Chapter 9
Section II Sponsorship Preparation Questions
In this section, we discuss the significant visibility the Olympics has and brings to corporate sponsors. Given the size of the global stage, sports sponsorship marketers must approach their planning and preparation differently than a conventional marketing campaign. While the duration of the Games is a little more than two weeks, the sheer enormity of the spectacle and the variety of events create the potential for unprecedented exposure. Questions to address:
(These questions apply to both TV and in-venue considerations.)
1. What do we want the world to know about us?
a. Identify two or three key must-haves and ignore the rest.
2. What do we want the world to see?
a. What are the signage limitations in our sponsorship agreement?
b. What is our plan for signage?
c. What is the enduring image we want people to remember?
3. How do we leverage media relationships?
a. Who do we know at the major broadcasters, and can they help us?
b. What media kits do we need to provide? What should the content be?
4. Are there conflicting or competing sponsorship agreements that may hinder or inhibit the visibility of our brand (such as official Olympic apparel versus the athlete’s individual apparel sponsorship)?
a. How do we address any potential conflicts?
b. What do we tell our athletes? The IOC?
5. Are there any partnerships we want to highlight during the Games, either via marketing communications or through providing equipment and supplies?
a. What is the best way to promote this partnership without diluting our brand?
6. What is the perception of the sports event?
Long-Term
1. What is the market position we want to own, and how will this sports event help us get there?
a. What do we consider a reasonable long-term time horizon?
b. What checkpoints do we need to determine if we are staying on track?
2. What are our awareness objectives, both qualitatively and quantitatively?
3. What are our long-term market growth objectives?
a. Market share?
b. Revenue?
c. Profits?
d. Number of customers?
e. Customer loyalty measures?
1. What are the product tactics we want to implement?
a. Existing or new products? Both?
b. New features?
2. What are the short-term market growth objectives?
a. Increase customer usage?
b. Steal customers from competitors?
c. Identify new segments?
Overcoming the Odds and Dealing with Surprises
1. Do you have a plan for supporting serendipitous events that may benefit your company (e.g., an athlete you sponsor wins gold, defeating the heavily favored winner)?
a. How will you handle increased demand?
b. Who is accountable for taking proper advantage of good news situations?
c. Are roles clearly understood?
d. Which people are assigned responsibility for keeping attention focused on the opportunity?
2. Can you leverage the situation to benefit your company, even though you are not affiliated with the athlete or team in the surprising situation?
a. If so, can you do so genuinely, or will you risk turning off customers?
b. Who else needs to or should be involved?
3. What will you do to celebrate this success with:
a. Employees?
b. Customers?
c. Stakeholders?
d. The market?
4. How would you prevent this from turning negative?
a. Do you have a plan for avoiding overcommercialization?
b. What if your athlete performs below expectations?
c. If tragedy strikes, how would you handle it?
5. What performance incentives might enhance your sponsorship?
a. Will you continue to support an athlete and/or an event and honor your contract, even if they do not achieve success?