Sponsorship –- Evaluating the Benefits
Pippa Collett
October 2007 at Lensbury Club
We had a small but motivated audience to listen to Pippa Collett talk to us about sponsorship. After a slightly slow start waiting for stragglers while enjoying the magnificent buffet provided, Pippa introduced us to some definitions of sponsorship. She then detailed some of the sponsorship process, which she described in four main areas:
- Strategy
- Planning
- Execution, and
- Review
She then talked us through the notion of "consideration" which involves using items other than cash to "pay for" sponsorship. This can include aspects such as value in kind (e.g. personnel or administrative resources) marketing (e.g. database, communications, introductions) or enhanced visitor experience.
Pippa talked us through the many pitfalls of choosing the "wrong" sponsorship package. Examples of these include:
- Poor link between company target market and property audience
- Sponsorship inappropriate to stage in brand/company lifecycle
- Lack of clear objectives
Using her examples from her time at Shell, where she was involved in their sponsorship of McLarens Formula One team, she explained the need for careful co-ordination in high profile sponsorship cases with multiple sponsors.
Finally, Pippa gave us some examples of how to evaluate sponsorship and ensure that the results meet the necessary sponsorship objectives. She used the example of the Athens Olympics in 2004 to illustrate this.
There was a lively discussion from the floor throughout Pippa's talk and
delegates appeared to enjoy the evening. This was confirmed by the feedback
received via the feedback forms.
Rosemary Morgan January 2008