A note to sponsored property and sponsoring companies

* sponsored property: athletes, coaches, events, etc

* sponsoring companies: companies that acquire sponsoring rights to a property through a contract with the “rights holder”. I am especially addressing the small, almost amateur companies who can’t even afford a marketing department

  1. Companies: you really need to learn the difference between sponsored property, salesperson, rightsholder and other participants on the corporate communication and sales processes. Distributing discount codes to sponsored property makes me cringe in disgust: it is not only bad practice. You are throwing down the drain years of solid and effective knowlege in marketing and corporate economy
  2. Athletes: I am sure you can count. Please calculate the price of a couple of pots of whey protein. Then calculate the value of one facebook post, one IG post, etc (there are tables for that according to your “influence indicator”). Then calculate the amount of time you spend working for your pseudo-sponsor versus the price of your work-hour. Do I need to keep going?
  3. Athletes: small and medium-size good companies can make a difference. They certainly don’t have the resources to keep sponsored athletes. As a consultant, I would advise them NOT TO. They will get much better results sponsoring events and non-profits. But you can make a difference in the sports and fitness world by supporting them. Share an update, write something nice. It means a lot and you are doing the opposite of those who accept to spam the web with a pseudo-sponsor’s media for peanuts (or peanut butter whey).
  4. Companies: if your property is spamming the web, posting comments on important articles showing they obviously didn’t read anything, if they show total lack of concern for other people’s work, do you know what this means to your brand? You are losing value! Yes: you have associated your brand to commercial malpractice and disonest social media behavior. On the long run, not only you will lose money, but you will lose credibility.

I know what I am talking about. I have researched this. Follow my advice if you want. I don’t really care: I only give thorough free advice to the companies I CHOSE (because I have chosen to occupy this role in the sports economy world: I WILL SPONSOR, not vice-versa). Reason: because I (and many other colleagues) have the tools to identify the best. I only chose to employ these tools.

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