Pledge Sports

A Perfect Pairing

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We’ve blogged about commercial sponsorship being a viable and worthwhile strategy for local businesses. It was detailed how sponsorship is not just a marketing activity reserved for large industry leaders but a feasible and advantageous marketing strategy for small/medium businesses too. It was noted how sponsorship at this level can offer a host of business opportunities such as increased exposure, better customer engagement, improved brand loyalty, enhanced online presence, to name a few.

The Right Fit

The key to really making the most out of these benefits is all about the “fit”. In order for any kind of sponsorship endeavour to succeed and be mutually beneficial for both parties, there must be relevance. A common strand that connects the sponsor to the sponsored party. A point of interest that makes sense and which sends a clear message to a defined, precise, target market. For example, Nike and Tiger Woods. This makes perfect sense and needs no explanation. A sporting brand giant and an international golfing superstar. Nike is appealing to golf fans all over the world by teaming up with Woods. That is a well known example to illustrate the importance of linking the right sponsor to the right party.

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This same rule applies to small/medium business sponsorship. Connecting the right entities is invariably the most important aspect to take into consideration, regardless of the level of sponsorship. Former PledgeSports tennis player Amy Bowtell received sponsorship from popular travel website GoHop.ie. This is a perfect match. Tennis players have to travel all over the world to compete in international tournaments. This is of benefit to GoHop.ie as Amy is Ireland’s no.1 tennis player. She plays in Challenger matches all over the world. This offers GoHop.ie the opportunity to boost their brand awareness and gain exposure on the world stage.

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Fellow tennis player, GB’s Jonny O’Mara also received corporate sponsorship from Scottish based Good Natured. Good Natured specialises in organic, pesticide free strawberries. Again, another symbiotic union. Diet and nutrition is a significant part of an athletes lifestyle and Good Natured becomes associated with an up and coming athlete. As Jonny was based in Scotland, it also represents a perfect example of local sponsorship.

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Community Social Responsibility

While the aforementioned “fit” of sponsorship is of utmost importance, local sponsorship is hugely significant also. The support of a local business can be hugely meaningful to an athlete, team or club. Currently, the LLandudno FC’s U10’s football team is being sponsored by local Welsh recruitment agency, Atebion Recruitment. This is a prime display of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), at a grassroots level. This allows local companies to get involved in their locality and give back to their community, a worthwhile venture for every business. This show of local investment can be really encouraging for a local sportsperson knowing that they have the backing of their communities.

PledgeSports has a variety of athletes in search of sponsorship. If your company wants to get involved, get in touch: info@pledgesports.org