Sponsorship Proposal Basics

Introduction

• Presented by Kim Skilden-Reed from Power Sponsorship
• Overview of creating a best practice sponsorship proposal in 15 minutes.
• Extra resources provided in the video description.

Purpose of a Sponsorship Proposal

• Main Role: To help the contact within a company sell the proposal internally, not just to sell it to the contact.
• Common Mistakes in Proposals:
  • Self-Centeredness: Focused on your needs instead of the sponsor's.
  • Lack of Relevance: Fails to establish why the proposal is a good match.
  • Only Hygiene Benefits: Offering only basic benefits that are common across proposals.
  • Incomplete Business Case: Flashy presentation without enough substance for internal selling.
  • Poor Structure: Confusing layout with irrelevant information.

Structure of a Successful Proposal

1. Title Page

   • Professional format, use letterhead.
   • Avoid using the sponsor's logo without permission.
   • Include copyright wording for creative ideas.

2. Tone Setting Page

   • Optional, but can include a quote, statistic, or impactful photo.

3. Overview Page

   • One-page overview of the property being sponsored.
   • Focus on what the property means to fans; do not pitch yet.

4. FAQ/Event Details

   • Basic facts: key dates, location, expected attendance, ticket prices.

5. Target Markets

   • Segment target markets psychographically (interests and motivations) rather than demographically (age, gender, etc.).
   • Highlight important segments relevant to the sponsor.

6. Marketing Plan

   • Outline marketing objectives and key messages.
   • Discuss social media, website promotion, email marketing, etc.

7. Creating the Vision

   • Present the sponsor’s marketing objectives based on research and discussions.
   • Provide 4-9 creative leverage ideas to align with their goals.

8. Benefits Section

   • List all benefits required to make the leverage ideas happen.
   • Include hygiene benefits but emphasize unique, interesting benefits first.

9. Investment Page

   • Details on cash, contra, or in-kind investments.
   • Be open to revisiting the offer to suit their needs.

10. Optional Addendum

• Include case studies demonstrating how past sponsors achieved commercial return.

Conclusion

• Final thoughts on creating an effective sponsorship proposal.
• Reminder of additional resources available in the video description.
• Good luck with sponsorship endeavors!