Corporate Partnership Versus Sponsorship

* Ongoing program support or brochures.

It’s easy to create an integrated corporate marketing program when you begin with your special events. Look at all your events and determine what event assets are available for sponsorship or corporate recognition. They can include invitations, banners, posters, T-shirts, program books, advertisements, tents, billboards, staging, tables, receptions, food, Web logos and links, newsletter recognition, annual reports, letterhead, and envelopes.

The list can go on endlessly depending on your events. Then determine what levels of sponsorship you want for each event or the entire program. We find it easier to keep levels the same as much as possible from event to event and program to program. Sponsorships can begin at $1,000 or $5,000 and go up from there. Remember to always have a level above the highest level you have currently received for partnership support. That tells the highest partner there is somewhere to go.

It becomes confusing when each event has different levels of sponsorship, so consistency here is well advised — but not required.

Once you’ve determined the levels, then take all of the possible sponsorship benefits for each event or program and divide them among the levels. It’s easiest to start at the highest level and offer everything, then take opportunities away as you move down through the different levels. Some things to remember as you allocate benefits:

* An integrated corporate marketing program contains every possible and available benefit your organization is willing to “sell” to a corporate partner.

* In addition to the sponsorship opportunities, an integrated corporate sponsorship package also includes everything a corporation and its marketing department would want to know about your organization. Remember that this is a strategic — not charitable — decision by the corporation. The people making the decision want to know what their return on investment will be. Who will they reach, and what impact can they have?