The Ultimate List of Benefits Athletes Can Offer Sponsors

Looking for ideas on what to offer your sponsors? Here's our ultimate list of sponsor benefits to help you provide your sponsors with real, tangible value.

How to identify what you'll offer sponsors

The most important aspect of sponsorship is creating a mutually beneficial relationship, which means that you need to give sponsors commercial benefits that drive customers in their direction (and to be blunt, increase their profits!)

Being great at your sport just isn’t enough. You might be surprised to find out that your results on the sporting field actually don’t play that big a part in your role as a sponsored athlete. 

Things like an increased audience through media, target market reach through your social media channels, and direct promotion of products through your participation in events are all hugely beneficial to your sponsors.

• Identify professional skills: public speaking, entertaining, coaching, in-house training/workshops 
• Identify personal skills: Are you good at communicating, have you overcome adversity, do you have skills that have helped you achieve your goals? 
• Identify network /audience opportunities: Who is your audience, What do they like, How do they spend their money, what do they value, what influence can/do you have on them 
• Identify media opportunities 
• Look at your social media network (don’t forget it grows each time you get another sponsor on board!) and what you can offer sponsors…..are you part of any big groups online, or perhaps you already have a strong following yourself! 
• Look beyond sport………it’s about BUSINESS! 

Here are some ideas to get you started it

• Get creative with branding….think beyond just logos…how can you integrate products, services etc into your social media, apparel, equipment etc 
• Trade your professional skills i.e. training, writing…anything of value! 
• Offer your sponsors a 5 minute presentation opportunity at your event 
• Provide networking opportunities for your sponsors 
• Offer a training workshop or motivation session 
• Internet-related benefits such as content for the sponsor website 
• Provision of ‘web events’ created especially such as chat with ‘talent’ 
• Promotion or contest on your website 
• Naming rights to an event or challenge 
• Choice of charity partner (one off or ongoing) 
• Send regular newsletters that can be redistributed 
• Offer to send information to your database i.e. competitions, promotions etc 
• Input into choice of venue, route or timing for an event 
• Choice of sponsor venue for launch, main event or supporting event 
• On-site product sampling opportunities 
• Get creative with recipes using your sponsored nutrition i.e smoothies and share on your social media platforms 
• Use of logos, images or trademarks on website, social media platforms 
• Use of logos on all stationary marketing material 
• Offering a presentation to the sponsor after the event/activity 
• Inviting sponsors to attend media interviews 
• Product endorsement in public speaking activities 
• Demonstration or display opportunities 
• Hospitality – tickets to the event, tickets to corporate boxes, reserved seating etc 
• Introductions to team/club/organisation members 
• Invitation to attend special events i.e. award presentations 
• Arrange online training activities i.e. monthly fitness tips or healthy recipes 
• Database marketing – access to event-generated database for direct mailing 
• Opportunity to provide content in marketing material i.e. newsletters 
• Opportunity to use database to draw prizes, tickets etc 
• Participation in the event by employees, shareholders etc 
• Access to discounts, merchandise etc through other sponsorship relationships 
• Offer to meet with selected staff for coaching and motivation sessions 
• Related creation of an event specifically for staff 
• Inclusion in all media releases and other media contacts 
• Communication program for sponsor’s market – consumer or trade 
• Ticket entitlements, signage, samplings at related events, parties, receptions, shows, launches 
• Specially designed new event to suit sponsor such as a movie night of project highlights 
• Opportunity to provide prizes for media or promotional activities 
• Inclusion in all advertising and event promotional pieces 
• Advertising in event program or catalogue arranged at reduced price for sponsors 
• Rights to input into the organisation of main sponsor-related events such as hospitality arrangements and awards 
• Support of a sponsor’s worthy cause – involve the sponsor’s nominated charity in the event or activity 
• Donation of leftover sponsorship dollars or prize money to the sponsor’s nominated charity 
• Offer to provide your time as contract for the sponsorship i.e. attending and helping out at trade shows. product launch 
• Offer unique branding opportunities on key project equipment with high visibility 
• Help identify marketing and promotional activities, such as seminars 
• Using sponsors products at events 
• Social media coverage of using products at events 
• Temporary tattoos on torso of major sponsors logo on event days 

Now it's time to create your own list!

Got questions? Join us in The Athlete Brand and Sponsorship Hub, our free group for athletes.

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