The sponsoring concept - practical tips & tricks

About Mona Schwarzkopf: Through her experience in sales, sports management, marketing and sponsoring (including at Holstein Kiel), she covers a broad spectrum of knowledge and experience. During her time with the international company hummel sport & leisure, she managed clubs in the handball and football sectors from the 1st Bundesliga and 2nd Bundesliga. In her professional career, she has worked with Handball-Bundesliga GmbH, among others, and has jointly equipped or organised the major tournaments REWE FINAL4, ALL STAR GAME and PIXUM SUPER CUP, including the opening ceremony. It looks after football clubs and handball clubs from the Bundesliga and top athletes from various sports.

You want to find a sponsor for your club or for yourself and convince them to "invest"? Then you have already found the first reason for a sponsoring concept. With such a concept you can present in a structured way what you want from a sponsor. On the other hand, you show what you can offer a potential sponsor. In short, the sponsorship concept is important because it lets both parties to the "deal" know exactly what they are getting. After all, a sponsorship deal has to be profitable for both sides. Every concept that you create for potential sponsors provides them with an important basis for decision-making. It is therefore all the more important that you put some effort into it. Basically, you should be aware that sponsorship is also a business relationship. Your concept should therefore not be promotional or exaggerate. Instead, the focus should be on facts and neutrality. This way, a sponsor can get the best picture, because in this business it is a give and take.

In a sponsorship concept, you should list exactly and truthfully what your club could offer a potential sponsor. This includes:

• Reach: How many fans come to your games? How many members do you have? Where else do your league games take place and how many people do you reach there? What is your reach on social media, etc.?
• Reputation: What is your club known for? Are you socially engaged? What does your club stand for? What traditions do you have?
• Advertising space: Where could a sponsor advertise? On jerseys, perimeter boards, on the pitch or in the club newspaper? How high is the reach here?
• Costs: What would different sponsorship packages cost? What do these packages include? Goals: What other goals do you have as an club?
  
• Successes: What successes has the club achieved in recent years? In which league do you play? Which teams are the most successful? etc.

You should also state what you expect from your sponsor. This includes, above all, offers of support. Is it financial support? Is it a contribution in kind? Or can the sponsor support you with services?

Step 1: Introduce your clubHow many sports and teams does your club have, how big is it? In addition, mention the highest playing league as well as facts and figures about the sports ground. Go into the history of your club. This can be visualised excellently with a timeline, for example. What is your club involved in? Also mention important events, such as tournaments. Of course, you can also provide pictures of everything. These arouse emotions. And emotions are important when selling. After all, you want to "sell" your project to a potential sponsor. TIP: Create a story that connects your club with the sponsor. If you know, for example, that the manager used to play football in his spare time, you can mention the special team spirit in the youth section of your club in the story. This increases the chance that you will arouse positive memories and feelings that may encourage the decision to sponsor. Also give the sponsor the opportunity to feel that he or she is part of your club, for example, and that he or she has the feeling that he or she is not just contributing money but is part of something big. Example: You could get a building materials company to sponsor you. They could then, for example, pay you for building materials to extend the clubhouse as part of the sponsorship contract. They would then be a part of your club in the truest sense of the word.What else can help in the search for connecting points to the potential sponsor:

• Is there perhaps a joint anniversary?
• Are there any projects in which you and the sponsor are already involved or committed?
• Has there ever been a partnership under a different management?

Step 2: Introduce your advertising optionsHow can the sponsor advertise with you? Digital, analogue, regional or national? What costs would arise for these advertising options? It is important that you calculate the costs correctly.A calculation example:Advertising banner costs (10*2 metres) gross 500.00 EUR 
+ Cost of implementation gross 120.00 EUR
+ Profit per season gross 300,00 EUR Total per season gross 920,00 EUR
Here you can round up to 950,00 or 1.000,00 EUR.

Step 3: Work with concrete prizes and offer sponsorship packagesWith different sponsorship packages, you can target companies of all sizes. An example:

1. Main sponsor (from. 5.000,00 EUR)
2. Premium Sponsor (from 2,500.00 EUR)
3. Co-sponsor (from 1,500.00 EUR)
4. Partner (from 500,00 EUR)
5. Supporter (from 0,00 EUR)

The main sponsor can, for example, be granted the right to advertise not only the jerseys but also the largest gang. Premium sponsors are allowed to immortalise themselves in the clubhouse. Work openly and transparently so that potential sponsors know exactly what they are getting for what. 

You can present your sponsorship concept attractively in a sponsorship folder. The folder contains everything a potential sponsor needs to make a decision. For example, you can present the facts on a separate sheet or enclose club merchandising items.The portfolio should above all

• demonstrate the advantages of a partnership.
• arouse interest in sponsorship.
• Communicate the added value of a partnership to the sponsor.

When creating the sponsoring concept, make sure that it is not too long. Ten A4 pages would be almost too long.

Here, the popular motto: "Too many cooks spoil the broth" applies. This means: To avoid duplication, it is important that your association has a responsible person or team, depending on its size. This team is then responsible for the area of "sponsoring" and can specifically search for sponsors for all departments. This is also an advantage for potential partners, because they then have a specific contact person. This shortens the paths and simplifies communication.

• Do I have good arguments that are convincing?
• Do I represent the association well?
• Are the advertising spaces and their costs?
• Do I arouse emotions in sponsors?
• Can I also offer small businesses the opportunity of sponsorship with my packages?
• Are all contact details available?
• Are figures, data and facts clearly presented?
• Would I choose to sponsor myself when I read the concept?