Sponsorship is abundant, and it’s available to athletes of all levels from elites to beginners as well as clubs, sporting organisations, businesses and individual professionals. Now more than ever before, sponsorship is about the benefits you can give to your sponsors off the sporting field. Media, social media, social networking and brand ambassador activities are what companies are looking for in return for financial, product and service sponsorship.
How does an athlete secure sponsorship in Australia?
Vickie Saunders and the team at The Brand Builders work with athletes from around the world, teaching them the skills they need to identify their sponsorship needs, identify potential sponsors, create engagement strategies and powerful sponsorship proposals, and how to manage and retain the sponsorship once they’ve got it.
The biggest myth, and the one that they love to smash as often as possible is that there isn’t much sponsorship around because of the ‘current economic climate’. According to Vickie, there is an ABUNDANCE of sponsorship available here in Australia and globally, “It’s all about connecting with the right companies in the right way, and being able to offer valuable return on their investment.” she says.
Photo by Alexandre Saraiva Carniato
The benefits of securing sponsorship as an athlete
Athletes (of all levels) generally have some pretty outstanding abilities! In the business world, the very skills that you use in your sport, breaking through pain barriers or even just getting out of bed for a 6am training session, are the kind of skills they want to impart on their staff; commitment, focus, drive, determination, persistence and an ability to work towards goals big and small.
The benefits of sponsorship as an athlete include:
- Being able to use the equipment and services you want i.e. massage, physio etc
- Option to reduce your work hours – and train (and recover!) more
- Financial freedom
- Ability to participate in all the events you want to
- Create strong networks and opportunities!
Where to look when it comes to finding sponsorship
Vickie suggests starting with companies you are either a loyal customer of or already have some kind of personal or professional relationship with (via a family member or friend).
“When you look at a company that you want to engage sponsorship from, look first at what you can give back to them, and try to be creative! Find out about the company before you contact them. Check out their previous or current sponsorships and event participation, sense where and how they advertise, and get a good feel for what they’re all about,” says Vickie.
Social media and media activity are valuable benefits you can offer to sponsors, so it’s important to get really active in these before you start engaging sponsorship. Show your sponsors that you’re able to offer them a wider and potentially new audience, but make sure that this is relevant to their business. Local and national radio shows and magazines are always looking for content!
Making a sponsorship proposal as an athlete
“So many people make the mistake of creating sponsorship proposals before they’ve done any research or planning, and focus on creating this pretty looking document that tells potential sponsors how good they are at their sport. Big mistake!” advises Vickie. “I would urge anyone reading this article not to start preparing a sponsorship proposal before you know who your potential sponsors are and what you’ve got to offer them in return.”
Top 10 tips for athletes seeking sponsorship
1. Give yourself plenty of time to engage sponsors, at least 3 months!
2. Treat sponsorship as a business relationship
3. Spend time figuring out exactly what you need sponsorship for
4. Research potential sponsors and only align with brands that are a good fit
5. Find out what your sponsors want by asking them
6. Offer great benefits to your sponsors and make sure you can deliver
7. Create a team of people who want to support your goals
8. Get organised and stay organised
9. Maintain communication with your sponsors and seek feedback at least once a year
10. Always look for opportunities to offer more benefits to your sponsors as this will benefit you too!
The Brand Builders educate athletes on building their own brand, rather than managing or representing them. If you want to learn more about how to sit in the drivers seat of your own journey, reach out the The Brand Builders for professional and personalised advice.
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