RETAINING & ENGAGING SPONSORS
When preparing your Pink October event, finding sponsors is an important step. Depending on your strategy, this partnership can reduce the cost of the jersey for the players and for the club. The process isn't always easy, and there's stiff competition between clubs and sports to attract a company's sponsorship. Here are a few keys to securing the loyalty and commitment of sponsors for the Pink October project!
How do you approach a company? ?
The easiest and most obvious way is through a club member within a company. You'll find a sympathetic ear who will take your message to the right person with conviction and credibility. Getting in touch with local companies reinforces your approach, because companies are sensitive to their territory and want to bring it to life. Next, you'll need to spread the word about your project: word of mouth and networking are still the best way to find a partner for your project. When you approach a company, you'll have two trump cards to play: women's sports and Pink October. The former is a fast-growing sector with great potential. Additionally, its values are different from those of men's sports: some companies no longer support men's sports because they don't see themselves in them, whereas women's sports have more positive ethics. As for Pink October, it offers a different entry point for those who don't particularly want to get involved in sports. Through social action in the local area, the project fits in perfectly with a company's CSR project. Also, the subject of breast cancer is universal: everyone knows someone affected by the disease, so they understand the reasoning for the cause. .
What can you offer your potential sponsor?
Meeting your CSR objectives through social action in the field is the first answer.
The second is visibility. Whatever the size of your club, this action has a strong impact on your territory. The communication you create around the project will generate considerable interest among your local media, who are very keen on this type of information. The jersey also brings great visibility, as it has a much longer lifespan than any other tool you can offer.
The jerseys are worn by the players for many years at training sessions and by the fans at matches.
"At every training session, there's always at least one player in the group wearing a pink October jersey. When I go out in the street, I always come across a child wearing a jersey to go and play with his friends. In school sports lessons, it's their favorite outfit", says Mélodie.
There are several reasons for this. One is the lifestyle aspect of the jersey, working for both everyday life and for sports. A second is the embodiment of the club through the jersey. Your fans and players have the opportunity to own a special edition of a branded club jersey. They can all see themselves in the jersey and share their love of the club. The jersey serves both to show your attachment to the club and to support the Pink October cause.
Concrete actions to implicate sponsors
You know who to approach to propose the Pink October project and you know the arguments to convince them to participate. Now, what can you offer? Visibility is great and all, but sponsors expect more from clubs now. This is why you're proposing a Pink October project, to provide a different kind of input. You can propose concrete actions to your potential sponsor. They can kick off the match and be in the spotlight of both fans and media at games. Either on their premises or by involving their employees/equipment, you should include the sponsor in the photo shoot to present the jersey. It's becoming increasingly common for amateur clubs to offer highly creative photo shoots as the media and the fans love it. After all, this Pink October event is also an opportunity for you to think outside the box and let your creativity shine through. So, why not have fun and do it with the sponsors! Last but not least, you can invite sponsors to take part in the presentation of team shirts and/or the presentation of a check to the partner association.
We are here for helping you!
For a sponsor, several questions will emerge: on how many teams will they be visible? What is your sales target? (Don't panic, ALKE has 5 years' worth of sales data for several club sizes, so you can get estimates.) Where should the company logo be placed? (sleeve, back, front) There's no universal answer, but ALKE can advise you according to your jersey and your needs.
Any questions ? Contact-us !
