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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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Rethinking The Effectiveness Of Promotional Giveaways

Promotional giveaways have been around for decades. Memories are etched in the minds of many adults in the United States, who think back to their first baseball game experiences at Bat Day, where 50,000 people held their free bats over their heads when the name of the promotional sponsor was announced over the public address system. But does it really matter to event attendees who sponsors or underwrites a promotional giveaway? Property-side management will argue that many fans keep their giveaway items, and sometimes display them prominently, for years. Oftentimes, even if these trinkets are considered memorabilia, the logo of the promotional partner is an afterthought to the fan or attendee.

So why all of a sudden do we think that promotional giveaways present little value to sponsors. Primarily because promotional items have little or nothing to do with the sponsor's brand, rarely drive revenue, and don't particularly engage the fan. Many properties and some sponsors might contend that a promotional item is a reward for fans' loyalty to the team or event, and thus, creates affinity between the fans and the sponsor of the giveaway items. But if you really want to give something back to the fan, wouldn't you want to be the provider or funder of unique, memorable experiences or activities that affect purchase behavior?

A major challenge for sponsors is that those who actually receive the promotional items may not be part of their target audiences. If you're a financial services company and the giveaway item you sponsor is distributed to fans 14 and under, you will likely realize a negative return on your investment. If you expect the promotional item to prompt these kids to buy high-involvement financial services and investment products from your company a decade later (when they actually have the means and funds available to be a profitable customer), you are going to be seriously disappointed. For now, you'll have to settle for a handful of new savings accounts - if you're lucky.

The biggest challenge posed by promotional items is that they rarely have any connection to the sponsor's products or services, and don't convey anything related to the sponsor's brand. Banks sponsor low-quality vinyl beverage coolers, insurance companies underwrite beach towels, and ice cream marketers pay to have their logos placed on hockey stick key chains. In other words, there is no rhyme or reason behind these promotions.

Finally, promotional giveaways present a one-time hit for sponsors who do not have significant, integrated relationships with properties. The result is a fleeting connection to the property and virtually no opportunity to cultivate relationships with fans.