"Making the Tour" Posts from the Pete Dye Classic

Day 4: Wednesday

Still going strong here at the National Mining Association Pete Dye Classic and we haven’t even begun the rounds of championship golf.

On the day of the second Pro-Am today’s discussion is all about customer satisfaction. Time to talk about sponsorship.

Successful sponsorship involves leveraging the power of a brand combined with the sponsored event or property that creates impact with the brand owners’ target audience in an experiential and measurable way. Those activities/events capable of being sponsored are commonly referred to as ‘properties’.

Such sponsorship may be an investment in cash or in kind activity, in return for access to the commercial or goodwill potential associated with that activity (yielding a favorable return for the sponsor). Sports, education, arts, and community events generate both passion and excitement and the hearts and minds of the public can be captured by these events in a very positive manner.

A marketing genius somewhere once wrote what I think is the best way to determine properties worthy of sponsorship - SMART objectives. SMART objectives are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Results-oriented and Time bound. If the property meets these criteria, it’s worthy of consideration.

But remember, your job is not done once you’ve landed that sponsor. Rather, it’s just beginning. Providing good service after the sale and meeting the needs of the sponsor are of great importance – especially if you’re hoping for a renewal.

As you begin your ‘service after the sale,’ consider the following:

-Manage the ‘Property’ as perfectly as possible
-Maintain a good reputation with the sponsors
-Strengthen the relationship with the sponsors
-Demonstrate the event’s strong future
-Demonstrate ability to market the event up to, through and after the event
-Keep the sponsor happy

Do this and your event will be an even bigger success.