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Implementation Planning

• Identifying Appropriate Athlete Endorsers
• Expecting Proper Levels of Sponsorship Service
• Implementing Effective Hospitality Strategies
• Integrating Community Relations into Sponsorship
• Planning And Scheduling Around A Sponsorship
• Rethinking The Effectiveness Of Promotional Giveaways
• Using Intangible Assets
• Using Sponsorship to Market Luxury Brands
• Activating Sponsorship through the Web
• Falling For Price Escalators
• Generating Direct Revenue From Sponsorships
• Activating Golf Sponsorship Successfully

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Identifying Appropriate Athlete Endorsers

here are a number of types of athlete relationships available to corporate marketers, but you first need to clarify your marketing objectives in order to determine your relationship tactics. Are you seeking to increase awareness of a new product or service among existing customers or are you looking to reach a new target audience? Perhaps you're looking to impact sales relationships at hospitality programs or customer events. Or maybe you want to gain brand credibility and make an emotional connection with your audience. Answers to these questions will determine whether your needs include a superstar athlete with international appeal or a retired athlete with limited appeal in a local market.

There are certainly great advantages to athlete relationships. Brands can generate customer loyalty in a marketplace of similarly priced, sometimes indistinguishable products. You can also emphasize brand dimensions by transmitting the athlete's personality traits. The brand can also experience significant press coverage through a newsworthy, relevant athlete.

The risks associated with endorsement are just as great in number as the advantages. Many athletes have short-term impact, inappropriate or illegal activities can attract negative publicity or even damage a brand's image, the athlete's other endorsements may damage a brand's credibility, and in some cases the athlete may overshadow a brand.

The risks associated with aligning with athletes increase significantly as the depth and breadth of the relationship grows. Risks are obviously limited if an athlete is utilized to entertain customers in a suite for a single game. However, presenting an athlete to millions of people as the centerpiece of a brand campaign exposes your brand to increased risk. No matter what your objectives are, you should partner with athletes who display the following necessary credibility factors.

The closer the alignment between your brand and the athlete, the more important these factors become:

• Expertise (competence and accomplishment)
• Trustworthiness
• Appealing and personable
• Composure
• Inspiring
• Appealing to specific target audiences
• Positive and consistent exposure
• Availability and accessibility
• Fit between athlete/image and product/brand

Through an athlete with high credibility, it's much easier to alter brand perception and purchase intent, a perfect example of which is the relationship between Nike and Tiger Woods. Woods dominates the PGA Tour using Nike products; provides inspiration to children, minorities and frustrated golfers; receives the most coverage on PGA telecasts and frequent coverage in the general media; and has a foundation, raises funds for causes, and is eloquent. As a result of the relationship and Woods' fulfillment of the credibility factors through the above-mentioned examples, Nike went from a non-factor in the golf world to a top seller and well-respected brand among golfers in just a few years.