2. Successful Sponsorships
Patrick Moriarty
Director of Training and Development
Our Community
(www.ourcommunity.com.au)

3. Sponsorship is NOT a donation
it is a mutually beneficial relationship

4. Your aim – to get a major sponsor for
Australia Day 2014 in your community?

5. Who was the major sponsor for
Australia Day last year?

9. As a business why would I sponsor
your Australia Day event?.....
If you can’t think of a compelling
reason – don’t ask!!
Maybe grants/donations might be
better

10. Australia Day is many things to many people….and to
business it may simply be the pleasure of being involved
but for many it will be about what business opportunities
can be created and
how will that make my till ring!
Major corporate partners may want the exposure and the
connection of their brand to your event – i.e. positioning
their brand in the community – but even they will want to
know that they are getting value for money.

11. Australia Day is the nation’s largest community celebration, with 93% of Australians
considering January 26 our most important national day on the calendar.
On Australia Day we come together as a nation to celebrate what's great about
Australia and being Australian. It's the day to reflect on what we have achieved and
what we can be proud of in our great nation. It's the day for us to re-commit to making
Australia an even better place for the future.
On Australia Day, over 14.5 million Australians attended either an organised
community event, or celebrated together with family and friends. Yet Australia Day is
much more than barbeques and fireworks.
It is more than another public holiday. It is more than the pride and excitement of new
citizens who call themselves Australian for the first time on 26 January after being
conferred citizenship.
At its core, Australia Day is a day driven by communities, and the celebrations
held in each town, suburb or city – unified by the celebration of what’s great
about Australia and being Australian – are the foundation of its ongoing success.

12. This is not the
end – this is
really the
beginning –
now you
MUST deliver

13. Step One – clarity around what it is you want and what
you can deliver
What services, resources, money, goods, abilities or
opportunities does want or need from a relationship?
and
What can you give in return to make the arrangement
attractive to a prospective partner?

14. Do Your Homework
• The more you can find out about potential partners, the
better
• Saves time and energy
• They will be doing their homework on you – make
sure your website and other public material is up to
date
• Look for natural fit – some community organisations and
businesses are made for each other
• Obvious shared vision, shared market, shared interests,
sometimes a shared need

17. Who do they partner with now?
• Looking at your target’s existing sponsorships will give you a
good idea of whether you will be compatible.
• Is your target already in sponsoring similar?
• Do you respect the other organisations they support?
• Will you be in competition with the other partners?
• Can the current partners offer the business something you
can’t?
• Is there something special you can offer that their other
partners can’t?

19. Values Match
• This is one of the most critical aspects of any partnership –
business or personal
• It is impossible to have a genuine sponsorship with an
organisation with incompatible values.
• Look at the public vision and values statement
• Look at past conduct and how they addressed issues
• Be careful how you use this information - never think that you
can hold a business to ransom by offering a partnership as a
way to ease their conscience or improve their reputation on a
contentious issue

20. Fit’ is essential for a company considering a sponsorship. You
need to identify possible link/s between the work and focus of
the company and your planned Australia Day events.
For example, links could be: health; wellbeing; quality; local
produce; community welfare; supporting youth; serving a
specific section of the community for years.
These days look at Facebook – Twitter – what they are saying
and what others are saying about them

22. Make It Easy For Them
Find out their business drivers for partnership
• The drivers for the decision makers can be very different to
what the business will present publically.
• Could be:
• New customer market? WA firm moving East
• New Market Segment? Youth
• Branding opportunity? Australian Positioning
• Reputation? YOU OWN AUSTRALIA DAY
• A chance for the new CEO or Managing Director to build
his public profile?
• If your organisation can deliver it, then make sure you
include it in your proposal pitch

23. Make It Easy For Them
Give them plenty of time
• Don’t approach a business with a tight turnaround time for a decision or
at their peak season(s).
• Understand and respect their deadlines and processes for approval and
be flexible. The more flexible you can be the more appealing you will be
as a partner.
• If you get to the negotiation phase, jointly set some ground rules around
deadlines and reasonable expectations, but when you are wooing a
partner, try and be accommodating.

24. Negotiating and Planning
Roles and Responsibilities
•Determine who is responsible for what in each organisation.
•Establish the sponsorship leads from the word go – key contacts
•There will be many people within each organisation who may have a role -
media and communication, finances, volunteer coordination, event
management etc.
• Always include the heads of organisation when determining roles and
responsibilities – need to be fully aware and involved in the partnership as
spokespeople if nothing more.

25. Document, Document, Document
Formal
For many businesses this is a legal requirement
• Can be audited
• Taxation records
• Internal financial approvals
Informal
• Follow-up note or email after meeting (minutes)

26. Document, Document, Document
Bare Minimum
• Sponsorship agreement
• Minutes of meetings
• Media and communications plan
• Financial and progress reports
• Measurements

27. Communication
• Should be a no-brainer, but communication is an incredibly neglected
area of sponsorship
• Breakdown in communication leads to a breakdown in the relationship
• Basic rule – always communicate as you would like to be
communicated with – the how, the what, the why

28. Communication
• If you think they might need to know, then they DO need to know
• Consider contemplation a green light for communication
• Heads-ups
• Keep everyone on the same page
• No surprises!!!

29. Maintain the love
• Say thank you
• Updates – let your partner know how the relationship is going, but also
how the event is going
• Special invitations – create a special role for your partner. Don’t burn
them out.
• Your newsletter/media
• Visits and tours (set ups)

30. Maintain the love
• Say thank you
• Updates – let your partner know how the relationship is going, but also
how the event is going
• Special invitations – create a special role for your partner. Don’t burn
them out.
• Your newsletter/media
• Visits and tours (set ups)

31. Tell the world and celebrate
• Letters to the Editor
• Media releases and photo opportunities
• Your newsletter
• Your website
• Their newsletter
• Their website
• Presentations to employees
• Letters to stakeholders
• Letters to local Members
• Morning/afternoon tea
Ask your sponsor who they want you to tell and how

32. Stand By Your Mates
External Problems
• Both partners are susceptible to problems – financial, bad media,
changing leadership
• Understanding these problems, and supporting your sponsor
appropriately, is crucial
• You are under no obligation to support your sponsor if they have done
something immoral, illegal, or in opposition to the values and intent of
the agreement
• If this happens it’s time to review the viability

33. I won’t say Good Luck – I’ll say Good
Planning
Thank You
Any Questions?