting your sponsor appropriately, is crucial

• You are under no obligation to support your sponsor if they have done something immoral, illegal, or in opposition to the values and intent of the agreement

• If this happens it’s time to review the viability

I won’t say Good Luck – I’ll say Good Planning

Thank You

Any Questions?