Last week we learned that a Dallas/Irving landmark, Texas Stadium, will be demolished sometime this spring. Okay, so a notable stadium is coming down—we’ve known this for a while now. The twist to this story is that the City of Irving has sold sponsorship rights of the demolition to Kraft Foods.
The sponsorship includes fees to be paid to the city of Irving as well as Kraft food products to be distributed to local charities. In addition, Kraft is sponsoring a nationwide essay contest for children where the winner will be the one to push the big button that detonates the former home of the Dallas Cowboys. Can you imagine the goodwill (and GOOD) that will be generated by this sponsorship?
Sponsoring events, big or small, can be an excellent way to help an organization and gain attention in the media, all while raising brand awareness in the marketplace. Depending on the goal of a sponsorship, this can have significant impact on your bottom line as well.
The first step is looking for events that you support and believe in. Also, consider if they have the target market of which you wish to get your name in front of. Go ahead and make a list. Where does your target market spend their time? What events do they attend/participate in? Which local sports teams do they support?
After you’ve made your list, begin by making contact with the organization see what opportunities are available. After you’ve worked out details of your sponsorship, whether it is monetary or trade-out, make your sponsorship known. Remember, it’s not about the event putting your name out there. It’s also you putting the event out there.
SRJ Marketing Communications not only sponsors local organizations, but we work with clients to help them achieve the most out of sponsorships. If you have any questions about whether or not sponsorship is right for you, I’d be happy to talk with you and provide you with insight.