A football kit sponsorship means a substantial investment by a sponsor in favor of your team. Any form of sponsorship can take your football game to the next level. Consider the financial benefit especially in an economy where football may not be a priority.
Governments allocate meager resources to football teams and transparency and accountability of football associations compound the problem. Furthermore, the football scene has hundreds of teams from the grassroots level to the international leagues competing for sponsorship. This is how to clinch a football kit sponsorship deal.
The Value of a Football Kit Sponsorship
Football kit sponsorships bring in lucrative benefits that change the tide for a team. Players often get low pay in return for their unfailing passion for this popular game can earn more. Other perks like the following depend on the age of players and their professional level:
• Education scholarships for top and needy players
• Better visibility for the team
• Extra funds to purchase resources like tracksuits, balls, nets and team’s vehicles
• Access to professional coaches
How to Identify Prospective Sponsors
As you lay down your sponsor hunting strategies, knowing your target prospects should rank high on your plan. While performing your due diligence settle for companies that can carry the sponsorship deal to its culmination.
Confirming the financial health of your target benefactor is paramount when prospecting. Pitching to a financially unstable company or one with integrity issues will prove a waste of the team’s time and resources in the end.
You can send your proposals to individuals and companies like the following:
• Enterprises operating within your team’s base area
• Health and fitness companies that deal with sports’ related services and products
• Franchise companies with clout in the sports’ world
• Start-ups that need exposure
• Government departments offering sports grants and sponsorships
• Family and friends who own businesses
• Online based enterprises with an offline presence like Onlinecasinosports.com
How to Reach Out to Potential Football Kit Sponsors
If no company has approached your team yet, consider drafting a sponsorship proposal letter to drive your sponsor seeking campaign.
• Identify the contact person
Do not address your dealership concerns to your target company’s receptionist. Instead, target the management personnel of the company such as the directors. This will require you to do due diligence on the company, and possibly explore your connections that can help you reach the right person in the company.
• Draft formal correspondence
Despite the informal nature of football, any official communication with a potential sponsor must be formal and professional. Create a formal contract, preferably with the company’s logo. The contract should answer an obvious question from a potential sponsor: what’s in it for me?
A formal contract will capture what you are willing to offer, and what you expect of the sponsor. It will also protect your agreement in case your benefactor thinks of opting out of the deal before its completion. This comes handy in solidifying any verbal promises made by the sponsor.
• Include a comprehensive proposal letter
In addition to the formal contract, attach a letter introducing the team and giving a brief on the team’s history. The letter should highlight the team’s vision and achievements. This will substantiate your written reasons for your need for the company’s support. This formal letter forms an initial step of recorded contact with your sponsor, so give it your best shot.
• Set up an appointment
Even though we live in the digital era, using emails and cold calling to seek out prospective sponsors must not happen. Companies receive numerous notes of such a nature and yours, just like the rest, will end up in the spam folder and straight to the bin.
Never underrate the power of human interaction in the sports world. So, find out the company’s location and visit in person to set an appointment and to pitch your sponsorship proposal.
• Connect on social media
The masses that comprise your ardent fans keep your social media pages active. You can leverage these platforms to reach out to sponsors you wish to impress and to break the ice. Furthermore, a sponsor hopes to gain advertising mileage from your football kits. The marketing team especially for a sports’ related company, will see great possibilities from the many likes and followers on your social media pages.
• Design a sample football kit
To weigh in on your proposal, you can design a sample of a football kit integrating the benefactor’s logo and brand colors. Remember that a football kit sponsorship does not necessarily mean a new wardrobe for the team. It means you have kit space on sale. You can bank on your team’s popularity to merchandize by offer advertising space on your kits to companies for a fee.
Final Take
With determination, professionalism, and good business sense, you can spice your football kit sponsorship proposal and get your team the support it deserves.