Many factors can bring value from your sponsorship program back to your business. There are also a handful of elements your team needs to look out for that can slow down your progress. One of the most under-the-radar factors that will sink a campaign before it even gets off the ground is a lack of internal communication.
This is especially critical during times of uncertainty or when outside factors are influencing the overall marketplace. When things are not normal, it does not mean there aren't opportunities - they just may look different.
Program beginnings
A sports marketing campaign will often begin with a call from the leadership or management of a company. It may start from a personal interest, or maybe a B2B deal, but it is common for it to begin in the upper ranks of the company and move down from there. Sponsorships are often integral to a sports marketing campaign as a clear way onto the platform. Marketing your product or service as a sponsor requires an approach as unique as the platform itself, which will differ from more traditional forms of marketing.
That unique approach to communicating your sponsorship externally will extend to how you deliver the program internally as well. Since sponsorship agreements offer you a selection of assets to leverage in varying degrees, a solid first step to take is to document them and set up a proper stream of communication of those assets to your team.
Employees will not know or understand the marketing and business development assets available for them to utilize with their customers without this component. They certainly don’t know how to use those assets to acquire new business streams or maintain your existing business - both critical elements to proving ROI.
Employees make a powerful emotional connection to the products and services you sell. Without that connection, employees are likely to undermine the expectations set by your advertising. - Harvard Business Review
A more intentional level of communication and experience will connect the importance of your external efforts (creative, events, content) to what your brand is doing to support your employees. As you evolve your program, you can leverage your assets in ways that both educate and engage your staff, adding layers of value to the entire program.
Ready to get started?
Here are three ways you can leverage sponsorship to engage your employees:
- Introduce multiple touchpoints for your employees to connect with your brand.
- Connect the highest level of your company with the most entry-level members of your company at least once per year to celebrate your brand.
- Create engaging programs for your top performers, rising stars and highest earners to make sure they are recognized for their extra effort.
All this and more is possible with the right strategy.
Updated for added value.
