Visibility Through Sponsorships

by Lauren Penny

Have you ever wondered why big brands eagerly sponsor global events? Think Olympic Games and SuperBowl. It's because sponsorships have a unique power of transforming event visibility in remarkable ways.

Consider this: while we often recognise the benefits sponsors enjoy, the advantages for event hosts are equally significant. Sponsorships offer a double bonus, amplifying visibility for both event hosts and the sponsors.

But what does this mean for you? In this article, we are going to dive into the dynamic world of sponsorships, unveiling how they elevate visibility for both the hosts and sponsors alike. Something you may want to consider for your next event.

The benefits to you as the Event Host. You don’t need me to tell you that holding an event can be expensive especially when (like most of my clients) you’re passionate about what you do and want to ensure your event makes an impact with your audience, so you have a great venue, wonderful production. Many entrepreneurs respond to this by challenging themselves to adjust their budget, and others may consider increasing ticket prices or explore other monetisation strategies to bring in more cash… But the other solution is to secure sponsorships. Sponsors can be a way to offset costs and turn your event into the day (or night) you always dreamed it would be. I like to call sponsors an “invisible revenue stream” they’re not as obvious to event hosts as ticket sales and that’s why I want to share this invisible revenue stream that leaves many event hosts unintentionally leaving money on the table Plus, there are benefits to you that expand way beyond just the revenue or amount of the value-in-kind

Expanded Reach and Exposure:

By partnering with sponsors, event hosts have an extraordinary opportunity to expand their reach and exposure to a new audience, an audience that may not have known about the event before When sponsors join event hosts, they will most likely publicly announce their sponsorship of their brand with your event and communicate about the event through their social media, email, blogs, press release, podcast etc.

As the sponsor has their own networks, followers and customer base, this will allow your event to have an expanded reach and visibility that could result in this audience either becoming more aware of your event or company, or quite possibly purchasing a ticket!

Gain partnerships with aligned companies

A sponsorship can be more powerful when you and your sponsor are aligned in your vision and mission. This could mean that you’re working in the same or adjacent industries, or that you operate in completely different sectors but share similar values or mission.

When you’re aligned with your sponsor, it boosts the chances of their marketing and promotion efforts reaching the right audience In turn, this helps you to fulfil the purpose of your event and your organisation as a whole

Social proof

Humans can be fickle we’re more likely to trust a person or a product if we can see that other people also trust that person or product This is known as ‘ethos’, and it’s one of the three modes of persuasion discussed by Aristotle: an appeal to status or authority erspective of the Sponsor have made it sound like the elationship is all about benefiting t. But if that was the case, no anisation would want to be a is isn’t the case, as many of the st companies consistently sponsor Just look at the tennis scene it nsored by the likes of Clothing d car dealer One of the best things rships is that they’re a synergistic where both parties involved get to sibility and connect with a new

One of the simplest ways to tap into some ethos for your event is to secure an established sponsor. This shows potential attendees that you have the approval of a known entity, providing social proof with sponsors logo and endorsements which can enhance the events prestige, making it more attractive to attendees and media coverage. ased visibility translates into greater ition and authority for the host, s to new opportunities, ticket sales hips.

Lets dive into the visibility benefits for a sponsor

Brand Exposure

Sponsoring events can allow a brand to achieve brand exposure to their ideal audience By selecting events that align with their target market and values, sponsors can effectively showcase their brand to potential customers who are actively engaged and interested in the event's content and offerings.

You can boost the exposure of your sponsor further by providing them with opportunities to engage with your audience. For instance, you could give them a networking lounge or booth where they can interact directly with attendees.

Sponsoring events can elevate a sponsor's brand awareness and visibility among event attendees, participants, and followers. This occurs by raising the awareness of the business in the form of logo placement, signage, and promotional materials. This aims to bring the sponsor so that their brand becomes top-of-mind and when you place this out it can occur before, during, and after the event - all leading to an enhanced brand recognition.

One of the key benefits of sponsorships is the ability to directly engage with new or existing customers in a relevant and meaningful way

When you can create opportunities for the brand to engage with their demographic and interests, this is an absolutely no-brainer deal. Imagine a make-up brand having the opportunity to set up a make-up stand at a women's event. The brand is directly engaging with their ideal customer, talking about their products and literally doing their makeup which creates an experience and one that no doubt the attendee will take photos of and likely remember for years to come. As a result, the sponsor will be able to gain leads, sales, and a new following or new customers. That’s not something to take lightly, where you have created this connection

Sponsorships create a powerful visibility for the brand Give your event the visibility boost it deserves With the right aligned sponsors, it really is a win-win partnership A great way to skyrocket visibility by connecting you with new members of your target audience