A successful event is more than a high attendee rate. There is so much more to events and conferences that tally to the success rate thereof. The company must have set goals and objectives in place to ensure that the event reaches a set number of attendees and get a group of individuals that can be seen as new potential customers.
So the question is what are sponsorship activations and is it truly needed? Event sponsorship activation is a process where the host of an event will allow other companies to promote and advertise the event through their companies. The sponsors are allowed to advertise their business and connection to the event by simply displaying their involvement in the event.
There are many ways to use sponsorship activations, and all of the methods differ. The main focus is to allow all participating companies to advertise to their customer base to grow the entire event’s attendees. Companies will have certain rights and obligations when signing sponsorship activations, where all of the objectives and tasks must be met. The major sports events are all well-known for their suitable sponsorship partners.
What is Sponsorship Activation?
There are many options for sponsorship contracts. This concept is well-known in the industry of sports, however, can be used in any industry that wants to promote or launch an event or conference.
A sponsor is a person or organization, that assists an organization with an advertisement, finds funding, or provides handouts that can draw a set group of people. This will allow the event to reach a broader audience and draw more attendees due to the sponsors that are involved.
A sponsorship activation, on the other hand, allows companies to advertise the event on their platforms. The sponsor however are allowed to add their logos and create their material for the special event.
This will allow both companies to attract new customers outside of the event. With their visible logos and advertising rights, companies will allow sponsorship to advertise directly to their customer base to raise awareness of the event or conference.
What Are The Benefits of Sponsorship Activations?
There are many benefits to using sponsorship activations. The first is building credibility. Most companies do not have a strong name that will draw attendees solely by displaying their logo and name. By adding a sponsor and allowing the corporations to use their logo, customers and potential attendees will add credibility to the event solely based on the organizations that are sponsors.
Another benefit is that the event or conference will reach a wider market. Other companies will share the event on their social platforms, which their customer base will see. This will allow potential attendees and new customers to spot the event, and due to the sponsor being present at the event, drawing them to attend.
The company that draws up the paperwork for the sponsorship activations has the benefit of setting the terms and conditions for the sponsorship. This will allow the hosting company to set boundaries, requests, and conditions for all information that is shared by sponsorship companies. This will prevent sponsors from obtaining the limelight or sharing confidential information.
Lastly, the biggest benefit is having a famous or organized company to assist with any problems or barriers that are present. With the assistance of big corporations, smaller companies can host events, and while they are new to the party, well-established sponsors can assist in the necessary ways. These companies must provide promotional activities, which is another benefit of the sponsorship action.
How to Plan Sponsorship Activations
Planning sponsorship activations is the key to success. The company must spend time evaluating what they want to achieve through sponsorship. The plan will provide the team with clear goals and direction. Planned activations must be created and displayed on paper to ensure that both parties know exactly what is expected and needed from them.
Know How You Will Activate
The activations part of a sponsorship deal refers to the legal and active part of the sponsorship. The placement of all logos and the size that may be used are a form of activation. The activations also include the financial support the company must provide to allow them to display their logo and company name at a set event.
Define Your Success Indicators
A company that can clearly state its indicators are bound to launch a successful event. The indicators can be seen as goals. The company must clearly define what they want to achieve through the sponsorship.
These indicators must be set up in a SMART way. The acronym stands for specific, measurable, relative, and time-bound goals. These goals and indicators must be used towards working with other companies, to ensure every part knows the directions of where the partnership is headed.
Implement
When all the planning and contracting for sponsorship is done, the companies can move forward to implementation. The contract and direction will provide guidelines of what all businesses should follow, however, the implementation allows the company to see exactly where and how the sponsors are using the guidelines.
There are many different methods of implementation and some companies prefer the hands-on method. This is when they want reports and images that provide them with clear evidence of the guidelines being followed.
Other methods of promoting a conference can be followed, however, the main focus should be to ensure that all parties follow the guidelines and rules stated. The sponsorship fee must be clearly stated to ensure that the company understands the level of sponsorship that is required.
Rights and Permissions
The right and permission of specific content and data must be cleared before any party can use it. This states that if the hosting party draws up content that can be used for advertisement, the sponsorship party may not be allowed to edit or add anything to the content.
This does differ from companies, thus sponsorships must confirm all the rights and permissions that are connected to the company. These rights and admissions can change between events, and while some sponsors are allowed the freedom to be creative and create their material, some companies forbid it. This will allow for the maximum impact of the sponsorship activities that will be allowed.
Check Out How to Create Activations That Sponsors Love!:
How to Activate Using Social Media
Sponsor activation on the best platforms is determined by simply identifying the goals and the indicators of the company. Social media is a powerful platform if used correctly. Companies must identify the best platform that will advertise directly to their customers or potential clients.
This is linked directly to the sponsorship. A sponsor without the necessary social media platforms might decrease the company’s opportunities to advertise directly to their target audience. Focusing on the target audience will provide the business with the best-suited social media platforms.
Using Experiential Marketing in Sponsorship
Sponsorship allows companies to experiment with new marketing techniques. A business has set marketing strategies, and experimenting with something new might be outside of the company’s policies.
When working with sponsors, companies can allow sponsorships to experiment with new strategies, which will provide the team with vital information. The success rate can be identified, which will allow the team to either use it in the future or adjust their strategy to ensure future success.
How To Have a Brainstorming Session with Your Sponsor
Brainstorming refers to a method of determining new ideas. Adding a sponsor into the mix of deliberating and conversing on new ideas, will allow the company to open their opportunities to outsiders, which might bring innovative and creative ideas.
There are many reasons and tips for brainstorming on the web, however once a third party joins the conversations, companies can increase their opportunity to identify better strategies for all areas. Brainstorming is a great method of finding problem areas with solutions.
Brainstorming is a great connecting tool for lifetime sponsors. The major sponsor will be allowed to raise questions and add sponsorship activities to the table. Both parties will be allowed to create an event together. This will include determining the sponsor goals and event hashtags.
Examples of Great Sponsorship Activations
There are many examples of companies promoting a conference in the business world. Companies can use the examples that all sports teams use. These businesses use sponsorships as a tool to advertise, broaden their reach and attract business through the simple process of sponsorship.
FAQs
What are Examples of Sponsorship Income?
Sponsorship income refers to financial gain that is paid into the company account for allowing sponsorship or advertisement through the company. This income is directly linked to the payment from a sponsor to access specific benefits or provide financial capital for support from the organization.
What is an Example of Leveraging Sponsorship?
A company can sponsor a team or an event to ensure that the audience or attendees can identify their presence at the conference. This will allow them to be in front of the minds of attendees. In other words, when the attendees think of a problem that occurs, the company will be the first to pop up due to its presence at events. The company is leveraging presence and visibility for the loss of finances.
What are the Six Elements of Sponsorship?
First and foremost the company must identify an event and their target audience. After this has been determined the business can identify whether sponsorship is needed, and what type of sponsor will be best suited. The business can identify key role players that will assist them in achieving their goals through sponsorship. Lastly, the company can look for social proof and reasons why a sponsor is a good option and provide them with contracts and guidelines as to how the process will work.
Final Considerations
Sponsorship activation is a great tool to use. Companies can ensure that other sponsors will follow their guidelines and rules. Both parties will obtain the benefits of the marketing and social strategies.
Sponsorships can increase a company’s reach and audience. The negative can occur when companies hurt their brand, by connecting and allowing certain sponsors that do not follow any guidelines and rules. Thus being tentative and processing all potential sponsor candidates are crucial. Companies must only work with sponsorships that have similar goals and ideas as the business itself.
