Part Two…Is Sponsoring an Outdoor Show Right for You?
To recap, there are three primary ways of buying television on the outdoor market:
- Sponsorship of outdoor programming through third party producers
- Purchasing run of schedule (ROS) or spot buy advertising directly from the networks
- Long form content distributed on the national and regional outdoor networks
In this article we are going to look at the first – sponsorships.
The days of throwing large amounts of cash at outdoor “celebrities” without a clear understanding of the deliverables are long gone. But this does not mean sponsorships cannot still provide value for a company and their brand.
However, as with all marketing endeavors, before you consider any sponsorships you must clearly understand what your objectives are. What are you trying to achieve? If you are looking for great brand awareness and you have limited budgets, sponsorships are probably not the best place to start. If you are looking for brand validation, additional content, access to their audience, sponsorships may be the right tool for you.
The key is adjusting clearly defining your requirements, expectations, and investment.
Limited sponsorships with clearly defined deliverables can still provide great value, but you need to find partners that are willing to work for you, and provide you tools, assets, leads, and customers that will noticeably move the needle , based on your KPI’s not theirs.
You are not in business to support someone else’s hobby – if a partner cannot deliver the expectations you need and meet your requirements, move on.
So what should be delivered? This depends on your individual needs, but the basics should include:
- Video product reviews
- Video product tips
- High resolution product photography and lifestyle photography
- Predetermined commitments to social media content (and their commitment to financially support this content to reach their audience)
- In show product integration
- Running of the supplied commercial spots (this is a given, but still important)
- Incorporation of company supplied graphic assets into the show
- Access to their audience
- Development of money cannot buy experiences to enhance your consumer’s brand experience
- Being a brand advocate both in person, on the screen and in the digital world
In our experience most sponsorships struggle because deliverables, timelines, and expectations were not clearly established at the outset, and the client was not fully committed to the success, both in terms of time and expenditure. Signing the contract and mailing the check are the easiest part of the deal. Getting them proper logo wear, ample samples, and clear direction take time and energy. If you do not have the time to invest – do not invest the money either.
Sponsorships are still important in the outdoor market. The key is setting them up properly, to create a true win-win partnership in which both the content creator and your brand are growing successfully. If you need help crafting effective television sponsorships and partnerships give the experts at Providence Marketing Group a call or drop us a line at [email protected]
About the Author…Jeff Bergmann the principal and founder of Providence Marketing Group is a marketing veteran with over 20 years of marketing experience in the Outdoor Industry, with extensive experience in retail marketing, digital marketing, direct response, branding, packaging and product development. For more information, please visit www.www.providencemarketinggroup.net .