The Right Sponsor for Our Group? Group Sponsorship Rules of Engagement, Part I

The two questions we get most often at Groupable are, “Who is our perfect sponsor?”, and “What do sponsors want?” It’s a little different in the group sponsorship world, but there are some basic tenets that extend from the event sponsor model.

Does the sponsor you want, really need what you’re offering? That stamp-collecting club in Pittsfield REALLY IS filled with ‘cool’ guys, but is it the kind of ‘cool’ that Nike is looking to attract?

I. Be Realistic about Your Sponsorship Goals - Target-market Matching

We at Groupable believe, that for every group, there is an ideal sponsor AND that every group is the perfect target market for some brand or local advertiser. We’ve seen some perfectly matched groups and sponsors find each other at Groupable to prove that out. But just because you WANT Apple to sponsor your every activity doesn’t mean that they should.

II. Be Clear about What You’re Offering to the Sponsor

A website banner, two marbles and some bits of string ain’t gettin’ it done these days. In the group sponsorship world, each group member is a passionate advocate of your brand. Because this relationship is based on trust, not a signed contract, there are no guarantees of brand love. But, if there’s love, it’s bound to be genuine. At Groupable, make it a part of the equation that group members should blog about the sponsor’s product, about how the sponsor listenened to you when you were a lone group in the wild.

Now, who is the perfect sponsor for the Cincinnati Broomball Association? We know you’re out there. It’s only a matter of time.

Broomball Faceoff