Quad riding and racing is an expensive pastime and the facts are if you own an ATV of any type you're doing well, that said if we can get someone else to pay for it, even some of it, it could be a whole lot better.

Lets face it, getting sponsored in our relatively small sport is going to be hard - hard but not impossible. We hear about "business plans" and "proposals" but what is a business plan? What do we put in a proposal?

SPONSORSHIP IS ADVERTISING

Sports sponsorship is advertising plain and simple, just like radio, TV, print and bill boards........if you approach sponsorship as advertising in a purely business manner you can get sponsored.

Companies advertise to "inform" us of their products existence and qualities. It doesn't matter if its Elka or Holden, it's up to each company to decide what form of advertising will give them the best value for money. If a company thinks sponsoring a sports person or team represents better value for money than another form of advertising they will do it.

WHAT DO THEY WANT, WHAT HAVE YOU GOT

Forget all the fluff and hype you hear about sponsorship, if you want to get sponsored you are trying to sell advertising. You need to be a salesperson. You need to understand what they want and what you have to offer.

It's also important to understand that a sponsorship proposal is about what you will do for a sponsor NOT what you want from them. A sponsor really doesn't care what you want they are only interested in what they will get out of the deal.

IF YOU USE IT, YOU ENDORSE IT

One of the ways companies advertise products is through celebrity endorsements. Dick Johnson is a famous and successful racing car driver, if Dick Johnson says Dunlop tyres are good, they are good. If the fastest quad rider in the land rides a Honda, then Honda must be the fastest..........I know I'm oversimplifying it but you get my drift.

In short the celebrity has credibility, that credibility will sell products and that has a value.

Seeing though we all can't be the fastest quad riders in the land or a famous racing car drivers like Dick Johnson I guess we mere mortals are all stuffed......Not so; credibility is what has the value and you don't have to win to have that. Credibility is the key and it can take many forms. Eg: You may not be a winner but you do run a professional team and act in a professional manner.

THE BEST LOOKIN' BILLBOARD IN TOWN

Sponsorship doesn't have to mean "celebrity endorsement" sometimes it takes the form of a "billboard". Billboard advertising doesn't have to be a big sign on the side of the road, it can be plastered down the side of a truck, up in the air on the side of a blimp or screaming across the TV screen on the side of a racing car......or quad.

Stickers of different brands all over your quad or even one big sticker of one brand is billboard advertising and it does have a dollar value to someone even if it's very small.

The public would rather look at a truck, blimp, racing car or quad than a sign on the side of the road and advertisers know it.....BUT........If that is true the why do companies do it? Because it's cheap and a lot of people see that sign on the side of the road.

If credibility is the key to endorsement, then "audience" is the key to billboard. The audience is what give the value to your billboard. How many people will see your billboard and who are they.

THE PACKAGE

Advertisers want value for money, advertisers love a "package deal" eg: I will give you an endorsement and a billboard all for the low price of.......this is the focus of your proposal. You must package all of the reasons why someone would give you money in to one all convincing argument.

THE NUMBERS

There is no use in pulling numbers out of your bum, you need to demonstrate that what you are proposing represents good value to the advertiser. To do that you need to compare your proposal to the competition. A potential sponsor will compare your proposal to the competition. They will ask themselves "does this proposal give me the best value for my advertising dollar?"

If a company advertises in a magazine or newspaper and it costs $5k, can your proposal give that advertiser better value than that. You need to prove that $5k spent with you is better than $5k spent with any one else. All of the numbers and values are out there, you can call the newspaper and request how much yourself, some publish it on-line. The point is the facts and figures are out there - it's hard to argue against fact, use them.

THE PROPOSAL

A magazine or newspaper will present their own good case for advertisers to spend their hard earned cash eg: "we sell thousands of magazines and if you advertise with us thousands of people will see your commercial".

Your proposal needs to highlight your strengths and demonstrate your competitions weaknesses.

"Why would you spend $5k on one print advertisement, on one page, in one newspaper, on one day, in one city, when you can give $5k to me and I'll advertise your product for a whole year?".........when you put it like that a potential sponsor has to listen.

If you put it all together you can present a pretty powerful argument. There are thousands of companies out there with huge marketing budgets. It really doesn't matter what they sell or who they are, they all have to advertise somewhere.

Very Simple Image Gallery:
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